What we do

We specialize in creating high-quality, realistic, and dynamic sound modifications for American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2. With over a decade of sound engineering experience, our sounds have been expertly recorded and expertly integrated into the game. We strive to provide an immersive and authentic gaming experience for all players.

What's involved in recording sounds?

The process of creating realistic and dynamic sound modifications for American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2 begins with booking a recording session with the owner of a specific truck that I want to record. As I am based in the UK, this can be challenging and more expensive for American trucks compared to European trucks. Once a booking is confirmed, taking into account the owner's availability and the weather conditions, I travel to the location of the truck which can be up to 200-300 miles away from my home, which requires early mornings, usually starting at 4 AM.

Upon arriving at the location, I first listen to the truck and get a general sense of it. I then begin by using a single microphone and a handheld device to find the ideal placement for the microphones. I use up to 8 microphones at once, recorded in sync. I then secure all of the microphones with cable ties or tape in various locations such as the engine bay, intakes, and exhausts. I wire all the microphones to the truck cabin where they can be connected to my recording device. This process usually takes about an hour.

After performing a short "level check" I will begin recording. A level check is to make sure the sounds are recorded at the correct volume, I don't have to worry much about distortion because I record in 32bit which means it is impossible to have distortion (at least on the recording device). My microphones can record sound pressure levels as high as 157dB's and so far no truck I've recorded has hit that decibel level. 

During the recording session, I will record various static sounds such as the engine starting and stopping, idling, revving and holding at various RPMs. I will also record all of the internal sounds with the engine switched off, such as the air brakes, switches, wipers etc. 

After that, I, or the owner of the truck will take the truck on the road for an hour and perform various manoeuvres so I can primarily capture the sounds of the exhaust under different conditions and RPMs, including the jake brake. Typically I like to find steep hills to climb and descend, especially for capturing the jake brakes since I need the longest sample of the jake brake at the same continuous pitch. Sometimes, depending on where the truck is located it can be hard to find these steep hills and therefore can make it difficult to loop the jake samples in "post". 

Once everything I need has been recorded, I will disassemble all of the microphones which takes about 30 minutes, pay the truck owner and then travel home.

What's involved in editing and implementing sounds?

To begin, I will download the recorded samples onto my computer and carefully review all of them. I will then clean up the samples using various techniques such as EQ, high/low pass filters, and noise removal as needed. I'll identify the areas of the recording that I want to use in my game samples and mark them. These selected samples are then separated and their zero-crossings are matched to ensure that they can be looped seamlessly within the game (if the zero-crossings are not matched, the game will produce a "clicking" sound when the sample loops). This step is time-consuming but essential for achieving accurate and high-quality results.

Next, I'll import the sounds into FMOD, where I can begin to create the sound effects and make them function in the game. This involves a lot of tweaking and tuning, as well as comparing the sounds with the original recordings to ensure that they sound as authentic as possible. This stage is critical in making the sound modifications feel realistic and dynamic.

That's just a high-level insight into the editing process but I hope you found it interesting. Thank you for visiting my store, I hope you enjoy my work!