FSX-MS How Do You Use Default ATC?

[vololiberista 205]

The default ATC achieves something no addon ATC gets close to. The voices are pretty decent. They might be US-only accents.

Not only does PFE have regional acents they not in the least robitic either! Plus default ATC is totally incorrect outside NA.

[tf51d 284]

Not only does PFE have regional acents they not in the least robitic either! Plus default ATC is totally incorrect outside NA.

Totally agree, but the default voices are pretty good as well, Modifying default ATC with FS EditVoicePack does improve the phraseology of it considerably. I use PFE now but at one point I added my own modifications (Available in the library) to add things like winds on landing clearance and expected flight levels on clearance as well as Line up and wait in US FAA region. The biggest problem (Which is also the biggest  problem in PFE) is the heavy vectoring of AI aircraft at cruise altitude, where they should be flying their own flghtplans as you are.! Here's a sample

 

 

[SteveW 1,792]

...Reason being is the vectoring in FSX is horrible, absolute worst part of the programming

What many don't realise about the vectoring in FSX is that it has to worry about lag in the AP system. That's why we get a 60 degree turn, leading to a 30 degree turn onto final. Actually no one else has programmed better ATC, and it is a very good bit of code for the day.

 

Another thing folk seem not to understand is that the sim navdata concerns the ATC and AI traffic, not the AIRAC we have loaded.

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

I agree with others that the voice implementation of the default ATC has withstood the test time and that with EditVoicepack, one can constantly keep it up to date.

 

Unfortunately, none of the other ATC addons come close in this aspect which is why I eventually gave up on them.

 

The so-called AI Controller at least brings realism to the movement of AI traffic at large airports, but there is still a gap between that and the default ATC which often seems more like &@($* (Artificial Stupidity Squared) than AI.

 

You'd think by now that LM would have done some tinkering in this arena with P3d.

[Glynn 405]

 

 

You'd think by now that LM would have done some tinkering in this arena with P3d.

 

Jay, they cannot even get the window to display correctly even after all these versions.

I get the feeling that the ATC is well down the list of priorities and so it should be, I would much rather they fix the clouds they recently broke.

[fogboundturtle 2,708]

If I knew a lot more about ATC, that's the addon I would make. Whoever makes one that can control AI and fully supports SID/STARS will make a killing.

[Jimmy RFR 406]

One thing regarding the quality of the default ATC voices:  I often fly with live real world ATC chatter in the background.  I recently released a beta version of an application which plays it in the background, and allows you (with some setup) to tune into various frequencies with your aircraft and listen to playback of real chatter on that real frequency.  Limited by coverage of course, but depending on where you fly, you can follow live chatter all the way from take off to landing.

 

My point, after listening extensively to such real ATC chatter in my sim, is that more often than not, it's far easier to understand the default ATC controllers, then it is to understand them in real life!

 

I guess it's one of those times where I'm appreciative when things are completely 100% realistic.  ^_^ 

[Bjoern 1,157]

A good combination is RC4 for user aircraft vectoring with default ATC for the background chatter. Default's biggest advantage is that it's editable, so you can merrily add aircraft or airline callsigns or new phrasing for procedures.

 

Never heard of Traffic Optimizer but believe you.

Best regards,

 
http://forum.avsim.net/topic/451383-traffic-optimizer-for-fsxp3d/

 
 

No that's "AISeparation" "AI Smooth" will send AI too close into holding patterns.

Heh, I've been using AiSmooth for years and totally forgot how it worked.

[Pe11e 812]

Totally agree, but the default voices are pretty good as well, Modifying default ATC with FS EditVoicePack does improve the phraseology of it considerably. I use PFE now but at one point I added my own modifications (Available in the library) to add things like winds on landing clearance and expected flight levels on clearance as well as Line up and wait in US FAA region. The biggest problem (Which is also the biggest  problem in PFE) is the heavy vectoring of AI aircraft at cruise altitude, where they should be flying their own flghtplans as you are.! Here's a sample

 

 

 

Can you post the link of your default ATC modifications? And is it mandatory to use FS EditVoicePack before applying it?

 

Thanks!

[tf51d 284]

Can you post the link of your default ATC modifications? And is it mandatory to use FS EditVoicePack before applying it?

 

Thanks!

Yes you do need FS Editvoicepack to apply it. I had to do it that way, so I didn't affect others modifications Here's the link.

 

http://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=Thomas+Cain&CatID=root&Go=Search

[SteveW 1,792]

Two things annoy; the slight pause in the sim just before ATC starts communications with AI aircraft

 

And the other is when we don't get a word in edgeways, then the controller sounds frustrated with "did you hear my last transmission?".

 

with EditVoicepack, one can constantly keep it up to date.

Jay, can that lack of time between conversations be improved somehow with EditVoicepack? Best Regards.

[robert young 2,897]

Actually no one else has programmed better ATC, and it is a very good bit of code for the day.

 

 

Indeed so.

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

Jay, can that lack of time between conversations be improved somehow with EditVoicepack? Best Regards.

 

 

I don't think that it can be done with EVP without a major effort. One can speed up and or slow down the voices and one can replace each phrase, but that's it. It would require editing the individual files and adding dead space to all of those that are used as the last item in an ATC sentence. That would probably introduce unwanted pauses in the middle of transmissions. I've never seen this issue addressed on their official support forum, but you  might want to check again:

 

http://fsonline.dk/forum/viewforum.php?f=4

 

Unfortunately, ACES didn't use the now common text to voice approach but rather, FSX maintained a list of stock ATC words and phrases. The cool thing about EVP is that you can start with existing default words then cut and recombine their individual syllables into new words. It can be tedious, but it comes in handy when adding new airline callsigns, airport names, etc..

[robert young 2,897]

Not only does PFE have regional acents they not in the least robitic either! Plus default ATC is totally incorrect outside NA.

 

I agree they made a good effort with regional accents. But the problem is not enough care was taken with voice editing. For example if you say "112 decimal 95", the repeated "ones" must have a different, or at least neutral inflexion. The last digit "five" has to be voiced lower in note because it is the last digit. Thus every single number or string of numbers has to be recorded then played back with very detailed care, otherwise the "Up" inflections of some words, especially at the end of a phrase, sound completely unnatural. It does take a very long time and intelligent editing to make voices sound convincing so I'm not saying it is easy.

 

Every single word and number has to be recorded with the same equalisation and volume otherwise individual words "jump" out. A few years ago I supplied recordings for a racing sim (driver to pits etc) and the care needed was extraordinary. You can't just record any old stuff in different sessions and hope it all comes together. Nor can you really make a user voice pack unless you are prepared to spend many hours listening critically to your own voice and taking infinite care in the editing. For me none of the addon ATCs apply anywhere near the care required.

 

If you listen to the default ATC, it is clear MS editors realised all this and indeed there is a natural drop in tone at the end of many strings of numbers or phrases. I know it sounds picky but it is the aural equivalent of not having a 3d model textured all with the same shading.

[TurboTomato 90]

Used to use it fully when flying default and freeware planes. Now that I have gone to the dark side and only fly the Aerosoft Airbus (sorry Bjoern, I remember you backing me up when I was fighting the freeware aircraft corner  ) I don't use it at all, I just use SIDs and STARs and whichever runways PFPX assigns the flight plan, oh and I do my best not to crash into the AI.