Unexplained Sound Problem, Need Help

[trainguy799]

I recently downloaded TrainStore to make MSTS run better (also to run routes that wouldn't operate in the regular game). Everything was fine until I copied a custom .sms file twice to add two new horn variants (for my custom F59PHI sounds). The engines aliased to the original two .sms files have no problems what so ever, but any engine aliased to any of these two new copied sms files do not work, even though the new horn sounds have the same specifications (48000 hz, PCM signed 16 bit Stereo) as the original two horns. When I load them in the game by itself, it crashes when loading any activity (with any engine aliased to the two new sms's) with no error messages. When I load it through TrainStore, it loads into the game but only the engine sounds work, the airbrakes, horn, bell, and all other aliased sounds to the sms file refuse to play and no error messages pop up. I have no clue what is wrong and it is starting to get on my nerves. Please help, and thank you for your time.

[Noisemaker]

Probably missing a closing bracket to the parenthesis, or even within it. Open another SMS that's similar and working, and compare the two.

[trainguy799]

Probably missing a closing bracket to the parenthesis, or even within it. Open another SMS that's similar and working, and compare the two.

I did, the only stream that was altered was the horn stream, and the scripting for that stream is identical. Could it be something wrong with the sound file? I literally only changed the sound reading name from F59PHI_K5LA_2.wav to F59PHI_K5LA_3.wav

[trainguy799]

Probably missing a closing bracket to the parenthesis, or even within it. Open another SMS that's similar and working, and compare the two.

More info is given in the video description, but this is what it does

[slipperman]

Hi,
Unfortunately, the video description doesn't give any more information!
If it works with the original sms files but not the new ones, then there MUST be a difference. First thought is - have you copied the new .wav file/s into the required folder/s? If a wav file is missing, MSTS won't always complain.
If the above isn't the answer, I recommend a program called CompareIT! - available here : http://www.grigsoft.com/files.htm ; get the Unicode version. The free version has some limitations after 30 days, but can still be used to compare two files.

Cheers,
Ged

[Noisemaker]

Agree with Ged. Chances are your WAV is in the wrong place, or more than likely may have a slight typo on it. Happens to the best of us. I'm convinced the horn I did was a 'PS3.wav' that doesn't sound, and go back and forth to the SMS and WAV. Only to have it dawn on me I mistakenly named the WAV 'P3S' in my haste - or hit the SHFT key and made it P$3 or something.

[trainguy799]

Hi,
Unfortunately, the video description doesn't give any more information!
If it works with the original sms files but not the new ones, then there MUST be a difference. First thought is - have you copied the new .wav file/s into the required folder/s? If a wav file is missing, MSTS won't always complain.
If the above isn't the answer, I recommend a program called CompareIT! - available here : http://www.grigsoft.com/files.htm ; get the Unicode version. The free version has some limitations after 30 days, but can still be used to compare two files.

Cheers,
Ged

I'll check again, but I'm about 99.9% sure it's in the right directory. But that doesn't explain why all the other sounds in the same directory won't play. In my opinion, it sounds more like an MSTS issue than a scripting mistake. Especially since the only part of the script altered was the "XXXX_Horn.wav" part of the horn stream, nothing else was altered. And the new .sms is a copied version of the original .sms and the original works just fine

[slipperman]

Hi trainguy799,

But that doesn't explain why all the other sounds in the same directory won't play

In the video clip you posted, the engine sounds seemed to be heard OK, with only the horn missing. Now you've said that all the sounds in the same directory are missing - this doesn't make sense!!
With all the many different sms files around, it's unlikely to be an MSTS issue, so long as the Scalability Groups haven't been changed in the sms file, or if they have, the quantity of sounds setting has been adjusted accordingly.
Is the new sms file in the same folder as the original sms file - ie common.sound or similar, or the loco's folder? If it's in the loco's SOUND folder, are all the required wav files in the same folder, or are the paths to the wav files in the sms file correct?

Apologies if the foregoing has seemed a bit of a ramble, but we are working in the dark! Would it be possible for you to tell us what loco and sounds you are using as a basis, and which sounds you are wanting to use, please?

Cheers,
Ged

EDIT : Looking back at your first post, I wonder if you're using a route which uses a large number of sounds? Are you using the updated soundcfg.dat file? This is available either as part of the Bin patch (you have to make sure the box is ticked!), or a similar version is available from the steam4me site : http://msts.steam4me.net/tutorials/fix_sound.html

[trainguy799]

Hi trainguy799,

In the video clip you posted, the engine sounds seemed to be heard OK, with only the horn missing. Now you've said that all the sounds in the same directory are missing - this doesn't make sense!!
With all the many different sms files around, it's unlikely to be an MSTS issue, so long as the Scalability Groups haven't been changed in the sms file, or if they have, the quantity of sounds setting has been adjusted accordingly.
Is the new sms file in the same folder as the original sms file - ie common.sound or similar, or the loco's folder? If it's in the loco's SOUND folder, are all the required wav files in the same folder, or are the paths to the wav files in the sms file correct?

