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"Sonar" problem


Echo38

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I've been noticing that I often find myself able to rely on sound to determine the enemy's position in a dogfight. This shouldn't be so; it was virtually unheard of to hear a WWII fighter's engine from the cockpit of another. While gunfire and bomb explosions might sometimes be heard, at close range, from the cockpit of an aircraft, this is due to these explosions being of a greatly different frequency and such than engine noises are.

 

Pretty much the only circumstances at which you might be able to hear another WWII fighter from the cockpit of your own is if your own engine were running at low power settings and the other guy's was running at high power settings, very close to you, and at a drastically different pitch (e.g. Doppler shift from a high rate of closure). I suspect it still might not be heard, even under those conditions; hearing protection and a closed canopy make distant sounds even less audible compared to one's own engine (from which sound waves can travel through a solid directly to your ears) than usual. With an open cockpit, windstream can be deafening as well.

 

In other past discussions on this subject, at different sim forums, there's been quite a bit of confirmation from real pilots of various aircraft, including antique and open-cockpit ones, that one cannot hear the other aircraft, even when flying in close formation a few yards away. Anyone here have any experience with this in the real world? Discuss?


Edited by Echo38
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  • ED Team

You are definetely right but please keep in mind that in-game sound engine can not operate exactly as in RL. There are some limitation to the sound level, dynamic range, etc, etc. As we have it the overall balance is a compromise to have believable sound either for distant sources or the close sources.

Ніщо так сильно не ранить мозок, як уламки скла від розбитих рожевих окулярів

There is nothing so hurtful for the brain as splinters of broken rose-coloured spectacles.

Ничто так сильно не ранит мозг, как осколки стекла от разбитых розовых очков (С) Me

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Would it be possible, theoretically, to create a dynamic volume system, so that loud sounds would be reduced in volume to a level that would not damage the user's ears/speakers, and all other sounds would be reduced by the same percentage? This way, when engine is off, you could hear the quieter sounds, but once the engine is turned on, the quieter sounds are lowered in volume at the same ratio as the engine. This would keep the real-life ratios of sound volumes, meaning that one wouldn't hear a sound over another sound in the sim, if one wouldn't in reality.

 

I understand that Eagle Dynamics has a lot on its plate right now, and resources might not ever be available for the implementation of such a system as I describe. However, would creating such a system be technically feasible, if the time & money & manpower where there to do it?

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It already has something like compressor or "audio HDR".

Ніщо так сильно не ранить мозок, як уламки скла від розбитих рожевих окулярів

There is nothing so hurtful for the brain as splinters of broken rose-coloured spectacles.

Ничто так сильно не ранит мозг, как осколки стекла от разбитых розовых очков (С) Me

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So, since we already have such a system, wouldn't it be viable to reduce the enemy engine sound to an inaudible level while your own engine is running?

 

I think this idea will not be welcome by those who wants great sound at the show from the stationary camera view. :)

Ніщо так сильно не ранить мозок, як уламки скла від розбитих рожевих окулярів

There is nothing so hurtful for the brain as splinters of broken rose-coloured spectacles.

Ничто так сильно не ранит мозг, как осколки стекла от разбитых розовых очков (С) Me

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I think this idea will not be welcome by those who wants great sound at the show from the stationary camera view.

 

I agree, but since the volume system is dynamic, couldn't it determine volume individually for each point of view? So, if you're in the cockpit of the airplane with engine running, you don't hear the other guy's engine, but if you're watching from afar, you can hear them both?

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