Podcast
The Future of Interactive Media w/ Aaron Mcleran (Epic Games) | Ep 27
Aaron McLaren explores how real-time audio rendering is transforming interactive experiences and bridging the gap between gaming and traditional media production.
In this fascinating conversation from SIGGRAPH in Denver, Aaron McLaren, Director of Audio for Unreal Engine at Epic Games, reveals how the worlds of graphics and audio are converging in ways that could reshape interactive media. With 15 years in video games and 10 years at Epic, McLaren has been pioneering the concept of real-time audio rendering, a paradigm that treats sound as dynamically rendered content rather than static assets.
The discussion centers on MetaSounds, Epic's revolutionary audio system designed for what McLaren calls "the metaverse" (not Zuckerberg's version, but rather a broader vision of interoperable 3D interactive content). Unlike traditional digital audio workstations that export static files, MetaSounds enables audio to be truly interactive, responding to user input, environmental data, and real-time conditions. This approach mirrors how modern graphics engines render visuals on the fly, creating a "sister discipline" relationship between audio and graphics rendering.
McLaren shares exciting real-world applications already live in the ecosystem: Chris Zuko's MixUniverse, where users build visual sculptures that are simultaneously musical compositions; Mitch Dolak's Sonic Life Forms, a procedural ambient music app for iOS; and Patrick Curt's Cycles, a data sonification experience exploring forest fires. Perhaps most impressively, Epic's Harmonix acquisition has brought professional music game technology into Unreal Engine, powering Fortnite's Festival mode and Patchwork, a collaborative music-making tool that lets players jam together in real-time across the globe.
The philosophy behind MetaSounds goes beyond technical innovation. It embraces encapsulation and interoperability, allowing audio "assets" to be shared across different platforms and experiences while maintaining their interactive properties. This represents a fundamental shift from thinking about audio files as finished products to treating them as living, responsive systems. As McLaren emphasizes, the goal isn't to replace traditional audio production or creative professionals, but to expand the possibilities of what audio can do in interactive contexts, creating new forms of expression that blur the lines between music, gaming, and immersive experiences.
Originally recorded on August 12th, 2024.
