GCA Goons

I run Manfred's Douglas C47 GCA 'Configurator' aircraft in P3D v4.5 and while the aircraft and the GCA systems are great fun to use I had a problem with low audio levels from the controllers to the point where they were very hard to hear over the general aircraft/cockpit noise (especially in multiplayer where you also have real live audio going on at the same time).

I tried lowering the sim audio levels at Manfred's suggestion and that did make the controller audio appear louder but it also meant the co-pilot alerts were even quieter than they normally were. In response to this I decided to run all of the controller .wav files through a batch process macro in 'Audacity' which boosted the volume levels by roughly 150% but did not introduce distortion or clipping.

Now I can have my audio settings at my usual levels and be able to hear the controller audio over the top without it being 'blaring'. The new audio files are contained within the attached zip file and are fully approved by Manfred. There is a 'Read Me' file that explains the installation process.

After making the changes to the audio files I can now run my P3D audio settings like this:

Volume levels TK-2.jpg

Enjoy! (y)
 

Attachments

  • GCA_Improved_Audio.zip
    13 MB · Views: 7
Looking forward to trying these out! When I first started getting my instrument ticket in the early 70s, we would head down to MCAS El Toro in So Cal and shoot GCAs "under the hood". Once we were about 4 miles out, we'd be switched over to a dedicated GCA controller who would talk me down until given the final GCA callout, typically something like "50 feet, slightly left of centerline, go around" (since no landings were permitted). These practice approaches were more for the benefit of the controller benefit since it was highly unlikely a civilian pilot was ever going to shoot a GCA IRL, but it was one of those experiences that helped get students hooked on IFR training.
 
Great first-hand account, many thanks. Hope you can replicate the experience of your GCA flights using the Calibrator planes. Let us know if it feels about right, given some of its limitations.
 
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