SoundStorm

SoundStorm is a brand by Nvidia regrading to a SIP block integrating 5.1 surround sound technology found on the die of their nForce and nForce2 chipsets for x86 CPUs. It is also the name of a certification to be obtained by Nvidia when complying with their specifications.

Certification

The SoundStorm certification ensured that many manufacturers produced solutions with high quality sound output. To achieve SoundStorm certification, a motherboard had to use the nForce or nForce2 chipsets and also include the specified discrete outputs. It was also necessary to meet certain sound quality levels as tested by Dolby Digital sound labs.

At the time SoundStorm was the only available solution capable of outputting Dolby Digital Live, coveted in home theater PCs.

Hardware

The SoundStorm SIP block is said to consist of a series of fixed-function and general-purpose processing units providing a combined total of reportedly 4 billion operations per second. A fully programmable, Motorola 56300-based digital signal processor (DSP) is provided for effects processing but with very limited support under DirectX on the PC.

SoundStorm (company)

SoundStorm was an independent audio post-production and sound editorial company based in Burbank, California. It was leading providers of custom post- production sound design, sound editing and ADR in Hollywood. They recorded their sound effect library from 1984 to 2004 for more than eighty feature films and earned multiple awards and nominations from the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, British Academy Film Awards and Golden Reel Awards. In 2004, Soundogs.com Inc. acquired the trademark and complete archive of the SoundStorm sound effects library when the company decided was dissolved and sold its assets.

History

SoundStorm origins date back to 1984 as Walla Works Productions, a premier sound editorial house in Los Angeles for feature films and television projects. Founded by Gordon Ecker, it was one of the only independent post-production facilities owned and operated by practicing sound professionals. In the 1990s they moved to Burbank from Hollywood after several corporate transitions and name changes. Gordon Ecker who was the CEO, took retirement in 1998 and sold the company to six of the firm's original employees ; Bruce Stambler, John Leveque, Gary Blufer, John Fanaris, Becky Sullivan, and Richard Yawn. Four of the six owners were sound editors. Under the ownership of the "SoundStorm Six, the company developed relationships with off-site editorial and mixing facilities to handle re-recording duties on SoundStorm projects. At its peak in 2002, they employed up to sixty sound professionals, including ten supervising sound editors. The company also recruited Alan Robert Murray who supervised the sound on twenty-eight Clint Eastwood films.