.SMS editing

[ore_hauler]

I recently made some new WAV files of a prime mover from some recordings I have, and want to use them with an existing sound file. This sound file only has 3 prime mover WAV files: idle, run 4 and run 8. From what I can tell, the SMS file uses the idle WAV for idle and run 1, then plays the run 4 WAV for run 2-6, speeding the recording up with each throttle increase. The run 8 WAV is used for run 7-8, and is speeded up for run 8.
I tried renaming my WAV files and inserting them in the sound file. The run 4 WAV sounds pretty good through the different throttle positions, but the run 8 WAV is sped up slightly from how my original recording sounds in run 7, and sped up more in run 8. Can I edit the SMS file so that it plays my run 8 WAV at normal speed when the throttle is in 7 and 8? Also, how would I add more throttle positions to the SMS? I have enough recordings to make WAV files for all the individual throttle positions if I could get them to all play at normal speed and transition smoothly when changing throttle position.

[baldwin]

Rather than add extra throttle lines to that sms, you could use one that already has the number of lines you want to use. This would avoid having to mess with the volume and frequency curves which you will have to do if you add more lines to the one you are using now.

[GaryG]

Hi

Have you looked at the free BLW L&N F9 locos with the sounds I put together? It's one way of doing what you appear to want to do. If you have good sounds and want to do lots of sound edits (55 engine sound files) it's one way to go.

GaryG

[rockislandfan]

If you recorded your notch 8 wave file at 11.025kHz then it will need to be played at that speed to sound right in notch 8. You may want to check to see if the sms file is playing it at a higher frequency then that. Also for outside engine sounds be sure your recording is mono and not stereo as this will effect the sound too.
Ron

[ore_hauler]

GaryG: I was experimenting with some different SMS files today, and your F units were one of them (the only unit I could think of in my collection that has 8 different run sounds). That worked pretty well except for the throttle transition files (run_7-8, run_8-7, etc.). Since I don't have recordings of transitions for my unit, can I just delete those and substitute the regular run WAV files for them?

rockislandfan: I went back and looked at my recording device (I'm using a program that seperates the audio tracks from videos and saves them as WAV files), and found that it was recording at 11.025kHz in stereo. When editing the files to use in MSTS, I did convert them to mono before saving. Should that have corrected the quality, or do I need to go back and recapture the sound in mono? Also, how can I tell what frequency the sms is playing them at?

Thanks for all the ideas.

[rockislandfan]

If you converted the file from stereo to mono then it should play just fine. No need to go out and get another recording. It is hard for me to say what could be wrong in the sms file without seeing it. I would look for the line that has the notch 8 engine sound. Then right after or below that you should see a line that says "FrequencyCurve". There may be several values after that. The last value should be the frequency that your engine is playing when the throttle is in notch 8. This value should be 11025 and not higher for your wave file to play correctly. For notch 7 you could play the same file at 10000 or lower.
Hope this helps.
Ron

[ore_hauler]

Rockislandfan: I tried adjusting the frequencies in the .sms and got them to sound pretty good. Some of them were set higher than 11.025 and I got the recordings to play at actual speed by bringing them down.
Now I want to fix some volume issues. Some of the notches get quieter (especially notch 7) when going up from idle to run 8 and back down.

Here's what the volumes in the unedited .sms look like:

VolumeCurve(
Variable2Controlled
CurvePoints ( 8
0.000 0.0
0.100 0.0
0.235 0.9
0.370 0.9
0.505 0.0
0.605 0.45
0.775 0.75
1.000 0.9
)
Granularity ( 0.05 )

How are the numbers interpreted? Also, what does Granularity mean?

[ragtimer]

I suggest you download Ron Furto's SD40 sounds from the F/L.You will then see how to arrange volume and frequency for the various wav sounds.Granularity (as I understand it from the techdocs) is the size of each sampling step used by the algorithm in computing the volume or frequency to play each sound at a particular throttle opening.The computer is "drawing" a graph of say volume vs throttle opening for each wav sound.Throttle opening on the "x" axis and the volume on the "y" axis.Thus for the standard "throttle" with a step of 0.125 between notches,I set the granularity at 0.125 or a figure which divides exactly into 0.125.I have used Ron's idea for several soundsets and it works really well especially for SL0 in AI locos where you have to use a speed controlled parameter.The default GP38 sounds are improved no end by using his method although I have now discarded them in favour of those available over at KLW (but still using Ron's method).