After reading a bit of this thread
I'm starting out on a small sideproject to accurately synthesize the sound of different types of engines using either a software synth or a virtual analog modular synth that I own via physical modelling.

It's basically not LFS related (hence the post in this subforum) but might prove interesting in the long-run.

What I'm asking from the community is quality samples of different engine types so I can possibly understand the difference in sound as I have very little real life experience of such. If this could be combined with descriptions of the process involved that makes the sounds, so much the better - although I'm sure there's ample information online about the way each engine works (which helps deducing the way the noises are actually generated).

Hehe, good luck, I gave a presentation on V8 engines and I really struggled to get good sound samples.

Yeah, I've been having a hard time to find any samples that aren't of an engine being revved to red and back over and over or aren't recorded in some pitbox/garage with tons of reverberation distorting the crap out of it.

In theory, what exactly would be the characteristic difference in the sound between a V, a flat and an inline motor (I can more or less imagine the difference between the number of cylinders)?

I'm learning WAVE, an engine modelling program by Ricardo, and used in industry (so I'm told). I beleive it can do acoustic modelling, and will create realtime outputs depending on behaviour. Then you can change one of the millions of (not kidding) to slightly alter the sound (say by changine the squish volume, or adding 3 degrees to an inlet tract bend etc.

I would be more confident, but I'm only on tutorial 2 (advanced engine modelling, yeah right), having make a single and an inline 4 engine. Not done any acoustic tuning, as it holds no relevence to my project.

Quote from tristancliffe :

I beleive it can do acoustic modelling, and will create realtime outputs depending on behaviour.

Actually it only does acoustic analysis, I went through the Ricardo website, which makes sense - but I don't think it would synthesize sound. Still though, it might be interesting to see exactly what sort of acoustic analysis it does - they don't have any sample output of that on their site.

If you can at some point, please try and see if you could get it to output such data for any sort of engine - it just might come in handy.

Also pity I can't find a whitepaper or anything on the Staccato sound engine (it was used in some nascar sims I think) - the company that made it is apparently defunct?

I'll give it a go - going onto campus to play with it after lunch.

go herehttp://www.flowmastermufflers.com/mufflers.html click on a muffler series and click play sound clip Good luck

Thanks, although I'm not quite sure what kind of engine they're using in each example (and that's more what I'm interested in - the sound difference of various engine types).

henrik from #liveforspeed gave me this link:
http://www.autoweek.nl/downloadindex.php?CAT=Multimedia
which has quite a good collection of samples from various cars

(This is post is soo useless. But I can't help it. I'll regret it tomorrow though, when I'm sober again)

Any chance you'd be interested in a long-stroked, single-cylinder 650cm3 engine? ^^
I would offer my car (3 litre v6), but it doesn't sound like much.
Well and the Harley's gearbox and clutch need replacing, so i can't offer that one either at the moment. And I fear that my microphone totally lacks the properties required to make a decent recording of the wonderful, apocalyptic symphony that a 30-year-old V2 engine can play on two mufflers so empty that you can look straight through them.

Quote from Don Merino :

(This is post is soo useless. But I can't help it. I'll regret it tomorrow though, when I'm sober again)

Any chance you'd be interested in a long-stroked, single-cylinder 650cm3 engine? ^^
I would offer my car (3 litre v6), but it doesn't sound like much.

Hey, thanks. But, about the former, I already have sampled the engine of a friend's KTM dirt bike (he prefers calling it "super motard", I call it a jackhammer - it can't even stay in one place when he has it on the stand from the vibrations) which is a 650cm^3 single-cylinder. However, that 3lt v6 might come in handy if you could get a recording of it under the bonnet (not from the muffler) whenever it's convenient for you (or whenever you're not sober enough again ).

Of absolutley no relevance to any of the cars in LFS (but I hope these will be relevant in S3 )

http://privat.bluezone.no/jerry/linjer/f1sounds.htm

Quote from xaotik :

henrik from #liveforspeed gave me this link:
http://www.autoweek.nl/downloadindex.php?CAT=Multimedia
which has quite a good collection of samples from various cars

Awesome link! Thanks!

Quote from ajp71 :

Of absolutley no relevance to any of the cars in LFS (but I hope these will be relevant in S3 )

Thanks for that - it's okay, I don't want LFS-related sounds, just different engine-type sounds (if they're a direct recording, and not from the muffler so much the better).

It would appear that WAVE cannot reprodce the sounds from it's acoustic modelling. But you might find this interesting (or you might not :shrug

http://www.ricardo.com/download/pdf/wave_cal_tail_pipe.pdf

Quote :

However, that 3lt v6 might come in handy

Ok. I'll give it a try. What would you need me to record? e.g. idling, revving up quickly, revving up slowly, starting off slowly or at full throttle, etc etc...
Well, of course I can only record while driving if I'm able to attach a mic in a place under the bonnet where I get a good sound.
Anyway..tell me what to do and I'll try.

Quote :

I already have sampled the engine of a friend's KTM dirt bike (he prefers calling it "super motard", I call it a jackhammer - it can't even stay in one place when he has it on the stand from the vibrations) which is a 650cm^3 single-cylinder.

Yeah, KTM is crazy...they're so light that they jump around almost literally.
Mine is a Suzuki. They used to build an Enduro with an 800cm^3 single. Wicked...:nut: One of my friends has a later version which has still 750cm^3. It's a real bitch to ride at low speeds - he exchanges the clutch linings more often than the tires, I think.

I found something on an old Testcd of mine...

Many thanks to everyone for their help!

Don Merino, don't sweat it - I think I got enough material to go through and I've kinda put my finger on the sound differences. Thanks again for your offer.

Tristan, I had checked out Ricardo's website when you had mentioned it and indeed the features didn't include sound synthesis, however the analysis might be interesting although I think it would probably be overkill and I think doing it by ear is better - I tried doing some stuff based on data I found on websites but while it sounded technically corrent it just didn't sound real enough.

I'll post some sound samples of stuff I've managed to synthesize soon.