"Turn down the lights, tune out the real world, and turn on Flight Simulator. Flying high over the Grand Canyon, it's easy to forget that you're sitting at a desk staring into a computer monitor. Sure, Flight Simulator looks real, but it also sounds real. And sound has a subtle yet powerful psychological effect on a simulation's believability."

 

This quote taken from Flight Simulator's Learning Center encompases a great philosophy in regards to sounds and their effect on simulating an immersive environment. I feel this is an area where despite the quote above, hasn't been pushed to it's full potential as of yet in the Microsoft line of sims when it comes to the base software. Addons like accu-feel, xprealistic pro and other third party sound packs are great examples of attention to detail and a good reference point to expand upon.  An emphasis on not just the overall aircraft engine sounds, but all the other small details not yet represented by current addons would be amazing such as better audio representation of the physics on an aircraft and it's relationship to the environment. A few items that came to mind to expand:

• Dynamic shaking and rattling sounds based on turbulence and surface movement like takeoff/taxi.
• Turboprop sounds like the beta range groan    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY9hETjtNT8
• Doppler effect flyby
• Engine takeoff environment reflection on ground
• Engine sounds change based on camera postion like FMOD
• If helicopters are included, then blade slapping sounds when turning  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022460X66901325
• Environmental and weather

I remember taking a trip a few weeks back on a 737-700 after not having flown in years. I was seated in the rear seat 22A and there was a sound I thought that was really cool from this position that was like a loud roaring blast of wind halfway between the spool up of the engines as it taxied to the runway for takeoff. It's hard to describe but it sounded similar to the sound of reverse thrust (but wasn't as we were taxiing for takeoff) and was quite nice, you could really feel the power of those CFM-56s ready to blast away and is a little detail in the audio characteristics of the engines that adds so much to the sense of being there and immersion if replicated in the simulator. Side note, for anyone who uses the zibo mod with the included FMOD soundpack you kind of hear that sound when you spool up, it sounds like an abrupt roar of wind as you rapidly spool up from low n1 but it's not as prominent and powerful as I remember in person. I'm going off on a tangent and starting to sound crazy haha but in short, I believe each plane is like it's own living creature with it's own voice and audio "fingerprint" which comes from not just the engines, but the specific aircraft's interaction with it's environment whether small piston, medium turbo-prop or large jet. Physics also plays an important part when looking at sounds. It will be interesting to see how the simulator's physics engine will tie into this.

What other audio details would you all include that are present in real world aviation and the environment? Would be interesting to hear from more frequent flyers than myself and even real world pilots.

Great post. 

Sound is a very overlooked component of the immersive experience of flightsimming.  You don't realise it, until you hear truly well engineered and implemented sounds.

Edited August 1, 20196 yr by ErichB

I agree. We shouldn't have to search for and download realistic engine  airframe, and environmental sounds. 

This was always a shortcoming in every version. 

The importance of sound can't be emphesised enough IMHO. In the simulator graphics and sound needs to compensate for the lack of motion.