Batfish Sound Effects

[Mark Sarsfield]

Guys,

  Last night I won a Toshiba laptop on eBay (Item number: 180238372888) for the sole purpose of piping sound effects over the reproducers in the sub.  During normal working hours the laptop can stay up in the museum building (it's still mine, but on endless loan) and the stereo receiver that Rick has hooked up SHOULD have left and right aux. inputs to plug into - if not, we can remedy this.  I have a bunch of sound effects from the Silent Hunter IV game that will add noises liks motors humming, hull creaks, diving alarm, general alarm, etc.  I downloaded a program that lets you loop sound effects non-stop, so that the noises play continuously.  I believe that Windows Media Player can also operate at the same time (will verify) so that period music could be piped through along with the sound effects.

  This will all hopefully add more ambiance to the boat and give people a better feel of life aborad a fleet boat - it won't feel like you're visiting a tomb anymore.  If you get unwanted visitors, we'll install some Poltergeist sound effects to get them off the boat - "GET OUT!"   

  During reenactments I'll move the laptop down to the CT and I'm bidding on a few old stereo receivers to amplify the noises from that location - if anyone has one to donate, let me know ASAP.  I just have to run some speaker wire from the control room reproducer to the CT.  The laptop has a built in mic or I can plug one in for announcements.  If I want to get really creative, I could probably hook up the microphone in the 1MC mic. box in the CT to the laptop.  You would only have to flip the 1MC talk switch and you're on the air.   If we ever find a replacement mic. for the control room, we could do the same thing from down there - or even both locations. 

  This will be our 1MC system for quite some time until we get the real deal operational, again.  This takes the burden and stress off of me to get the real one fixed and I can take my time with it.

Regards,
Mark S.

[MWALLEN]

Rick...or Mark S...

anyone know what happened to the engine sound CD that we use to play in the forward engine room?

Do I need to make another copy so we can play that?  It was impressive to hear it and 1/4 volume.

[Mark Sarsfield]

I don't know where that went, but it sounds like Correy has created new CDs for each compartment - he spent about $500 on digital remastering/mixing software and sound effects.  So far, he has 3 CD players to loan to the Batfish and I have one player along with a 4.1 surround sound system (speakers w/ sub-woofer).  We plan to put that puppy in the forward engine room to see if we can vibrate the paint off the hull.   The latest idea is to put a CD player on looped play in each compartment for sound effects, which frees up the reproducers to be used for alarms and announcements through my laptop.  Roger Hudgins is going to donate/loan an old  Sansui stereo receiver to amplify the laptop noises.  If it's anything like my dad's old Sansui, there's plenty of power to blow the reproducers out on the boat without a second thought - something we have to stay aware of.

[Rick]

new rule.   A master copy of all CD is to be created and placed in the safe in my office.  This is to prevent this continued loss of the CDs.   I do have the capiblility ot reporduce CD's on my computer here at the museum.

[JohnG]

Thats seems like the best way do doing it. So if you happen to ever need another copy you are able to right them and there.

[Mark Sarsfield]

Agreed.  I will also put a copy of all of my submarine sound effects on Rick's computer.