NFS4 sound editing tutorial

[Zpectre]

OK, here's my tutorial about NFS4 sound editing. It's a long but worthwhile reading. I don’t know if this is the right place to post it, I’m doing it here because it will get more views.

1 - Introduction

In all these years I have been watching the NFS community (since late 2001, although I only joined the NFSCars forum this year), I have encountered only a few people who have mastered the art of making new sounds for the NFS4 cars. I would say 95% of the car authors use an original EA sound that fits the car they are making (for example, choosing the Lamborghini Diablo SV sound for a car with a V12 engine), and some don't even include sound files in their cars, to save space.

Of course, getting real sound samples for an NFS4 car is not an easy task. You have to either find videos on the internet or record the sounds by yourself. Unfortunately, a Porsche or a Lamborghini are not the most affordable cars ever, and most videos not only have bad sound quality, but also don't provide constant RPM samples, which are a must if you are going to edit NFS4 car sounds.

However, the technology has developed and most games nowadays include car sounds with top-notch quality, a fact which, combined with the availability of movie recorder programs, makes extracting real sounds from cars much easier. The NFS series is an example of this. The sounds in NFS have been always taken from real vehicles (at least from NFS4 onwards), but the quality has only achieved realistic standards in NFSU2.

And this leads to this tutorial, where I will explain how to make reasonably realistic sounds for NFS4. I would like to give credits to Remko for posting some valuable info gathered from other authors, momaka for helping me with the sound loops and some recording methods, and arushan for the list of the sounds from the cars in NFSMW. Without the help from these guys, I might have never wanted to edit BNK files in first place. Thank you!


2 - The BNK files

I will start by describing the structure of the NFS4 BNK files. My example will be the CLK-GTR BNKs since they are the easiest to edit and yield the best results.

All of the original NFS4 cars have three BNK files inside the car.viv files. These BNK files are listed below:


- CARENG.BNK: This file has the actual car sounds, and, in the CLK-GTR's case, contains 18 samples. Samples 1 to 10 are monaural (mono), while samples 11 to 18 are stereo, but you can make them all mono or all stereo if you want, you won’t have any problems:

1. Sample 1 is the sound made in the car's interior view when you shift;

2. Sample 2 is the horn sound;

3. Samples 3 to 6 are the sounds made when the car is decelerating. Sample 3 is idle, 4 is low rev, 5 is mid rev, and 6 is high rev;

4. Samples 7 to 10 are the same as the previous ones, but are played when the car is accelerating;

5. Samples 11 to 14 are interior deceleration sounds. 11 is idle, 12 is low rev, 13 is mid rev, and 14 is high rev;

6. Samples 15 to 18 are interior acceleration sounds. Again, 15 is idle, 16 is low rev, 17 is mid rev, and 18 is high rev.


- OCARENG.BNK: This file has the sounds made by the opponent cars if this car is used by the last opponent. Both sounds are mono, and:

1. Sample 1 is the sound made by the opponents;

2. Sample 2 is the opponents' horn sound.

NOTE: In some cases, I've seen modded OCARENG sounds crash the game on the loading screen. Therefore, use them at your own risk.


- SCARENG.BNK: This file's structure is the same as the CARENG.BNK one. As far as I know, it doesn't do anything relevant, you can even delete it and the cars will continue to have the same sounds. So, for editing, it isn't important and could be left alone.


3 - Recording the sounds

Now that you know what is in those BNK files, let's move on to the next and most tedious (IMO) part: recording.

This part is vital to get the sounds working right. Poor recording affects a lot of things, including sound looping. Recording sounds requires a lot of concentration and perseverance in order to find the correct samples to use.

There are two ways to get the sounds for your car: other games or the internet. Using another game to extract samples is much better since you have more control over the recording, but some internet videos may work just as nicely if you are able to find good ones.

NOTE: If you are a lucky rich guy who owns a Ferrari or something like this, you can also record the sounds directly from the car, although, if you are that rich, wouldn’t you prefer to take your car to the Nürburgring instead of playing NFS ?

3.1 - The easy shortcut offered by other games

As I said before, if your source is another game, your job will get significantly easier because you are the one behind the recording and you can do whatever you want with the car. However, there are some things you need to consider before you start to record a sound.

First, you need a movie recording program, which will get you the sounds from in-game. The one I use is Fraps, it's very user-friendly and, as a plus, you can take pictures with it and know at how many FPS you are running a game. The shareware version only allows 30 second videos, and they are uncompressed (AVI format), so don't go crazy when recording, you might end up without hard disk space . The videos and pictures are saved in the "C: \Fraps" folder.

The second important thing is whether you have an analog device such as a joystick or a gamepad. These make it easier to get good sounds from some games, although you can do just fine without them. I will describe two recording methods: one for analog devices, and one for regular keyboard control.

