2014 Engines: Do they sound right?

[Abarth]

They may sound acceptable....but they can hardly be heard in TV. I think the audio engineers have to increase the relative level.
But yes, looking back and comparing to V12, V10 and V8 era, the sound is nothing to write home about.
My daughter remarked that they sound like a tuned lawnmower.

OT, it doesn't surprise me though, as we now have a green F1 (sadly), as LMP1 (rightly) is.
These are the times, everyone chasing green flagship projects, whether they are really useful is not the question, but they polish the image.

[Cold Fussion]

Trackside the new engines sound pretty good, and not having to wear ear protection is nice as well. I've been at the Melbourne GP all week so I heard the engines with my ears long before I saw any videos of them, and I watched a couple onboards tonight and they sound pretty terrible when compared to the live event. At GP they have had the RB7 going around a couple times, and honestly, right next to the track, the V6's sound better, more interesting and far more tolerable, however the old v8's do sound amazing when they are 500m away with the sound reverberating off of the surroundings.

[RZS10]

They may sound acceptable....but they can hardly be heard in TV. I think the audio engineers have to increase the relative level.
[..]

Exactly that, the FIA sound engineers even managed to make the V8s sound quiet enough for TV broadcast and amateur recordings sounded better. With the new engines i hoped fot them to do it the other way round, since the engines already sounded ok in amateur recordings ... but no ... they are apparently unable to make the new engines sound decent on TV.
(Funny though how loud the tyre squeal on Fernando's lockup was compared to the engine in Q2(?) )

[rjsa]

It sounds like wet farts imo. Random droning noises, that part of the show is gone.

[SectorOne]

Exactly that, the FIA sound engineers even managed to make the V8s sound quiet enough for TV broadcast and amateur recordings sounded better.

Because people are commentating.
Sky raised the volume multiple times during the broadcasts but then they also kept quiet.

This is also the reason that if you want natural sound, choose the natural sound channel for Sky and it sounds 10 times better.

[RZS10]

Exactly that, the FIA sound engineers even managed to make the V8s sound quiet enough for TV broadcast and amateur recordings sounded better.

Because people are commentating.
Sky raised the volume multiple times during the broadcasts but then they also kept quiet.

This is also the reason that if you want natural sound, choose the natural sound channel for Sky and it sounds 10 times better.

Well they manage to change the volume in MotoGP, when there's someone talking the engines are quiet, but then they show some onboards, keep their mouths shut and it sounds quite nice ... there's surely a way to make the engines sound more 'present' with keeping them quiet enough for commentators to be heard - but the FIA does a sh** job regarding sound engineering - just plug a microphone somewhere inside the car and mix it with the sound of the camera mics or something ....how hard can it be?^^

Currently the broadcasted sound does not make the engines' actual sound justice - they sound like a bunch of washing machines with boiling kettles in the far distance mixed with the muffled sound from the interior of a small engined car with an opened window -.-

[MOWOG]

Random droning noises,

Yup. I keep looking to see where the Ducatis are on the track! Or getting up to check that my washing machine is not stuck in the spin cycle again.

[SectorOne]

Well they manage to change the volume in MotoGP, when there's someone talking the engines are quiet, but then they show some onboards, keep their mouths shut and it sounds quite nice ... there's surely a way to make the engines sound more 'present' with keeping them quiet enough for commentators to be heard - but the FIA does a sh** job regarding sound engineering - just plug a microphone somewhere inside the car and mix it with the sound of the camera mics or something ....how hard can it be?^^

Currently the broadcasted sound does not make the engines' actual sound justice - they sound like a bunch of washing machines with boiling kettles in the far distance mixed with the muffled sound from the interior of a small engined car with an opened window -.-

If you ever get the chance, go watch a natural sound broadcast. It´s like night and day.

[Richard T]

Natural sound here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym-mfiJK78A

[myurr]

Not sure if it's been brought up yet, but I have a new pet theory as to why Bernie is so publicly anti the engines. I think he's doing it for publicity. He knows there's nothing that can be done to change them and the engine manufacturers would never abandon the current engines and go back to the old V8s after spending hundreds of millions each on their new designs. Also Honda would rightly throw a massive hissy fit. Whilst there is a turbo and energy efficiency is important to the formula then noise coming out of the exhaust will always be viewed by the engineers as wasted energy.

So what's Bernie's game? I reckon he's just generating publicity to promote the sport. He's creating the image of controversy and sowing the seed that there is something wrong that needs to be witnessed before people can judge for themselves. He's hoping people will tune in to the races in order to see what all the fuss is about, and will then discuss it with their mates and online. He's also publicly pushing the notion that F1 has changed massively and that things this year are very different to the past, so if you were previously a fan or have never been interested then why not check out if it's improved in your eyes. Clever!

Discuss

[myurr]

Natural sound here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym-mfiJK78A

The onboard video sounds amazing, better than the V8s in my opinion. They should just use more onboard shots during the races

[j2004p]

Natural sound here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym-mfiJK78A

Agreed, at least 10x better!

[Richard T]

The onboard video sounds amazing, better than the V8s in my opinion. They should just use more onboard shots during the races

Yeah I think there was less onboards than usual this weekend.. And indeed it sounds 10x better

[agip]

The onboard sound is really good. My favourite is the Williams.

[Moxie]

Right??? Well lets put things in perspective.

Not many people would dare to argue about the lovely sound of Ferrari V12
The scream of a 20K rpm Cosworth V8 was pretty darned impressive
The sound of turbo's sucking air brings back memories of Prost and Mansell.
The wet fart era of exhaust blown diffusers and engine mapping was pretty disappointing.

I may not be accustomed to the new sound, but it is a deep powerful kind of sound, but I don't hate it.