Audio Tweaking (dev branch)

[DancZer 65]

I like how you can hear Taru and Kajman 2 kilometres away. I like to place my self somewhere on the map and just listen to Kajman or Huron flying over my head at low altitude =). Surround works perfect. Every helicopter's flyby sounds stunning. I really like where all this sound stuff going. Excitefully awaiting furhter imrovements.

I agree, but jets should fade out later after fly by. It should not be symmetrical. It should depend on the vehicle direction, because most of the sound moving backward. At helicopters and other vehicles it isn't matter.

The first fly by:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXQf4R5ErZo

[cyruz 103]

Switched over to dev just to listen to the filtering. Really lovely implementation guys, keep up the good work.

[bigpickle 0]

Will this attenuation be for all sounds played within the game enviornment ie scripted sounds using playSound, Say, Say3d and all the other commands to play audio?

Also danczer is right there should be no symmetry with fast moving objects that project sound backwards, BIS can change this with cone parameters on the samples in the config for the aircraft.

[Brisse 78]

Always wanted DCS style sound cones and sonic booms in Arma. :)

No supersonic planes in vanilla though, so there's not much hope I guess.

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

Always wanted DCS style sound cones and sonic booms in Arma. :)

No supersonic planes in vanilla though, so there's not much hope I guess.

Doesn't mean it shouldn't be properly implemented. I've reached Mach 1 easy, simply by diving with Neophron at full speed, of course that momentum won't last long though.

[qantaqa1987 10]

Im very impressed! good job audio team! will we get better explosion sounds?

[supercereal4 29]

Noticed something today with the new reload sounds. The Mk.18 now lacks the sound of the action being closed after the new magazine is put in.

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

Ok, after hearing comments i hopped on DEV to test the sounds. Mother Of God, is it getting SOOO much better. Despite spawning in and noticing that ever 4th and 5th step was muffled, other things impress me so far. the new cracks of bullets is AMAZING! I want to duck when i hear it, absolutely perfection. Ill see if i can find any more bugs.

[Brisse 78]

Word from the devs is that there's more to come this week. You might want to stay on dev-branch for a while DarkSideSixOfficial :)

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

Word from the devs is that there's more to come this week. You might want to stay on dev-branch for a while DarkSideSixOfficial :)

Sounds good to me. Pun intended. XD

[hardsiesta 1]

Very nice! This is starting to sound like what I've been waiting to hear. Always liked how dynamic the audio was, and I don't think I've been as close to crapping my pants as with the latest bangs and cracks.

I hope they take a good look at the ability to tell indoor/outdoor shot apart and closed spaces muffling shots too. That's what I've waited as the most important improvement yet, since enterable buildings. But while I was a bit gloomy about the seemingly slow development on the audio side, now I can anticipate this with full optimism. :)

One problem I noticed is that the distant echoes seem to always play (louder) from either side of the character. Could be my audio setup, but it seems that MX echoes are on the right and Zafir's on the left.

But anyways, glad to see the most important aspect coming up nicely. Great work.

Edited March 3, 2015 by HardSiesta

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

If there is one thing that needs to be done right, is soundscape. If the soundscape is not 3D, it's going to be highly upsetting. To be able to hear a shot bounce off hills and the landscape brings the best sense of immersion and realism that Audio can provide, given it's done right. Lax's Soundscape is a prime example, and i hope at least that something similar can be implemented in the future.

Something else i noticed though with the distance filter is how fast it transitions in a short distance. For example, i had a Kajman fly by in the distance, than i changed it's flight path to fly over me. What i heard was it going from distant and muffled, to loud and clear in a very short amount of time. This needs to be balanced a little more. Other than that, getting better so far, can't wait to hear more.

[supercereal4 29]

Very nice! This is starting to sound like what I've been waiting to hear. Always liked how dynamic the audio was, and I don't think I've been as close to crapping my pants as with the latest bangs and cracks.

In my opinion, I think that the supersonic cracks that were part of today's update are worse than the ones before. I really liked the old ones. The ones added today sound like little pops, and remind me of those clicker toys I used to get at the dollar store as a child. Or like the clickers that paratroopers use to find each other after a jump. The old ones were a distinct snap/crack, as opposed to today's pops.

