Audio Engineers on the Future of Sound in iRacing

iRacing Audio Engineers Greg Hill and Blaine Wood explain the present and future of sound in iRacing, including features like reverb and improved voice chat.
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[@xSkidMarx]

I will never get enough of the behind the scenes engineering side of iRacing, please keep sharing!

[@elegast-racing]

God iRacing is firing on all cylinders. Best company ever. Thank you for all the effort everyone is putting into it! The ending was great! 😂

[@chrismathewsjr]

as an audio engineer that plays iracing and loves to crank it the f*ck up, I know how difficult that variability in IRs will be. I'm so looking forward to it.

[@mikedeanellis]

I also run it super loud around 105 DB.

[@wheatthinnsguy01]

I love cranking it up but I love turning on the closed helmet for that added immersion

[@jackamo1997]

Greg Hill: Legendary spotter and audio engineer. Every sim racer has probably heard some of his work at some point in their lives whether they knew it was him or not.

[@IMX383]

The reason I switched to crew chief

[@mattlampe]

I love that Greg has all these lines I've heard countless times and works for iRacing but has no idea how Nascar works

[@mqt5]

I love iRacing so much because of the developers who actually exist and always keep us up to date

[@Peteski510]

THANK YOU in advance for the voice chat quality upgrade. Obviously you want realism, but for people with bad hearing like me it will make a huge quality of life difference to get clearer comms.

[@chasezas]

iRacing have quickly become my favorite development team in the 2+ decades I've been playing PC games. The transparency and communication about what they are doing with iRacing, down to the nuts and bolts, is impressive to say the least.

[@json.racing]

these updates really make me realize just what a labour of love iRacing is

[@Rich_Jamison]

Love the outtakes at the end! Great info!

[@DannyGiusa]

The way iRacing is doing things, the approach and execution is one of the most appreciated things and also why I'm a member since 2011.

[@Tia_Bea]

Adding sounds to the UI is actually a great idea... if those sounds cater to UI accessibility. What Street Fighter 6 did with sound accessibility for allowing people with vision impairments to play the game competitively is amazing. Having a screen reader on the UI would already be a big improvement. And I know we still don't have sound tech that is advanced enough, but I do dream that one day we will get there and have people with vision impairments on track with us, enjoying racing freely.

[@hadorstapa]

This is why the subscription model for iRacing works and is worth it. More power to you guys.

[@zippityzbrake]

first getting into iracing i was put off by how expensive it is. seeing how well made everything is and how much work goes in, im happy to fork over all that i can for more of this amazing content. when do i get my glazer certification

[@WillyzRmz]

Great job guys! Its always interesting to hear the work being done! Keep it up!

[@itsthebarman]

love these coming from an audio enginneer as well as an iracer

[@purabranjan4494]

I have always wondered why the iracing audio kind of sounds a bit ... upside-down. Now I understand why

[@dinkidink5912]

An update to the in-game chat is sorely needed, I've gone through a bunch of hardware and have always had trouble with people understanding me in chat, yet Discord etc. are perfectly fine. I suspected it was due to the filters they use so it's interesting to have that confirmed.

[@landonmurray3814]

This is awesome to hear, the better the sound gets the easier it is to feel others around you on dirt oval

[@fermillo65]

It's weird now I have Greg's face on my mind when I hear the spotter! He was faceless until now

[@davidlucero7971]

iRacing is hands down, dopest dope.

[@Sneddonau]

Would love to see an updated series of how a track or a car is gone from scanning to being put into sim

[@M1XED17]

I was wondering if iRacing was going to get reverb, I'm so stoked that it's being developed! I can't wait for it!

[@worksafe3441]

The gaming industry has a lot to learn from iRacing... in all genres. From community involvement, information dispersal, update roll outs, to the vision they use to never release lackluster projects.

[@sliiiimjim]

Love this behind the scenes content

[@Tombstone2211]

Greg is such a gem. Lovely guy

[@BabaYaga_intherace]

We love iracing and believe in your success. Only forward ! ❤🤘

[@killer414]

Iracings constant obsession with realism is why I keep coming back..nothing compares to it

[@Sethsimracing]

Now this is why I love iRacing! Love these inside videos! I vote to make the iRacing voice chat more Discord-like myself, even though it is less realistic.

[@Hangry_Hungarian]

Whenever I play a racing game other than iracing, all I can think about is how the sounds just aren’t as good to iracing at all. You guys capture the sounds so perfectly and the balance is so nice. Sound is one of the most important things in racing and you guys nail it

[@UpandDownRacing]

Can you please give us more audio mix/ sound options, 1. curb volume adjustment. please, i get deafened every time i hit a curb/ rumble strip 2, an option turn off the radio static noise when i adjust game sound or radio volume up or down it's really annoying to have a static noise as a audio level feedback 3. an option to turn off/ down wind when spectating really this one is supper annoying when all of a sudden it sounds like a jet is coming overhead 4. an option to set different audio level permanently when we get out of the car so we're not deafened every time when ejecting from the car and it switches to some automatic replay in super high volume from a different camera.

[@YotaakGFX]

Sound is as important as visuals! Please keep it up

[@robertdunn284]

As I sit trackside with one or more wheels connected only by their safety tethers, I await the astute observation from my spotter. “You’ve got wheel damage.” And I think to myself, “No ****, Sherlock.” Thanks for all you do to make iRacing even better.

[@jetstream01]

I'm SO excited to hear about acoustic modeling coming in. Games like the Dirt Rally series have had this for a while and it's definitely the missing thing for iracing. Those weird reflections you get with the doppler effect as the car approaches from around a bend, etc. make a huge difference. Anyone who has attended races in person can instantly tell what iracing is missing. Iracing is currently in second place to the Dirt Rally series audio wise, and from what it sounds like you're planning, iracing will take the lead.

[@Brauny12311]

Incredible video guys. You are working my dream job! Working with Audio and race cars. If you ever need someone to come roll your cables and pack up microphones please let me know🥹

[@scarlettsrace]

it is just crazy how much iracing is doing. thats why its the best sim ever

[@H-4-D3423]

Gr8 work!! Can we please get graphics dev work in the same way too!! :) Please don't forget to sample the birds at Nordschleife in the woods/trees!! Please give option so I can disable the menu sounds in the game - the first thing I do is disable all that stuff in all games... nice vid guys!

[@slootsecologie9534]

Wooow!!! This stuff is so great!! Thank you for sharing this

[@markusfischer8482]

Hey thats me 6:17 ty Iracing 🥰

[@KerbYourEnthusiasm]

Aussie Greg Hill is an absolute menace in my AI roster

[@schc12345]

Fascinating and fun video! Loved the ending cameo for the memories. Thanks guys! Can we ask to seperate kerb sounds from tyre sound?

[@zuluagaco]

Genius taking 👏

[@user-eb6gj6lg1w]

Great video. Thanks for posting.

[@ThomasMooreNetworkingGuy]

Excellent insight. Great video.

[@paulmdevenney]

I love this honest discussion on the future of the game. Is there a similar one for VR?

[@dc3d1]

Did Greg already do the spotter sounds in N2003?

[@albertvanharn6789]

I got a problem with my audio. I got a steelseries 9x with bluethooth. Every time i start i racing the sound is terreble. Like the connection is really bad. When i close iracing the sound of the headset is good again. Please help me

[@overthetopoperationsracing3199]

Interesting! I’ve recently switched from an external surround sound to a headset (Logitech G ProX). I wanted to get more immersion of the tire sounds. It seems to help me hear the tire sounds more specifically with the head gear. Are there any settings in the SIM for headset specifically to increase the ties sounds other than the slide bar (app.ini?). Sure sounds like the sound is only going to get better!

[@RyDogg08]

amazing work!

[@LithFox]

Woo!

