"One-Shots" too loud. Any way to separately adjust? - HELP TESTING

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#1

Hi. I have tried Syrinscape on a number of different systems now … well two systems, but five different sets of speakers, including two different headphones.

The sounds and music are great, and those with sliders I can get mixed just right. However, whenever I use a one-shot sound, while many of them are wonderful, they are extremely jarring. Is there any way to control the volume for these separately? If not, are their plans for this in the near future.

I have a game coming up this week and I’m truly afraid it will be too distracting. Any advice?

Thanks,
Tim

#2

Soooo two things may be happening:

  1. OneShots are mixed to the centre speaker, so if the centre channel is loudest oooor the left and right speakers are under powered then you’ll tend to turn up the volume more and more and then blow your ears off with the OneShots
  2. maybe you are adjusting the elements lower to make it sound good for you and then the unadjustable OneShots end up too loud.

Ways to fix:

  1. turn up the elements and resave each of the moods as louder so the OneShots end up relatively softer.
  2. become a supersyrin subscriber and use the SoundSet Creator to mix you own versions of the SoundSets with the balance how you like it

ALSO: the OneShots are meant to be louder than everything else. Something that draws the attention of the players to the sound.

NOTE: you can trigger elements to give you a sound by double clicking the play button. This will give you a normal (non standy outy) instance of the sound.

How does all that sound?

Oh yes, and we ARE planning to put a volume knob for the Oneshots in there at some point!

:slight_smile:

#3

Hi Benjamin, and thanks for the fast response.

Ok, a few problems …

  1. Actually, only one of the tests was on a 5.1 (7.1 really) system, all the rest were on simple stereo (two-speaker) setups.
  2. I’ve tried adjusting things “every which way from Sunday” (or “everywhich way but loose”, whichever you prefer :wink: ) …I’ve actually done the opposite, and that is:
  • Bring the slider items up as loud as possible
  • With exception to the music, which I put at a level where it is not overpowering the ambient sounds
  • Then bring (or could be first thing you do actually) the main slider down, even to half-way.

But when playing the one-shots, it is very much louder. I can put a meter on it, or record it and look at the meter if you want. I know there is “apparent loudness” and some sounds just sound louder. And that may very well be part of the issue here, but it’s not the whole issue.

Also, was just fooling around with the Witchwood set (FANTASTIC SET BTW … love the feeling it gives me, especially with the “Witchwood harp” music , AMAZING!). But anyway, the one-shots there are just fine … in fact almost perfect. But most, if not all the others I own have the issue.

Would it be difficult to add a small slider on the bottom right to control the one-hits?

Thanks,
Tim

#4

@TimmyCrackCorn

So yes, ultimately a volume slider on each of the OneShots will get you what you are needing.

AND yes, the Creator will also get you there too. The OneShots in there have volume sliders and/or you can make your own versions of them according to your preference. :smile:

#5

Sounds good on both counts … I actually wasn’t even thinking (or requiring) one on each, but can see how that would come in handy. But also, just having a “MASTER SLIDER” just for one-shots would be fantastic. Is that a possibility as well?

-Tim

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#6

Ok, I did some testing, and just for your edification …

Let’s take “Red Dragon City Raid” as an example:

  • I’ll leave the master volume at highest position (or close to it, doesn’t matter), as it I can control overall volume with my system

  • Setting the baseline for the music at around -30db (with ranges from -35 to around -25db, maybe -20db for the loudest parts of the music.) This is about a third of the way up … so it’s definitely loud enough to hear, but not so loud it covers up ambient noises (which are at the highest or near-highest) setting, and so as not too be to distracting.

  • As I said, the ambient noises are mostly cranked. Even then, some of them are very soft, but that’s ok. (e.g. Some are registering as low as -42db, but on average around -25db->-30db, with clanks, etc. peaking into -20db briefly, maybe. On “default settings” the levels are more like -45 to -32db on average.

  • NOW, here is the problem … pressing a OneShot like “crumbling building” or “Red Dragon Roar” or even “Weapon Impact” and some of “Red Dragon Growls” will peak and sustain at -4.0db’s !! That is REALLY LOUD. Not only that, in comparison to the other stuff, it is nearly a 20-30db DIFFERENCE on average.

I’m surprised this hasn’t been a problem for more people, as I don’t really see it mentioned here in the forums. I realize some of (perhaps most) these things are meant to be loud (or louder), and should be loud. However, this is simply too loud.

As I said, the effects in Witchwood are almost perfect. For example … the peaks for those (exact same settings, master volume(s) untouched) is just over -10db.

Take care,
Tim

#7

:smile:

The balance really hasn’t been an issue for many people at all. I use them all the time, so they’re set to my taste, but then tastes vary obviously… so yes I reckon a Global Volume for the OneShots would fix that.

We’ll add that to our TO DO list.

And as always, if you’re reading this and the above is something you really want, then comment below quickly!

#8

Thanks, my man, I appreciate it! :smile:

Yeah, there is no accounting for taste … but THIS is SCIENCE. :grinning:

I know you’re probably sick of hearing about it at this point :mask: , but I just checked out the Sci-Fi Player for the first time (very, very cool as well, naturally) and it is SPOT ON. I mean both the demo ones anyway … it is much more natural and not overpowering when you hit OneShots.

I checked the meters to confirm, and sure enough, most of the sounds barely raised the meter, with the WORST being ONLY in the 10db range. These, like Witchwood, are just about perfect.

-Tim

#9

I’m actually having the same experience. I haven’t tried nearly as much as TimmyCrackCorn to adjust things, but yeah, the one-shots seem way too loud for me too.

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#10

Noted. :slight_smile: We’ll look at adding a volume slider into the interface.

Would you prefer it in the settings or in the right hand column somewhere?

#11

You know what…

Why don’t you each tell me some of the particular OneShots that seem unusably ebullient to you and we can make duplicate softer versions in each SoundSet.

I’ve done that in Witchwood with the thunder already (for others)

Does that work for people?

#12

Would you prefer it in the settings or in the right hand column somewhere?

Well, it looks like there is already a place for it right beneath the Global OneShots … to the right of the master volume slider. There is an fancily outlined space there with nothing in it.

Is that for some future feature? Or does that display some info I’m not aware of?

-Tim

#13

Oh, DUH! Nevermind, yeah that’s where the full description of the OneShots appear … sorry!

Ok, how about just above the global One-Shots? So in-between the local and the global. Seems like that would work nicely, perhaps?

Why don’t you each tell me some of the particular OneShots that seem unusably ebullient to you and we can make duplicate softer versions in each SoundSet.

I’ve done that in Witchwood with the thunder already (for others)

Does that work for people?

That would work fine for me … having both as an option seems pretty ideal. I would try maybe at half the level. I’ll start putting together a list based on the ones I can see are jumping more than 10db’s. I know off the top of my head, from Red Dragon … pretty much all of them, but especially “Crumbling Building” could be haved. The others maybe 3/4 -to 1/2.

-Tim

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#14

Yep. I’m happy with that too. Just about to get going on our next game session, so I’ll let you know what seems out of place.

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#15

for me a lot of the spell sound effects are a bit jarring. A couple dB lower would be nice.

#16

Hi @devon_cimini

Which ones? The ones in the Global OneShots or Ezren and Kyra’s?

#17

Agree, some of the one shots are a bit too loud.

#18

Yep,

But I need specific ones that people would like a softer version of!

:smile:

#19

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand… we’ll also add a volume slider for the OneShots too… soon.

1 Like
#20

missed this. I meant Ezren and Kyra’s. Volume slider sounds great. Also fatter scroll bars or windows touch support :stuck_out_tongue: