[FSX] Sound files in Mission building

[lyer]

Hi all,
I'm new to mission building and trying to work my way through the SDK help file, but I can't get any sound files to play. The text appears as it should and I think I'm doing everything right, I've looked at the Video Tutorial, but still no sound. I'm using Audacity and saving at 11025Hz, mono, Microsoft signed 16bit PCM with a Bit Rate of around 200. Help would be much appreciated.

[BASys]

Hi Folks

lyer -
Your bit rate of 200 might not be supported.

16, 8, or even 4 bit will suffice.

Tip -
When distributing your mission,
ensure your wavs are PCM, (not ADPCM),
as some XP machines won't play some ADPCM formats in-game.

HTH
ATB
Paul

[lyer]

Thanks for the quick reply and advice I will try it out.

[lyer]

I don't seem to be able to alter the bit rate when saving, any help appreciated.

[jfrench]

Hi,

I'm using Windows XP and the Sound Recorder program allows saving at various bit rates. I just arbitrarily chose a short sound file that I had that was 732KB and saved it at a low bit rate and the resultant file was 32KB. The audio sounded more aircraft-ty as well.

Jim F

[lyer]

Thanks Jim, unfortunately I'm using Vista and the built in sound recorder doesn't support saving in WAV format, only as Windows Media Audio File which is not supported in FSX.

[n4gix]

Google "Audacity," download and install it. It is absolutely free...

[drdavid]

Originally Posted by lyer

Hi all,
I'm using Audacity and saving at 11025Hz.......

You can change the bit rate in Audacity - somewhere down at the bottom left of the screen? I use '8000' - seems to make the xxx.wav files quite small.

Cheers - Dai.

[StickBender]

I will second that Audacity is a great tool and will do exactly what you need. Good choice there.

Are you...
Sample Rate: 11khz (or 22 if you seek FM radio quality, 44=CD quality)
Bit rate: 16bps is good (8 is even fine for most things)
PCM
?

Did changing the bit rate solve your problem? If not, could it be a triggering issue? I have done much of this (sounds in scenery/missions) and have been snagged a couple times by faulty triggers.

drdavid - I think you meant Sample Rate of 8000?

[jfrench]

Hi,

I need help. I used Audacity to record a 4 sec file. This was several months ago and I wasn't any more knowledgeable about using Audacity than I am now. I loaded the file into Audacity and it's stereo and the Project rate is 44100. The file is 732 kB.
I opened this file with Sound Recorder and chose to save it as 8 bit. The resulting file is 32 kB. Using Audacity, converting it to mono and trying to save at a lesser quality the smallest I can make the file is 366 kB.
I referred to the Help file but wasn't able to find what I was doing wrong. I tried adjusting things at the bottom left of the screen and exporting the file but didn't have any luck with either. I feel I'm overlooking something very simple. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks, Jim F.

[jfrench]

To Lyer,

I apologize. I got wrapped up in my own problem and forgot about your original post.
I use the Windows ding.wav in place of the final sound file when creating missions. That may help to identify where your problem lies.

Good luck, Jim F.

[StickBender]

Hi Jim,

Without distracting too much from the thread here, why don't you either contact me, or create a new thread and I would be glad to assist. Been doing audio for years and know the tool well. And, there are other tools that might suit your needs a bit better as well.

Originally Posted by jfrench

Hi,

I need help.

Thanks, Jim F.

[lyer]

Hi,
Thanks to everyone for their help - but I'm no nearer to getting my own sounds to play.

I've tried every combination I can (22050, 11025, 8000 & even 4000Hz; 32 &16 bit signed PCM & 8 bit unsigned even Microsoft ADPCM).

The sound is ok when played back on Audacity or even Windows Media Centre but wont play in my Mission even with the basic timer trigger at the beginning of the mission!

I'm either missing something really simple or ????

[StickBender]

As Jim suggested, try using a windows DING.WAV sound. You will find it in the OS folder in /sounds. Use that in your mission and if you still do not hear it then its not a file format issue.

Let me ask, what tool(s) are you using to create the mission?

[lyer]

Hi StickBender,

Thanks for your reply - but I don't have an os folder in sounds (I assume you mean the sound folder in FSX)!!

For the tools I'm using - I'm just starting out so just following the SDK simple mission plan in the help file.

[jfrench]

Hi,

In case Stickbender isn't watching I'll reply.

He did mean the default ding.wav sound file that's in the Windows OS. Copy it into the Mission Sound folder and then reference it in the mission in place of the final sound files. Just as a quick test. I presume it's still used.

In your're initial post you say the text appears as it should so concerns that the mission itself isn't loading are groundless. I went through the the mission creation tutorial about a year ago but gave up on FSX for awhile due to a computer that was too slow. I've upgraded now and have been reviewing; so things are fresh in my mind. I'd be more than happy to help with any questions you have while going through the tutorial.

Jim F.

[jfrench]

I just noticed that you used the word "sounds" in your last post and thought perhaps you named the mission folder Sounds instead of Sound. That wouldn't work.

Jim F.

[lyer]

Dearest Jim F!!!!

Your last piece of advice was brilliant

For anyone else DO NOT name your folder Sounds - only SOUND


Thanks Jim

[CptTangerine]

Hi

I hate to spoil a brilliant resolution but I have the same problem.

Unfortunately, I have followed the thread above and I am still getting nowhere. I am using Audacity for the recordings, which is great, but I can't get them to play.

I am on my second mission - the first one being the tutorial mission in the SDK documentation. When I did that mission I was able to get sound to play some of the time, and the right sound to play pretty much none of the time. I did some troubleshooting on that one using stock sounds from the game Sound file and they worked. This time, however, even the stock sounds that I had working in the previous mission don't do anything.

Like Lyer I know that the diagloge trigger is firing the dialogue action as I am getting the text up fine, but no matter what I do I'm not getting any sound.

I have the main folder labelled SAR1 and the sound file is called Sound though I have tried it with lower case S so that it is SAR1/Sound/Mission1.wav

Any help would be hugely appreciated as this the main stumbling block in my mission building ... well, today at any rate

Thanks in advance!

[jfrench]

Hi

Rather than pose questions for more information I just make the following suggestion.
Seeing as you said that you also had sound problems doing the tutorial mission it sounds as if there might be problems with the sound files themselves. I recommend editing the XML using Notepad and replacing all of the wav references with the default ding.wav file.
Make sure to copy ding.wav to the Sound folder. This way you'll be able to see the text and hear the ding in place of the final wav file. If this works you'll know that the problem lies with the sound files themselves.
It seems likely that you're simply overlooking something fundamental. Using a single known good sound file should help.

Jim F.