Sound Design

[cartlidge]

I recorded a video in the interest of clarification. (Note: if you're watching this in standard, ie. low res, it's because the video hasn't finished processing.)
Otherwise, thanks for your interest. Cheers:

Perhaps a master equalizer for sound might be the answer. Something so you can adjust the sound qualities of your hardware, (perhaps turn down or even mute certain frequencies)

I am not sure if this would help at all but it looks like it can be used to adjust ranges. I mean it says it can customize sounds but I am unsure how far the customization can go. https://www.fxsound.com/course-articles/how-to-use-fxsound-to-boost-sound-for-gaming

 

[DC9V]

Really good explanation, thank you.
I have a very good hearing and I will try to find out which frequency range is the most present during these sounds by loading your video into my digital audio workstation. after the analysis I can tell you how to use an equalizer in order to lower exactly those frequencies before it gets send to your headphones.

 

[Hayte]

Oh yeah that sound while you are in camera is silly because it serves no purpose (not needed for telegraphing since you already control the camera and know exactly where it is). I'll look into finding this sound and replacing it with silence (as a PC mod). I'm not sure if this will kill the sound generally though (it probably will).

Game audio is weird since mixing is real time based on world coordinates and vectors lifted out of the game. Sounds become quieter, the further away the sound source is or if the source is occluded by another object or something. For example, a sound coming from inside a room with the door closed vs open. My guess is this sound is loud when you hack a camera because the world coordinates of the sound source place it literally inside your head and there is nothing occluding it.

 

[Fizzwick]

The camera noise doesn't bother me much but I can understand some folks dislike of it as it is a tad whiny and grating after a bit. I play the netrunner ninja type so I do hear it a lot.
Overall, I do think the sound design of the game is quite good with one particular exception, V's feet. V's footfalls are just, really bad. No matter the surface, the footgear worn (or even lack thereof, i.e. barefoot), V always seems to sound like they are tromping about in combat boots and making a specific point of being as loud as possible doing it. *STOMPSTOMPSTOMP* That's my sound design beef with the game. I can only assume the enemies are mostly deaf as to why V can sneak up on anyone, ever.

 

[northwold]

I recorded a video in the interest of clarification. (Note: if you're watching this in standard, ie. low res, it's because the video hasn't finished processing.)
Otherwise, thanks for your interest. Cheers:

So in your video it's really pretty bad (not the whirring, the very high frequency whine behind it) and like you that would have bothered me in game. But I don't recall it sounding like that for me (I play with headphones with a deliberately rounded off top end response because I can't bear being pounded with high frequency noise).

Two points:

- You might try the in-game audio options to set them to different devices and see if it reduces it (under dynamic range in the sound settings).

- If you have anything on your PC that might be fiddling with your EQ (equaliser) settings and messing up the relative loudness of different frequencies, you might try giving that a twiddle.

 

[DC9V]

Oh yeah that sound while you are in camera is silly because it serves no purpose (not needed for telegraphing since you already control the camera and know exactly where it is). I'll look into finding this sound and replacing it with silence (as a PC mod).

That's also a good idea. However It might be good to know which frequency range is problematic for Mr. White Lion, because the issue might also affect other situations---not only gaming. E.g. the information could also help him finding an adequate hearing aid that is able to filter certain frequencies, similar to an equalizer. Hearing tests are not always accurate, for the following reason:

A paradox effect of hearing loss is that the affected frequency range becomes more sensitive when the loss has not fully progressed, yet. Older people are often irritated by the sound of clattering dishes, e.g. coffee cups. That is because the brain tries to even-out the hearing loss by amplifying the affected frequency range. For the same reason, many people are hearing a high treble rush in their ears when trying to fall asleep because it's the high frequencies that fade away early on when aging. People above the age of 30 usually don't hear anything above 15 KHz, many times it's limited to 13Khz. For comparison, young children can hear frequencies at 20 KHz. At 50 years onwards, it's possible that you can't hear above 9Khz. Many sounds in Cyberpunk 2077 are clearly including frequencies above 9 KHz.

 

[whitelion1284]

Good thoughts, guys.
I'll check out an equalizer and mess around with the sound settings.

 

[Guest 4561861]

whitelion1284, you must really hate that "Sex on Wheels" car. I'm not as sensitive to those pitches as you, but the whine that car makes just kills me. Good luck on your journey to find a remedy.

 

[whitelion1284]

Thanks again for the suggestions, folks.
I did actually manage to combine some equalizer affects in combination with the Low Boost in-game audio setting that have rendered the game much more enjoyable.
Cheers

 

[northwold]

Thanks again for the suggestions, folks.
I did actually manage to combine some equalizer affects in combination with the Low Boost in-game audio setting that have rendered the game much more enjoyable.
Cheers

Whatever was happening with your setup that whine really did sound unbearable so congrats on finding a solution!