Not sure if anyone is actually interested in this topic, but I wanted to share :)
Some time ago, I started researching the Soundaktor: the part that sends fake engine sounds to the cockpit, and is also used in some exhaust systems to improve the external sound.
It's a bit of a controversial topic, because why would anyone want to have any fake sounds in their cars? But… instead of turning the device off, like most people do, we got inspired to dive into it, and see if it was possible to flash firmware from other brands/models to the device.
A few years later, a friend and me reverse engineered the entire configuration file for the soundaktors, enabling customization of sounds, unlocking the firmware so they would function on other cars, et cetera. My Leon got the cockpit sounds of an Audi TT-RS whenever I turned on Sport mode, and it was just a lot of fun :) Some time later, I installed the external soundaktor as well, which made my car sound like it was much sportier than it really was…
So now I am driving a Formentor 1.4 eHybrid, and it's a lot of fun… and it has 2 sound generators from factory: the good old internal one (4K0 907 159 hardware with 5FF 907 159 software), and the AVAS E-soundgenerator (3Q0 035 335 with 3Q0 035 335 E software). And to my surprise, it's turns out the firmware of the sound generator has the same configuration file as the old ones that I already knew!
Sooooooo that basically means we can customize the E-sound as well :)
Here are some of the things that can be found in the firmware:
A table with a VIN mask, that determines if this firmware has settings specific for your car, and wihich sound profile is attached to which driving mode:

The sound profiles (there can be up to 8 to choose from):

Each profile can consist of up to 16 layers, that each have their own sound sample (the "shape" of the sound) effects and speed, RPM and engine power behavior curves.
The behvior curves and samples can be chosen for each layer of each profile:

And then the curves themselves can be viewed… and modified. In the screenshot you see the speed behvior: the sound will become louwder as the speed rises, and beomes completely silent after 50km/h.

This is how it's set up in our cars, but… in an Audi TT-RS itt's completly different, lowering the noise level a bit when you're driving at high speeds. I guess the engine is loud enough by its own then :-)

And things become really funky when looking at RPM graphs for other Audis:

And last but not least: the shape of the sound itself, the sound samples. Each firmware holds a set of samples, which determine the exact sound definition, and whether or not the sound is just a fine rumble, a rattling exhaust, or to act as a masking for road noise:

Formentor firmware has 1 additional sound sample, and it appears to be unused:

I hope I'm not the only one interested in this kind of thing. I'll release the latest version of the tool soon on mqbtools.nl, after I wrapped up the entire export of all changes that are made through the frontend.
You should be able to export modified files for free, and use them to flash your hardware with a new sound :)
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If you're happy with this post, feel free to buy me a coffee in return for the knowledge. See my website MQB Tools which explains how you can support. The site also has some useful tools.



Comments 19
Oh my god! Finally someone is working on E-SOUND! I have a gasoline Tiguan, and I installed the 3Q0035355 module a long time ago, but I just couldn’t get it to produce any sound. I’m so lucky to meet you
Hello! Could you briefly tell what software I can use to change the sound of the soundactor and where I can download the firmware? Is it possible to listen to it first?
You cannot change the sound by yourself yet unless you want to do a lot of hex editing.
But with my editor om mqbtools.nl i will make it possible. It will be done soon
Very interesting, I look forward to reading it
Hey Jille,
Great work, I’ve been waiting for you get on this for a while. Do you know if it will work with the 5QE035335B from the Passat GTE?
Thanks
Mike
Thanks!
Probably
Can you send the firmware so I can check?
I don’t think I am able I’m afraid, I don’t have the tools.
I will check, maybe I can find it somewhere.
Worse case I could ship you a module, they’re only €20 👍🏼
The problem is I cannot unpack the firmware that's on it :-D
Ah. That would be a problem then. lol 😂😂😂
Hope to see what you come up with, been following and making use of your work for a while, very grateful… I am Cuzoe on golfmk7 forums.
I'm running your unlocked firmwares on internal and external soundaktor on my Mk7 Golf TDI. I've long been interested in whether the "Reverse" driving profile can be assigned a sound. It would be interesting for my diesel to make the signature "EV" reverse sound, haha.
Will be watching, and congrats on the new car, looks great!
Thanks!
Yes, reverse can have a sound 😁😁
On the Formentor, reverse has different gain curves than the forward profile. It sounds a bit like a slight rumble and a whistle at the same time.
Thanks!
I did some exploration of the firmware I'm running now using your site, mqbtools.nl. Starting to understand the relation/interaction the various curves/samples for each profile. I did notice the "export" option doesn't work (or at least didn't work for me, haha). So I've got some more learning to do to build my own firmware :D
Haha yes I am still actively developing the export function, field by field and testing it as I go forward. Meanwhile, saving isn't exactly working yet 😂 latest version saves the file name and entire VIN table. Saving the profile matrices back to the bins is my current struggle 😁😁
And then I have to parse the curves back to something logical, in some efficient way so I am not writing 3 different algorithms for what's basically the same 🙈 my programmer brain is hurting but smiling too because in theory, this curve modding is going to be awesome 😎
And I have some planned features:
— Sample selection from other firmwares.
— curve import from other firmwares
— import the full xml of the firmware, and save the full modded firmware. I guess that will be the most user friendly feature 😁
daChillout
Thanks!
Yes, reverse can have a sound 😁😁
On the Formentor, reverse has different gain curves than the forward profile. It sounds a bit like a slight rumble and a whistle at the same time.
Thanks!
И мне очень хочется, хахаха! У меня сразу ассоциация с нашими трёхколёсными грузовиками: «Внимание, задний ход! Внимание, задний ход!»
Interested to try it with 1EA035335 on ID.6
If you have the firmware for it, I can check :-)
There is public firmware for Skoda Enyaq (Part No SW: 5LA 035 335 HW: 1EA 035 335) with same hw part number, it may fit, FL_5LA035335_0003__V001_S.frf