My Guide Reimplementing EAX into Project Reality

[IllinVillain]

I've been saying i'm going to do this for a while so here we go, Windows dropped EAX support long ago but that doesn't mean there aren't ways to emulate it. EAX offered alot of audio propagation effects that PR can't use without EAX support such as audio reverberation.

(This same tool can also re-implement proper surround sound into your games using EAX if you follow my guide.)

I put together this guide on steam because i wanted EAX support back into Thief, but this same plugin works for just about any game that uses EAX 1-4 including Project Reality.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2292412423

Here are my settings that i use and recommend for Project Reality. ( Tweak how you like)

[General]
channels=
frequency=44100
stereo-mode=
cf_level=0
sources=256
slots=64
sends=16
sample-type=float32
resampler=linear
default-hrtf=Built-In 44100hz
hrtf=true
drivers="-dsound,"
period_size=1024
periods=3

[reverb]
boost=2

When this is working properly it will be immediately noticeable the sound difference, and you might be amazed just how well it actually works. My Guide should be able to fill in the blanks but if you have any questions let me know.

Tell me how it works!

This fix is not neccessary if you have a Creative soundcard with Alchemy.

[AlonTavor]

doppler works without eax

[IllinVillain]

Perhaps, Doppler may have been a bad example. It doesn't work properly with a Quad/5.1/7.1 setup though. This will re implement proper surround sound audio propagation that i haven't been able to get working otherwise. Doppler was a bad example, but the full list of EAX audio advantages is massive, and it would seem most of these don't work without DirectSound emulation which is what this does essentially.

EAX 1.0

8 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
32 individual 3D voices
Environmental Effect Presets
Per-channel individual environmental presets
Hardware DSP rendering[2]
Specification released in 1998

EAX 2.0

32 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
Occlusion Effects
Material-specific reverb parameters[3]
Specification released in 1999

EAX 3.0

64 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
'Smoothing' between 3D audio environments
Direct access to all reverb parameters
Environmental Panning
New reverb engine
Beginning of the AdvancedHD Designation from new reverb engine

EAX 4.0

Real-time hardware effects
Multiple simultaneous environments
Flanger
Echo
Distortion
Ring modulation effects[4][5][6]

[IllinVillain]

Even without a surround sound setup, this massively improves the audio through the HRTF function in the plugin.

I really suggest everyone just tries it and the results will speak for itself.

(The difference is immediately noticeable when you play using this.)

[=-=kittykiller2]

sounds like sid meirs civilization.

could work maybe.

[IllinVillain]

It works, I use it myself for pretty much any old game that uses EAX 1-4.

[chupachupp]

I have yet to try it out, but I have to point out the mod is licensed under LGPL so I think PR team can implement this code into their mod if they want.

[chupachupp]

I have tried it out and I honestly cannot hear the difference. Using your settings except for keeping the stereo-mode=headphones (since I use headphones) that the files default to. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

[IllinVillain]

I would suggest keeping stereo-mode blank, i personally switch between quad speaker with a subwoofer and stereo headphones without any change to the .ini.

[IllinVillain]

Also you can try enabling or disabling in your windows sound settings:

Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device
Give exclusive mode applications priority

This fix is not neccessary if you have a Creative soundcard with Alchemy by the way, this only applies to people without Creative cards. (This is the case because Creative alchemy emulates EAX with some games but not everything.)

[chupachupp]

Also you can try enabling or disabling in your windows sound settings:

Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device
Give exclusive mode applications priority

This fix is not neccessary if you have a Creative soundcard with Alchemy by the way, this only applies to people without Creative cards. (This is the case because Creative alchemy emulates EAX with some games but not everything.)

Unfortunately nothing seems to make it work for me.
I'm curious about what I should be hearing though. Would be cool if you could make a little comparison video?