Before you start the game, turn on Fraps, then minimize it. It will keep running in the background. Now start the game, go to options and turn off all sound effects but engine sound (if the game allows).

If you are using an analog device, you first need to assign the throttle command to the Y axis. When the game asks you which key/button/command you want to use for the throttle, move the stick forward (I guess you all know how to do it). If you have a wheel, just use the pedals. After you customize your controls, start a race using manual transmission. When you are in control of the car, leave it at neutral gear. Now start pushing the throttle slowly until you reach an RPM value that is 1000-2000 RPM lower than the max RPM for the car (this gives better sounds). When you reach the value you want, keep the tachometer at it, then begin to record a video with Fraps (press F9, it's the default key). Make a 5-10 seconds long video, then stop recording by pressing F9 again.

The second method is suitable for keyboard users and for some games which make distinction between engine and exhaust samples (like NFSU2 and NFSMW). You need to find a track with a section where the car will keep accelerating for some seconds, but won't increase RPM any further (for example, the small ramp before the first tollbooths in NFSMW's City Perimeter track). Start a race with the car you want on the track you think will be best to record sounds on, preferably with manual transmission (so you have more control over the RPM ranges). Before you reach the part of the track where the RPM will remain constant, start to record a video, then end it after you get the sound you wanted.

Of course, having as many racing games as you can helps a lot, because you are less likely to be forced to use the second (and worst) source for car sounds: the internet.

3.2 - The via crucis of getting internet samples

I hope you don't have to use this method, it may take a lot of time to get an acceptable sound. Plus, most of the videos/MP3s you will find on the net have horrible quality, and the car is almost always revving.

The most important thing you should keep in mind is that the engine RPM in the sound samples needs to be constant. Remember, NFS4 wants constant RPM sounds. It's impossible to find purely constant RPM sounds on the internet, however, so just get samples with some constant parts.

The best site for car sounds I have found is the one from Autoweek magazine. On the main page, click on "Entertainment", then "Geluidsclips". There are many sounds in MP3 format; some are awesome, while others are really poor. I think you all know how to download MP3 sounds to the computer (right-click the link, then...), so I will skip this part.

Another way to find car sounds is Google Video. I will warn you though, most of the videos have terrible sound. To download the videos from Google Video, you will need to get Google Video Player. When you download the videos using Google Video Player, you have to wait for the grey bar under the video screen in Google Video Player (not the site, the utility!) to fill up (meaning that the video download has been completed). The downloaded videos are stored in the "C: \My Documents\My Videos\Google Videos" folder, and have their own format (GVI format).

You can also search for car videos on YouTube and extract them with an appropriate program.

If you manage to find AVI files on the internet (best done with a search engine such as AltaVista), simply download them, they will work in a similar way to Fraps' videos.


4 - Converting the sounds to WAV format

Depending on your source, you will have to proceed differently when trying to convert the sounds to WAV format. Three new tools will be needed:

- GoldWave, a sound editing program. It's a shareware program which only allows a certain number of clicks per editing session and a total number of clicks before it requires you to register. To use it again after the trial expires, uninstall it, then re-install. There are other sound editing programs (WavePad, for example), but I find GoldWave to be the most versatile;

- VirtualDub, a video recording/playing program that can export the sounds from video files in WAV format;

- A codec pack for playing videos in various file formats. I recommend downloading the K-Lite Codec Pack, which is one of the more complete packs, containing DivX and XviD codecs, among other useful ones. You need a DivX codec for VirtualDub to play GVI video files.

In case you have an AVI video file or an MP3 sound file, just open them in GoldWave, then save them as another file in WAV format. You must save them as PCM 16-bit, otherwise the sounds won't work in NFS4.

If you want to extract the sounds from a Google video, then install the DivX util, open VirtualDub and search for the video you want to extract the sound from. After you open the video in VirtualDub, click on "File", then "Save WAV...", and save it as another file. If you are using WavePad or other similar sound editing program, you can use this method for AVI video files as well.


5 â€" Turning the raw stone into a beautiful diamond

You already have the WAV files, so it’s time to make them compatible with the NFS engine. This part revolves around GoldWave only, since it’s pure sound editing that we are going to do here.

5.1 â€" Brief GoldWave explanation

GoldWave’s layout is very simple. It’s pretty much like the Microsoft Office programs. Under the menus, there are three toolbars. The first one has buttons for opening files, saving, creating new sound files, undo/redo, set markers for selection, zoom in/out, etc. The second toolbar has the tools used to transform sounds; simply move the mouse pointer over each button to see the tool’s name. Finally, the third one is used to play, stop, fast forward, record, etc., sounds.

To select parts of the sound, either use the “Set Markers” tool and put the selection markers on specific points of the sound file (prefer the time measure), or go to the edges of the sound (the cursor will change when you reach the right point), then press the left mouse button and drag the markers from left to right (if at the beginning) or from right to left (if at the end). Once you release the mouse button, the part before/after the marker (depending on how you did it) will become dark. This dark part is not the selection; what is selected is the lighter part.

