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How to control sound duration and timing in Scratch

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AM

AudioMaster_Dev

Posted on July 3, 2025 • Intermediate

🎵 How to get precise sound control?

Hey everyone! I’m working on a rhythm game and need to control sound timing very precisely. I’ve seen some projects where they can:

  • Stop sounds at exact moments (not just “stop all sounds”)
  • Play sounds for specific durations
  • Create custom sound effects with timing control
  • Layer multiple sounds with precise timing

I know there are “start sound” and “stop all sounds” blocks, but I need more granular control. How can I achieve precise sound timing without using any external tools? 🤔

ST

SoundTech_Expert

Replied 30 minutes later • ⭐ Best Answer

Great question @AudioMaster_Dev! You can achieve precise sound control using several techniques within Scratch’s standard blocks. Let me show you the most effective methods:

🎯 Method 1: Timer-Based Sound Control

Use the built-in timer to control sound duration precisely:

    when flag clicked
reset timer
start sound [Meow v]
wait until <(timer) > [0.5]>
stop all sounds
say [Sound played for exactly 0.5 seconds!] for (2) seconds

🔄 Method 2: Custom Sound Duration System

Create a reusable system for any sound duration:

    define play sound (sound name) for (duration) seconds
start sound (sound name)
wait (duration) seconds
stop all sounds

// Usage example:
when [space v] key pressed
play sound [Meow v] for [1.5] seconds
wait (0.2) seconds
play sound [Pop v] for [0.8] seconds

🎵 Method 3: Multiple Sound Layers with Timing

For complex audio compositions, use multiple sprites:

flowchart TD A[🎮 Main Sprite] --> B[📢 Send Broadcast: "start music"] B --> C[🎵 Sound Layer 1] B --> D[🎶 Sound Layer 2] B --> E[🔊 Sound Layer 3] C --> F[Play Bass for 2 sec] D --> G[Wait 0.5 sec, Play Melody] E --> H[Wait 1 sec, Play Effects] F --> I[🎯 Precise Timing Control] G --> I H --> I style A fill:#e1f5fe style C fill:#e8f5e8 style D fill:#fff3e0 style E fill:#f3e5f5

Sound Layer 1 (Bass):

    when I receive [start music v]
start sound [Bass v]
wait (2) seconds
stop all sounds

Sound Layer 2 (Melody):

    when I receive [start music v]
wait (0.5) seconds
start sound [Melody v]
wait (1.5) seconds
stop all sounds

Sound Layer 3 (Effects):

    when I receive [start music v]
wait (1) seconds
start sound [Effect v]
wait (0.8) seconds
stop all sounds

⚡ Method 4: Advanced Sound Queue System

For rhythm games, create a sound queue with precise timing:

    when flag clicked
set [sound queue v] to [Kick,0.5,Snare,0.3,Hi-hat,0.2]
set [queue position v] to [1]
forever
if <(queue position) ≤ (length of (sound queue))> then
set [current sound v] to (item (queue position) of (sound queue))
set [duration v] to (item ((queue position) + (1)) of (sound queue))
start sound (current sound)
wait (duration) seconds
stop all sounds
change [queue position v] by (2)
else
set [queue position v] to [1]  // Loop the sequence
end
end

🎛️ Method 5: Volume Fade Effects

Create smooth audio transitions:

    define fade out sound in (fade time) seconds
set [volume v] to [100]
repeat ((fade time) * (10))
change [volume v] by (-10)
set volume to (volume) %
wait (0.1) seconds
end
stop all sounds
set volume to (100) %

These methods give you professional-level sound control within Scratch’s standard environment! 🎵

AM

AudioMaster_Dev

Replied 1 hour later

@SoundTech_Expert This is absolutely perfect! 🤩

The timer-based method is exactly what I needed for my rhythm game. I was overcomplicating things by trying to find “hidden” blocks when the solution was right there with the standard timer!

The sound queue system is brilliant too - I can now create complex musical sequences with perfect timing. Thank you so much! 🙏

RG

RhythmGamer_Pro

Replied 2 hours later

Adding to this excellent guide! Here’s a pro tip for rhythm games - use variables to sync everything to a master beat:

    // Master beat system
when flag clicked
set [BPM v] to [120]  // Beats per minute
set [beat length v] to ((60) / (BPM))  // Seconds per beat
forever
broadcast [beat v]
wait (beat length) seconds
end

// Sound effects synced to beat
when I receive [beat v]
if <key [space v] pressed?> then
start sound [Kick v]
wait (beat length) seconds
stop all sounds
end

This keeps all your sounds perfectly synchronized! 🎵

SE

SoundEngineer_Maya

Replied 3 hours later

For anyone working with sound editing, here’s how to prepare your audio files for precise timing:

🎚️ Audio Preparation Tips:
  • Trim silence: Remove dead space at the beginning and end
  • Normalize volume: Keep all sounds at consistent levels
  • Use short loops: For background music, create seamless loops
  • Test timing: Always test your sounds with the timer method

This makes the programming side much easier! 🎧

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

🎵 Master Audio Programming and Sound Design!

Excellent discussion about sound control techniques! For those wanting to create even more sophisticated audio systems, our community can help you with:

  • 🎼 Advanced music composition techniques
  • 🔊 3D audio and spatial sound effects
  • 🎚️ Dynamic audio mixing and mastering
  • 🎮 Interactive audio for games

📚 Related Topics

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