Nick Laviers
Nick Laviers
Nick started creating audio and writing music at the age of 12. Around the same time he also started programming video games. These turned into healthy obsessions (or passions as we now say!) He says of his teen years 'I was totally preoccupied with making games and writing music, but I was either in one mode or the other. At the time it was hard to imagine how home computers would ever be capable of realizing the kind of sounds I was coming up with on my synthesizers and samplers'. Nick was given the opportunity to finally amalgamate these two interests in 1995 when he 'accidentally' joined Electronic Arts. On the run-up to that, he had been at college earning a BSc in Computer Science and Electronic Music and a Certificate in Digital Music Technology. He then worked as an Audio Programmer and Composer in the field of electroacoustic music, before making the decision to do a doctorate and become more permanently ensconced in the academic world. While in the process of getting funding for his studies he was introduced to EA and the rest is history!
Nick's first role at EA was as Audio Programmer, but he never got to do it full time. His boss loved his soundscape-like compositions and gave him the opportunity to do sound design. From his first project 'Privateer 2' he worked as both Programmer and Sound Designer until he was put in charge of the Audio department in 1997. To date, Nick has completed 35 titles mainly in the role of Audio Director. In his time with EA he has gained experience in a wide range of areas from designing and building studios, to conceiving (and sometimes creating) state of the art game audio systems and tools, to recording large symphony orchestras and creating ground-breaking interactive music from the results, to championing uniqueness in game audio by focusing on Foley and recording original material.
I was totally preoccupied with making games and writing music, but I was either in one mode or the other. At the time it was hard to imagine how home computers would ever be capable of realizing the kind of sounds I was coming up with on my synthesizers and samplers <Nick Laviers>