4 ms·

I recently learned that many car brands already simulate noise of less efficient engines to "satisfy buyer needs". https://motorandwheels.com/cars-with-active-

I recently learned that many car brands already simulate noise of less efficient engines to "satisfy buyer needs". https://motorandwheels.com/cars-with-active-sound-design/ https://motorandwheels.com/cars-with-active-sound-design/

iancmceachern 4y ago
It's the saddest thing to me about the state of many cars today. They play engine noises on the speakers inside the car. What is this nonsense, who wants to live in the matrix? I chose the red pill. I jubilantly drive a stick shift car with a radio that has a cd player and buttons. Not a single touchscreen in the car. It has an engine, I hear it the organic way, through the transmission of vibrations from its operation straight to my ear holes. Not through a computer that plays a sound sample based on the position of a sensor on the throttle.
- tonmoy 4y ago
  This in nothing new. If you are in the US, do you think salmon is naturally that pink? Do you think cheddar is so yellow? Do you think vacuum cleaners need to make so much noise? Answer to all of these questions is no and the only reason they are done is to trick the consumer.
  - iancmceachern 4y ago
    Excellent point. It is absolutely not new. I also avoid those things except salmon, its pinkness doesn't really enhance my personal enjoyment so I'm not hung up on that one. It's easy to buy natural, traditionally made food. Once you go away from factory food you can't really go back.
  - copperx 4y ago
    Are there mods to silence vacuum cleaners? I wouldn't be surprised if the noise were amplified through a speaker inside the vacuum cleaner itself.
    - iancmceachern 4y ago
      You can buy some brands that focus on quietness. Typically they are canister or shop vacations style, and geared toward professionals. Those backpack vacuums you always see housekeeping in hotels use, the dual stage ship vacuums like the Vacmaster VF408
- technothrasher 4y ago
  > I jubilantly drive a stick shift car with a radio that has a cd player and buttons Oooh, look at you with your fancy radio! My car doesn't even have a synchro on first gear, and you've got a cd player. I bet you've got luxury roll up windows instead of side curtains, and signal lights instead of trafficators, huh? ;)
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
spockz 4y ago
In Volkswagen cars this is called “SoundAktor” and it is completely bonkers, at least in my GTE. Especially in gte mode when touching the pedal it is a bit quicker to rev, which means it revs from 1800rpm to max 3000, but it sounds like going from 1800 all the way to 6000. Or going on electric engine only and in some speeds a rumbling sound comes out of the speakers. Needless to say I disabled it.
- copperx 4y ago
  Maybe if the sound were more accurate, like in the linked simulation, fewer people would disable it?
  - spockz 4y ago
    But then what is the point of having a higher end car with sound isolation for relaxed Highway driving only to add the engine noise again? I would indeed notice/mind it less if the sound were accurate.
    - sttic 4y ago
      I get that some people like to hear engine sounds selectively but what gets me is why would the car manufacturers spend time and money to make a bad emulation when they could mic up the engine block/exhaust, add some EQ to beef it up if necessary and play it in the cabin? ..on second thought it's probably because adding extra wires and brackets being work/cost added to each car in assembly vs digital gimmick shipped as part of the head unit that requires no additional work per unit since it already has access to CAN bus for RPM etc. imo they should realize the old adage still holds, if it's worth doing it's worth doing well.

iancmceachern 4y ago

It's the saddest thing to me about the state of many cars today. They play engine noises on the speakers inside the car. What is this nonsense, who wants to live in the matrix? I chose the red pill. I jubilantly drive a stick shift car with a radio that has a cd player and buttons. Not a single touchscreen in the car. It has an engine, I hear it the organic way, through the transmission of vibrations from its operation straight to my ear holes. Not through a computer that plays a sound sample based on the position of a sensor on the throttle.

tonmoy 4y ago
This in nothing new. If you are in the US, do you think salmon is naturally that pink? Do you think cheddar is so yellow? Do you think vacuum cleaners need to make so much noise? Answer to all of these questions is no and the only reason they are done is to trick the consumer.
- iancmceachern 4y ago
  Excellent point. It is absolutely not new. I also avoid those things except salmon, its pinkness doesn't really enhance my personal enjoyment so I'm not hung up on that one. It's easy to buy natural, traditionally made food. Once you go away from factory food you can't really go back.
- copperx 4y ago
  Are there mods to silence vacuum cleaners? I wouldn't be surprised if the noise were amplified through a speaker inside the vacuum cleaner itself.
  - iancmceachern 4y ago
    You can buy some brands that focus on quietness. Typically they are canister or shop vacations style, and geared toward professionals. Those backpack vacuums you always see housekeeping in hotels use, the dual stage ship vacuums like the Vacmaster VF408
technothrasher 4y ago
> I jubilantly drive a stick shift car with a radio that has a cd player and buttons Oooh, look at you with your fancy radio! My car doesn't even have a synchro on first gear, and you've got a cd player. I bet you've got luxury roll up windows instead of side curtains, and signal lights instead of trafficators, huh? ;)
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

spockz 4y ago

In Volkswagen cars this is called “SoundAktor” and it is completely bonkers, at least in my GTE. Especially in gte mode when touching the pedal it is a bit quicker to rev, which means it revs from 1800rpm to max 3000, but it sounds like going from 1800 all the way to 6000. Or going on electric engine only and in some speeds a rumbling sound comes out of the speakers. Needless to say I disabled it.

copperx 4y ago
Maybe if the sound were more accurate, like in the linked simulation, fewer people would disable it?
- spockz 4y ago
  But then what is the point of having a higher end car with sound isolation for relaxed Highway driving only to add the engine noise again? I would indeed notice/mind it less if the sound were accurate.
  - sttic 4y ago
    I get that some people like to hear engine sounds selectively but what gets me is why would the car manufacturers spend time and money to make a bad emulation when they could mic up the engine block/exhaust, add some EQ to beef it up if necessary and play it in the cabin? ..on second thought it's probably because adding extra wires and brackets being work/cost added to each car in assembly vs digital gimmick shipped as part of the head unit that requires no additional work per unit since it already has access to CAN bus for RPM etc. imo they should realize the old adage still holds, if it's worth doing it's worth doing well.