Unreal 4.11 Audio features

Just curious if you guys are planning on supporting any of the new audio features now available in the UE4.11 audio engine…

Stereo Spatialization - Stereo spread for 3D world placed stereo emittors

Sound Focus - Ability to attenuate sounds outside the players field of view

Sound Occlusion - This is a high priority for us, we have a thread going here: http://www.fmod.org/questions/question/questionrequest-any-plans-to-utilize-4-11s-sound-occlusion-data/

Sound Concurrency - I believe this is just voice limiting, which FMOD already supports, but also gives the ability to attenuate volumes of concurrent sounds playing.

I also havent had a chance yet to play with the new Sequencer tool (replacement for Matinee), but I’m hoping FMOD events are now compatible.

https://www.unrealengine.com/blog/unreal-engine-4-11-released

Thanks!
Jesse

I’m going to spend some time improving our UE4 integration, I’ll get back to you regarding these features. Top of the list will be sound occlusion.

Excellent, thanks Geoff!

Also, I’m not even sure if we would be able to use a ray cast type occlusion system, as we have hundreds of sound emitters playing at a time, which could be too expensive CPU wise. I’ve already been approached by SE’s wondering why I had to use two ray casts for footsteps in order to check surface material! If you guys can think of a cheaper solution, that would be ideal.

It will be one ray cast per audio component that has the feature enabled. You will be able to selectively choose which ones should have occlusion and which ones do not need it.

Stereo Spatialization – Studio already supports panning stereo sounds to a surround mix. Currently no plans to extend this with an extra separation parameter. Do you have use cases where you would find it useful?

Sound Focus – This is already possible using the Direction parameter. The overall volume or any other effect setting can be automated this way.

Sound Occlusion – This will be done for the next patch release.

Sound Concurrency – Studio has a range of polyphony options both on the event and on the bus level. We don’t have plans to implement volume changes based on polyphony but we have added polyphony cooldown time and next patch will add support for “steal oldest” polyphony.

Sequencer - We want to support this to make sure FMOD has a good workflow with it. That is a medium priority task, so I’m not sure when it will be done by. I would appreciate feedback for those developers who are using Sequencer and want features for it.

Stereo Spatialization - After looking at this a bit more, I think FMOD’s Envelopment paired with Distance attenuation in the 3D panner already support this well enough.

Sound Focus - Can you explain the Direction parameter? I dont see it in the 3D panner. The way I understand Sound Focus is that it would drop the volume of sounds dynamically outside of the players current FOV.

Occlusion - Yippie!!! :slight_smile:

Sound Concurrency - I agree FMOD already handles a wide range of polyphony options. The cooldown and next patch features sound like great additions.

Sequencer - All we need is to simply add FMOD events to the Sequencer timeline, and reference these from Blueprint, as well as audition these sounds while playing the cinematic in Sequencer (while game is not playing).

Thanks!
JL

For Sound Focus: Go to the event, add a Built-In Direction parameter. Then right click the master volume and add an automation. You can set an automation such as a linear ramp from -20dB at -180 degrees, up to 0db at 0 degrees, down to -20db at +180 degrees.

That will mean the overall volume will change depending where the sound is in relation to the listener’s facing.

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Very cool, did not know about this. Thanks very much for the explanation!