Apologies if the foregoing has seemed a bit of a ramble, but we are working in the dark! Would it be possible for you to tell us what loco and sounds you are using as a basis, and which sounds you are wanting to use, please?

Cheers,
Ged

EDIT : Looking back at your first post, I wonder if you're using a route which uses a large number of sounds? Are you using the updated soundcfg.dat file? This is available either as part of the Bin patch (you have to make sure the box is ticked!), or a similar version is available from the steam4me site : http://msts.steam4me.net/tutorials/fix_sound.html

I can explain, Noisemaker suggested that the sounds might be missing from the directory their supposed to be in but no, they are there. They do not work in any route I have loaded them in despite the amount of sound streams (I do have the updated soundcfg.dat). The locomotive sounds are a custom set of 12N-710-G3B sounds I have compiled for EMD F59 locomotives, I've been working on them for some time now. I copied the original .sms file of the sounds (I tested the original and there were no issues at all) to add more horn sound variants, the only thing I altered was the name of the horn sound being read in the horn stream. Now when I load the copied version aliased to an F59, the horn, bell, brakes, and every other sound besides the engine sounds do not sound in the game at all but the original aliased sounds work just fine. I'm sorry it feels like I'm leaving you guys in the dark, but I can assure you I'm standing right there in the dark with you, I have never had this issue in my many years of using this game. Lol

[slipperman]

Hi trainguy799,
Yes, mate, we're all standing here waiting for somebody to turn up with the matches so we can light the candle

You say the engine sounds play OK (as per your clip), but other sounds don't; Reading down the sms file, are the engine sounds at the beginning, followed by the horn and other missing sounds? If so, look at the end of the engine sounds and before the "missing" sounds are entered, to see if there is an extra close bracket (which will cut off the remainder of the entries). This is where ConText is VERY useful!!

SMS files are often quite hefty affairs, but I suppose, if the above doesn't help, the only way for any meaningful help to be provided would be to post a listing of the faulty file.

Cheers,
Ged

[Noisemaker]

Would it be possible you saved this WAV as something else? MP3 or OGG maybe? Happens to me sometimes that I'll 'Save As', and type in 'Horn.WAV' but not pay attention to the format it's actually saving as. So even that 'Horn.WAV' is there, and in the SMS correct - it's not till I check the Properties of the 'WAV' to find out it's something entirely different.

[trainguy799]

Hi trainguy799,
Yes, mate, we're all standing here waiting for somebody to turn up with the matches so we can light the candle

You say the engine sounds play OK (as per your clip), but other sounds don't; Reading down the sms file, are the engine sounds at the beginning, followed by the horn and other missing sounds? If so, look at the end of the engine sounds and before the "missing" sounds are entered, to see if there is an extra close bracket (which will cut off the remainder of the entries). This is where ConText is VERY useful!!

SMS files are often quite hefty affairs, but I suppose, if the above doesn't help, the only way for any meaningful help to be provided would be to post a listing of the faulty file.

Cheers,
Ged

Apologies for taking so long to respond, I've been registering for fall semester classes, Let me check, this is a possibility...

[trainguy799]

Would it be possible you saved this WAV as something else? MP3 or OGG maybe? Happens to me sometimes that I'll 'Save As', and type in 'Horn.WAV' but not pay attention to the format it's actually saving as. So even that 'Horn.WAV' is there, and in the SMS correct - it's not till I check the Properties of the 'WAV' to find out it's something entirely different.

It's definitely a wav sound and saved as the msts requirements.

[trainguy799]

Hi trainguy799,
Yes, mate, we're all standing here waiting for somebody to turn up with the matches so we can light the candle

You say the engine sounds play OK (as per your clip), but other sounds don't; Reading down the sms file, are the engine sounds at the beginning, followed by the horn and other missing sounds? If so, look at the end of the engine sounds and before the "missing" sounds are entered, to see if there is an extra close bracket (which will cut off the remainder of the entries). This is where ConText is VERY useful!!

SMS files are often quite hefty affairs, but I suppose, if the above doesn't help, the only way for any meaningful help to be provided would be to post a listing of the faulty file.

Cheers,
Ged

I could email you the sms file, maybe a different set of eyes may be able to figure out the issue.

[slipperman]

Hi trainguy799,
You have a Private Message!

Ged