Gyakuten Saiban 4 SE: Sandō (2007)

Title: Gyakuten Saiban 4 SE: Sandō / 『逆転裁判4 SE: サンドウ』

Source: CAP’STONE (link not available anymore)

Summary: In 2007, Gyakuten Saiban 4 (Ace Attorney 4 - Apollo Justice) sound effect designer Sandō Yoshiki wrote a short piece for CAP’STONE, the official site for Capcom’s sound team about creating the sound effects for the game. He writes about updating the sound effects for the game in a way to keep the familiar feeling, but also about recording new sound effects, even if they are a bit weird, like the ‘sound of someone who falls on the floor while holding an acoustic guitar.’

Hello, Sandō here, the greatest fighter in the Capcom Sound Team and self-proclaimed ramen and musical lover. I had the honor of working on the sound effects of Gyakuten Saiban 4 (Ace Attorney 4 – Apollo Justice).

To tell you the truth, I was already a big fan of the Gyakuten Saiban series. The day it was decided I’d work on this game, I was so happy I started yelling ‘Objection!’ to anything people asked. Haha, just kidding!

The Sound Effects of Gyakuten Saiban

Anyone who has played several games in the Gyakuten Saiban series will probably be aware of the following, but the basic sound effects, like:

• System sound effects for when you select something or confirm a selection
• The sound of the gavel or when a verdict of guilty or not guilty is given
• The snapping sound when a character receives damage
• The “Ping!” sound when a character thinks of something

All these sound effects have remained traditionally the same throughout the series, or perhaps been tinkered with, but in a way to preserve the original feeling.

So with these sounds so imbedded in the atmosphere of the series, you can’t just change them. Or to be exact. As a fan myself, I don’t want those sound effects to change.

If I had had known nothing about this series, I might have slammed the table hard with my hands during a meeting, yelling:

“The sound effect when you confirm something has to be louder! You need to stand up for yourself more prominently in this world! We definitely have to change this!’

But of course, that’d be all wrong.

So for the series-traditional sound effects, I did for example work hard to get a stereophonic sound out of them, but I made sure that fans wouldn’t feel like something was off.

For example, the breaking sound of a Psyche Lock sounds similar to the original sound effect, but I remade that sound effect from scratch, and it has a more distinct metallic noise to it. Did you notice it?

I personally think fondly of working on the completely new sound effects, where I had complete freedom. The effect of going back and forth in time in the fourth episode, or the tune of the street vendor’s flute that links up with the animation of Yatabuki (Eldoon) (it was hard!), the air guitar of Garyū Kyōya (Klavier Gavin), and more…

Recording the Sound Effects

• Objection!
• Hold it!

Voices like the ones above have to be recorded of course, but this time, we also recorded sound effects. We at Capcom have the best sound studio in all of West-Japan! (Source: Own research)

During the live performance with Lamiroir, there’s a scene where prosecutor Garyū topples over while holding his acoustic guitar. I still remember very well how we recorded that ‘falling’ sound effect.

I’m sure it was the same day we recorded the voice for the Perceive system. We had finally gotten our

“Gotcha!” recorded. Suddenly, Mr. Takumi started talking to me in the same way Beat Takeshi did in the film Battle Royale.

“And now you’ll have to fall on the ground for me while holding an acoustic guitar.”

I stepped inside the recording booth, and threw myself on the floor like Garyū did, again and again.

“Hmm, no, that’s not quite right. What if you knock that guitar down on the floor?

I kept on knocking the guitar over.

“Well, perhaps you should throw the guitar?”

I kept on throwing the guitar.

Thirty minutes later…

“Yes, that’s it!”

And that’s how we succeeded in recording the sound of “someone falling while holding an acoustic guitar.”

And look, we can even show a movie of how that recording went!

[Link not available anymore]

I actually like minds that work like that, though some may call it silly. I was actually quite nervous whether he would cry out to me:

‘Let’s try setting that guitar on fire then!’

The guitar was a lost cause, but we got ‘good sound’ and ‘a memory’ in return. Thank you. (By the way, the guitar was my own)

Everyone! I think a lot of you will have completed the game already, but how about playing Gyakuten Saiban 4 one more time, this time focusing on the sound design? I’d be so happy if you would remember this tale when you see the scene where Garyū falls on the floor.

Working on the sound effects of Gyakuten Saiban 4 has really been a great experience! A summer that changed my life! Gyakuten Saiban 4 really is a wonderful game with fans that love it with all their heart. The staff was wonderful too!

Gyakuten Saiban 4, thank you for all the dreams you gave me!