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Just tried hardware EAX...

Posted: 2007-07-26 00:17
by Expendable Grunt
...and it sounds HORRIFIC. I had previously had EAX turned off, not knowingly (thought it was on...) and turned it on just now and tried a game. Take ALL the battlefield sounds, park them in front of you, make them all staticy, and make it so they drown out your own weapon, and that's what it sounded like! What the hell?

I'm going to try it on Software with EAX on, to see if that helps...

Posted: 2007-07-26 00:22
by JohnnyPissoff
If you have on-board sound use software. If you have a sound card use hardware. Also check the settings on your card to see if you have EAX checked.

Posted: 2007-07-26 00:37
by VipersGhost
Drop 40-50 bones on a nice EAX card...its worth it. PR will love you for it.

Posted: 2007-07-26 00:37
by Expendable Grunt
Tried Software with EAX and to my recollection it sounds exactly the same as it does without.

Posted: 2007-07-26 00:37
by sofad
you can also update your openal.dll in your battlefield2 folder to the newest one.
see my post in the feedbacksection.

Posted: 2007-07-26 00:52
by Expendable Grunt
Alright, checked it out, followed your directions to the letter and now my sound device is incompatible and BF2 no longer picks it up. Tried to delete the Audio.con, but no luck there either.

Posted: 2007-07-26 01:40
by Wolfe
'[R-DEV wrote:sofad']you can also update your openal.dll in your battlefield2 folder to the newest one.
see my post in the feedbacksection.
I see nothing in the feedback section about this topic.

When I download the openal exe, do I run it anywhere or do I have to place it in a specific folder first THEN run it and if so, what folder exactly?

Posted: 2007-07-26 01:44
by Expendable Grunt
You just run it.

Sofad, I reverted to the original BF2OpenAL.dll; Currently I have the updated OpenAL.dll in system32, and BF2's original in it's native folder.

Currently, on high sound and EAX enabled, some sounds sound muffled if they're on the other side of a building. Is this EAX taking effect?

Posted: 2007-07-26 01:49
by CaptRio
JohnnyPissoff wrote:If you have on-board sound use software. If you have a sound card use hardware. Also check the settings on your card to see if you have EAX checked.

I have an Audigy SE How can I see if I have the EAX enabled?

Posted: 2007-07-26 01:55
by Special~Issue
CaptRio wrote:I have an Audigy SE How can I see if I have the EAX enabled?
I believe the Audigy SE has software-based EAX only, up to EAX 4.0 with latest drivers.

Posted: 2007-07-26 01:59
by CaptRio
Special~Issue wrote:I believe the Audigy SE has software-based EAX only, up to EAX 4.0 with latest drivers.

When I play with hardware sound on, the voices keep stuttering it´s really weird. Any tips?

Posted: 2007-07-26 02:23
by sofad
Expendable Grunt wrote:...

Currently, on high sound and EAX enabled, some sounds sound muffled if they're on the other side of a building. Is this EAX taking effect?

yes it is.
does it dont work like that before?


@ captrio

look into your BF2 soundoptions, there is a switch for enabling EAX.

try to lower the soundhardwareacceleration you can found in your dxdiag.exe if you use windows xp. if that doesnt help, switch to software.

Posted: 2007-07-26 02:26
by Special~Issue
Expendable Grunt wrote:Currently, on high sound and EAX enabled, some sounds sound muffled if they're on the other side of a building. Is this EAX taking effect?
I think that's called "occlusion", I found it really strange at first, when I got my Audigy 4 and played some games. But now it's just not the same when it's not that way.
CaptRio wrote:When I play with hardware sound on, the voices keep stuttering it´s really weird. Any tips?
That happens because the Audigy SE can not do hardware processing for DirectSound/OpenAL/EAX. I hate to say it but you must use software audio rendering for proper performance. The Audigy 2 SE is the same, no hardware support. You only have two options really. You can continue to use software w/ or w/o EAX, both should work with latest creative drivers installed, or if you want you can get a new card that does support hardware, they aren't expensive if you know where to buy.

Posted: 2007-07-26 02:57
by sofad
Expendable Grunt wrote:Alright, checked it out, followed your directions to the letter and now my sound device is incompatible and BF2 no longer picks it up. Tried to delete the Audio.con, but no luck there either.

sorry, had a little mistake in the other thread.

you copied the wrong file from system32 folder!

try to copy and rename the wrap_oal.dll file instead of the openAL32.dll, then it will work! :)

Posted: 2007-07-26 03:13
by vanity
I have the Audigy 2 and it sounds freakin amazing compared to my on-board REALTEK sound. I say go EAX all teh way

Posted: 2007-07-26 03:51
by Expendable Grunt
Alright SOFAD, I copied the wrap one from sys32 and put it into the BF2 native folder.

Posted: 2007-07-26 04:23
by Jaymz
Use software / high / EAX enabled with the openAL update sofad posted.

Posted: 2007-07-26 04:59
by Expendable Grunt
Yes...that's...what I did.

Posted: 2007-07-26 05:35
by Jaymz
better?

Posted: 2007-07-26 06:12
by eggman
I have a Soundblaster Fatality thingy which has someting like 64mb of xram on it (BF2 beng one of the few games coded tot ake advantage of this).

I have a thx 5.1 setup that I never found as good to use as my zalman 5.1 headphones (which I got almost free at a local computer store where I have brought in lots of business).

These ones:
http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/vie ... 0&code=023

I think they are like $30 US now.

Sound for me is awesome. I also often stop for "listening stops" in game. Usually listen for gear rustling and footprints in woodland areas and gunfire in open areas.

sofad and jaymz are trying to stretch the bf2 sound engine well past it's intended design. it wasn't ntended to have sounds carry like they do irl. I'd recommend some 5.1 headphones.. even before they started to do the major sound overhaul I began to find them giving higher fidelity than my speakers, plus I can crank the volume when the wife is asleep. my pr goes to 11 btw :p

give these guys some time to sort out the issues and also recognize this.... do you use the onboard video that came with your motherboard ? usually not, usually because it's shite. think about investing in a decent sound card. some of the newer creative ones have improved a lot. the advances in eax 5 over the usual 2.0 that comes with licensed sound chips are very noticeable.

sound is an integral part of the gaming experience and I love the work these guys are doing to move that along with the rest of PR. In the mean time spend the $30 you saved in not buying PR on a pair of 5.1 headsets :p