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I need to make impact sounds for a fighting game and I'm not sure how to go about it.
The closest parallels I can find are the hit sound effects from Super Smash Bros Melee (the link should start at the right time, if not it starts at 44 seconds):
I'm having a hard time figuring out what sound make up these sounds and how to make a sound that feels as good as these, any help would be appreciated!
Punch and impact effects are hardly ever knocked up on a computer. Listening to the high-middy classic punches from classic games, they probably snapped a stick, or whipped a big pillow with it, then pitched the sound down a few semitones, brought out the punchy mid to low frequencies, then layered some milder low frequency sounds on top.
But for most punch sound effects, they actually record something hitting a lump of meat or something similar. These days, even a real person will be punched to get a genuine sound.
As for attempting to design this type of sound, I would look into creating it the same way you would create a kick drum hit, but higher frequency and wetter with a fast decay. Try layering it with a low frequency clap type sound, or some band pass filtered noise with a distortion effect. Add reverb depending on the environment, but keep it tight. I think the key for this design is layering.
This article on punch sound effects looks like a good read for you, although I've only skimmed it.
Read the 'Punch Sounds' section of this article on EpicSounds.com; It seems more old school, like the classic effects used on Super Mario games. There's also a 'Body and face hits' section(sections listed alphabetically).
This previous question from 2011 is similar to yours and has a few answers.
Alright here is a more detailed explanation of the waves maxxbass on impact sounds like a lightning.
If you believe your lightning sound is shallow distant or generally "not in your face" enough to make an impact maxxbass or similar plugins might assist your cause. Maxxbass adds harmonics to the sound it already has. Like the lightning sample. If you look at the lightning in a spectrum analyzer you might see some bass hasmonics or not. After you apply maxxbass the added harmonics (usually addind to the fundamental and the octaves and fifth's) suddenly give you control over the amount of impact / in your face feeling.
Hopefully this method suits your demand.
greetings sien
I'm not good at it, but I believe EQ, compression, limiting are all you need to try.