[hardsiesta 1]

In my opinion, I think that the supersonic cracks that were part of today's update are worse than the ones before. I really liked the old ones. The ones added today sound like little pops, and remind me of those clicker toys I used to get at the dollar store as a child. Or like the clickers that paratroopers use to find each other after a jump. The old ones were a distinct snap/crack, as opposed to today's pops.

Hmm. I see what you mean, I think they were snappier before. But some of the cracks are snappy now too, although not all. Not sure if they all even should though, hard to say now that they seem to vary so much.

Unless my memory completely fails me, I think the problem with the old vanilla cracks was that it seemed as if it was one type of a very dry crack in any situation. If I had to throw in some wild guesses, I'd say it's something like an AK shot from far away, at some very barren environment or high up in the air or something.

Anyway, one improvement that the cracks have now is varying pitch, which is quite correct afaik. But there's a problem, the pitch variance seems a bit too obvious and strong imo (the lowest and the highest). It may well be what takes the snappiness out from some cracks, too. Other than that, I think it's definitely going in the right direction. Not that I have much authority, haven't been around the receiving end that much, but the new cracks seem to have more "environment" (or less cutoff by mic) in them and there seems to be more variance so they seem way more organic than before.

Preserving the snappiness and going a bit easier on the pitch would probably be good ideas. Other than that I hope to see the cracks take advantage of any environmental effects they may add, and perhaps one day even weapon/ammo or their attribute specific cracks and booms. Man can dream.

Speaking of sonic boom, I'd really like to see suppressors have it. They shoot super sonic yet they sound like subsonic to the shooter. I never use them because they make me feel like James Bond. Making an actual boom that utilizes environmental effects would probably be asking too much for now, but I'd try a workaround by including a sonic boom on the suppressed gunshot instead of just the mechanical sounds it makes. Or something.

[supercereal4 29]

The cracks sound like these clicks now. Definitely way too high pitched like HardSiesta mentioned.

Edit: I got around to recording some gameplay

Edited March 4, 2015 by supercereal4

[DancZer 65]

Measure the speed of that click. Maybe it has the same speed as the bullet. :)

[katipo66 94]

Its really great that the sounds are being worked on although I think the TRG-21 took a step backwards in my opinion, seems to have lost it's 'punch'

[Brisse 78]

Katipo66: To me it sounds like TRG is slightly lower in volume compared to the other's. I think it would be fine if the volume was increased slightly.

[katipo66 94]

Yeah I think your right, listening to An AAF/FIA gun battle was a bit under whelming, hopefully it gets looked at again.

[St. Jimmy 272]

The supersonic cracks sounds are weird. I've never heard anything like that in any videos or in real life shooting range. Sounds very bad IMO.

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

I actually turn out to like the new sonic cracks. While watching Funker Combat Videos, some of the cracks do sound like the ones in DEV Branch now, and now that they're 3D, directional is 50 times better. Of course though, there's still room for improvement, it's not perfect.

[supercereal4 29]

The supersonic cracks sounds are weird. I've never heard anything like that in any videos or in real life shooting range. Sounds very bad IMO.

They sound too much like clicks. I see the direction BIS is going, and its a good one, I just think the crack samples need to be edited a bit. I can understand crackling and popping, but clicks just sound too off.

[the_demongod 31]

The cracks sound like these clicks now. Definitely way too high pitched like HardSiesta mentioned.

Edit: I got around to recording some gameplay

I'm away from my main computer at the moment, but could you perhaps test this again at a greater range? I seem to remember my sonic cracks sounding different than this, and I think it may be related to the fact that you're standing so close to the shooters. I think once the bullets have slowed down a bit the sounds are better.

[2nd ranger 282]

Its really great that the sounds are being worked on although I think the TRG-21 took a step backwards in my opinion, seems to have lost it's 'punch'

I think the TRG has the best sound of them all, but as said it could benefit fron being louder.

I agree that the sonic cracks sounded better before the last update.

I seem to remember my sonic cracks sounding different than this

Have you been playing the last few days? The cracks were updated twice over two or three days.

[supercereal4 29]

I'm away from my main computer at the moment, but could you perhaps test this again at a greater range? I seem to remember my sonic cracks sounding different than this, and I think it may be related to the fact that you're standing so close to the shooters. I think once the bullets have slowed down a bit the sounds are better.

Here you go. It sounds mostly the same, albeit a bit better, but the sound is a bit more drawn out this time. This is from around 300 meters