Gran Tourismo 5 - engine sounds

"BJ" (benjamin-bignell)
03/05/2015 at 10:21 • Filed to: GT5, vacuum cleaner, bzzzzzz bzzzzzz bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I fired up GT5 last night for the first time in months. It was also the first time since I've played I installed a proper home theatre receiver and quality speakers. The sound of buzzy vacuum cleaners has never been so clear!

DISCUSSION (21)

Effef > BJ
03/05/2015 at 10:28

The fact that they, for whatever reason, refuse to even attempt to do quality audio for the cars in GT is what drove me away from the series. I love the games, but I cannot go back to that after having experienced other games that do. It drives me nuts.

Agrajag > BJ
03/05/2015 at 10:31

Just use the GT40 and 787B. They seem to be the only ones they put effort into.

Mercedes Streeter > Effef
03/05/2015 at 10:36

You know it's bad when cars in GTA have better engine notes than your simulator.

MarquetteLa > BJ
03/05/2015 at 10:46

GT6 has actually improved upon GT5's sound engine a decent bit. It's still not perfect by any means, but a large step up. GT6 is all-around a MUCH better experience than GT5. And it's only about $20 on Amazon!

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > BJ
03/05/2015 at 10:53

This is why I love Forza. All XBOX and Playstation fan wars aside, the guys at Turn 10 actually took the time to record the real engine sounds of each and every single car the put in the game, and record different sounds from 360° around the vehicle. They even did in-cabin recording. It's just incredible. That's why one of my favorite things to do in Forza Horizon 2 is turn off of the music, make sure the engine noise is a higher volume than any of the other sound effects by a couple notches, and the just drive around aimlessly listening to the engine of whatever I'm driving bellow it's magnificent tune.

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > MarquetteLa
03/05/2015 at 11:08

Yes, GT6 is a huge improvement. But it still sounds like a bunch of farting vacuum cleaners. I get so excited when I buy a new car and they play the ignition sound and it sounds so good. But then I take the car racing and we're back to vacuum mode again.

BJ > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
03/05/2015 at 11:09

I remember they released a video or two on the sound recording process for Forza many years ago, and as you mention, the work they put in was incredible. Here's one I found quickly:

BJ > Effef
03/05/2015 at 11:12

It never really bothered me, because my only other data point comes from something on the original XBox (Project Gotham ?). But the cars that sounded "cooler" before now sound more annoying...

I didn't mention that I don't have a subwoofer yet, so my current setup has this brilliant, intense treble but the low end suffers at low volumes. And when I'm playing video games late at night, the volumes are low to not disturb the wife and kids.

BJ > Agrajag
03/05/2015 at 11:13

The 787B basically sounds like a howling vacuum cleaner in real life, so it shouldn't be hard to get it right in GT5!

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > BJ
03/05/2015 at 11:13

OK, I get it. We want gurgly-poppy rumbly engine noises. The kind you get from open-throated exhaust and thinly veiled velocity stacks, as you stand on the side of the road or track. Here's the thing: In real life , in a car, gear noise and wind noise are very loud. Like buzzy, whiny, whooshy vacuum cleaners. I have some sympathy for Kaz & Polyphony in this regard.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Agrajag
03/05/2015 at 11:14

The Alfa TZ2 is my favorite sounding car.

Jayhawk Jake > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
03/05/2015 at 11:21

If my fantastic Logitech wheel was supported by Xbox I'd have converted.

But it's not, and the only decent Xbox wheel options are in the $400 range so GT it is

alwaysmiata > BJ
03/05/2015 at 11:21

Haha I actually starting using rotaries more in GT for the sole reason that they at least sounded slightly realistic. I couldnt stand getting in a Boss 302 and hearing it sound like a buzzy little I4.

Agrajag > BJ
03/05/2015 at 11:21

What vacuum cleaner do you use?

MultiplaOrgasms > BJ
03/05/2015 at 11:27

It's not news, but even PD admits that the sound engine and recording processes are horribly outdated and that they are allegedly working on a revamped engine for GT7 (or GT9, people are a bit hazy on that). Now I'm one of the very few people to actually defend GT's sound engine (not really), but if you experiment with cars and exhausts you can get them to sound remotely like cars. It certainly won't be an accurate representation but atleast its something.

Random stuff about GT sounds

No.1

No.2

MarquetteLa > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
03/05/2015 at 12:03

I'm not sure how recently you've played GT6, but Polyphony has added an option that lets you use the "Exterior" camera's sound "perspective" while you're in cockpit camera mode, for example. It makes a pretty massive difference, especially when you're near other cars on track. That small option has really breathed some aural life into the game for me.

EDIT: Also, the semi-racing exhaust upgrade brings out most cars' natural sound characteristics.

BJ > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
03/05/2015 at 12:19

You're right about that. Tire noise is also a huge element in a car's aural experience.

Using my tv speakers, the DTM car above sounded so cool compared to most others, more mechanical, more raw. This was, for me, realistic. Now that I have some great speakers, the perceived sound has changed and is less enjoyable.

BJ > Agrajag
03/05/2015 at 12:20

A bad-ass vacuum cleaner, obviously.

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > MarquetteLa
03/05/2015 at 12:39

I saw that option, but didn't change it. I'll try it.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > BJ
03/05/2015 at 12:40

Can't play the video at work, but yeah, it's awesome watching how the get all the data and sound.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Jayhawk Jake
03/05/2015 at 12:41

I wish I could afford a wheel, but alas, I'm poor. I just use a controller, so the driving is the same for me either way.