{"id":1757,"date":"2018-10-06T18:02:20","date_gmt":"2018-10-06T18:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shockwave-sound.com\/blog\/?p=1757"},"modified":"2022-01-23T19:12:36","modified_gmt":"2022-01-23T19:12:36","slug":"sound-effects-and-the-fake-engine-roar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shockwave-sound.com\/blog\/sound-effects-and-the-fake-engine-roar\/","title":{"rendered":"Sound Effects and the Fake Engine Roar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the years, the auto industry has increasingly honed their craft at creating environmentally sound cars and reducing unwanted noise levels for the drivers. As a result, the authentic organic engine sounds is masked more and more. For car aficionados who may buy vehicles specifically for the engine roar, this is not necessarily a good thing and they\u2019ve made this known. The auto industry has responded by creating new technologies upon these new technologies that attempt to restore the classic engine sounds<\/a> that so many have come to cherish.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Yamaha<\/h3>\n

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The trend is succinctly described by K.C. Calwell from caranddriver.com in “Faking it Engine Sound Enhancement Explained.” Calwell references work done by Yamaha’s Center for Advanced Sound Technologies, hired by Lexus for the launch of the LFA model in 2009. Fascinatingly, the Yamaha involved here is the company that creates musical instruments – violins, guitars, etc. Lexus contracted Yamaha to specifically “utilize sound as a medium that can achieve a direct link between the driver and the vehicle” (archive.yamaha.com “Yamaha Creates Acoustic Design for Engine of the Lexus LFA Super Sports Car”). Here, sound is utilized as a concrete object, a physical means to affect the mental state of the driver – it is “sound design” in its purest form. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\"Yamaha was chosen because of their expertise in establishing a powerful emotional and performance connection between musicians and their instruments with the intent of maximum enjoyment of the musician. In this case, the vehicle is the instrument and the driver is the musician. Beyond the pleasure of driving an excellent sounding vehicle that responds to the driver\u2019s acceleration actions, the additional sound element also adds a higher sense of control, allowing the driver to be more \u201cin tune\u201d with their vehicle. As Yamaha states, \u201cAccurately passing on high-grade engine sounds<\/a> to the driver makes it possible to feel the vehicle\u2019s condition and instantly take the next minute action that is required (“Yamaha Creates Acoustic Design for Engine of the Lexus LFA Super Sports Car” archive.yamaha.com). Yamaha refers to the this back and forth interaction between the driver and vehicle through sound as \u201cfeedback<\/a>,\u201d and an \u201cinteractive loop\u201d which makes the driving experience more pleasurable and exciting.<\/p>\n