Sounds (Burnout Paradise)

Sounds in Burnout Paradise are a multifaceted topic ranging from as high a level as the directory layout and in-game purposes of sounds to as low a level as the structure of the different formats and headers in the files. This page attempts to document the interactions between sound resources in order to provide an explanation of how sounds are accessed and played in-game. To do this appropriately, the creation and/or replacement of sounds is also covered.

Resource Types

Sound resource types are among the most common resources in the game and make up a significant of the total size. While the main types are understood, many of the miscellaneous types, some of which are very important, are not. A synopsis of the types is given here.

Generic RWAC Wave Content

Generic RWAC Wave Content, sometimes simply called Wave, is the primary sound asset type used by the game. Internally, it is an EA format that supports several different audio codecs and settings. The type is so ubiquitous that every sound heard in the game uses it in some form.

Ginsu Wave Content

Ginsu Wave Content, usually just called Ginsu, is a sound asset type used specifically for engine acceleration and deceleration. Ginsu is an EA format that is widely understood, but has much more limited codec and setting support than RWAC Waves. A related type, Gunsu, is found the in the Black 2 development builds.

Registry

Registry resources are, as one might expect, a registry of sound assets. They are how the game finds and accesses sounds. It is among the most important sound resources—arguably more important than the assets themselves—but are unfortunately not entirely understood.

Splicer

Splicers are containers for multiple sounds which dynamically play according to the player's actions. They are also used in engines for "sweeteners" (additional sounds such as gear shifts).

AEMS Bank

Similar to splicers, AEMS banks contain multiple sounds which usually play when the player triggers them. While some research has gone into it, it isn't yet clear why this type exists separately from Splicer.

CSIS

CSIS is a resource with links to AEMS. It has not been researched and its purpose is unknown, but it is likely relevant to adding AEMS banks.

Loop Model

Used in engines, loop models are graphs that track RPM on the X axis and volume on the Y axis. They stitch individual waves together to make a cohesive acceleration/deceleration sound.

Other types

Nicotine assets are present in the final game but have not been researched, so their purpose is unknown. The same is true of Snapshot Data. Generic RWAC Reverb IR Content is present in Burnout 5 (2007-02-22 build) under SOUND/IR.BUNDLE. Voice Hierarchy and its collections are both unused in Burnout, though the former is present in Black 2. Snr and Interpreter Data are sound-related but entirely unused.

Related resource types

Certain resources are known to be related to specific sounds. World sounds are emitted by triggers, while there is another world-related type called Static Sound Map that very little is known about. Engines also employ AttribSys resources to control their behaviour. World Painter 2D resources are also related in that ambiences are in this format.