Reverb and Ambiance Overhaul
For a demo of version 1.2, see the new video by dallabop in the Video tab.
What does this mod do?
1. Adds two sliders in the Audio menu for Reverb and Ambiance. Both default to about 100% now (the only way to make them sticky), slightly louder than vanilla. “Ambiance” controls the volume of machinery hum, birds, water drips, insects, room tones, etc. It also controls in-game radios. “Reverb” simply controls the amount of reverberation – most noticeably gun trails, explosions, and things like reverb from Magnolia’s singing – it does not turn off the actual reverb in the cell, just how certain things interact with it. Thus, you may hear it to some degree even at 0%. There is no way to completely remove it, and it would sound weird as hell anyway. Still, this allows you maximum flexibility.
2. Adds ambient sounds and reverb types to regions where they were absent, or fixes inappropriate or generic settings. For example, outdoor ambient sounds are removed in the vanilla game when you enter small shacks or other small structures with “faked” reverb settings – this mod fixes that. This makes the sound design of the game (which I quite like) denser and more “alive” feeling. Additionally, “one-shot” ambient sounds like wind gusts and creaking wood will now trigger more frequently.
3. Adds newly created ambient types to areas that used generic settings. Glowing Sea caves, sewer pipes, and elevators now no longer sound identical.
4. Increases (or in some cases decreases) the amount of reverb certain sounds produce. Gunshots, exploding cars, and the like now behave much more realistically, and quieter sounds are somewhat tweaked as well on a case-by-case basis.
5. Different room types and areas behave differently. Vaults are now cavernous, echoey, and metallic. Wooden rooms are more muffled. Cinderblock is more sound-absorbent than metal, etc. The difference between small spaces and large ones is greater. Outdoors has as close to a simulated echo as the engine allows, letting you really feel the power of big guns and the power armor impact landing.
6. Increases attenuation for almost all reverb types. This allows sound to propagate over longer distances, whilst decreasing the distance in which sounds will play in “2D”.
7. Fixes the wimpy-sounding frag grenade. A home-brewed mix of the vanilla frag mixed with some of the frag mine and a hint of exploding car to add bass, this should work well with any sound replacer mod or with vanilla.
What does it not do?
1. Does not replace any sounds, and is perfectly compatible with all sound replacement mod, such as PAMS, Radiant Birds, Cinematic Explosions, etc. Fully compatible with the crucial True Storms mod.
2. Does not edit any cells in any way. The mod is bug-free in this regard, and is compatible with any mods that do edit cells.
3. Does not add any new sounds, although I am not opposed to the idea. Audio Overhaul for Skyrim does this to great effect, so maybe in the future.
4. Does not affect UI sounds. For that, please try my Adjustable UI Volume Sliders mod. Load it after this one.
Made and cleaned with FO4edit. Should not affect performance in any meaningful way. Should be safe to uninstall.
One of my real-world jobs is occasionally recording, mixing, and mastering musicians, and one of my real-world hobbies is playing with reverb and building home-made reverb devices. The changes in this mod have been painstakingly based on real sound behavior, and attempt to mimic real situations. However, it is a work in progress and much of this is trial and error. If you encounter anything weird, feel free to comment, but please be as specific as possible. I can’t fix something if I have to guess what you are talking about.
My Fallout 4 Mods
Gameplay
Move (Get Out the Way)
No Aggro Impact Landing (Power Armor)
No Combat Boundaries
Realistic Death Physics – No Animations
Search and Destroy – Extended Combat Range and Stealth Searches
Player Settlements
Colored Workshop Lights
Craftable Cats
Stackable Brick Walls and Foundations
Models and Textures
Black and White Pipboy
Black Sea Captain’s Hat with variants
Colorful Mirelurks
Denim and Leather for Kate
Gold-Rimmed Patrolman Glasses with variants
Green Ghouls
Immersive Sweetroll with Sprinkles
Improved Map with Visible Roads
Pool Table HD variants
Real Leather HD
Realistic Pool Balls HD
Scary Monkey Clown Trap HD
Audio
Reverb and Ambiance Overhaul
Adjustable UI Sliders
Misc
Glowing Animals Emit Light
Leather Armor Bugfix – Vanilla and CBBE
Open-Faced Guard Helmets