5.2 â€" Editing the sounds

Open the WAV file in GoldWave. Now, if your WAV was converted from a Fraps movie, chances are that it will be very silent. To fix this, use the "Maximize Volume" tool (it’s a button with a speaker and an exclamation point). Simply open the tool, then click on “Ok” to greatly increase the sound’s volume. Now it’s possible to listen to it very clearly.

If the WAV was converted from either a Google video, an AVI video not recorded with Fraps or an MP3 file, skip the step above, the volume will be already good enough.

Now play the sound, and remember when the part that you want is played. Put the markers before and after this specific part of the sound (around 1.5-2.0 seconds long is good enough, but lenghtier is better), and pick up the flattest part of this selection. Now click on the “Copy” button (or use Ctrl+C), then on the “Paste New” button (or use Ctrl+P). You will create a new sound file which contains that bit of sound you had selected.

Let’s play around with this new file. The first thing you should do is maximize volume again. Use the “Maximize Volume” tool, but this time move the top slider to the right until you reach a value of 6.00 dB (decibels) (or simply type “6” in the field to the right of the slider), then press “Ok”. By doing this, you have got a good volume for when the game plays the sound; if you need the sample to be louder, keep increasing its volume by 3.00 dB until the sound is loud enough, but don't use too high values or the sound will become distorted and sound much different. If the sound was converted from either a Google video, an MP3 file or an AVI file not recorded with Fraps, use values other than 6 (preferably lower) to get a good volume.

The second step is getting as best loops as possible. Use the yellow “Play” button to play the sound with several loops (the sound will be repeated several times). If there are “pops” (bits of sound where it seems like it’s interrupted, also referred to as “gaps”) between the loops, then try moving the start/end markers to the right/left until these pops are at least reduced. A good tip is to check the waves in the edges of the sound (zoom in for a better view); if the sound starts with a wave pointing upwards, you will get better results if the sound ends with a wave pointing downwards, and vice-versa. To position the markers more accurately, you may have to zoom in until a point when you move a marker and it stays where you put it.

After you reduced (or removed) the pops, you will get a cleaner sound. Time to save the sound, but before you do it, adjust the sound’s rate by using the “Resample” tool (it’s a button with an Hz and a sound wave under it). Use 22050 kHz frequency, since it works in NFS4 without any issues, although for sounds with bad loops you can use 16000 kHz, which still results in acceptable quality. Save the file afterwards.

Use the “PCM signed 16 bit, mono” attributes to save the sound. It’s better to work with mono sounds, because, in NFS4, a stereo sound needs to have its pitch halved so it’s played correctly, while a mono sound will be played the way it’s recorded. For this reason, it’s much harder to spot changes in stereo sounds than in mono ones.

5.3 â€" Getting the different samples to fill all the slots

The sound you have just saved will be the sound for the exterior high RPM slots (samples 6 and 10) in the CARENG.BNK file. This will be our base for the other sounds, so, if you make changes to this file, you will have to do all of the other sounds again!

Time to do the mid, low and idle RPM sounds. We will work with the “Pitch” and “Volume” (not the “Maximize Volume”) tools. Using the newly saved sound (the high RPM one) as a base, here are the approximate pitch values that should be used:

- 77.5% for the mid RPM sound;

- 59.7% for the low RPM sound;

- For the idle sound, reduce pitch to 50%, then reduce it again to 55.5%.


You may also have to adjust the loops for these sounds. Once you finish, save all the samples as different files.

After you did this, move on to the interior sounds. If you have recorded interior sounds for the car, then do all the steps you did for the high RPM sound, and, if needed, adjust the pitch so it matches the high RPM sound’s one.

If you don’t have interior sounds, pick the exterior high RPM sound as a base. Then, use the “Smoother” tool (right next to the “Volume” tool). Move the first slider to the right until you reach a value of at least 25 (may be more for some sounds). My advice here is: try to make the sound more “interior-like”. Once you do it, adjust the loops if needed (it will, because of wave distortion) and save the sound as another file. To make the idle, low and mid RPM interior sounds, just proceed in the same way as you did with the exterior sounds, but this time using the interior high RPM sound as the base.

The last sound is for the opponent cars. Just use the exterior high RPM sound with a lower volume (I use -9.00 dB) and save as another file.

Finally, record a blank sound (with the same attributes, rate, etc., as the other ones) and save it as a separated file with the same characteristics as the other ones and 1-second long, you’re going to need it later.

The sounds are finally ready to be put in the BNK files. But first, you will need to do some stuff…


6 â€" Getting the sounds in-game

Before you are able to import the sounds into your car’s CAR.VIV file, you will have to make your car use the EA CLK-GTR’s VIV file. If you don’t do it, you’ll have some problems, like muted exterior sounds.

