| name | audio-direction |
| description | Use when defining the sonic identity — music style, instruments, SFX vocabulary, dynamic music plan. Outputs an audio bible at `.summer/audio-bible.md`. Trigger on "audio direction", "audio bible", "music style", "sound design", "what should it sound like", "dynamic music". |
| license | MIT |
| compatibility | ["Cursor","Claude Code","Windsurf","Codex"] |
| category | audio |
| user-invocable | true |
| allowed-tools | Read Grep Glob Write Edit summer_get_project_context summer_get_scene_tree summer_inspect_node summer_add_node summer_project_setting summer_generate_audio |
| paths | [".summer/**","project.godot","**/*.tscn","audio/**"] |
/audio-direction — Define the Sonic Identity
Overview
Most indie games sound like a single library used flat. The same generic "swoosh" for menu, jump, pickup, hit. That's not audio direction — that's audio absence. This skill builds an audio bible that names the music style, the SFX vocabulary, the dynamic music plan, and the spatial / mix rules. Writes to .summer/audio-bible.md and configures the audio bus layout in the project so the rest of the work has a real foundation.
Core principle: SFX needs a vocabulary, not a library. Eight named SFX classes with consistent character beat 80 random library hits.
Steps
1. Open with three references
Ask exactly this:
Three reference tracks, games, or films for the music. What instruments matter? And what's the SFX vibe — chunky, clean, synthetic, or organic?
Three is the minimum. One or two collapses into a clone. References are the highest-signal input — listen carefully.
If they freeze, offer four axes (not titles):
Pick the closest: a) orchestral + cinematic (Hollow Knight, Journey), b) lo-fi electronic + ambient (Disco Elysium, Outer Wilds), c) chiptune / synth (Hyper Light Drifter, Celeste), d) acoustic / folk (Sable, A Short Hike).
2. Read the brief and art bible if they exist
Read .summer/GameSoul.md
Read .summer/art-bible.md
Audio must rhyme with the visuals. Quote it back:
Art bible says "soft, hand-warmed, golden-hour, painterly". That rhymes with acoustic / folk / lo-fi over orchestral or aggressive synth. Confirming.
If the brief says "horror", that constrains the music style harder than the user's references will. Name the constraint.
3. Pin the music style
Force one primary style. Sub-styles can blend, but a primary is required.
| Style | Anchor instruments | Pairs with | Avoid |
|---|
| Orchestral cinematic | Strings, brass, choir | Story-led, fantasy | Casual / cozy |
| Acoustic / folk | Guitar, piano, hand percussion | Cozy, narrative | Action / horror |
| Lo-fi electronic | Vintage synth pad, tape sat, light beat | Atmospheric, indie | Combat-heavy |
| Chiptune / synthwave | 8-bit / 16-bit chips, FM synth | Retro, platformer | Realism |
| Industrial / metal | Distorted bass, percussion-led | Horror, action | Cozy |
| Ambient drone | Pads, no drums, slow movement | Walking sim, horror | Action |
| Jazz / fusion | Live instruments, improv | Stylish, narrative | Generic action |
| Tracker / hyperpop | Glitchy, dense, modern | Esoteric, indie | Mass appeal |
Ask:
One primary style. Which?
4. Define tempo + key range
Concrete numbers, not "varies".
Tempo range: 80–110 BPM (slow side; combat would push 120+)
Key center: D minor (warm but melancholic)
Modulation rule: combat tracks shift to D dorian, calm tracks to D natural minor
Time signature: 4/4 default; 6/8 for emotional cues
5. Build the SFX vocabulary
Eight named classes. Each class has a character, not a single sound.
