+- FsPassengers Forums (http://www.fspassengers.com/forum)
+-- Forum: FsPassengers (http://www.fspassengers.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=3)
+--- Forum: FsPassengers Customizing (http://www.fspassengers.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=6)
+--- Thread: [TUTORIAL] Making a new voice pack step by step (/showthread.php?tid=9804)
[TUTORIAL] Making a new voice pack step by step - DanSteph - 14-09-2005
Making a new voice pack step by step
This post is to help people that would like to record a new voicepack.
Don't be scared by the fact that this tutorial seem big, the principle is very
simple it's just that the whole process is explained in every details below.
Each Post below will contain a section dedicated to a step on creating a voice pack,
jump on the related post if you know already a step.
I'll recall first the important things to remember before giving the summary:
IMPORTANT:
-Record all your sound in 22050hz 16 bits mono else you'll have pain to apply filters. 44100hz is way to much and 8 bits or stereo are unsuitable.
-Take care about the name of your wav since the start, dealing with 60 files wrongly named is an impossible task.
-Use the tool provided in FsPassengers/Sound/Crewpack/soundtext.exe to open "soundtext" file in voice pack
folder. this tool allow you to hear each sound as well as seeing the texts of each sound of a voicepack.
-Nothing more boring than a flat copilot voice saying "oohh captain we will crash" without any emphasis or tone,
try to imagine the situation, you ARE in a plane that will crash.... if you want to yell keep the microphone under your mouth
and not in front.
-Make some try first and see if the recording level is right, a saturated wav or a wav that have really a low volume
can't be corrected at all. (low ratio volum/noise) Take care about the reverb also, depend of your microphone
and the way you record if the sound have a reverb such as "bath tube" you cannot remove it and your copilot will look
like speaking from the toiletts.
SUMMARY OF POST BELOW:
0-What software to use ?
1- Record all the voice, a simple, complete and straight method. (can take one hour only to do a voice pack)
2-Add effect to your wav (bell tone, door etc etc)
3-Filter the voice with a radio effect and convert them to proper format (good quality , low size)
4-Publishing your work
Here we go, see the posts below.
Post Edited ( 09-15-05 19:25 )
Re: [TUTORIAL] Making a new voice pack step by step - DanSteph - 14-09-2005
0-What software to use ?
To record sound I use personnaly Cooledit96 but this one disappeared.
Anyway you can find here some freeware tools to record voice:
http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/gmm/fwaudiorecorder.html
Post Edited ( 09-29-05 15:21 )
Re: [TUTORIAL] Making a new voice pack step by step - DanSteph - 14-09-2005
1- Record all the voice, a simple, complete and straight method.
With my method we'll first record ALL the voice in the same wav in one recording session
this is an incredible gain of time. We'll then save each sound with the proper filename
and check if all is good. You'll need a recording software that is able to record long
file and that is able to select and save only small parts. See post above for freeware.
Step1 :
First browse to FsPassengers/sound/voicepack/ copy the folder "default"
and rename the copy with a new name (example: "german pilot", "espagnol attendant")
For simplicity I'll suppose below that you renamed this folder "MyPack"
You have now a "MyPack" folder with ALL the pilot and attendant announcment in english, we'll owerwrite each file
with our own. The existing wav in english will help us to check that all file are named properly and that we didn't forget one sound.
NOTE: in a voice pack all copilot file have a prefix "cpl_" all attendant voice have the prefix "crew_" all the ambiance
sound that are played in flight as "captain here is your coffee" have the prefix "cruise_" you DON'T need to redo all
the sound, you can do only the copilot voice or the attendant file, in this case delete from the folder "MyPack"
all the sound that you don't want to record, open again the "sountext.fst" the missing wav will be marked in red.
When FsP will be active the missing wav will be taken from "defaut" directory (english)
NOTE: You DON'T need to include the 4 files "AmbientMusicXX.wav" in your archive (unless you do custom music
of course) so remove them from your folder. I recall ALL missing wav in a voice pack folder will be loaded form "defaut" directory
at run time.
Step2 :
Browse to FsPassengers/sound/voicepack/ and click on the utility "soundText.exe"
click on "files" "open" browse to "MyPack" and open "soundtext.fst"
You must have this:
![[Image: sountext.jpg]](http://www.fspassengers.com/images/sountext.jpg)
If you click on the left column you'll hear each sound, on the right you see each text that are supposed to be said.
(not exactly what is said in the defaut pack but it give you an idea.)