For this part, you''l need NFS Wizard. You can get it from this site.

First, open NFS Wizard, then open the VIV file of your car, right-click on any file, then left-click on the "Export All" button. Choose the folder you want to export the files to (the same as the VIV file).

Now insert your NFS4 CD and copy the CLK-GTR VIV file to your car’s folder, overwriting your car’s CAR.VIV file. Once you do this, open NFS Wizard and import all the stuff from your car (except the BNK files) into the CLK-GTR’s VIV file.

You will have your car with the CLK-GTR sound. But remember when I said the SCARENG.BNK wasn’t important? Well, just delete it and leave the CARENG.BNK and OCARENG.BNK files.

Now open the CARENG.BNK file and import the samples into their corresponding slots. The file structure is shown in the Chapter 2 of this tutorial, in case you have forgotten it. If you haven't made interior sounds you're going to import the blank sounds you have made earlier into Samples 11-18. After importing all the samples, right-click over the graph with the mouse, then select “Show Loop”. The loop points will now be displayed. Move them to the edges of the graph, repeating this operation for every sample except for the shift (sample 1) and horn (sample 2) samples.

Finally, open the OCARENG.BNK file and repeat the above steps for the opponent sound. Exit the VIV file while saving you work, and your car should now have a custom sound.


Appendix â€" Some notes

1. If you have a revving sound, you can try to make it constant by using the “Doppler” tool in GoldWave (it’s the first tool from left to right). Move the left point upwards and, if needed, insert another point in-between the two points and do the same. For down-revving sounds, either move the left point downwards, or the right point upwards.

2. If you just want the turbo/supercharger whines from NFSU2 and NFSMW, go to the SOUND\ENGINE folder inside the game’s folder, then find the GIN files from the car you want the whine from, make a backup of them, open the files in Notepad and delete all of their content. This way, the game will still load the files, but no sound will be played (except for the turbo/supercharger, of course). Here is the list of all MW sounds and which cars use it, made by arushan:

Car sound codes (the numbers after the names of the cars in the first column indicate the level of engine upgrades):

    a3[0]: engineaudio -> vw_jet_m3
    a3[1]: engineaudio -> vw_jet_m4
    a3[2]: engineaudio -> vw_gti
    clio[0]: engineaudio -> tvr_tuscan
    clio[1]: engineaudio -> bmw_m3_c
    clio[2]: engineaudio -> bmw_m3_e
    sl65[0]: engineaudio -> mbz_sl65
    speedtest[0]: engineaudio -> for_mus_b
    db9[0]: engineaudio -> am_db9
    db9[1]: engineaudio -> for_mus_gt_a
    bmwm3gtre46[0]: engineaudio -> tvr_cerb
    monaro[0]: engineaudio -> bmw_m5_a
    monaro[1]: engineaudio -> for_mus_gt_a
    gallardo[0]: engineaudio -> lam_gallardo
    gallardo[1]: engineaudio -> lam_murc
    eclipsegt[0]: engineaudio -> mit_eclip_b
    eclipsegt[1]: engineaudio -> nis_300zx
    eclipsegt[2]: engineaudio -> mit_eclip_a
    slr[0]: engineaudio -> mbz_slr
    911turbo[0]: engineaudio -> por_996
    911turbo[1]: engineaudio -> por_911_a
    911turbo/911gt2[0]: engineaudio -> por_gt4r
    mustanggt[0]: engineaudio -> for_mus_b
    mustanggt[1]: engineaudio -> for_mus_a
    mustanggt/cs_mustang_copsuv[0]: engineaudio -> hum_h1
    camaro[0]: engineaudio -> for_mus_b
    a4[0]: engineaudio -> vw_jet_m3
    a4[1]: engineaudio -> vw_jet_m4
    a4[2]: engineaudio -> por_gt4r
    elise[0]: engineaudio -> lot_elise
    elise[1]: engineaudio -> hon_s2k_d
    997s[0]: engineaudio -> por_996
    997s[1]: engineaudio -> por_dp6
    bmwm3gtr[0]: engineaudio -> tvr_cerb
    gti[0]: engineaudio -> vw_cab
    gti[1]: engineaudio -> vw_scir
    gti[2]: engineaudio -> vw_gti
    tt[0]: engineaudio -> bmw_m3_a
    tt[1]: engineaudio -> bmw_m3_c
    tt[2]: engineaudio -> bmw_m3_e
    viper[0]: engineaudio -> dodg_viper_b
    viper[1]: engineaudio -> dodg_viper_a
    viper/cs_viper_copmidsize[0]: engineaudio -> for_mus_b
    punto[0]: engineaudio -> hon_s2k_b
    punto[1]: engineaudio -> hon_s2k_d
    punto[2]: engineaudio -> hon_s2k_c
    sl500[0]: engineaudio -> mbz_cl500
    sl500[1]: engineaudio -> mbz_cl55
    sl500[2]: engineaudio -> mbz_sl65
    rx8[0]: engineaudio -> maz_rx7
    rx8[1]: engineaudio -> maz_rx8
    rx8[2]: engineaudio -> fer_360
    rx8/rx8speedt[0]: engineaudio -> maz_rx8
    lancerevo8[0]: engineaudio -> hon_s2k_e
    lancerevo8[1]: engineaudio -> hon_s2k_c
    supra[0]: engineaudio -> nis_350z_a
    supra[1]: engineaudio -> nis_300zx
    supra[2]: engineaudio -> nis_350z_b
    carreragt[0]: engineaudio -> por_car_gt
    cts[0]: engineaudio -> for_foc_a
    cts[1]: engineaudio -> for_foc_b
    cts[2]: engineaudio -> chv_cav_b
    is300[0]: engineaudio -> inf_g35
    is300[1]: engineaudio -> nis_350z_a
    is300[2]: engineaudio -> nis_350z_b
    imprezawrx[0]: engineaudio -> sub_wrx_a
    imprezawrx[1]: engineaudio -> sub_wrx_c
    corvettec6r[0]: engineaudio -> corvette_z06_v2
    gto[0]: engineaudio -> for_mus_b
    gto[1]: engineaudio -> for_mus_gt_a
    rx7[0]: engineaudio -> maz_rx7
    rx7[1]: engineaudio -> maz_rx8
    clk500[0]: engineaudio -> mbz_sl65
    clk500[1]: engineaudio -> mbz_slr
    cobaltss[0]: engineaudio -> maz_prot_b
    cobaltss[1]: engineaudio -> chv_cav_a
    cobaltss[2]: engineaudio -> chv_cav_b
    fordgt[0]: engineaudio -> for_mus_a
    caymans[0]: engineaudio -> por_996
    caymans[1]: engineaudio -> por_911_a
    corvette[0]: engineaudio -> corvette_z06
    corvette[1]: engineaudio -> corvette_z06_v2
    murcielago[0]: engineaudio -> lam_murc