[@grippytires5405]

Can you please add Sydney Motorsport park

[@benleichner]

Thanks for sharing

[@antonyaddams]

Please make a checkbox that removes the walkie-talkie effect completely. I mean not only for output sound but for the input as well.

[@syntheee]

"Reverb is on my mind all the time." Tinnitus? 😃

[@blaineiwood]

Thankfully, not yet.

[@DiodeMilliampere]

Yessss reverb.

[@0268race]

If possible it would be really great to make the outside sound more dynamic. The cars sound so clean and never misfire. No car in reality sounds like that

[@simracing4simpletons978]

The mustang, nice tease!

[@RoadRashHD]

I like to see a improvement of the road spotter. Using less NASCAR spotter lines for road side. And better spotter for practice session. Be good to know there is a faster class coming in practice sessions

[@GabrielDucharme]

Love it!

[@W.Eric.Anderson]

Awesome!

[@SargentWrx]

What I would prefer before any "sound" improvements.. I wish the cars were more responsive to counter steer and ability to recover from loss of traction..

[@nazart7830]

Get to it, i want this features by yesterday

[@TheAymanhawk23]

this is what makes things like the monthly subscription and having to pay for cars and track worth it, we know that our money is being put forth to make the greatest sim product on the market and not just put into investors pants.

[@thevoiceofcake]

13:40 it’s a time attack, I’m the only one out here. Leave me alone. 😂😂

[@SeanCampbell_iRacing]

2:42 Look Ma im on camera! or i guess i AM the camera in that why was i twitchin the wheel so much lol

[@jamesgonier4664]

When I first started iracing roughly 12 years ago I thought the sounds were ok, but not great. Then after a few years it was upgraded and I noticed a huge difference, especially in NASCAR. Then it seemed to go back to a tinny sound again or I just got used to it. I am looking forward to this upgrade and I hope it makes some cars sound a lot more meaty sounding. A good example would be the mustang, that should have a nice rumble sound to it. My only request going forward to to improve the graphics model so we don't have to turn a bunch of stuff off or on medium settings even when running the best video cards, 32 to 64gig memory and blazing fast CPU's. One last request with that is to PLEASE utilize more than just 2 cores on multi-core CPU's, that ends up being the bottleneck.

[@Mogzilla86]

Doe the guy who recorded the BMW gt4 sound still work there??

[@96gts]

I feel so dumb never realizing that Aussie Greg was the spotter.

[@Tacoplane91]

i find it so funny while i was watching this that my audio was just like 3 seconds ahead of the video

[@TBolt1]

I love a company with a good personality. 😅 I’m a little worried about my Core i5 processor’s future, though.

[@redluca56]

WHAT?! He's the spotter?!

[@MakikouZ]

Sounds like there's some tech debt to clear first with separating audio from the physics thread, before we get anything new and improved. Fair game I suppose.

[@worksafe3441]

Greg Hill is sim racings version of Bitchin' Betty. :)

[@NormanBoulder]

Please turn up the idle sounds on those big cammed v8 engines!!!

[@derekd4349]

Love the video and iRacing, but, it does seem unfortunate that the audio in this video is clipping or being distorted when talking about the audio health of the game. I'm sure this won't be a reflection of future audio quality but just thought I would mention it.

[@jspotato]

Noticed that too, poor audio quality, and redlining. Bit ironic considering the subject

[@NielsHeusinkveld]

I bit my lip a bit trying not to make that comment. Thanks for doing it for me :-)

[@urhnoddy9795]

Let's take opportunitiess

[@MrSantaikinhon]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@terribleshockex110]

Hello

[@A_river_dirt_cheese]

YOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[@lazagna]

@budracin88 you made it... Lol

[@brentonedwards]

Reverb, coming in 2040.

[@wwvvww573]

I never consciously noticed that there's no UI sound.

