MultiCrew Experience Feedback anyone?

[alpha117 73]

I've just come across MCE, looks very good and it interfaces with RC4 and GSX.

 

I already have FS2Crew, so I'm wondering is this worth getting also.

Seems expensive though?

 

 

Anyone wish to comment on this product?

 

 

Thanks

 

Clive

[DickB 6]

I only use MCE for ATC (interfacing to the default FSX ATC), and it is excellent. The FS++ support (via email) is also second to none.

 

They offer a full function free demo version, so you can try it for yourself.

[BartEnder 2]

Take the demo out, You will purchase it almost for sure. Very good add-on and outstanding support.

If You are flying only FS2Crew powered machines, it will be less important for You.

[megs8888 20]

On this topic guys sorry to butt in anyone know where to get free extra voices for MCE while we are talking about it. also to the OP it's great you won't regret it there's a new 40 min demo someone's done on you tube worth a look. Cheers

[WR269 367]

I own MCE, and i have never looked back, think of it as the difference between GSX and AES.

 

MCE works with just about every single aircraft you own, even default!

 

I bought it because it is the only add on that gives you voice control over the MD11. Little did i realise that for one fee, i now have voice control over my Captain Sim 727, Simcheck A300, NGX, MD11 and now GSX!!

 

You can create your own voice procedures for your First Officer to follow, for example, it already supports emergency procedures on the Ngx so i created a procedure for my F/O, if i say "engine one fire procedure" he follows the NGX fcom and qrh and performs all the items, shutting down the engine, pulling the fire handle, the whole works.

 

Another great thing is that MCE does not work inside FSX, does not change your config files, nothing, so it does not take memory from FSX to run, and as such, if the voice engine gets stuck or anything goes wrong, shut down MCE and restart it, it will catch up to your flight, you dont need to restart FSX!!

 

Now it supports GSX and AES, i am in heaven!

[megs8888 20]

Any ideas on a better voice?

[Glynn 405]

Another great thing is that MCE does not work inside FSX

 

Hello

 

Actually MCE does run inside FSX,

The FSinsider.dll is loaded from /Modules and runs inside the FSX process

[WR269 367]

Its a dll to link it to the mce exe, it is not a program taking up resources, two very different things

[Glynn 405]

Its a dll to link it to the mce exe, it is not a program taking up resources, two very different things

 

Hello

where did I say it was taking up any resources ?.

I only pointed out that it does in fact run inside the FSX process nothing more.

[WR269 367]

My point was that it does not run inside fsx to take up ram or Resources, a dll is hardly worth noting, there has to be a way to link it to an external .exe

 

In the context of what is being discussed, the dll file should hardly raise a mention.

[CoolP 283]

Clive, if you haven't already, check out Alan's great review on the soft. It mentions a ton of features which may add to the simple 'drive your plane by voice commands' set one may have in mind at first. http://www.avsim.com...ewExp/MCExp.htm

 

I'm running some FS2Crew titles and MCE and if I would have to pick a word describing the differences, it would be 'flexibility'. Don't read that the wrong way, FS2Crew is great. But while you are buying a voice and event set tailored to the corresponding plane, MCE is more generic on some features. It still offers some sets for the usual payware darlings around, so you will never start from the scratch.

 

Flexibility in the MCE aspect means that you are able to drive all default planes and the ones using default FSX commands by voice now. On custom ones, the MCE folks write modules for each big seller and add to the list continuously. On the lesser wide spread ones, you are able to define custom commands, so e.g. driving the autopilot of the Simcheck A300 works too, if you know how to do it. Same goes for my Feelthere planes for example.

 

While FS2Crew offers a fixed or sightly altered command set for every plane, you can throw almost anything at MCE. So while, for instance, the J41 FS2Crew version only reacts to 'bug heading xxx', the MCE module would understand almost anything containing heading and some realistic number like 200, not 2000.

 

Now the FS2Crew approach may give the most precise commands from the real crew phraseology, while the MCE ones are more versatile so to speak. This point may act as a pro or a con, so I'll leave it open, although I sometimes run into the trap of 'is it "engage LNAV" or just "NAV" now?'. Depends on the plane in use and when you switch them as often as I do, you sometimes lose the memory on the necessary patterns.

 

On the costs, the MCE stuff comes in way higher than the single FS2Crew release, but it then offers the mentioned 'drive all planes' capability. Sometimes you even gain commands over FS2Crew voice editions, like on the 747. You can't operate the MCP (heading and altitude) via voice with FS2Crew, but MCE can. On the MD-11, there's only a (very good) button edition of FS2Crew, while MCE once again gives you full voice control. Those two alone are worth the price in my eyes and since my other planes also work, it's worth noting that the higher initial cost may even result in lower overall ones. At least if you don't buy most things twice like I often do. :fool:

 

To apply the FS2Crew-like flows and events, MCE may not have the things like the preflight events, but offers a full set of customizable checklists. On the payware stuff, this often received a template to start from or just leave as it is. You can also add any checklist item you want. I haven't tried 'is the fridge closed?' so far (a typical sim user question), but that mentioned flexibility may even allow that one.

 

As said in the first sentence, check out the review from Alan on the other features from MCE. The support for AES and GSX is new, but that 'check pilot' stuff or the ATC interaction is available since quite some time.

 

 

I only use MCE for the voice commands and sometimes checklists. I'm very happy on the planes without FS2Crew support or even on the ones where MCE looks better to me. On other planes, I'm very happy with FS2Crew. So I'd go for both dev's products.

 

Keep in mind that MCE offers a free trial version. It's time/startup limited, but it should allow for some check. The only downside I've found on the first attempts was the old-ish interface and sounds from the main program. It looks way older and limited than it actually is, but that's mainly an optical downside, nothing on the actual features. Those are very powerful and allow a ton of customization.

 

MCE's support is great and while I had doubts on the email way (there's a small forum too) at first, it turned out that those guys never sleep and react on issues within a very short time. They also update the soft regularly and the download is free every time.

 

My first contact with the MCE program was like 'why would I need that?', but I had an instant success on e.g. driving my CS planes or the MD-11 via voice, so I went on and bought it just some minutes after testing.

The ways of the interface or even the flexibility itself may not be everybody's cup of tea, but since that trial version is available, the voice commanding folks should check it out.

 

 

Oh, that performance question. Well, there's a dll which seems to act as the link between the Windows voice engine + MCE main app and the sim. So you will see an extra exe running, allowing for some optimizations in regard to the amount of memory installed and things. I think you can even define the CPU core to use, but I've never used that option. Windows does good there.

 

The exe runs outside if the sim and doesn't eat anything more or less (fps-wise) than the processes from FS2Crew or VoxATC. I haven't measured anything in that aspect, but I never saw a fps impact with any of those products on my i7 machine.

[N1G 88]

http://www.avsim.com...ewExp/MCExp.htm

 

Incredibly well done review. My hat is off. If that review does not sell you on MCE then you have dementia.

 

Bob

[Mike_CFII_MEL 789]

Hi,

 

Yeah, outstanding review. I've been using MCE for some time now and would not fly without it.

[BartEnder 2]

Any ideas on a better voice?

 

Try Polish developer Ivona: http://www.ivona.com/en/

[WR269 367]

CoolIP, have you tried any of the VoxScript functions?

 

With it i now have preflight procedures in some of my aircraft, notably the NGX and MD11.