Update 1.12 Car Sound Profile Rebalanced Discussion

Johnnypenso

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In the Undocumented Changes thread there has been some discussion about possible changes to the car sounds including the following from @exXboxfan:

Car sound profile has been rebalanced

I read at least one person earlier today said something about one or two car's sounds being better.

That got me hunting. Recently I had the ability to send PD some thoughts on how they could rebalance the car sounds without re-recording and reprogramming the entire game.

I'm pretty sure they did it. Listen for the following things, which were all things I hoped they would do:

  • All car views provide more engine sound compared to aspiration, and engines sound more "throaty" or bass heavier. (Yes, the vacuum cleaner effect is much less than before)
  • Car sounds are more uniform across the various views. There is no longer just one view where you can hear your exhaust, for instance. Though, sounds do still change according to the natural orientation of certain real life sound sources depending on the view, as it should be.
  • Impacts with barriers are generally more quiet, until you bang really hard head-on or very high spead. Impacts produce less bass (allowing you to turn your sound up and hear that new throaty engine and exhaust)
  • Exhaust parts progressively showcase variations on stock exhaust more convincingly.
  • Tire sounds (might) be balanced a little better against the rest of the car's sounds.
Tested using following cars.
Audi R8 LM Race car
McLaren Mp4 12-C (progressively added exhaust parts)
Rx-7 (80s)

This, and the new driving FFB make using all of the view modes realy, viable options for racing and driving in GT6.

I don't know, I could be crazy here, but I think I'm really hearing what I think I'm hearing ;)


I'd like to see what others think about this. I'm unable to use my surround at this point and I'm stuck on old headphones so I'm not getting the full effect, if any. Note this is not a discussion thread about the overall quality of GT sounds, you can find that in the Sound Update Thread in the Kaz Forum.
 
i noticed these effects in the last update. its possible that the new one refined on the last one even further. I found myself actually believing the sound coming from allot of my cars!
 
I noticed in quick match last night with the Clio that it seemed easier to hear the powerband in the high revs. They very well may have done something. I need to drive some of my more frequently used cars to determine if I am really noticing this or not.
 
Using small theatre, I managed to hear the LFA Nurburgring's engine bay a bit more clearly, rather than full on to it's epic exhaust as I cruise it through the Zahara. The car's sound stuff (exhaust and transmission) are stock. It's a sweet sensation, to say the least.

Another car I noticed was with the One-77 being more aggressive than the usual. Might need more testing soon. This piques my curiosity to the X-Bow R.
 
With the bass turned up, I've noticed my sports exhaust 300SL makes the speakers vibrate a little bit on chase cam. I giggled a little. It's a pretty minute difference from what I can tell.
 
Not noticed any difference from my main system (medium/large theatre), or through better than average Hi-Fi headphones, but I've not driven anything older than GT6 generation since the update... perhaps the mix for older samples has changed, or perhaps they've altered the audio levels for some of the camera angles.
 
Was racing the lotus online last night. Noticed I needed an oil change at the end of a race, but figured I would just do it when I got offline. The next time I got on the track a few min after the previous race with the car still needing an oil change - it started to whine and the turbo sounded funny in the exhaust tract. It was not my ears. Definitely was happening.
 
cool. I'm glad to read that at least a few people think this is real.

the main thing to pay attention to, fort those who don't believe us, is that you can now truly hear your engine in all views. Before, some cars had almost zero engine sound, no bass, and tons of aspiration sound and wind noise. That was what produced most of the "vacuum cleaner" effect.

I also think turbos sound better now...
 
Was racing the lotus online last night. Noticed I needed an oil change at the end of a race, but figured I would just do it when I got offline. The next time I got on the track a few min after the previous race with the car still needing an oil change - it started to whine and the turbo sounded funny in the exhaust tract. It was not my ears. Definitely was happening.
Can someone record this?
 
Interesting, I personally didn't really notice much while taking my CTR2 around Zahara last night, (was more focused on tackling the FFB issue), but the possibility of this will have me checking a few cars as I get the chance over the rest of the week. Maybe I'll have a verdict for myself at week's end 👍
 
Can someone record this?
Wish I had a capture card. Still haven't changed the oil yet, so maybe I can figure something out to record. It was like night and day. As soon as in hit the throttle exiting the pits it was like BAM! It sounded like a diff with a pinion gear that's about to explode. Almost like high super low geared, straight cut gears, just not as piercing.
 
I did notice that my 09 ZR1 sounded a bit different last night, in a good way mind you. As was the MP4-12C with the exhaust and turbo sounds. Strange, I wish they would mention this stuff in updates.

Question for you guys tho, to get the most of GT6's sound, should I change to small theatre or one of the other options if all I have is my tv speakers? I have a Sony Bravia and the speakers have always been pretty good, but would changing to one of those options "simulate" better sound?
 
I think they're probably throwing this stuff in and not telling us about it on purpose. We know they read this forum. My guess is they wait and see if it worked by us noting that we hear changes. Then they know they're headed innthenright direction.

IMO, right now is where gt6 begins to become gt7 prologue. The sound change drilled it home for me. Things like this will slowly become less subtle.

