www.aip.org/radio/scripts/car_noises.txt

Part of content: Car Noises:
(SFX: Kid's vroom vroom noises turning into real vroom vroom))
FROM THE TIME YOU'RE A LITTLE KID YOU KNOW WHAT A SPORTS CAR IS SUPPOSED
TO SOUND LIKE.

Amman: "a sound maybe that some people describe as a throaty sound,
something that gives a perception of power."

SCOTT AMMAN IS AN ENGINEER AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY. HE SAYS ITS A
DIFFERENT STORY IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A LUXURY CAR

(Sfx: sound changes to purring car.)

Amman: "for luxury class vehicles, the customer primarily wants something that is
quiet."

WHO KNOWS WHY HUMANS EQUATE QUIET WITH LUXURY AND NOISE WITH POWER,
BUT ITS AMMAN'S JOB AT FORD TO GIVE US WHAT WE WANT.

Amman: "things like the exhaust and the engine are tuned to give people the
sound that they expect."

AMMAN AND HIS TEAM CONDUCT LISTENING SURVEYS TO FIND OUT JUST WHAT
ENGINE SOUNDS CUSTOMERS WANT AND THEN MANIPULATE THE ENGINE MAKEUP UNTIL
THEY GET THE DESIRED SOUND. ONE OF AMMAN'S TECHNIQUES MAKES USE OF WHAT
SPEECH SCIENTISTS KNOW ABOUT HOW SOUND BOUNCES AROUND THE VOCAL TRACT.
TO GET THE RIGHT SOUNDS, AMMAN ADJUSTS THE SHAPE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
MUCH THE WAY WE PRODUCE DIFFERENT SOUNDS BY CHANGING THE SHAPE OF OUR
VOCAL CHORDS.

Amman: "so if you were to pop upen the hood of your car you would see that
there are acoustic materials within the engine compartment that are meant to
attenuate . . . an undesirable sound coming from the engine."

(Sfx: APPROPRIATE NOISES)

AFTER HE'S DONE WITH THE ENGINE, AMMAN STARTS WORKING ON THE SOUND OF
THE DOORS AND THE SOUND OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND THE SOUND OF THE
WINDOWS AND THE SOUND OF THE (FADE OUT) . . .