Voice FX Designer

Description

• *English version to follow*

Create voices that players will remember

SIDE is looking for an experienced freelance Voice FX Designer to create distinctive, technically sound, and character-identity-aligned vocal elements for video game projects.

This is not a standard dialogue editing role. You will use creative audio processing techniques, plugins, effect chains, automation, and routing to transform recorded dialogue while preserving the quality and intent of the original performance.

The work may include robotic, supernatural, monstrous, or creature-specific vocal treatments, as well as mask, helmet, distortion, overlap, radio, and communication effects, among others.

You will collaborate with audio editors, sound designers, sound engineers, post-production coordinators, and other project stakeholders to ensure each vocal element is creative, intelligible, coherent, and technically ready for delivery.

Vocal design and creative processing

Design and process vocal elements in accordance with the artistic direction, character identity, game context, and technical requirements of each project.

Create, apply, and refine vocal effect chains using plugins, auxiliary sends, buses, automation, and routing within audio workstations.

Create character-specific treatments, including creature, robot, supernatural entity, or monster voices, as well as radio or communication voices, helmet or mask voices, and distorted or overlapped voices.

Automate pitch, formants, modulation, distortion, filtering, delay, reverb, dynamics, panning, and other creative parameters.

Find the right balance between creative processing, clarity, intelligibility, performance quality, and consistency.

Adapt existing processing chains to multiple lines, characters, languages, or batches of production while maintaining a consistent sound identity.

Create, when necessary, presets, session templates, routing configurations, and corresponding documentation so they can be reused.

Technical production and delivery

Import audio files into audio workstation sessions and work within the constraints of synchronization, naming, and delivery.

Render and export processed elements in accordance with formats, loudness standards, naming conventions, and delivery instructions specific to each project.

Diagnose and resolve issues related to plugins, routing, automation, sessions, and renders.

Maintain organized, reproducible, and efficiently modifiable processing chains.

Handle alternative takes, additional lines, revisions, and new deliveries while preserving established vocal treatments.

Work with approved tools, scripts, tracking systems, templates, and technical specifications.

Collaboration

Work closely with sound designers, audio editors, sound engineers, post-production coordinators, and other project stakeholders.

Interpret creative briefs, reference documents, client feedback, and artistic direction precisely.

Seek clarification when artistic direction, technical requirements, or workflow instructions are not sufficiently clear.

Report quickly any issue that may impact quality, consistency, scope, deadlines, or delivery.

Apply received feedback and perform revisions within the given timeframes.

Communicate clearly your availability, work capacity, and delivery estimates as a freelancer.

File and audio element management

Organize, name, track, and manage vocal design elements methodically.

Maintain clean and structured sessions, as well as organized plugin chains, rendered files, alternative versions, and final exports.

Respect naming conventions, folder structures, version control procedures, and required backup processes.

Store and transfer deliverables in accordance with each project's instructions.

Preserve the confidentiality of projects, documents, and elements belonging to clients at all times.

Quality control

Perform critical listening to ensure all elements are clean, coherent, intelligible, and technically compliant.

Spot clipping, unwanted distortion, excessive noise, over-processing, phase or synchronization issues, incorrect renders, missing files, and inconsistent plugin settings.

Ensure that final elements meet SIDE and its clients' quality standards before delivery.

Technical knowledge

Solid knowledge of vocal design, dialogue processing, creative effect chains, and audio post-production.

Proficiency in audio workstations, including Pro Tools and Reaper.

Very good practical knowledge of plugins used for pitch and formant treatment, modulation, distortion, saturation, filtering, convolution, reverb, delay, equalization, dynamics, noise reduction, and audio restoration.

Proficiency in relevant tools, such as iZotope RX, Adobe Audition, Pro Tools, Reaper, and third-party plugins specialized in vocal processing.

Good understanding of plugin automation, routing, auxiliary sends, buses, offline processing, batch processing, and session management.

Knowledge of the audio for video games domain, off-screen voice, localization, creature voice design, character treatment, and post-production processes.

Knowledge of file naming conventions, asset management, version control, and digital delivery processes.

The ability to work in Mac and PC environments is an asset.

Professional experience

Professional experience in vocal design, dialogue design, sound design, or audio post-production.

Experience in creating treated character voices for video games, interactive media, animation, trailers, cinematics, television, radio, or comparable media.

Experience in creating and maintaining consistent vocal treatments on large volumes of files.

Experience working from character briefs, creative references, and client directives.

Experience in delivering technically compliant audio elements within tight deadlines.

Experience in quickly performing revisions while preserving an established sound identity.

Previous experience working as a freelancer, including reliable remote communication and clear availability management, is an asset.

Skills and work methods

Excellent creative and technical sensitivity to vocal quality, characterization, intelligibility, and consistency.

Very high attention to detail, especially in plugin chain management, automation, rendering, and batch deliveries.

Excellent organizational and time management skills.

Ability to work autonomously and meet agreed-upon deadlines.

Clear, coherent, and professional communication.

Solid technical problem-solving skills.

Ability to quickly adapt to new tools, processes, templates, and project imperatives.

Independent, ingenious, and reliable approach.

Collaborative spirit and ability to work effectively with production, post-production, and sound design teams.