Poor Audio Quality on Rides

[UBSHANG]

Has anyone noticed the poor audio quality on the Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pans Flight and Snow White's Scary Adventures? The audio contains so much static, scratchy distortion and low frequency humming that the words and music are hardly audible. The volume is so low on some attractions that it is difficult to hear, while on others it is too loud to understand.

The original recording method involved audio tape and magnetic systems which were played back through computers on the Disney Audio-Animatronics Control System (DACS System). Does anyone know if this outdated system is still in use today, and if this would explain the level of distortion.

 

[Just_Me_06]

They need to change the CD lol

 

[MouseWorshipin]

I don't do Snow White anymore, and haven't noticed any problems on Peter or HM, but the audio on POTC and (even more) the Country Bears could use some fixin up!

 

[Amirah95]

Pirates needs help badly!

 

[RyMickey]

And Pirates will be getting that help when it goes down for rehab in March (I think it's March, anyway).

 

[pumpkinfish]

Oh how I agree!!! Why is it that my DH and I ALWAYS get stuck in the doombuggy that has broken speakers!?!? I mean....they must have hundreds of doombuggies and we always have the bad luck. It stinks because it is our favorite ride.

Also...Splash Mountain needs some updating with it's sounds as well. I can barely here the birds singing in their houses after the first drop (I think it is that part). DH and I always comment how we wish they would fix that secton along with the dancing waters.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

We have noticed a few of the problems with audio before but those rides are usually the ones that are to have refurbs done soon. When you think about how long everything has to work and how many cycles everything goes through, we are amazed that things work as well as they do without failures.

 

[Robo]

Splash Mountain needs some updating with it's sounds as well. I can barely here the birds singing in their houses after the first drop (I think it is that part). DH and I always comment how we wish they would fix that secton along with the dancing waters.

Splash is in rehab NOW (or very soon).

It will re-open at the very end of January.

I agree it NEEDED a lot of TLC the last time I was in MK.

Let's hope that everything's back "jumpin' and singin" when they get finished!

 

[Robo]

The original recording method involved audio tape and magnetic systems which were played back through computers on the Disney Audio-Animatronics Control System (DACS System). Does anyone know if this outdated system is still in use today, and if this would explain the level of distortion.

On many rides (if not ALL, by now) all of the original audio tracks where burned to solid state chips. Full quality audio sources without any moving parts or deterioration.

However, that just means the SOURCE is clean, it does not account for any mechanical connections that transfer the audio to, say, a DOOM-BUGGIE's sound system and/or speakers.

Not sure at which point the audio gets amplified (BEFORE or IN the doom-buggies) but amplifiers usually last indefinitely, and speakers (if not POKED, OVERDRIVEN, or DROPPED) should last eons as well.

In pirates (and other water-borne attractions), there is a lot of DAMPNESS blown around by the A/C... and that could corrode speakers and connections.

If there is not enough budget to fix these up, it is a SHAME.
If there is not enough CARING about fixing these up, it is a CRIME.

I would LOVE to have that job.

 

[Micca]

I too think the audio has deterioriated on some of the attractions. I remember back in the day when I thought the attraction audio was remarkably good.

 

[SaraMc]

I noticed that on my last trip my doom buggy was full of static, really unpleasant. Also on Spaceship earth it was full of static.

 

[aesalsa]

I'm happy that Splash Mountain is under rehab. We were there last February, and the audio, along with the turtles floating on the water springs, was working poorly.

I do agree that overall the audio quality needs improvement.

 

[Glenn]

When I was there in early dec I noted alot of the sounds were off. The condition of splash mountain was terrible. The water jets that shoot at the end of the large plunge werent working, the singing bird houses at the beginning werent working along with the jumping ber rabbit and many other items. Its my favorite ride but I only did it 4 times in 10 days due to its sad shape. Hope they fix things there. With crowd sizes upto and surpassing pre 9/11 levels there is no excuss for cutbacks in maintenance. Now if they would only get a parade going in epcot.

 

[Robo]

the singing bird houses at the beginning werent working along with the jumping ber rabbit and many other items.

Ride veterans miss anything that's "not going" for sure.

When we were riding past the NON-singing birds, I just HAD to whistle the MELODY so our log could get the "full effect"... just hearing the "counter-melody tracks" without the melody was decidedly UN-Disney!

Seeing the fence without the hopping Brer Rabbit is always a disappointment as that vignette is one of the better effects.

And the "floating" turtle (floating in mid-air) without the bubbling water, and the other missing water effects in the lower "cave" is a major shame.

I'm hoping Splash gets the "return to grandeur" it deserves.

 

[seashoreCM]

(copied from another post)

[When you wish upon a] System Technical Action Request (that's what we called those reports at one place where I worked)

Location: Splash Mountain
Difficulty: Coming out of first drop around curve onto straightaway out in open, bird song melodies from bird houses overhead missing, although instrumental harmony from side still there.

Don't guests report little things like this as well as messy rest rooms to Guest Relations?

Not sure if Disney still does or ever did things this way but audio is sometimes transmitted to moving ride vehicles like Haunted Mansion's doom buggies using sliding contacts along auxiliary rails or wires between the guide rails. There can be poor connection resulting in static.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm