We've added an impressive new set of features for the latest release of Audio Inspector (for Unreal Engine 5). The feedback and response to the original release was very positive, and we've been impressed with the breadth and scope of projects using the tool.


The new Audio Inspector is included as part of our SweejTech suite licence - https://sweej.tech/license/

Let's take you through some of its new features.

Display Origin Distance: Now showing the distance from the origin

Audio Inspector: Display distance from origin

New Owner Column: We've added a dedicated column to identify the owner of each 'Active Sound'

Audio Inspector: New owner column

Sound Highlighting: Selecting a sound in the list will now highlight its corresponding location in the world

Audio Inspector: Select active sound to highlight owner instance

Asset Type Icons: Rows now display sound type icons to easily identify different sound asset types

Audio Inspector: Show asset type icons

Quick Access to Assets: You can now Shift+Double-click on an active sound to instantly locate it in the 'Content Browser'

Audio Inspector: shift+doubleclick to show asset in 'Content Browser'

Footer Enhancements: Added a footer displaying the total voice count and current 'Master Volume' output for quick reference

Audio Inspector: footer with total voice count and 'Master Volume' output

Viewport Selection: Clicking a row in the list will select the corresponding owner instance directly in the viewport

Audio Inspector: display selected active sounds in viewport

Performance Improvements: Various optimizations have been implemented to enhance overall performance.

We've added an impressive new set of features for the latest release of Audio Inspector (for Unreal Engine 5). 
The feedback and response to the original release was very positive, and we've been impressed with the breadth and scope of projects using the tool.

When working on game projects, we have seen a need to easily access a few specific values in a large number of sounds. Therefore we created this Global Parameter utility. It enables you to set a value in one place and then easily get that value from anywhere. 

Maybe you want to be able to get the player's campaign progress in your music systems? Or do you want the health, velocity or height above ground from your player? Maybe you need the wind and rain amount or time of day in your spot sounds? Or the distance to your companion for voice line selection?

Let's take the rain amount as an example. We want that value to affect different spots sounds, like tarps or barrels. The higher the rain amount, the more we fade in the rain layer sound.

We send the amount via a suitable blueprint.

In our MetaSound we add the SweejTech.GlobalParameters interface.

Then we fetch the value using the interfaces and the Get Global Parameters Value node.

This utility is still work in progress, but if this would be of interest to you please let us know. 

When working on game projects, we have seen a need to easily access a few specific values in a large number of sounds. Therefore we created this Global Parameter utility, an interface that receives parameters set from anywhere in the game!

Building Next-Gen Audio: The Technical Foundation of SweejTech

At SweejTech, we're building our audio DSP stack from the ground up to take full advantage of modern hardware capabilities. Here’s the thinking behind some of the technology we’re working on.

At the core of SweejTech is a custom-built audio specific DSP mathematics library. While many solutions build directly on more general-purpose game engine math libraries, we've developed a platform-agnostic foundation that allows for precise control over performance-critical operations. Audio processing demands consistent, fast and predictable performance - requirements that shaped our mathematical foundation from day one.

One area where this foundation proves crucial is in our convolution reverb implementation. Modern game engines haven’t taken full advantage of the performance capabilities of modern hardware in their convolution implementations, resulting in restrictions on reverb usage due to CPU constraints. We're challenging this limitation.

By rethinking how data is stored and processed, we've achieved significant performance gains. This means games can use more reverb instances in more contexts than previously allowed for, opening new possibilities for sound designers.

A key challenge in game audio is maintaining consistent performance and signal output across different platforms. Our technology is designed to deliver identical results whether running on a PS5, high-end PC, or Xbox Series. This predictability is crucial for game developers who need to ensure consistent audio quality across their entire player base.

Future developments include exploring real-time acoustic simulation and advanced binaural rendering. While these features are still in development, they represent our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in game audio.

By building our technology stack from first principles, we're creating solutions that don't just work within current constraints, but help define what's possible for the next generation of game audio.

While we’re hard at work on audio features, we’re also building out a foundational layer that will ensure we’re always making the most of the hardware we use, and using it to enhance the quality and performance of everything we do.

The SweejTech Audio Inspector allows sound designers, programmers and anyone working with Unreal Audio to view active sounds in a compact, dockable tab window. It displays a table list view with configurable columns that show each active sound and important information about it. It slots neatly into your Unreal Editor audio content creation workflows and debug sessions without obscuring the game viewport. Enjoy inspecting your audio!

 See detailed, useful info about all active sounds in game in a compact editor tab window.

Mixing is essential to ensure player agency; when we hear better, we play better. Too many competing sounds and the message is obfuscated; reason and meaning are lost. HDR mixing enhances the gameplay experience by making each sound impactful, and ensuring that all your hard work is heard and appreciated. 

HDR prioritises more important, or generally ‘louder’ sounds. It preserves relationships between adjacent sounds and scales the output signal to the ‘loudest’ perceived sound. A moving HDR window maps the active sounds to the dynamic range of the playback system, automatically culling sounds that are below its lower threshold. HDR makes loud sounds sound louder, and quieter sounds sound as loud as loud sounds sound!

High Dynamic Range audio for UE5, enabling automated mixing and prioritisation, for delivering an immersive audio experience.

The SweejTech MetaSound MIDI plugin is a versatile solution that enables sound designers, musicians, and anyone working with Unreal Audio to use MIDI devices within the MetaSound editor. It features MetaSound interfaces for receiving MIDI events, such as keypresses, pitch bend, and control changes, which can be used to trigger events and parameters within your MetaSound. Users can customize their experience through adjustable settings, MIDI device management, and real-time MIDI monitoring, while also having access to console commands and example content to explore creative possibilities. Whether building synthesizers and samplers, or prototyping and debugging MetaSound graphs, this plugin provides an exciting playground for MIDI and MetaSounds enthusiasts alike.

Effortlessly use MIDI devices in the MetaSound editor, and build innovative graphs.

Find out more about our current and upcoming technologies.

SweejTech Blog

New features for Audio Inspector

First look at Global Parameters

Building Solid Foundations