Now you can edit each text on the right to fit your language, this can be your guideline and the text you'll record.
Save the new "soundtext" file click on menu "Files" "Save" (notice you don't need absolutely to do this translation
anyway might be cool that people that have your pack have also the correct text on screen if they use this feature)
KEEP THIS SOUNDTEXT OPEN ON YOUR DESKTOP.
Step3 :
Now open your sound editor utility, set it to record in 22050hz 16 bits mono watch the first wav you must record
in the soundtext.exe's list, the file "000" is "cpl_abortlanding.wav" it's supposed to be played when the user abort
the landing.
Follow your text translation for sound "000" and record now "Go around initiated, aborting the landing" in your language
let the recording continue 2-3 second after the end so you have 2-3 second blank and PAUSE the recording.
Now watch again "soundtext.exe's list for the next record "001" is "cpl_brakefailure.wav" so it's the copilot that announce
a brake failure. UNPAUSE the recording and record this second voice "captain we have a brake failure"
if all is well done you should have something like that: (example after 6 voice recorded, each sound separated by a blank)
![[Image: tutovoice_1.jpg]](http://www.fspassengers.com/images/tutovoice_1.jpg)
SAVE THIS WAV regulary, one dont' want to loose our recording after finishing to record 59 voice do we ?
So you end with an huge WAV that contain all the voice you need.
Step4 :
Now save each voice in a separate file, return to the first recording, select it and use something like "save selection"
that you must have in your software.
select first voice, click "files" save selection as"
![[Image: tutovoice_2.jpg]](http://www.fspassengers.com/images/tutovoice_2.jpg)
TIPS: Each time you click on the LEFT column of the sountext.exe utility the FILENAME of the wav you hear is copied to the clipboard.
As we want to save the first voice's filename ("cpl_abortlanding.wav") click on the left column and use the name in the clipboard
to name your new WAV. (CTL+V in box "save as") This will garantee a filename without any typo or name errors.
TIPS: you might at this step first copy/past the "bell" sound of announcement at start of your sound before saving, see next post
for the sound effect to copy/past
If all is well you have now replaced the file "cpl_abortlanding.wav" in english with your new wav.
You can also click again on the soundtext.exe util to hear if the wav have changed (each time
you click the wav is reloaded fresh from disk in "sountext.exe" )
Do the same for all others sound, check with "soundtext.exe" if you changed all the sound
and your pack is ready to hear in FsPassengers. launch Fs9, go to "FsPassengers setup"
select "crew and GPWS setting" select your pack and hear yourself screaming as you dive
or your girlfriend serving you a coffee
Now your pack miss bell tone, a "radio" effect and is also huge even if you zip it. So read next post.
Post Edited ( 09-15-05 19:32 )
Re: [TUTORIAL] Making a new voice pack step by step - DanSteph - 14-09-2005
2-add effect to your wav (bell tone, door etc etc)
Copilot sound (prefix "cpl_") don't need usually a bell tone or anything like that
but crew sound (prefix "crew_" ) may need them if they are announcements to passengers.
You can use the sound below wich contain the bell tone in 22050 16 bits mono
to copy/past at the start of each announcement sound.
Bell sound: http://www.fspassengers.com/images/wav_tutochim.wav (right click save as)
If you intend to do the "cruise_" sound with the door that open and the background noise below is a wav
that contain both effect, this said it can be a hard job to get a really good effect consider using
simply plain voice without effects if you don't know very well sound editing.
Anyway here is the sound that contain door and background noise effect:
http://www.fspassengers.com/images/wav_tutodoorback.wav (right click save as)
Dan
Post Edited ( 09-15-05 16:44 )
Re: [TUTORIAL] Making a new voice pack step by step - DanSteph - 15-09-2005
3-filter the voice with a radio effect and convert them to proper format (good quality , low size)
Why filter the voice ? first because pilot wear headset, second it will help to mask that you recorded
the sound with a microphone sitting in front of your computer. (loud explosive bass due to breath etc etc)
and last but not the least because 22050 hz 16 bits is too much for the quality/size we want to reach,
FsP support of course 22050 format but your pack will be HUGE to download and a wast of size
as we can get a really good quality with lower sample rate.
So you'll question : why did we recorded the sound in 22050 and not directly in the good format ?
Because filters simply don't give any good result on lower sample quality so we must FIRST apply the filters
THAN lower the sample to the rate we want.
I recommend a final ratio of 8000hz 8bits mono wich give a very good result.
