SD70 Engine Sound Pack(wip)

[krellnut]

Hi all, when we finally got all units throttling up, it was one step forward and half a step back. If you hooked two locos of the same type together, this jet engine kind of sound is produced because the game is reproducing two exact sounds at the same time. Actually you can use the two of the same engine sounds together, you just have to make the two files from different locations from your source file. That works, but the two loco still sound the same. The best would be different sounds for each loco.

It took me almost all year, but I went out and got enough sounds to make 8 complete engine sets. So now when you hook two or more together, no more jet engine sound, and you can clearly hear the different sound sets. Very realistic. Another thing that I noticed is, when you hook two of the same together with the same sound set, the volume doesn't increase much, if at all. But with separate sound sets, each set adds its own volume, so if you hook 8 together, its very loud.

All the sounds are mine, and all the sounds are recorded with the locos working. I also have enough new sounds to make a ES 8 engine pack, that will come later. I made my first video show casing the different idles the pack has.One thing I learned is even though the SD70 uses the 710 engine, no two locos sound the same. You'll hear the differences just listening to the idles. But that's what increases realism. The same goes for the ES. Even though one sound set is designated for default, all the sound sets can be used as a player engine.

There are a few new features in this pack, horn can be heard up to a half a mile away. The engines at full throttle can be heard up to 3\8's of a mile, quietly though. The engines also get louder under load.

Now I would like to talk about what I find a priority in the making of a sound pack. I don't drive in the cab, so I'm not worried about muffling the engine sound for cab use. I also don't worry about traction motor sounds. Recording locos with loud traction motors is no good because, the whine from the traction motor would rev up with the engine, and the whine pitch increase from the motors is speed dependent, not rpm dependent. And I recorded about 40 SD's, so many of them in fact, I started calling out there numbers just so I could keep track of which ones had loud traction motors and which ones didn't. Bottom line is; not every SD70 has loud traction motors, so I'm not worried about adding that sound to the pack.

Another thing I'm not concerned about is; start up and shutoff. For one thing I've never been around any loco on the road that I've encountered that wasn't running, I've never had the chance to record start up, same with shut down. And in game, in a standard scenario, the scenario starts with the engine running, and in a free roam, when you click on the loco you want to drive, the engine is running, but the start engine sound file is activated also. Whats up with that. On top of that, because I had to start and stop the game every time I made a change, a lot of the times when the scenario started, the engine shutoff file would be activated even though the engine is running. So I simply just shut those two files off, but can be turned on again if desired.

And the last thing I want to talk about is file blending; I don't like it, I try to do as little as possible. I only use four files for the whole engine sound. The only file that's a little of a compromise is the mid range file. Single file sounds always sound the best, so with that thought here is how I set up the throttle positions.
Idle; one file.
Pos1; one file.
Pos2.; two files blended.
Pos3 to Pos5; one file.
Pos6 and Pos7; two files blended.
Pos8; one file.

Its not perfect, but I really like the purity of single file sounds. I realize that these packs will not fill everybody's bill, but I design them to my tastes. But I still offer them any way. In the end, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.


You Tube Link http://youtu.be/f_1qH6siDiU

All Hooked Together http://youtu.be/CItpoSdnzfw

[thecanadianrail]

Its just...well...um...its......AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Machinist]

(*)

(*)The old Machinist almost had a heart attack seeing the videos, but his doctor said he will survive and be good to play in game (though limited to half an hour a day) when the pack is out....

[Kali]

Hi all, when we finally got all units throttling up, it was one step forward and half a step back. If you hooked two locos of the same type together, this jet engine kind of sound is produced because the game is reproducing two exact sounds at the same time. Actually you can use the two of the same engine sounds together, you just have to make the two files from different locations from your source file. That works, but the two loco still sound the same. The best would be different sounds for each loco.

<PitchShiftVariation d:type="sFloat32">0.150</PitchShiftVariation>

Problem solved. As you said, none sound the same, that includes having precisely synchronised RPM.

I love this though, all those different versions you did! awesome! must admit I do live in the cab, but as I don't really drive SD70s this will fit the bill just fine.

[imnew]

Woohoo ! You are so right in what you are describing. Thank you for this krellnut. Your sounds are amazing

[chrisreb]

Probably the best non steam loco sounds I have heard for Railworks. Hearing them move off I guess is a treat in store!

[Machinist]

Now I would like to talk about what I find a priority in the making of a sound pack. I don't drive in the cab, so I'm not worried about muffling the engine sound for cab use.

Since MSTS 10 years past, I consider myself an engineer trainsim, I mean I like to drive inside my cab (I rarely go to external views, though I often use headout views) reading the gauges, using my 7 years old Raildriver. At least for me in cab sounds are fundamental.

For example, in the awesome simer4 EMD SD40-2 engine sound pack I felt the in cab engines sound (idle and powers) slightly low (to my purposes). So I gone into a script file and grabbed the external engines sounds into the cab (renaming all the T_SD40_ENG_*_In.wav to T_SD40_ENG_*.wav). My home theather 7.1 thanks the changes, as well.

BTW, being a veteran Raildlriver owner I don't like and mostly don't need to use the F4 VIrtual Console (excepting when shunting, or checking the path ahead/behind) once it caps the gauges and pannel (reducing the feeling of cab sway as well). But I have to admit, though, the new F4 Mod you are using is awesome, very beatiful indeed.

[Griphos]

<PitchShiftVariation d:type="sFloat32">0.150</PitchShiftVariation>

Problem solved. As you said, none sound the same, that includes having precisely synchronised RPM.

Okay, I tried looking the places that made sense to me to find this line to edit, but no joy. Which files do I have to modify? I live in the cab also, and do drive the SD70, so this file modification seems a good idea to me.

[Chacal]

This sounds great (no pun intended). I'm already an avid user of your wagons sound pack.
I'm glad I used the RSC 50% rebate for buying the SD70 pack on Steam.

[Machinist]

Hi Griphos,

For example, it's in \railworks\Assets\RSC\SD70Pack02\Audio\RailVehicles\Diesel\SD70ACe\SD70.proxybin

;)

[BNSF650]

Awsome sounds....

[Griphos]

Hi Griphos,

For example, it's in \railworks\Assets\RSC\SD70Pack02\Audio\RailVehicles\Diesel\SD70ACe\SD70.proxybin

;)

Proxybin. That's the one place I didn't look! Thanks.

[simer4]

Having been around an in a real SD70M-2, I can guarantee you guys, this is as close as it gets. Great sounds, love all of it. Captures the sound of the air releases perfectly. Been wondering when you would reveal this pack.

[robinbraves]

Fantastic sound pack. I have a Creative Fatality Pro sound card and WOW! Beats the default hands down.
Cant wait to get my hands on this! Great looking HUD to. Thanks

[up_8677]

Went to another tab and coulda sworn I was listening to real 710 engines idling (well....I was hehe). Nice job! Can't wait!!