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TurbofanDude
11th Dec 2010, 16:39
I am actually a designer at TFDi (we design Flight Sim software) and I am starting to work on a 737 for the sim. I want to start with the sounds, but as I'm not a real pilot yet, I haven't got a way to record them myself. My request is that someone with access to the 737NG cockpit, a camera, and a little free time could possibly help me out by recording some sounds for me.

I would need a few different sounds, around 30 in all (I don't expect anyone to do them all at once, they'll take time), but I really want to make my 737 have the most realistic sounds it can, and the sounds recorded from the real cockpit are pretty realistic.

I've been in the cockpit quite a bit before, so I have recorded things, but the problem is, there's always somebody talking in the background or passengers moving bags. Only someone who can get in the cockpit after the flight can get the sounds at the level of quality I want - i.e. - a 30 second recording of the battery with no talking or people in the background. Not going to happen during flight. Or being able to record the pax sign sounds or the sounds the switches make when you flip them (without the battery on)

So, thanks in advance to anyone who can help, and of course I'll add you as a huge helping factor in the product when it's released (it'll be freeware)

The sounds I need are as follows: (battery sounds would be great if they could be more than 20 seconds, to give me room to work with them)
*Battery WITHOUT Air conditioning or recirc fan or people talking/moving in the background
*Battery Sound with the recirc, but no a/c
*Battery With AC but no Recirc
*Battery with both
*Cockpit door opening/closing sound
*cockpit Windows opening/closing sounds
*GPWS Test
*Fire bell (a long one, 5 seconds +)
*Autopilot disconnect
*With everything else off, a few switch flip sounds - one push button, one rotator, one toggle and one twist (like the efis controls)
*ambient sound from the jetway
*ground call sound
*seatbelt sign
*flight attendent call
I have the takeoff warning horn already
*flaps handle sound
*speed brake handle sound
*trim wheel sound

Thank you SO much to anyone who can get me even one of those sounds!

I will be offering as much as five (5) dollars per sound, depending on the quality. I live to far in the middle of nowhere to get LDS time.

Many thanks in advance,
Collin Biedenkapp
President, TFDi
TFDi Design Homepage (http://www.wix.com/tfdidesign/home)

MISSED APCH
11th Dec 2010, 18:51
wauw very neat way to accomplish your goal.
if i flew a 73 id help you. but i guess everyone wants to see some $$
:eek:

Piltdown Man
11th Dec 2010, 19:11
With an up-front request like that I'm sure that you'll get some takers. I'd love to help, but I don't fly the things.

Best of luck,

PM

TurbofanDude
12th Dec 2010, 18:22
yeah, I hope I get some takers. I'll probably offer like 5$ per sound

dany4kin
12th Dec 2010, 18:36
If you're going to be paying $5 a sound, why not book half an hour or so in a level D sim - I know they're prohibitively expensive to run but maybe you could come to an agreement with the organisation to do what you need to do, you won't need the motion or an instructor, just a techie to supervise perhaps. Here in the UK you can purchase time in level D sims I'm assuming you can in the US too?

I reckon you could probably get everything you needed in half an hour or so if you planned it all out....? Plus you'd get exactly what you want and how you want it.

If there is anything you MUST have the actual aircraft airborne for (slipstream sounds for example, seem a bit weak in the sims from what I've heard but I may be wrong!) then you can revert to your original idea...?

Trying to weigh up cost effectiveness with results achieved...

TURIN
12th Dec 2010, 19:00
I'm curious.

What sound does a battery make?

If you mean the sound in the cockpit with the battery on, but all other electric sources off. IE ground power, APU or engine gens, then I understand.
However, with all other electric sources off you wont get any Air Con or recirc fan etc, only essential DC bus and emergency AC bus. (I think. Not a sparky so don't sue me).

TurbofanDude
16th Dec 2010, 11:10
Well, to be honest I'm not sure what JUST the battery makes. My design at the moment only has 1 slot for battery, so I want the one with the APU/ground power on. I've always noticed a distinct cockpit sound in the 737 though.

Collin

NSEU
16th Dec 2010, 11:48
You've probably overlooked a few sound layers here. The sounds you are requesting are not so easy to isolate. How do you remove the very noisy Equipment Cooling airflow sounds without cooking the displays or computers or setting off the ground warning horn (for equipment cooling) and have engineers running to the cockpit?

Your "battery sounds" are probably composed of a few subtle sounds which may be hard to isolate, too. e.g. Standby Altimeter (anti-stiction) vibrators and (noisy) Standby AH gyros. On the other hand, I suppose if you're not modelling circuit breakers, you may not need to isolate these sounds.

When you get these sounds from dozens of different people, how will you know what levels to play these sounds at?

Before you go offering money for sounds, have you considered that the manufacturer of the EGPWS or TCAS computer, for example, may not like people doing this?

Believe me, I've been there... and nearly got arrested by security for messing around in a "cold and dark" 737NG, alone, trying to record stuff :} (EDIT: I was still invited to tea and bikkies in my managers office, however)

Sorry, $5 is no real incentive for me ;)