People also seem to want "the" sound. I think they're building that piece by piece with sound detail. Not just - heyyy this is what a ballsy V8 sounds like! No. I think that the sounds are going to morph into that slowly and they'll never mention a sound update in gt6. Because it will never be right for a while. There will be no sound "fix", because no game or sim sounds spot on...some might sound great, accuracy is another animal. So there will never really be a sound fix or finish...which is fine, it shouldn't be a finished task. Digital sound can always become better. No such thing as perfectly digital recreated sound yet. Recreating digital from analog in entirety is super hard. Especially with all of the variables involved.
 
I did notice that my 09 ZR1 sounded a bit different last night, in a good way mind you. As was the MP4-12C with the exhaust and turbo sounds. Strange, I wish they would mention this stuff in updates.

Question for you guys tho, to get the most of GT6's sound, should I change to small theatre or one of the other options if all I have is my tv speakers? I have a Sony Bravia and the speakers have always been pretty good, but would changing to one of those options "simulate" better sound?

I also would like to know. I'm getting various levels of sound using the three main settings. I'd like to just get it right once and not keep changing it. I'm using a sony sound bar and with small theater I couldn't hear my car in the exterior view and the other car sounds were unbearably loud.
 
I think the change is something to do with sound compression, spectrums and mastering etc, but I don't really know what I'm talking about :lol:

I think the changes are what has caused this new sound bug to appear :grumpy:
 
This intrigues me as I am building out GT3 spec cars out of the premiums that can make it to 580pp ~590hp max. 2010 Camaro sounds a bit clearer than I remember when I took it to Zahara for a spin, but what was eye opening was using that Fiat for the Time Trial, I was a bit taken aback as the sound was definitely cleaner and balanced as tires sounds weren't over powering everything else and seems like wind is balanced more. Also dropping down a gear when braking you can listen to the rpm's holler. I will try it later as I have to head to class. Seems like someone at PD is learning to use their ears when it comes to sound balancing and pitch control.
 
I wonder if this new sound profiling is what has caused this missing sound error for various Sierra rooms.
 
Interesting, I personally didn't really notice much while taking my CTR2 around Zahara last night, (was more focused on tackling the FFB issue), but the possibility of this will have me checking a few cars as I get the chance over the rest of the week. Maybe I'll have a verdict for myself at week's end 👍

I actually happened to just test the CTR2 at Nordeschliefe and I felt it was better. Cars previously known as "standard" may not have as much of a noticable difference, but it is certainly there. The newer cars with the more robust sounds to begin with, will sound light-years better after this re-balance.
 
Interesting, I personally didn't really notice much while taking my CTR2 around Zahara last night, (was more focused on tackling the FFB issue), but the possibility of this will have me checking a few cars as I get the chance over the rest of the week. Maybe I'll have a verdict for myself at week's end 👍

I also would like to know. I'm getting various levels of sound using the three main settings. I'd like to just get it right once and not keep changing it. I'm using a sony sound bar and with small theater I couldn't hear my car in the exterior view and the other car sounds were unbearably loud.

I use in-race sounds at 70, and just turn it up more (did this before and after update so it is a control for experiment), and I use Small theater, but I actually have a small theater. Iused to have it at Large theater but there is too much dynamic range (difference between loud and quiet) for my placement and overall setup.

If you have a sound bar or TV speakers only, I would use the TV setting or the Small Theater. Try both, same car etc.

I think the change is something to do with sound compression, spectrums and mastering etc, but I don't really know what I'm talking about :lol:

I think the changes are what has caused this new sound bug to appear :grumpy:

I hope it did not cause glitching. In fact, I can't see a reason why it would. Any compression or EQ balancing would have been applied by a setting, not by recoding everything or introducing new code. Just adjustments to settings that the game already had (in my theory of how it works, anyway.)

They appear to basically have made the following kinds of adjustments:

  • turn down "thud" impact sound relative to other sounds.
  • brighten up the EQ on turbos and other high end frequency sounds
  • beefed up low range frequencies.
  • turned up engine sound on all views
  • Even out volume differences when switching views. (less drastic of a change)
  • altered logic of which sounds are played when colliding with walls. sometimes big thud, usually not, especially if impact is not at front and at high speeds.
I would make a video, but I'm not sure I'd have the exact same circumstances before and after for a controlled test. I will think about trying it tonight perhaps.
 
I think it's not changes to the sounds specifically, more how the sounds react to each other. I play around with Fruity Loops etc but only on a basic level so I don't really know the lingo, but one thing I've noticed with GT5 and 6 is that it seems to have a really poor mixdown; some sounds overpower others and often it sounds messy as hell, this is what I think has been sorted in the update. Everything is cleaner and you can pick out sounds from others much more clearly.

And I know nothing about coding so I can't really comment on how or what they've done, maybe it's new code or maybe they've just adjusted existing parameters, but I think they've made a mistake somewhere. Seems more than coincidental that they change something in the sound and a sound bug appears :odd:

Also it's pretty much pointless making a vid. Youtube compress the audio to 128kbps which is nowhere near the bit rate we need to analyze these kind of changes 👍
 
I think it's not changes to the sounds specifically, more how the sounds react to each other. I play around with Fruity Loops etc but only on a basic level so I don't really know the lingo, but one thing I've noticed with GT5 and 6 is that it seems to have a really poor mixdown; some sounds overpower others and often it sounds messy as hell, this is what I think has been sorted in the update. Everything is cleaner and you can pick out sounds from others much more clearly.

That's essentially correct. They didn't change the sounds, but the way they are presented. They did change EQ which is sort of like changing the sounds, but it was probably done in-game rather than by sending new sounds through the update (it would have been gigabytes if they did this.)
 
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