Car Realism
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Pfew ! That would be GREAT if a realistic, accurate noise could be made ...
this idea was kicked about before, the 2 main problems I recall being mentioned were:
1: the speaker to generate the sound would have to be small, so it would not be able to generate the low frequencies of real engines (cos they have to fit in the car)
2: gear changes would be difficult cos home and most club tracks are a lot smaller than real tracks, and have sharper bends - so there would not be the time to go thru all the gears, or it would just sound wierd with too many changes
Personally I quite like the sound of those little mabuchis and the gears meshing away
1: the speaker to generate the sound would have to be small, so it would not be able to generate the low frequencies of real engines (cos they have to fit in the car)
2: gear changes would be difficult cos home and most club tracks are a lot smaller than real tracks, and have sharper bends - so there would not be the time to go thru all the gears, or it would just sound wierd with too many changes
Personally I quite like the sound of those little mabuchis and the gears meshing away
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I'm not so sure accurate sound would be a good thing even if were possible, esp. in a confined space. Most people seem to appreciate cars that are relatively smooth and quiet. That said however, I have a few Fly cars that are well-broken in and their gear whine sounds remarkably like downshifting and accelerating out of corners. On the other hand, I have a Spirit 512, that, although it is comparable in performance to the Flys, sounds like a diesel truck. I keep hoping the gears will lap in and quiet down, but so far no luck.
mp
mp
A good compromise IMHO is the one used at Pendle's smaller track (the one near the shop). Everytime a car triggers it's timing sensor, a VROOOM noie is heard form the PC speakers. Obviously, the wave file should be able to represent different engines
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Mark.
Mark.
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265 Posts
I have daydreamed of a system with speakers every two feet or so all the way around the table bottom. A different sound could be assigned each car and , with sensors every two feet, the sound could be "carried" with the car around the track. As a computer driven system the sound could pitch up and down with speed, and tire noise could be timed to the brakes. Of course a main volume control would be present as well as a power switch. The key is being able to track the cars and monitor their speed and the driver's inputs. Can't have a bunch of dead slots. Perhaps those Track-Mate light sensors coupled with a controller running through a processor to the computer? Pricey prototype but maybe worth pursuing? Roaring motors add a ton to the atmosphere of intense competition.
Dreaming in Livonia
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Dreaming in Livonia
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Apologies if previously mentioned, but I think Lotus developed an in-car system (1:1 scale) that could play any engine sound to the interior.
This was an unexpected spin-off of a noise reduction system they were working on. It used the positive-negative cancellation effect of sound waves and the idea was to "play" sound that was the negative of the sounds inside the cabin, thereby cutting noise. Trouble was, I gather, talking was impossible.
However, the system could also play engine noises linked to the real car. So, it could be a Citroen Saxo sounding - to those inside at least - like a Viper. I think it would have been a big seller to the car mod'ing crowd since they already spend thousands on multiple sub woofers.
Scott
This was an unexpected spin-off of a noise reduction system they were working on. It used the positive-negative cancellation effect of sound waves and the idea was to "play" sound that was the negative of the sounds inside the cabin, thereby cutting noise. Trouble was, I gather, talking was impossible.
However, the system could also play engine noises linked to the real car. So, it could be a Citroen Saxo sounding - to those inside at least - like a Viper. I think it would have been a big seller to the car mod'ing crowd since they already spend thousands on multiple sub woofers.
Scott
I dunno about this. I love being in a completely silent room whenan important race is being held. All you can hear is zipping motors and the odd clatter.
I love hearing engine sounds, but I don't think they will ever be realistic enough to be any good.
Lotus
PS. It wasn't me who created that sound system, it was the car company.
BTW, before Fergy gets on it. The above mentioned phonomena is called wave superposition. It works on the principle that waves look like sine waves. When you put two sine waves together at any point, you must add up the two waves to make the wave that you hear. So if two speakers were working in complete harmony, the sound would be twice as loud as if just one speaker was working. In reality, they are always just a bit out, so the volume (amplitude) is increased but not doubled. In theory (has only been truly done several times) you can position the speakers so that at the point of the listener, the waves are in complete anti-phase and the sounds cancel each other out. This creates perfect silence. Turn off one speaker and it would come back again... scary...
Lotus (again...)
I love hearing engine sounds, but I don't think they will ever be realistic enough to be any good.
Lotus
PS. It wasn't me who created that sound system, it was the car company.
BTW, before Fergy gets on it. The above mentioned phonomena is called wave superposition. It works on the principle that waves look like sine waves. When you put two sine waves together at any point, you must add up the two waves to make the wave that you hear. So if two speakers were working in complete harmony, the sound would be twice as loud as if just one speaker was working. In reality, they are always just a bit out, so the volume (amplitude) is increased but not doubled. In theory (has only been truly done several times) you can position the speakers so that at the point of the listener, the waves are in complete anti-phase and the sounds cancel each other out. This creates perfect silence. Turn off one speaker and it would come back again... scary...
Lotus (again...)
I remember that Lotus idea on Tomorrow's World. It stemmed from the noise cancelling ideas they had. Mind you. I'd taped a big V8 launching itself and I played it through my cassette deck in the car with the doors wide open and full volume whilst parked outside my house. There were some ppl down the street who actually looked round. RESULT!!
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As discussed in one of the other threads about 1/32 car engine noise. The time intervals are too short; a straight is covered in say 1.5 seconds. Try going up 3 gears, braking and going down 3 gears in a REAL car in that time. Not going to happen is it?
Mark.
As discussed in one of the other threads about 1/32 car engine noise. The time intervals are too short; a straight is covered in say 1.5 seconds. Try going up 3 gears, braking and going down 3 gears in a REAL car in that time. Not going to happen is it?
Mark.
I hear these fellas are working on it and almost have it ready
http://home.att.net/~doctordialtone/insanity.htm
http://home.att.net/~doctordialtone/insanity.htm
QUOTE (Difflock @ 10 Apr 2004, 22:44)As discussed in one of the other threads about 1/32 car engine noise. The time intervals are too short; a straight is covered in say 1.5 seconds. Try going up 3 gears, braking and going down 3 gears in a REAL car in that time. Not going to happen is it?
Mark.
There is only one solution to this problem.... we need SLOWER engines - and more slippery tyres etc...
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//peter
Mark.
There is only one solution to this problem.... we need SLOWER engines - and more slippery tyres etc...
//peter
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