PMDG NGx early reports-impressions-bugs?

[Maurice]

Mau or anyone...!

Have you figured out how to strip the NGX of the panel and associated logic
and still keep sounds???

Nat

I did a quick try in the same way we used to do it for the FS9 PMDG version on FSX and it was a dismal failure. I really did not want to spend too much time on it since all I was interested in for now were the sounds.

I couldn't even get rid of the virtual cockpit inside views on the right & left views in the same way I could remove them before.

Anyway, for now, I just replaced the default 800 sound folder with the PMDG sound folder but as I said before, all I am getting are the engine sounds since the other sounds depend on the PMDG logic as Armen explained.

I'm still trying to recover some other PMDG sounds but not having much success. The flaps sounds in particular will be impossible to recover I think since they depend on the airspeed and I don't think FSX modeled that.

So in a nutshell, the answer to your question is no  . Just waiting for you to do all the hard work and showing everyone how you did it 

Mau

[MLeavy737]

If anyone can hear the flap sounds in the real airplane your havin a bad bad day! I wouldnt worry  too much.

Funny thing as well.. Everyone is going after that buzzsaw engine sound and i have listened closely on takeoff as well as recorded the sounds on my phone. Funny thing is that sound really is only noticable in first class as well as when its being recorded.  It is a bit more noticable on the shorter 737's like to 500 and 700. The 800 and 900 you dont hear it.  Maybe its a filtering effect im guessing in recording devices?

If you want to simulate a real airplane simulate air vents, the altimeter clacker, and front tire sounds and thumps on pavement. Thats what you hear.  But thats no fun i guess

Just sayin

Mike L

[Nat Crea]

Thanks Mau

I'll give it a good shot...and report back.

Nat

[dharrison]

If anyone can hear the flap sounds in the real airplane your havin a bad bad day! I wouldnt worry  too much.

Funny thing as well.. Everyone is going after that buzzsaw engine sound and i have listened closely on takeoff as well as recorded the sounds on my phone. Funny thing is that sound really is only noticable in first class as well as when its being recorded.  It is a bit more noticable on the shorter 737's like to 500 and 700. The 800 and 900 you dont hear it.  Maybe its a filtering effect im guessing in recording devices?

If you want to simulate a real airplane simulate air vents, the altimeter clacker, and front tire sounds and thumps on pavement. Thats what you hear.  But thats no fun i guess

Just sayin

Mike L

I love this post, half the sounds we have in FS you never hear. The engine sound is from what I understand barely noticable particularly when in the cockpit and at speed. You are right, wind noise, equipemnt noise and air are all you really hear plus the dropping for the nose gear.

Don

[blueskydriver]

Hey Mike,

Could you post the recordings you made? That would be the best thing to go from, even if it is your cell phone (maybe you could take a camera next time). Hold the device by this items, so we can get the real sound.

The problem with finding this info or sound out, is that videos on youtube or the videos that are made like here sound differently. Likely, it is due to professional recording gear being used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCAW1sfF1Q8&feature=player_embedded

skip up to 2:05

Turn your volume way up guys! On the take off, the recorder does pick up the engines (only on acceleration), the wheel bounce, the gear coming up and must be nose gear doors (sounds like big screw jack?). Once, in flight the sounds get lower in the video, (but that could be the audio recording being turned up for the FO's mic, to hear him speaking).

BSD

[Maurice]

If anyone can hear the flap sounds in the real airplane your havin a bad bad day! I wouldnt worry  too much.

Mike L

No worries at all Mike...just going for the 'cool' effect. And the engine reversers sounds in the PMDG are about as cool as I ever heard. Let's face it, if today's planes were made so that you did not hear any outside sounds, flying a simulator would not be nearly as much fun.

Sound effects (real or not) add a lot to the immersion feeling and it just feels more real if you can hear the rumble of the flaps or the clunking gear sounds or the brake sounds etc...even if you can't hear them in a real airplane cockpit.
It's not about creating reality, but about creating the illusion of reality.

My opinion anyway 

Maurice

[blueskydriver]

What's funny is that we're using the PMDG 737 NG from FS9 and the add-on Audio Environment package. With it, they sound just like they do in the video link (above) Do not hear the screw sound with add-on, but the engines are that low in volume, and once airbone, you don't hear them at all.

