I Need Some Sound Advice

[SMMDigital]

For the last couple of weeks i've been learning the vagaries of sound creation for my locomotive. For the most part, my own custom sounds (what few there are) have worked out pretty good. But i've got one problem that's like a turd that won't flush, no matter how many times I jiggle the handle. Unlike my Engine sounds, my horn has no attenuation and no doppler. It is the same loudness and pitch 4m or 400m away. I've tried comparing my Audio Controller to the default locomotives in Railworks, and everything seems to be in order. I'm thinking it could possibly be an issue with the WAV/DAV file itself. Im wondering if i've misunderstood the meanings of Horn Start / Horn / and Horn End when I made the sounds.

Anyone?

[amtrack505]

I had this problem when i started moding sounds.
are the sound files in mono or stereo.
it sounds like there in stereo.

[SMMDigital]

Bingo, we have a winner! I didn't convert the sounds to Mono before exporting. Strange that a modern day game like this can't handle stereo sound samples correctly.

One problem down, about six to go.

Thank you!

[Machinist]

Bingo, we have a winner! I didn't convert the sounds to Mono before exporting. Strange that a modern day game like this can't handle stereo sound samples correctly.

One problem down, about six to go.

Thank you!

In my thunderstorm weather demo (WIP), all the thunder sounds are stereo 44.2MHz with panning effect to simulate the thunder echoing from diferent sides as happens in real life.

Someday I'll try engines sounds stereo, and if it works I'll add panning effect, for sure this will enhance the cabway feeling for those who drives in cab, of course. In real life we hear in stereo, the game should allow or handle it better, in many of other games I played the sounds are stereo, this provides "movement".

[SMMDigital]

I seem to remember in the RSDevDocs something about stereo environmental and ambient sounds. But the recommended sample for a piece of rolling stock is 16-bit, 11,025khz Mono. I haven't listened to that kind of low quality sound garbage since DOS. I did convert my Engine files to Mono, I just missed my horn files.

[Machinist]

I seem to remember in the RSDevDocs something about stereo environmental and ambient sounds. But the recommended sample for a piece of rolling stock is 16-bit, 11,025khz Mono. I haven't listened to that kind of low quality sound garbage since DOS. I did convert my Engine files to Mono, I just missed my horn files.

Yeah, so far you are right for fixed single source's point sound (like in vehicles, a cross road lever, a digger, ambient sounds etc.) there is no need of being stereo, however I can imagine a lot of double source's point being stereo with panning (like the cylinder c-o-c-k-s in both sides of a steam, and also sounds of bogies, the bumping on the tracks or over junctions, and even horns echoing back etc.). From wiki documentation, notice they recommend ("should", is not "have to" or "must to" instead):

This is where you reference your raw sound files and give some basic playback info. You should always use Mono sounds except in the case of Ambient Areas, described in Ambient Sounds.

The soundfile location. (Mono Wav files, 16bit 11.025 -> 44.1 khz recommended)

16 bits 11.025 is a garbage sound indeed, especially for engines sounds (IMHO the most important sound in-game). For example Krellnut's SD70 engines sounds are 48KHz (mono), BTW. And this explains why they are awesome, full of details, subtleties and nuances!

Cheers,
Doc.

[SMMDigital]

48khz ehh? I got little time before time for Beta testing, I may tweak the prime mover a bit, see if I can make that belt squeak just a hair-more annoying.

This topic also explains a long standing issue with the Level Crossings that I can go back, time permitting, and fix.

[krellnut]

If you do engine sounds in stereo, they won't decrease in volume no matter how far you are away from them. Simply does not work.