| Class | Character | Examples in this game | DON'T |
|---|
| UI | Soft, woody, short (60-100ms) | Menu hover, button click, tab switch | No bell tones, no synth blips |
| Pickup positive | Warm, ascending interval (major third), 200-400ms | Coin, key, heal | No pure sine "ding" |
| Pickup neutral | Brief tactile, no melodic component | Note, breadcrumb, lore item | No ascending pitch (reads as reward) |
| Negative / damage | Punchy low-mid, slight detune | Player hit, enemy hit, fall damage | No long reverb tail |
| Movement / footstep | Material-aware (wood / stone / grass) | Walk, run, jump, land | No same sample for all surfaces |
| Attack / action | Front-loaded transient, short body | Swing, parry, dash | No layered orchestral hit |
| Ambient layer | Continuous, low presence | Wind, room tone, distant waves | No looping melody |
| Stinger / event | Distinctive, rare, melodic | Boss intro, level clear, story beat | No reuse for normal events |
Ask:
Eight classes above. Adjust any character / examples / DON'Ts?
6. Define the dynamic music plan
Static music = one track loops forever in a level. Boring. Dynamic music = layers swell with player state. Pick a model.
| Model | How it works | Cost | Best for |
|---|
| Layered stems | One bar / multiple instrument layers; combat adds drum stem, calm removes it | Medium (need stems authored) | Most games |
| Vertical re-orchestration | Same melody, different instrumentation per state | High (composer-led) | Story-led / boss-heavy |
| Horizontal sequencing | Different tracks for different states, crossfade | Low (just author 3-5 full tracks) | Vertical slice scope |
| Procedural / generative | Generate from rules in real-time | High dev cost | Special-case |
Pick one. State the state machine:
States:
CALM — exploration, low intensity
TENSION — enemies aware but not engaged
COMBAT — engaged
VICTORY — encounter cleared (4-second sting → return to CALM)
Transitions:
CALM → TENSION when an enemy detects the player (2s crossfade)
TENSION → COMBAT when first damage exchanged (instant drum stem)
COMBAT → VICTORY when last enemy dies (drum stem cuts, brass swell)
VICTORY → CALM after 4s
Rules:
No state stays > 90s without variation (loop with bar-1 randomization)
Volume ducking: dialogue active → music -6dB
Boss music is its own track; ignores normal state machine
7. Define the spatial + mix rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|
| 3D attenuation curve | Inverse-square (default), max distance 25m |
| Reverb buses | 1 small (interior), 1 large (cave / hall), 1 outdoor |
| HRTF for player | ON (headphone-friendly directional cues) |
| Master ceiling | -1 dBTP (true peak, no clipping on consoles) |
| Music vs SFX vs UI mix | -8 dB / 0 dB / -3 dB (SFX is loudest) |
| Footstep rolloff | Cuts at 4m for player; cuts at 10m for NPC (player needs them, distant NPCs are noise) |
| Compression | Light bus compression on master (2:1, slow attack, 100ms release) |
8. Configure the audio bus layout
Real audio in Godot needs a bus layout. Default Godot has Master only — configure the buses now.
Preferred (Summer MCP): Buses are typically in default_bus_layout.tres. Modify project setting:
summer_project_setting(key="audio/buses/default_bus_layout", value="res://audio/default_bus_layout.tres")
Ask the user:
May I create audio/default_bus_layout.tres with these buses: Master / Music / SFX / UI / Voice / Ambient / Reverb_Small / Reverb_Large / Reverb_Outdoor?
On yes, write the .tres directly via Write (it's plain Godot resource format the host can produce):
Write audio/default_bus_layout.tres
Fallback (no MCP): Print the .tres for the user to paste, plus the project.godot line.
9. Save the audio bible
Always write the bible. Path: .summer/audio-bible.md.