[@dylanwhitmire7433]

I feel like most of us will be like oh wow they added ui sound then turn them off lmao

[@its_jakester]

Just hope the new Audio doesn’t crash my game like rain does. 😂

[@christianbernt2154]

until you can use the perfect reverb techniques, use the cheap ones... iRacing used the NTM1 as well.

[@Frietkotten]

14:24 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@John-PaulBonadonna]

Poor bugga... his name is Blaine. Wood. but Aussie Greg been calling him Blainewood since his first day.

[@mitchtavio]

I was on iRacing for almost 15 years (started in 2009). Got sick of waiting for audio updates. You’ve been promising us “reverb” the “right way” for most of that time. I honestly don’t even care anymore.

[@MoJay12]

Personally, I've never really cared much about audio. But what I always notice with iRacing, both visually and sound-wise, is that iRacing is just too clean. You could create a lot more atmosphere if everything was a bit dirtier. In a real race car, you've got little rocks vibrating around the footwell, because the mechanics didn't vac the car thoroughly. Somewhere in the car, there’s a loose screw rattling. The plexiglass windows and carbon door panels vibrate like crazy at certain engine frequencies or when you hit rumble strips. The suspension joints squeak horribly. Stones in the wheel well sound like bullets hitting the car. Other games don’t simulate this stuff perfectly either, but at least they sample it. It’s not perfect, far from it, actually, but it gives you way more atmosphere than if you don’t hear any of that stuff at all.

[@cayenne7792]

Just make sure ya give us a big button to turn those annoying UI sounds OFF !

[@ACFUN34]

It is a shame that in iRacing you cannot hear the other cars around you very well.

[@gaetanconche87]

The first thing in my opinion to work on , he's that the sound of the card have to be powerful, it should be raw and gritty , it should make our ears bleed, on this side Race Room is really superior.... Reverb and ambiance come after I think....

[@P3ktoRis]

windows windows....linux?? *desperate sounds for linux* as long as UI sounds can be muted on options, sure :)

[@michaelsamoska621]

LMAO Blaine is so funny, "UI sounds don't exist as of now in iRacing" Oh wait that isn't a joke

[@huwkelvinmorgan3575]

lol

[@casesully50]

Your the guy that tells me the dreaded "ya cahs got too much damage. We've got to come in and repair it!" Ugh the worst message 😢

[@butch4481]

I love the game it's fantastic but I know this is all subject You guys need to fix the pro 2 and pro 4 trucks if I power slide in a corner if I get the angle to wrong but I still have plenty of control I get doc points because it says I'm out of control please fix that

[@M43S7RO]

Can we have different spotter voice options? No offense first gentleman. Please fix slow down pen system, no real life series does this

[@mattymatte6289]

There are different spotters.

[@natemorga]

Couple of years????? for what , its awesome to hear this is happening but couple of years for sound bouncing the right way should not take years...it sounds like Blaine should take over. VOICE SHOULD NEVER SOUND ANYTHING BUT REAL RADIO>.... PERIOD NEVER SOUND LIKE DISCORD JEUSES

[@samgendler]

Instead of fixing the UI sounds, how about just fixing the UI? I've never used an interface with so many controls that require so much mouse movement just to do routine operations. If iracing were to improve anything, just move the mouse to the default button in dialogs or put the dialogs in a position such that the mouse is already on the button. It is categorically absurd that you have to click "race" at the top right, then move to the center of the screen to cancel out the replay save dialog, then move the moue again to actually exit. And then you have to move your mouse again in order to do anything useful o the resulting screen. WHY?!!! Just put the replay save dialog where the mouse is instead of at the center of a giant triple screen display. Same thing with the exit confirmation. Why does my mouse have to travel so much in this game which doesn't even use a mouse? Surely, you guys have some animators and modelers who are using Maya or equivalent all day long, every day. Have one of them demonstrate how a complex UI is supposed to work, and minimize motion for the user - the menu comes to the mouse, not the other way around.

[@jediggs]

Just take my money already,,who's not buying the new Ford gt3 mustang!!!