New Builder Vocals

[Springheel]

Mortem uploaded a Builder vocal set a while ago (Builder 5), but I notice that many of the files have a very strong reverb. It sounds like the voice is in a echoey crypt or something (which might work for a builder in a cathedral). I wonder if anyone could have a look and see if there's a way to tone the reverb down? It would be nice to have another usable Builder set.

[Mortem Desino]

Actually, by comparison, the reverb in Builder5 is not even as bad the vocals of Deadly Shadows or Thief 2. g2_rnew_se1 vs to_alert3_11.mp3 Listening to the OGGs is hardly fair when you ought to be listening in-game.

[Mortem Desino]

I've uploaded a 1:45 video with 3 builders all using the new vocalset, for those that don't want to edit a map's AI's vocal sets to hear it in-game.

 

https://sites.google...cw/JonGumm2.wmv

 

I've even muted the ambient soundtrack so you hear only torches, footsteps, and voices.

[Springheel]

Yes, you're right that the reverb in TDS was very high. But none of our other vocal sets have any reverb in them (or nowhere near as much) so when you have two builders using different builder sets, the difference is quite noticeable.

[Mortem Desino]

That's the curse of GC and his impeccable soundproofing, and my university's mediocre sound booth.

 

From a technical perspective, there is no way to remove reverb losslessly. I can give an exaggerated illustration. Suppose I recorded the vocals in the Taj Mahal. If I fade the sound to nothing in 1 second, it will sound unnatural because the acoustics have a natural decay of ~8 seconds. The room I did the vocals in has a little under 1 second decay.

 

I'll have to do some various field recordings to find another space, because the other acoustically viable area has over four seconds (!) of reverb decay, and our auditorium might work if the echo was a little drier.

[Goldchocobo]

Haven't been on here for awhile.

Alternatively, and I've said it before, you could batch process the existing voice overs to have reverb and match up with the new voice overs. It's how they did all the previous thief games.

[Mortem Desino]

True enough. The average stone hallways, catholic cathedrals, deciduous forests, caves, brick towers, catacombs, and medieval cities generally didn't have 100% dry non-echo acoustics. But I certainly won't demand it just to match one new vocalset.