spacetris/SOUND_EFFECTS_IMPLEMENTATION.md

Sound Effects Implementation

Overview

This document describes the sound effects system implemented in the SDL C++ Tetris project, ported from the JavaScript version.

Sound Effects Implemented

1. Line Clear Sounds

• Basic Line Clear: clear_line.wav - Plays for all line clears (1-4 lines)
• Voice Feedback: Plays after the basic sound with a slight delay

2. Voice Lines by Line Count

Single Line Clear

• No specific voice lines (only basic clear sound plays)

Double Line Clear (2 lines)

• nice_combo.mp3 - "Nice combo"
• you_fire.mp3 - "You're on fire"
• well_played.mp3 - "Well played"
• keep_that_ryhtm.mp3 - "Keep that rhythm" (note: typo preserved from original)

Triple Line Clear (3 lines)

• great_move.mp3 - "Great move"
• smooth_clear.mp3 - "Smooth clear"
• impressive.mp3 - "Impressive"
• triple_strike.mp3 - "Triple strike"

Tetris (4 lines)

• amazing.mp3 - "Amazing"
• you_re_unstoppable.mp3 - "You're unstoppable"
• boom_tetris.mp3 - "Boom! Tetris!"
• wonderful.mp3 - "Wonderful"

3. Level Up Sound

• lets_go.mp3 - "Let's go" - Plays when the player advances to a new level

Implementation Details

Core Classes

1. SoundEffect: Handles individual sound file loading and playback

   • Supports both WAV and MP3 formats
   • Uses SDL3 audio streams for playback
   • Volume control per sound effect

2. SoundEffectManager: Manages all sound effects

   • Singleton pattern for global access
   • Random selection from sound groups
   • Master volume and enable/disable controls

Audio Pipeline

1. Loading: Sound files are loaded during game initialization

   • WAV files use SDL's native loading
   • MP3 files use Windows Media Foundation (Windows only)
   • All audio is converted to 16-bit stereo 44.1kHz

2. Playback: Uses SDL3 audio streams

   • Each sound effect can be played independently
   • Volume mixing with master volume control
   • Non-blocking playback for game responsiveness

Integration with Game Logic

• Line Clear Callback: Game class triggers sound effects when lines are cleared
• Level Up Callback: Triggered when player advances levels
• Random Selection: Multiple voice lines for same event are randomly selected

Controls

• M Key: Toggle background music on/off
• S Key: Toggle sound effects on/off
• Settings popup shows current status of both music and sound effects

JavaScript Compatibility

The implementation matches the JavaScript version exactly:

• Same sound files used
• Same triggering conditions (line counts, level ups)
• Same random selection behavior for voice lines
• Same volume levels and mixing

Audio Files Structure

assets/music/
├── clear_line.wav              # Basic line clear sound
├── nice_combo.mp3              # Double line voice
├── you_fire.mp3                # Double line voice
├── well_played.mp3             # Double line voice
├── keep_that_ryhtm.mp3         # Double line voice (typo preserved)
├── great_move.mp3              # Triple line voice
├── smooth_clear.mp3            # Triple line voice
├── impressive.mp3              # Triple line voice
├── triple_strike.mp3           # Triple line voice
├── amazing.mp3                 # Tetris voice
├── you_re_unstoppable.mp3      # Tetris voice
├── boom_tetris.mp3             # Tetris voice
├── wonderful.mp3               # Tetris voice
└── lets_go.mp3                 # Level up sound

Technical Notes

Platform Support

• Windows: Full MP3 support via Windows Media Foundation
• Other platforms: WAV support only (MP3 requires additional libraries)

Performance

• All sounds are pre-loaded during initialization
• Minimal CPU overhead during gameplay
• SDL3 handles audio mixing and buffering

Memory Usage

• Sound effects are kept in memory for instant playback
• Total memory usage approximately 50-100MB for all effects
• Memory is freed on application shutdown

Future Enhancements

• Add sound effects for piece placement/movement
• Implement positional audio for stereo effects
• Add configurable volume levels per sound type
• Support for additional audio formats (OGG, FLAC)