Acceleration sound files (the first column has the car codes; see the car codes in the first list to know what car uses which sound):

    hon_s2k_c: GIN_HondaS2000_Church.gin
    hon_s2k_a: GIN_Honda_S2000_5zigen.gin
    nis_350z_a: GIN_350Z_01d_shrt2.gin
    hon_s2k_d: GIN_Honda_S2000_spliced.gin
    for_mus_b: GIN_MustSal_Ramp_V2_CD.gin
    hon_s2k_b: GIN_Honda_S2000_APEX.gin
    hon_s2k_e: GIN_Honda_S2000_Spugen.gin
    maz_prot_b: GIN_Protege_Ramp_Lev2_CD.gin
    lot_elise: GIN_Lotus_Elise.gin
    hon_prel: GIN_Honda_Prelude.gin
    aud_s4: GIN_Audi_S4.gin
    mbz_slr: GIN_MBZ_SLR.gin
    maz_prot_a: GIN_Protege_Ramp_V2_CD.gin
    nis_350z_b: GIN_350Z_Jason_shrt2.gin
    por_996: GIN_POR_996.gin
    vw_cab: GIN_VW_Cabriolet.gin
    for_mus_c: GIN_Mustang_Nscr_COMP.gin
    vw_jet_m4: GIN_VR6_Jetta_M4.gin
    por_gt4r: GIN_POR_GT4R.gin
    vw_gti: GIN_VW_Drag_GTi.gin
    por_car_gt: GIN_POR_Carrera_GT.gin
    bmw_m5_a: GIN_BMW_M5.gin
    por_dp6: GIN_POR_DP6.gin
    dodg_viper_b: GIN_Viper_B.gin
    dodg_viper_a: GIN_Viper_A.gin
    maz_miat: GIN_Mazda_Miata.gin
    inf_g35: GIN_G35_350ZX_Comp_v2_AB.gin
    ac_integ: GIN_Acura_ITR.gin
    for_mus_a: GIN_Mustang_Drag.gin
    tvr_cerb: GIN_TVR_Cerbera.gin
    mbz_cl500: GIN_MBZ_CLK500.gin
    vw_jet_m3: GIN_VR6_Jetta_M3.gin
    nis_sky: GIN_Nissan_Skyline.gin
    mit_eclip_a: GIN_Eclipse_5zigen.gin
    chv_cav_b: GIN_Cavel_v1_Lev1.gin
    toy_gts: GIN_Toyota_GTS.gin
    toy_gts/toy_gts_low_rpm: GIN_Toyota_GTS.gin
    mbz_cl55: GIN_MBZ_CL55.gin
    for_foc_a: GIN_FordFocus_Road.gin
    am_db9: GIN_DB9.gin
    chv_cav_a: GIN_Cavel_v1_Base.gin
    for_foc_b: GIN_FordFocus_comp2.gin
    fer_360: GIN_Ferrari_360.gin
    vw_scir: GIN_VW_Scirocco.gin
    maz_rx7: GIN_Mazda_RX7.gin
    mbz_sl65: GIN_MBZ_SL65.gin
    trck_log: GIN_TRCK_Accel.gin
    lam_murc: GIN_Murcielago.gin
    maz_rx8: GIN_RX8_Ramp_v1_CD.gin
    tvr_tuscan: GIN_TVR_Tuscan.gin
    for_mus_gt_a: GIN_Mustang_GT_A.gin
    for_mus_gt_a/for_mus_gt_a_tranny: GIN_Mustang_GT_A.gin
    por_928: GIN_POR_928.gin
    sub_wrx_c: GIN_WRX_Street.gin
    nis_300zx: GIN_Nissan_300ZX_Street.gin
    sub_wrx_a: GIN_WRXSTi_Pull_09.gin
    mit_eclip_b: GIN_MitsEclipse_2000.gin
    corvette_z06: GIN_Corvette_Z06.gin
    corvette_z06/corvette_z06_v2: GIN_Corv_z06_dyn.gin
    por_911_b: GIN_POR_911_RSR_orange.gin
    nis_240sx: GIN_Nissan_240SX.gin
    hum_h1: GIN_Hummer.gin
    por_911_a: GIN_POR_911_CupCar.gin
    bmw_m3_e: GIN_BMW_M3_LagSeca_V2.gin
    lam_gallardo: GIN_Gallardo.gin
    lam_diablo: GIN_Diablo.gin
    bmw_m3_c: GIN_BMW_M3_race.gin
    sub_wrx_b: GIN_WRX_2F2F.gin
    bmw_m3_a: GIN_BMW_M3.gin