First a litle example so you can hear the difference.
Here the original sound in 22050 16 bits mono and big size of 202ko :
http://www.fspassengers.com/images/wav_notfiltered.wav
And here the final wav filtered and converted to 8000 hz 8 bits mono:
http://www.fspassengers.com/images/wav_filtered.wav
Now about filtering and converting there is two possible method:
1-I do it free for you PLEASE READ CAREFFULY BELOW IN THIS CASE
2-You do it yourself see below I explain some tips.
I DO IT FREE FOR YOU
You can understand I cannot spend many time on converting a pack as I have already a lot of work
so I'll do it only if the following condition are respected:
1-All wav a recorded in 22050 16 bits mono format
2-the pack have a minimum quality (I mean not your sister 4 old doing the hostess voice for example
3-The sound have a minimal quality (I cannot correct saturated sound, sound with reverb or such problems)
3-the pack is complete, either only the copilot voice or hostess voice but not half copilot sound done for example.
4-All the name of wav are correct (I don't want to spend 2 hours renaming the wav files)
5-You'll publish your pack so anyone can benefit of your work. (of course I would not publish it myself you keep the entire copyright)
In this case, send me your folder zipped by mail I'll send you back your pack by mail (click on my post profile Dansteph to get my email)
(if you have a doubt the conditions are met, send me only one sound and I'll tell you if it's ok I do it for you.)
DO IT YOURSELF
My filters scripts do a lot of step, normalize, correct the dynamic, apply filters, normalize again, convert to 8000hz 8 bits
if you know sound editing that may not be difficult but can be a long process if you do each sound manually.
here are some tips:
The "radio" voice effect is done by a "bell curve" frequency filter that start at 0db at 130hz raise to 0db at 505hz
and descent to 0 db again at 1650 hz.
You may normalise the volume before and after applying the filter to 100% or 90%
To get the final format convert your sound to 8000hz 8 bits mono and save your work.
Post Edited ( 09-15-05 19:35 )
Re: [TUTORIAL] Making a new voice pack step by step - DanSteph - 15-09-2005
4-Publishing your work
ADD A TEXT TO YOUR PACK
A text with install instructions, copyright and/or at least your email is always cool when you download something.
So write a small text file with notepad containing all infos you want to include and put this file in your voice folder.
common name for such files are "README.TXT"
About install instructions if you use my method below ("Zip your pack") wich is the simpler the proper instruction
for the user are as follow:
INSTALL:
-------------
1-Open the zip file and unzip it in the folder "FsPassengers/sound/crewpack" pay attention to have the box "use folder name" checked.
2-You should now have a folder "NNNN" (your folder name) in the directory "FsPassengers/sound/Crewpack"
3-Launch Fs2004 navigate to "FsPassengers Setup" "crew And GPWS setup" and select my voice pack "NNNNN"
NAME YOUR VOICE FOLDER WITH PROPER NAME
Rename your voice folder with an explicit name so user that will select it in FsP know
what this pack is about.
example:
NOT: "my cool pack" "PTR45678"
BUT: "russian copilot" "complete italian pack" "Spanish hostess"
ZIP YOUR PACK
Taken you have winzip installed on your computer browse to the Crewpack folder
RIGHT click on your sound folder and select "winzip"->"Add to nnnnnn.zip" were "nnnnn"
stand for your folder's name.
see image below:
![[Image: tuto_zipvoice.jpg]](http://www.fspassengers.com/images/tuto_zipvoice.jpg)
You will get a zip archive with the right folder name ("Euro Copilot.zip" in the example shown on image)
ready to be unziped in the folder "crewpack"
UPLOAD YOUR WORK
Of course you can always upload your work to you website for what it matter but to get a maximum visibility
from FsP users you may consider uploading it to the "Voice Pack" section of the "more download" page
available here, people will look here for more Voice Pack.
Here the "Voice Pack" section : http://www.fspassengers.com/?action=download&cat=Voice+pack
And here the upload page were you can upload your work : http://www.fspassengers.com/?action=download&cat=upload
If the page reject your pack it's obviously because its size more than 4mo and this would mean probably that you didn't
convert your sound to the proper format, see again "3-Filter the voice with a radio effect and convert them to proper format "
above. Anyway if all formats are okay mail me so I can approve pack that weight more than 4mo.
If you have any problems or want more indication on a step write a post in this "customize" forum.
Good luck !
Post Edited ( 09-15-05 16:46 )