# Audio Bible — <Game Name>
**References:** <3 specific tracks / games / films>
**Style:** <one of the 8 above>
**Tempo / key:** 80–110 BPM, D minor, 4/4
## SFX Vocabulary
| Class | Character | Examples | DON'T |
|---|---|---|---|
| UI | Soft, woody, 60-100ms | hover, click | bell tones |
| Pickup positive | Warm major-third, 200-400ms | coin, heal | pure sine |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
## Dynamic Music Plan
**Model:** Layered stems
**States:** CALM / TENSION / COMBAT / VICTORY
**Transitions:** ...
**Rules:** ...
## Spatial + Mix
- 3D attenuation: inverse-square, 25m
- Reverb buses: small / large / outdoor
- HRTF: ON
- Master ceiling: -1 dBTP
- Mix bus: Music -8 dB, SFX 0 dB, UI -3 dB
- Footstep rolloff: 4m player / 10m NPC
## Bus Layout
Master → Music, SFX (→ Reverb_Small / Large / Outdoor), UI, Voice, Ambient
Ask:
May I create .summer/audio-bible.md with this bible?
10. Optional — generate first SFX seeds
If the user wants to start generating, propose 3-5 SFX seeds aligned with the vocabulary. These are starting points, not finals.
summer_generate_audio(prompt="soft woody UI click, 80ms, no reverb, neutral pitch", duration=0.1)
summer_generate_audio(prompt="warm major-third coin pickup, 300ms, light reverb", duration=0.3)
summer_generate_audio(prompt="punchy low-mid player damage hit, slight detune, 200ms, no tail", duration=0.2)
Ask first:
May I generate first-pass SFX seeds for UI, pickup, and damage classes? They're starting points, not finals.
11. Route to the next step
End with:
Bible saved. Next:
/summer:design-mechanic to wire SFX cues into specific mechanics./summer:vfx if you haven't paired audio with visual effect cues yet.- Author or generate the calm music track first; it's the longest-running and sets the room tone.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|
| Single reference for music | Three minimum. Listen for the common element across them. |
| "Library" instead of "vocabulary" | A bag of free SFX with no shared character feels random. Eight named classes with character notes. |
| Same SFX for all events | If pickup-coin and pickup-key sound identical, the player learns nothing from audio. |
| No dynamic music plan | Static loops bore in 90s. Pick a model (layered / vertical / horizontal / procedural). |
| Music louder than SFX | Players need SFX for gameplay; music is mood. Default mix is -8 dB music vs 0 dB SFX. |
| No reverb buses | "Send" architecture (rooms route to a small/large/outdoor reverb bus) is mandatory or your mix sounds dry-then-wet inconsistently. |
| Pure sine "ding" for pickup | Reads as cheap mobile game. Use a major-third interval with character. |
| Same footstep sample for all surfaces | Material-aware footsteps are 80% of the perceived audio quality. |
| No master ceiling / true peak | Audio clips on console builds without -1 dBTP ceiling. Always set it. |
| Calling SetResourceProperty on inline sub_resources | Silent fail. See references/mcp-tools-reference.md § Trap. |
Collaborative protocol
This skill writes one bible (.summer/audio-bible.md), creates a bus layout (audio/default_bus_layout.tres), modifies project.godot, and may generate audio (metered). Always ask before writing or generating. See references/collaborative-protocol.md.
Want a working starter?
No template — this is a workflow that produces the bible the rest of the project obeys. After the bible exists, the bus layout is set up and any subsequent audio work (footstep system, dynamic music) reads from it.
See also
references/collaborative-protocol.mdreferences/godot-version.md — Godot 4.5 audio API notesreferences/mcp-tools-reference.mdscene-and-project/brainstorm-game/SKILL.md — produces the brief that anchors the biblerendering-and-lighting/art-direction/SKILL.md — the visual counterpart; audio must rhyme with itaudio/audio-bus-setup/SKILL.md (NEXT) — implements the bus layout in detailaudio/3d-spatial-audio/SKILL.md (NEXT) — spatial attenuation patternsaudio/footstep-systems/SKILL.md (NEXT) — material-aware footstep implaudio/dynamic-music-stingers/SKILL.md (LATER) — implements the dynamic music plan
