Hi, I'm Sergio Ronchetti, a Game Audio Director and an active mentor through GameSoundCon. Since 2009, GameSoundCon has been the leading conference for anyone serious about video game music and sound design. It's where we dive into everything: composing, implementation, sound design, and even the tricky business side of game audio.
At the conference, I wear a few hats, but they all boil down to making sure attendees walk away with real skills. I help shape the content, propose technical sessions, and personally ensure we have tracks that feel welcoming, not intimidating, for beginners. Crucially, I lead hands-on sessions for implementation tools like FMOD and mentor newcomers. Beyond the event, I publish tutorials and guide students who are trying to land their first gig in this wild, amazing field.
My day job is full audio direction, everything from high-level vision and music direction to end-to-end implementation and managing the VO pipeline. This keeps me grounded in what's actually happening in the industry, so my advice is never outdated.
Early in my career, I constantly saw the same problem: incredibly talented composers and sound designers from film, TV, and other media would struggle badly when they tried to switch to games. The tools, the middleware, the game engines, the totally different workflow, were a complete culture shock.
I realised the gap wasn't about talent; it was about technical knowledge and implementation secrets. I felt a real drive to bridge that. Mentoring lets me demystify those complex systems, share actual, proven workflows, and give new talent a solid footing. GameSoundCon gives us the perfect stage to scale that help beyond just a few one-on-one chats.
Brian L. Schmidt founded GameSoundCon in 2009 with the explicit goal of helping those traditional media professionals make the jump. As the conference grew, we added hands-on workshops (like the FMOD training around 2011), covering everything from spatial sound to advanced concepts.
I jumped in by proposing talks and leading those crucial FMOD project setup sessions. My goal was always to help attendees build solid fundamentals from scratch. I'm a firm believer in balanced programming, the talks need to have real, tangible value for both the complete beginner and the seasoned pro.
The conference has changed dramatically over the years. We realised early on that flying to the US simply wasn't possible for huge numbers of interested people. So, we shifted hard into a hybrid model: the in-person event, complemented by recorded and streaming sessions. This was key to making our content accessible globally.
Community word-of-mouth is the engine that keeps us going. Loads of returning attendees and referrals sustain our momentum year after year.
I also work hard to keep a visible presence online, posting tutorials, insights, and case studies from my actual projects. That builds trust with folks who haven't attended yet, showing them we're currently in the game. Partnerships are also essential, we work directly with tool vendors like FMOD and educational programs to bring in diverse, qualified audiences.
Running a technical conference means navigating a few ongoing challenges:
How do you satisfy the expert without drowning the beginner? I structure my talks with progressive layers: hit the core fundamentals first, then offer a clear "next steps" section for those ready to go deep. Nobody should ever feel lost.
Everyone uses different stuff, Unreal, Unity, Wwise, FMOD, or nothing at all! To fix this, I supply prep materials and basic primers ahead of time. For instance, my FMOD sessions start with a minimal setup but still guide everyone to build something functional from minute one.
We make sure sessions are clearly labeled by experience level (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) and, most importantly, we record everything. Attendees can relax knowing they didn't miss out by choosing one track over another.
We're not like other audio conferences. Here's what makes us different:
Invest properly in good prep materials: primers, glossaries, sample projects. These help bring all attendees to a baseline so nobody's completely lost from minute one. Collect and actually act on feedback, let the conference evolve naturally, don't treat it as fixed just because "that's how we've always done it". Keep your scale manageable so quality doesn't suffer under pressure to grow too fast. Build institutional memory: proper documentation for speaker onboarding, logistics, track planning saves you from reinventing the wheel every single year. Engage the community year round, not just in the two months before the event, to maintain momentum and keep people genuinely interested.
If I were starting from scratch today, I would:
My biggest priority now is truly scaling global access. More hybrid and fully digital offerings mean people anywhere can join without needing thousands for flights and hotels. I'm actively exploring launching regional or satellite events in places like South America, Southeast Asia, or Africa where the talent pool is huge but training access is seriously limited.
I also want to expand our mentorship far beyond the conference window, structured, year-round courses and deeper technical tracks on cutting-edge topics like adaptive audio, AI in sound design, and procedural systems. The goal is to keep featuring the latest case studies from live, shipping games, and build a lasting mentorship channel for new talent that goes on for months and years, not just a weekend.
The primary challenge isn't a lack of talent, but the technical shock of a completely different workflow. You need to learn new tools, middleware like FMOD, and game engines, which is a significant departure from linear media like film and TV.
The conference is designed to be welcoming. It deliberately includes sessions on the fundamentals that other events might skip. Hands-on workshops start from scratch, ensuring you can build something functional from the very beginning without feeling lost.
It stands out by focusing on practical, applicable skills rather than just theory. Led by active industry professionals, it provides a strong sense of community that extends beyond the event itself, and it never skips the basics for those just starting their careers.
Yes, absolutely. GameSoundCon has a hybrid model, recording and streaming its sessions. This was a key change to make the content globally accessible, so you can participate and learn from anywhere in the world.