Maurice is right about the "feeling" or sense of the reality. Although, we prefer here to hear (uh, a pun) the one's we have already over the PMDG 737NGX. Yep, as odd as that sounds, PMDG 737NGX is awesome, but Audio Enviroment is more like the video. Sadly, one of us has a problem with sleeping, and therefore use a white noise sound generator in the bedroom. The cockpit sounds just like it, so always getting drowsy when flying.

Maybe, that's why we put those big truck sub-woofer speakers under the paltform years ago. When you hear the bumps from taxi/runway or the gear coming up, it's under you feet and seat, as well as throughout the cockpit. The only way to feel or hear this, is you'd have to come here and sit in it.

Another thing we're doing is placing the FSX computer speakers in the cockpit, with two (left and right) on the front glareshield and one center on the glareshield, two (left and right) on the floor behind the seats (the surrounds), the compter sub-woofer speaker behind the Capt seat. Then using FSX sound settings, turn down the engine sounds to half way or so, and let enviroment sounds settings be higher than that.

As for those big sub-woofer speakers under the platform, they're driven by a 200 watt AMP, and have an EQ in line to adjust out the mids and highs. Then, the sound comes from another PC that is running PM Sounds with almost everything unchecked (ground sounds only).

Above there is a panel, where the Aft Overhead would be, we have a set of PC speakers connected to another PC with PM Sounds running, and with only the sounds that would come from above; no ground sounds.

We are taking the low end of the FSX computer sounds and also running those through the sub-woofers under the platform. Audio Enviroment does things that PM Sounds does not and vice-versa, so we're just doing a combination hook-up.

Finally, for those life-like air sounds, there is two air conditioners, 12 computers, three projectors, and two large fans on the computer rack, so that air sound is all over the room here...lol. Plan to hook up those air vent/ports to get that "whispy" sound blowing in our faces too. And no, not that whispy sound from the "human gas pressure relief valve" either.

Oh, on occasion, we use the UT2007 to play out the Airport Annoucnements while waiting to taxi or while doing pre-flight, before the main door gets closed by FSX Passengers/AES.

Now, if only we could have Obnoxious Passengers like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Si6JDQWWzc

Got to love..."Want to make it 8?"...lol!


BSD

[Maurice]

BSD, sounds like you have one heck of a nice sound system. Me I'm still trying to figure out why the cockpit sound volumes are not always the same volume in every flight.

Anyway, that's another subject for another day. I'm glad I don't have obnoxious passengers and if I did, I could easily make them sick with a bit of aerobatic like flying in a 737. With these visuals, not hard to make people sick even if they don't suffer from motion sickness 

Maurice

[XOrionFE]

BSD,

Can you describe what you are doing for ATC.    Right now we have some headsets connected to a seperate computer running Radar Contact so all ATC is through the headsets.   Don and I tried one night to get (Sqawkbox) SB running for Vatsim on that same computer so we could use the headsets but could not for the life of us figure out the convoluted steps to get SB running in a networked computer fashion.   So I was planning on putting SB on the main FSX computer but then I dont know how the sound will work through headsets for ATC but throught the 7.1 speaker system for all else.    I was also thinking maybe of trying to use the USB headsets to see if that would work.    Currently my PTT switches on the yokes are interfaced via the main FSX computer anyway and seems if I can get SB running there it would be easiest.  Just have to figure out how to handle seperation of the sounds.

Thoughts?    (PS, - I can also move this to another thread but close to topic of sounds anyway)

Scott

[saabpilot]

Hi Scott,

Just a shortie: 
I have SB client on my "ATC" computer so it does not interfere with FS9 sounds.
Install was easy - SB on both the FS Computer and "ATC" computer and during install you tell SB that it will be run on another computer than where FS is installed.
This is the best setup for FS9, and I assume that it is the same with FSX.

You then will have ATC in either loudspeakers/headset or both.  I have a MC intercom as well so CPT/FO can speak to each other the same time with headsets on.   The PTT buttons are connected to the FS computer and works in the ATC computer via FSUIPC no special action needed except assigning the PTT buttons.

