Custom .wav files in maps sound ear-rapey

Garry's Mod mapping
#1

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Okay, I’ve figured out how to get them in my map; I’ve made some 8-bit 44100 khz mono wavs, and put them in the appropriate folder. They DO play when I trigger them. However, they play in an EXTREMELY EAR-RAPEY fashion; they sound like a TV tuned to static. You can sort-of hear the actual sound behind it all, but it’s definitely hidden.

Here’s my map (Compiled for EP2, but it only uses tools textures, so it should work on basically any game). Don’t worry, it won’t ear-rape you when you load in, just be sure you turn down your volume a few notches before walking onto the raised keys (you’ll know them when you see them) http://dl.dropbox.com/u/734502/Keyboard_paked.bsp

And here’s one of the sound files; it plays just fine both in audio players, as well as they hammer “preview” http://dl.dropbox.com/u/734502/C4.wav

Thanks in advance for trying to help me.

#2

8 bit? We aren’t in 1950, use 16 bit and make it stereo. Also make sure the recording stays within +/- 1.0 amplitude or it will start crapping out like the problem you have.

#3

^Don’t make it stereo. A stereo sound can’t be played properly in a 3D soundsystem, unless it’s something played uniformly “outside” the world (i.e. the “Play Everywhere” flag in an ambient_generic or the “play sound_name” console command.) It’ll probably just take one of the two tracks when being used in the world. In short, all making it stereo would do is increase the size of the sound file.

Making it 16 bit is probably, however, a good idea.

#4

You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about. If Source doesn’t support stereo sound, why are the majority of Source sounds in stereo? Stereo is an important part of the sound system, especially in soundscapes / sound scripts when you use things like Doppler shift.

#5

When you’re using Doppler shift and such it’s fine, like for the NPC weaponry or soundscripts, but if he’s just using a standard world sound it’s not necessary to have it be stereo.

I didn’t say Source didn’t have stereo sound, I meant that for the 3D soundsystem (I suppose that’s what you’d call it, I’m not quite learned in the terminology here) if he’s just playing a standard world sound then making it stereo is unnecessary. If he wants Doppler effects or if he’s playing background music or something similar, then it’s fine. Sorry if I conveyed the wrong message there, I had just assumed he was using a typical world sound and for that purpose a stereo sound is generally unnecessary.

#6

My sounds are the major scale in Sine waves, designed to be played on trigger from an ambient_generic “in world”. So yeah, mono is right I believe. I’ll try upping them to 16-bit.

They ARE exactly at -0dB (1.00 amplitude, according to audacity; that’s how they were generated); is that a problem?

I tried doing them in 16-bit, but the same problem occured; they’re still rapey. any suggestions? Could someone take a look at the files and the map?

Thinking about this some more, I think fault may lie with audacity; I’ve had trouble with it when converting files for HLDJ. Hold on, gonna try making the files with goldwave.

YUP! That fixed it. Stupid goddamn audacity.

Check it out, I think the end result is actually pretty cool. Built a keyboard. Plays the major scale at the moment, though I plan to add the black keys eventually, along with more octaves. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/734502/Keyboard_paked.bsp