Splash, Splatter, Sploosh, and Bloop!

Acoustic Bubble writes "Researchers at Cornell University have developed the first algorithm for synthesizing familiar bubble-based fluid sounds automatically from 3D fluid simulations, e.g, for future virtual environments. The research (entitled 'Harmonic Fluids') will appear at ACM SIGGRAPH 2009 in New Orleans in August 2009. Check out some videos of falling, pouring, splashing and babbling water simulations (computed on a Linux cluster)."

Re:The simulation sounded muffled.

[Carnildo]

The effect reminds me strongly of the water sounds in Myst. I think it's an artefact of recording flowing water in isolation: without an environment to reflect the sounds, the frequency mix isn't right.

What is going on here?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's WOULD. And ONOMATOPOEIA.

I want a refund!

Re:The simulation sounded muffled.

[phantomfive]

Yeah, I agree. In all honesty the sounds are about as good as the animations. Recognizable, but clearly not real. I think they would have done better if they had just gotten a microphone and sampled some real water.

On the other hand, maybe someone with a good ear can come along and adjust the algorithms until they really DO sound good. Much like computer visual art isn't all that great unless someone with artistic talent is deploying it.

Re:Hmm.

[KudyardRipling]

It could be the sound usually described with the word "PBBBT-BWECK!"used prominently in the 1960's Hanna-Barbera animated cartoons. It could also be the sound effect used in the Tom & Jerry cartoons throughout the 1950's approximated by "THFFFWWRK!" representing an impacting into mud, tar, uncured concrete, manure, etc.

Re:Can they

[Brian Gordon]

I don't think you understand the word simulation. It's all computer-modelled; you can't take a picture of some plasma and expect the computer to simulate it.

Re:Graphical Adventures

[Brian Gordon]

From TFA, three single drops of water took one and a half hours to simulate. The babbling water simulation took over 12 hours.

Re:Graphical Adventures

[master5o1]

I'm assuming that the simulation can then be used to add distortions. Say, water trickling down a creek, and ducks splashing. The two sounds would be distorted by both the direction they are coming from and the interaction of the two sounds. The idea would be to make the sounds more realistic without having to record every possible case.

Mind you, I haven't yet read the article (or summary) and I am not a sound engineer of any sort.