Portal BTS - Tutorial - Speakers

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Introduction

This tutorial will teach you how to create speakers.

First, complete this guide Making GLaDOS speak

The Speaker

Create a prop_static entity and set it's world model to models/props/speaker_system01/speaker_system01.mdl

If the speaker is inside an Observation Hallway set it's skin to 0. If the speaker is the the maintenance areas, make it skin 1.

Skin as 0 on the left, and as 1 on the right

Create an info_target entity and name it to glados_speaker1. Put this info_target in the center of the speaker part of the model.

Create an env_microphone entity inside of the nodraw box of the GLaDOS' generic_actor area. Enter the following properties:

Property Name	Value
Name	glados_microphone_speaker01
Start Disabled	Yes
Speaker target	glados_speaker1
Speaker DSP Preset	8 LOUDSPEAKER, ECHO

Underflags, untick

• Hears Combat sounds
• Hears World sounds
• Hears player sounds
• Hears bullet impacts

then tick Ignores non-attenuated sounds

Bug: Although you are outside of the microphone area. It is still possible to hear yourself and the portalgun from the speaker.  [todo tested in ?]

Triggering

When triggering the scene, enable the microphone first, then play the scene with a small delay.

Extra

The voice lines used in the BTS areas in Portal were modified to have a "speaker" effect.

Here's a sample of a line with the speaker effect:

Retail Voice Line

Here's a sample of the same line but without the speaker effect (taken from the beta):

Beta Voice Line

According to Tim Larkin, he used the Audio Ease Speakerphone VST Plugin. Unfortunately he doesn't remember which effect(s) were used. If you found out what makes the "speaker" effect, please add it here.

See Also

• Making GLaDOS speak
• Creating a Portal AI Voice
• Portal Level Creation