Sound Effects
Design sound effects for game events using BEEP.
Sound transforms a silent program into something that feels alive. Each game event deserves its own sound — a quick chirp for collecting a coin, a low rumble for losing a life.
The Program
10 CLS
20 PRINT "Game Sound Effects"
30 PRINT
40 PRINT "1. Collect coin"
50 BEEP 0.05, 20
60 PAUSE 25
70 PRINT "2. Lose life"
80 BEEP 0.1, 0: BEEP 0.1, -3: BEEP 0.2, -7
90 PAUSE 25
100 PRINT "3. Level up"
110 BEEP 0.15, 12: BEEP 0.15, 16: BEEP 0.3, 19
120 PAUSE 25
130 PRINT "4. Game over"
140 BEEP 0.2, 7: BEEP 0.2, 5: BEEP 0.2, 2: BEEP 0.4, 0
150 PAUSE 25
160 PRINT "5. Bonus"
170 FOR i = 0 TO 24 STEP 2
180 BEEP 0.02, i
190 NEXT i
200 PAUSE 25
210 PRINT "6. Countdown warning"
220 BEEP 0.1, 20: PAUSE 5: BEEP 0.1, 20: PAUSE 5: BEEP 0.1, 20
BEEP Recap
BEEP duration, pitch plays a tone. Duration is in seconds. Pitch is in semitones above middle C — positive numbers go higher, negative go lower.
The Six Effects
1. Collect coin — BEEP 0.05, 20. Short and high-pitched. A quick “ping” that doesn’t interrupt gameplay.
2. Lose life — BEEP 0.1, 0: BEEP 0.1, -3: BEEP 0.2, -7. Three descending notes. The pitch drops to signal something bad happened.
3. Level up — BEEP 0.15, 12: BEEP 0.15, 16: BEEP 0.3, 19. Three ascending notes. The opposite of the lose-life sound — rising pitch signals success.
4. Game over — BEEP 0.2, 7: BEEP 0.2, 5: BEEP 0.2, 2: BEEP 0.4, 0. Four descending notes, slower than lose-life. A more final, solemn sound.
5. Bonus — FOR i = 0 TO 24 STEP 2: BEEP 0.02, i: NEXT i. A rapid ascending sweep. Sounds like a classic arcade bonus.
6. Countdown warning — BEEP 0.1, 20: PAUSE 5: BEEP 0.1, 20: PAUSE 5: BEEP 0.1, 20. Three sharp beeps with pauses. Urgent, attention-grabbing.
Design Principles
| Event | Pitch | Duration | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good thing | High / rising | Short | Quick reward, don’t slow gameplay |
| Bad thing | Low / falling | Medium | Noticeable but not jarring |
| End of game | Low / falling | Long | Final, dramatic |
| Warning | High / repeated | Short bursts | Urgent, demands attention |
Try This
Your own effects. Experiment with different pitches and durations. Try making a “power-up” sound, a “door opening” sound, or a “teleport” sound.
Melody. String enough BEEPs together and you have a tune. Try the first few notes of a song you know.
What You’ve Learnt
- Sound design — match the sound to the event’s meaning
- Ascending vs descending — rising pitch = good, falling pitch = bad
- Duration matters — short for frequent events, longer for rare ones
- Multiple BEEPs — chain them for more complex sounds