Deceleration sound files (again, the first column has the car codes; see the car codes in the first list to know what car uses which sound):

    hon_s2k_c: GIN_S2000_Church_DCL.gin
    hon_s2k_a: GIN_Honda_S2000_5zigen_DCL.gin
    nis_350z_a: GIN_Infinit_G35_DCL.gin
    hon_s2k_d: GIN_Honda_S2000_2f2f_DCL.gin
    for_mus_b: GIN_Mustang_Saleen_DCL.gin
    hon_s2k_b: GIN_HONDA_S2000_Apex_DCL.gin
    hon_s2k_e: GIN_Honda_S2000_Spugen_DCL.gin
    maz_prot_b: GIN_Protege_Lev2_DCL.gin
    lot_elise: GIN_Lotus_Elise_DCL.gin
    hon_prel: GIN_Honda_Prelude_DCL.gin
    aud_s4: GIN_Audi_S4_DCL.gin
    mbz_slr: GIN_MBZ_SLR_DCL.gin
    maz_prot_a: GIN_Protege_Lev2_DCL.gin
    nis_350z_b: GIN_Nissan_350ZX_Jason_DCL.gin
    por_996: GIN_POR_996_DCL.gin
    vw_cab: GIN_VW_Cab_DCL.gin
    for_mus_c: GIN_Nascar_DCL.gin
    vw_jet_m4: GIN_VW_Jetta_M4_DCL.gin
    por_gt4r: GIN_POR_GT4R_DCL.gin
    vw_gti: GIN_VW_Drag_GTi_DCL.gin
    por_car_gt: GIN_POR_Carrera_GT_DCL.gin
    bmw_m5_a: GIN_BMW_M5_DCL.gin
    por_dp6: GIN_POR_DP6_DCL.gin
    dodg_viper_b: GIN_Viper_B_DCL.gin
    dodg_viper_a: GIN_Viper_A_DCL.gin
    maz_miat: GIN_Mazda_Miata_DCL.gin
    inf_g35: GIN_Infinit_G35_DCL.gin
    ac_integ: GIN_Acura_ITR_DCL.gin
    for_mus_a: GIN_Mustang_Drag_DCL.gin
    tvr_cerb: GIN_TVR_Cerbera_DCL.gin
    mbz_cl500: GIN_MBZ_CLK500_Dcl.gin
    vw_jet_m3: GIN_VW_Jetta_M3_DCL.gin
    nis_sky: GIN_Mustang_Drag_DCL.gin
    mit_eclip_a: GIN_Mits_5zigen_DCL.gin
    chv_cav_b: GIN_Cavel_DCL.gin
    toy_gts: GIN_Toyota_GTS_DCL.gin
    toy_gts/toy_gts_low_rpm: GIN_Toyota_GTS_DCL.gin
    mbz_cl55: GIN_MBZ_CL55_Dcl.gin
    for_foc_a: GIN_Ford_Focus2_DCL.gin
    am_db9: GIN_DB9_DCL.gin
    chv_cav_a: GIN_Cavel_DCL.gin
    for_foc_b: GIN_Ford_Focus2_DCL.gin
    fer_360: GIN_Ferrari_360_DCL.gin
    vw_scir: GIN_VW_Scirocco_DCL.gin
    maz_rx7: GIN_Mazda_RX7_DCL.gin
    mbz_sl65: GIN_MBZ_SL65_DCL.gin
    trck_log: GIN_TRCK_Decel.gin
    lam_murc: GIN_Murcielago_DCL.gin
    maz_rx8: GIN_Mazda_RX8_DCL.gin
    tvr_tuscan: GIN_TVR_Tuscan_DCL.gin
    for_mus_gt_a: GIN_Mustang_GT_A_DCL.gin
    for_mus_gt_a/for_mus_gt_a_tranny: GIN_Mustang_GT_A_DCL.gin
    por_928: GIN_POR_928_DCL.gin
    sub_wrx_c: GIN_WRX_Street_DCL.gin
    nis_300zx: GIN_300ZX_DCL.gin
    sub_wrx_a: GIN_WRX_STi_DCL.gin
    mit_eclip_b: GIN_Eclipse_2000_DCL.gin
    corvette_z06: GIN_Corvette_Z06_DCL.gin
    corvette_z06/corvette_z06_v2: GIN_Corv_z06_dyn_DCL.gin
    por_911_b: GIN_POR_911_RSR_orange_DCL.gin
    nis_240sx: GIN_240SX_Decel.gin
    hum_h1: GIN_Bronco_DCL.gin
    por_911_a: GIN_POR_911_CupCar_DCL.gin
    bmw_m3_e: GIN_BMW_M3_LagSeca_V2_DCL.gin
    lam_gallardo: GIN_Gallardo_DCL.gin
    lam_diablo: GIN_Diablo_DCL.gin
    bmw_m3_c: GIN_BMW_M3_race_DCL.gin
    sub_wrx_b: GIN_WRX2F2F_DCL.gin
    bmw_m3_a: GIN_BMW_M3_DCL.gin