Best,
Bjorn

[Bob Reed]

BSD,

Can you describe what you are doing for ATC.    Right now we have some headsets connected to a seperate computer running Radar Contact so all ATC is through the headsets.   Don and I tried one night to get (Sqawkbox) SB running for Vatsim on that same computer so we could use the headsets but could not for the life of us figure out the convoluted steps to get SB running in a networked computer fashion.   So I was planning on putting SB on the main FSX computer but then I dont know how the sound will work through headsets for ATC but throught the 7.1 speaker system for all else.    I was also thinking maybe of trying to use the USB headsets to see if that would work.    Currently my PTT switches on the yokes are interfaced via the main FSX computer anyway and seems if I can get SB running there it would be easiest.  Just have to figure out how to handle seperation of the sounds.

Thoughts?    (PS, - I can also move this to another thread but close to topic of sounds anyway)

Scott

SB can be accessed over the network for PTT button. Are they still using SB, I thought they had something else they where using?

[dharrison]

Setup of SB in FSX is much different as it uses SimConnect. Makes it not so easy...

Don

[blueskydriver]

Scott,

We don't use SB right now, but could go set it up to help you figure it out.

If you know your sound card(s) are setup and working, you can skip down to:SECOND START

Suggest you still read all of this though.

As for FSX, the best way we found to do it here was one of two ways:

1. Have two sound devices in the system unit (computer) and set one as sound (FSX sounds), and the other as voice (ATC) in FSX (USB Headset is used first in this explaination).

Thing is this: you have to set FSX and Windows to the defaults, but it a different way. With Windows, you go to the audio settings>control panel>sound.

There you will see the Playback and Recording tabs. On Playback tab, click the sound card that will be the FSX sounds only device, and then click the "Set Default" button. That will now place a green check next to that device in the window.

In the Recroding Tab, select the other sound (voice ATC) device (USB) and set default to it (just like above). You will now have a green check for it.

Next, you need to make sure you have the right mic input being used on the Recording tab, on the sound (voice ATC) USB headset for the mic. You must make sure the levels are up enough to record and that playback through the headphones is loud enough (likely you are wearing a headset w/mic right?).

Just use the Playback and Recording Tabs again and on the Playback right mouse click the sound (voice ATC) card, and then select properties. Now, look at levels tab. You should see Headset Earphone and Headset Microphone; slide them to 100. select Apply and OK (if not already).

Now, do the same procedure for the Recording tab, and when you get to levels this time you will only see Headset Microphone...set it to 100. Click Ok. At this point, when you talk into the microphone you should hear yourself in the headphones and see the meters moving, if they are, you half way there.

Now , you go through the same process for the FSX sound card, but instead of Headphone and Mic levels, you will be adjusting the sound levels for the sound card. Just adjust them to your liking, but make sure you have any mic inputs for that sound card muted by clickling on the little speaker icon; you should see a red circle slash over the little speaker when muted.

SECOND START

2. If you did all the above (or all was working already), you now just tell FSX in the sound settings (Windows sound devices) to use the sound card for Sounds and the USB headset for Voice. After you do that, exit out of FSX and restart the computer. That last sentence is too make sure FSX reserves what you did in the Sound Settings; otherwise, you will see default device (and a named device). You don't want default because IMO it screws things up.

What if you're using two sound cards. Well, the only difference would be, that instead of Headset and Mic Headset for USB, you would be adjusting the levels on both sound cards, but one would have its Mic unmuted (which would be your headset microphone).

The best way to check to make sure you're communicating and hearing your sounds is to do multiplayer in Gamespy. If all is good, then you're good...
Now, you would setup SB on the same FSX computer.

Of course you asked about doing SB on another networked computer. Well, that was another reason for all the above, making sure you're hearing and recording yourself. So, just verify the settings with the sound card or USB headset on the networked computer. You could have everything working, but not recording. Without it recording (because you're going through the record loop of Windows) the SB or FSX ATC will not work no matter what.

Finally, we have done SB in the past here, exactly the way you have described, but since it's been awhile just need to go recheck stuff.

BSD Team

[blueskydriver]

Scott, just to verify, you're usinf Squawkbox 4.0 right? Anything below 4 didnt work on FSX...

BSD

[blueskydriver]

Restarted SB4 and FSX here:

http://www.cockpitbuilders.com/community/index.php?topic=1995.msg15251#new

BSD

[MLeavy737]

Sure ill record some sounds on my cell. Already did a 500 out of Denver this morning and ill get an 800 in about an hour.

I agree with ya Maurice.. Like i said as well, wouldnt be as much fun in the sims if it sounded too real. I like the extra sounds as well.. Adds to the immersion factor for sure.

Mike L