Mass Effect composer Jack Wall reveals the tools behind the iconic score

What the composer revealed

Jack Wall, the composer behind the music of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, has described the methods and tools he used to build the series' distinctive sound. In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, he explained what sets the music apart from other science fiction and role-playing games.

Wall said his main source of inspiration is the visual material itself. He described those visuals as an abundance of riches that shape the way he writes music for a project.

The ingredients of the Mass Effect sound

According to Wall, three elements defined the atmosphere of the first two games: sound, melody and vibe. He noted that this framework could apply to any medium a composer writes for, but the specifics were unique to Mass Effect.

His favoured instruments included Moog and other analogue synthesisers, orchestra, voices, particular percussion, and arpeggiated synth parts layered over orchestral writing. Game director Casey Hudson wanted a blend of 80s synth with quasi-orchestral music, which Wall says became the foundation of the series' memorable character.

Groundbreaking tools for the first game

For the original Mass Effect, Wall's team relied on analogue-modelled plugins from Arturia and other developers. He says this approach was unusual at the time of the game's development.

The benefit, he explained, was the ability to recall settings instantly when producing alternate versions of a piece or reusing material for related cues. Real Moog hardware, he noted, is notoriously difficult to recall in that way.

How Mass Effect 2 improved playback

For the sequel, Wall used Wwise, an interactive audio engine, to place the music into the game itself. He called the middleware a game changer, because the team had not had such a tool on the first title.

In his view, the way music plays back in Mass Effect 2 is far superior to the first game. The interview offers a rare look at how the series' much-loved score was technically assembled.