3. In NFSMW and NFSC, it’s not possible to turn off the tire screech noise in-game, but you can remove them anyway (makes better recordings). Simply rename the SOUND\SKIDS folder to something else (i.e. SOUND\SKIDS2) and you won’t have tire screech anymore. In NFSC it's also necessary to remove road noise: rename the SOUND\GLOBAL folder to other name (i.e. SOUND\GLOBAL2).

4. Avoid recording sounds when the car is going through tunnels and overpasses, it makes the quality worse (thanks to momaka for this tip).

5. Every time you open a custom BNK file with NFS Wizard, the program creates a small pop sound at the beginning of each sample. To remedy this, re-import every sample back into the BNK file (thanks to momaka for this tip).

6. No matter what you do, the sounds will be never played in NFS4 with the same quality as in other games, because of the low quality samples (monaural and 22050 kHz). Another reason is that games which differentiate engine from exhaust sounds (like the recent NFS games) handle these sounds separately. For example, in NFSMW, the exhaust is much louder than the engine at 1st and 2nd gear, but from 3rd onwards the engine sound is more evident (take an Audi A4 in MW, put the first engine upgrade on it and use the car in a race to understand what I mean here). NFS4 doesn't "know" the difference between the sounds, since they are included in a same WAV file. Because of this, the game will increase the volume of the sample in an uniform way, and you will never get a 100% accurate sound. Some cars, however, like the Lambos, Dodge Viper and Porsche 911, provide fairly accurate sounds. On the other hand, a game like GTR will supply way closer sounds, because, as far as I know, the sound playing system is different from NFSMW.

7. In NFSU2, there's a neat trick to easily record sounds. Go to the "Customize" menu and choose the car you want the sounds from. Then, install all the upgrades, except for these ECU parts: "Remove Top Speed Limiter", "Performance Chip" and "Engine Management Unit". If you want a stock sound, don't install any exhaust/blueprint upgrades. If you want different sounds, install "Performance Exhaust" for level 1, "Cat-back Exhaust System" for level 2, and "Blueprint the Block" for level 3 (some cars don't have level 3 sound, so they keep their level 2 sound for level 3). Now find a track with a very long straight (the best is URL Airport 3) and reach 250 kph (or less depending on the car) on it fast (use NOS if you need to). Because you didn't install any ECU upgrades that would remove the speed limiter, the car won't go any faster and its engine RPM will be constant. All you have to do now is record the video with Fraps.

8. In NFSU2 and NFSMW, do your best to avoid recording engine sounds with turbo whines. It's better to record the engine and the turbo separately, then mix the files in GoldWave ("Copy", then "Mix"). Sometimes the whine has a much lower volume so it's better to have it as a standalone file to make it louder without raising the volume of the engine sound.

9. Following note #8, another reason to not record car sounds with turbo/supercharger whines is that you're going to use the high RPM sound as a base for the interior sounds. If you make an interior sound based on an exterior sound with turbo, your car will end up with two whine sounds. So, for cars with forced induction, make two exterior high RPM base sounds: one with and one without turbo/supercharger. This way, the sound without the whine can be used to make the interior sounds, while the other will originate all the other exterior sounds.

10. If you aren't using any interior sounds, you can use turbo/supercharger whines in the interior slots to avoid having to mix them with the engine sounds in GoldWave;

11. Don't use very long samples. In the game, these samples are played with lots of buzzes, zoinks, crackles, etc., you know, those funny but unwanted sounds, because NFS4 runs out of sound memory. The length limit for stereo samples is a lot shorter than for mono, and this is another reason to pick mono over stereo.

11. Last, and most important: the entire process looks intimidating, especially when you look at the size of this text, but it’s much simpler than it sounds like, and takes only a fraction of the time it took me to write this tutorial.

(First version 03-02-2006)
(Second version 07-15-2007)

[-Aka-NFSWiLL]

Wow thats alot Typing...the checks in the mail

Not from me LoL, Thats Helpful Zpectre

[XJ220]

Wow... must be one of the longest posts ever, and very informative as well :bigthumb:

[CrownVic316]

Fun. Now I get to start making properly done sirens and things. (Finally)

[-Aka-NFSWiLL]

Yeah..True CrownVic316, i want change a Horn inside one Zpecre's Car but he warns us in his Read txt. with his Converted Cars not, to open a Certain Sound BNK File or it will make Break/Ruin the Cars Sound?.. so that dont make Sence to me, how i can Change this Horn,Porsche 997 Car,with out Ruining the rest the Car Sound? :{ ? So looks like i need read more about what he put in the txt above.?

[Zpectre]

Yeah..True CrownVic316, i want change a Horn inside one Zpecre's Car but he warns us in his Read txt. with his Converted Cars not, to open a Certain Sound BNK File or it will make Break/Ruin the Cars Sound?.. so that dont make Sence to me, how i can Change this Horn,Porsche 997 Car,with out Ruining the rest the Car Sound? :{ ? So looks like i need read more about what he put in the txt above.?

Whenever you open a BNK file in NFS Wizard, a blip sound is inserted at the beginning of each sound sample. To edit the sounds you need to have the unpacked samples (because you need to reimport all the sounds you didn't change), which only I do. You can also export the samples, open them in GoldWave/WavePad/whatever and delete the blip manually, then reimport the samples, but I'm not sure if you need to make the loops again.

[-Aka-NFSWiLL]

I see ok thx for that Info about the Wizard Buddy...Yeah i havent Messed with that yet. I will later. I like that Hidious Lambo Horn, i Blow on the Cops LoL. Im just waiting for another nfs4 car to be Released by You..

[Zpectre]

I see ok thx for that Info about the Wizard Buddy...Yeah i havent Messed with that yet. I will later. I like that Hidious Lambo Horn, i Blow on the Cops LoL. Im just waiting for another nfs4 car to be Released by You..

Which will be a Lambo...

[-Aka-NFSWiLL]

Awesome! Cant wait but i must heck i just got your Ver.2
but i (wished) wish more LoL

[Max911]

You can eliminate the clicks by placing the loop bar so that each end of it is positioned at a sound wave that are at the same decibel. I wish I could explain it but I just can't. My English just isn't good enough.

You can also make sounds using very small samples. I know it might sound...robotic, but you can add a little purr underneath to make it sound more natural. I'll post an example underneath. It's from Racer and I made these sounds for an M3 CSL. The sounds are made using very short samples that are repeated, but I added a little purr in the background so that it sounds much more natural.

http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p298/MaxPrez90/?action=view¤t=Movie6.flv

[Zpectre]

You can eliminate the clicks by placing the loop bar so that each end of it is positioned at a sound wave that are at the same decibel. I wish I could explain it but I just can't. My English just isn't good enough.

You can also make sounds using very small samples. I know it might sound...robotic, but you can add a little purr underneath to make it sound more natural. I'll post an example underneath. It's from Racer and I made these sounds for an M3 CSL. The sounds are made using very short samples that are repeated, but I added a little purr in the background so that it sounds much more natural.

http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p298/MaxPrez90/?action=view¤t=Movie6.flv

Yeah, you can, it's just that when I first wrote the tutorial, I didn't know about it, and I forgot to include it in the newer version... Well, this thread will become a register for posterity, so thanks for posting it.

[Max911]

You're welcome.

BTW, I can use real-life samples using this method (2nd paragraph).

This is an example. Taken from real-life and using repeated samples with a hum in the background.
http://forum.racesimcentral.com/showpost.php?p=3490317&postcount=29