If you have a sound card that supports hardware sound like the X-Fi line (except Extreme Audio) or Audigy and such.
(If you only have Onboard audio scroll down to "if you don’t have hardware sound you can still use DirectSound 3D and it will use your CPU".):
First of all if you have a Creative card you will have best results using Daniel_Ks fixed drivers and software: http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=327083 as he provides the most up to date software and fixes. (You can search for Daniel_K on the Creative forums for update releases that were missed on the Guru3d thread being slowly updated by going here and searching: http://forums.creative.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6)
*Make sure to properly uninstall the Creative Driver and software before installing Daniel_Ks stuff. Here's how properly and effectively do this to prevent any issues*
Follow this to properly remove it before installing the Daniel_K stuff:
Do you have CCleaner installed? If not snag it.
Go in control panel click on Programs and Features. Click on installed on to organized by recent then look for the following(If using the Creative stuff some might be missing): OpenAL, THX Setup Console, SoundFont Bank Manager, Dolby Digital Live Pack, DTS Connect Pack, Volume Panel, Creative Sound Blaster Properties, AutoMode Switcher, Creative Console Launcher, Creative Audio Control Panel, DDL and DTS Connect License Acivation, Creative ALchemy.
Uninstall all the Creative stuff. If it asks to restart, don't do it yet untill you have it all removed.
Once it's all uninstalled. Restart.
Now open up Computer. Click on the C: drive and type Creative in the search bar. Delete all the Creative folders that pop up. Now restart in Safemode (Press F8 before the Windows loading logo pops up). In Safemode load up CCleaner click on Registry and click scan for issues and then click fix. Do it a few times. Once it's all cleaned.
Right click on Computer and goto Properties click on hardware and click the plus by Sound, video and game controllers. Find the X-Fi driver and right click on it and select uninstall and click the checkbox to delete the driver.
Restart again.
Install the correct Driver pack for your sound card by Daniel_K.
How to enable Direct Sound 3D sound (hardware sound if you have the proper sound card) for example Source Engine games:
Use Creative Alchemy and add your games by clicking add game and using the game path where the .exe of the source engine game is (Source SDK and SDK 2007 for mods).
Then set Buffers 5 and Duration 10. Leave voices at 128. Click OK. (Only applies for Source engine games. Other games may use the default or use different values.)
Now click the right arrow to add them.
Now load up your Source game Open the console by pressing ~ (enable this in the keyboard settings) and type in snd_legacy_surround 1 and press enter. Do this for each Source engine game.
Make sure the in game audio settings is set to 7.1 too.
This will enable 3D hardware sound. Enjoy! Yes it sounds better than the games DSP engine. Even better than turning on dsp_enhance_stereo 1 setting too.
For other games check out: http://connect.creativelabs.com/alchemy/Lists/Games/AllItems.aspx
Now if you don’t have hardware sound you can still use DirectSound 3D and it will use your CPU just like the games current DSP uses. However the audio should sound better but I am unsure how it compares to real hardware audio?
Realtek does have a program like Alchemy called 3D SoundBack: http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/ (In order to get it to work. After you install it you have to right click on the SoundBack program and select properties then click the compatibility tab and click Run this program in compatibility mode for and select Windows Vista on the list and click OK for it to run)
This does the same thing restoring Direct Sound 3D effects. However being on board audio it would use the CPU instead of the Audios hardware if you had a sound card that was capable.
You can also do a search on Realtek Mod that uses modded X-Fi software on the card. Again it would use the CPU for the effects.
There is also Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB2 software: http://us.store.creative.com/Sound-Blaster-XFi-MB2-Download-only/M/B006GK73K8.htm also has software Alchemy too which uses the CPU.
So if you're stuck with on board audio you could try out Realteks Soundback or Alchemy in MB2 software and see if you hear a difference. I can but I'm using my sound cards hardware to do it and not the CPU.
How to optimize Headphone surround:
X-Fi Game mode settings:
Speakers set to Headphones.
24bit Crystalizer set to 50%. Depending on the game. If the game has really compressed audio then I crank it to 100%. (However this says above 50 it will distort. Unless driver updates have fixed the issue? http://techreport.com/articles.x/8884/3 Still playing with it.) You’d have to decide if you like it on 50% or all the way to 100% or off.
According to this: http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Genera...-Review/Feature-24bit-Crystalizer-and-Testing "The X-Fi leverages its ability to up-convert signals to 24-bit / 96 kHz by providing a feature called "24-bit Crystalizer". Since not every input signal is 24-bit (i.e. CDs and MP3s are 16-bit), the extra bits added during the upconversion gives the X-Fi an extra bits of audio to play with per piece of data. For example, a 16-bit sample has an extra 8 bits of information for a total of 24-bits. With these extra 8 bits, Creative uses a process to enhance the audio to make bass sound deeper, or bullets a bit more punchy. The catch here is that the sound card needs to be able to intelligently detect these instances and apply the appropriate effect. Otherwise those 8 bits just go to waste. "
CMSS-3D MacroFX & ElevationFilter set to Auto (maybe some games need this to be set to ON. Haven't noticed yet.)
The following disabled: EQ, SVM & Bass boost.
Master volume set to 12 as my new Headphones have no real volume control. (When set to 50 the left and right channel now stay at 50 thanks to Daniel_ks work. With the Creative drivers I had to set it to 67 for the left and right to be at 50.)
Go in the Windows speaker settings and select 7.1 (some games may like 5.1 better) with full range ticked. (This is mainly for games that check the Windows Speaker settings before selecting there Speaker mode as some games let you choose in there audio settings and others rely on what the Windows speaker configuration is set too.) The X-Fi Game mode will still be on Headphones.
On the Speaker properties under Advanced under Default Format: 24 bit, 96000 hz. (48000 hz if the game complains.)
How to optimize Stereo speakers surround:
The same as above applies except:
In the Windows Speaker settings you have to select Stereo. If you select 7.1 it will do it for the X-Fi Game mode too. You only do that for Headphones.
Now if you don’t have a subwoofer tick full range. If you do then untick it.
Now click the THX Settings button and set your Speaker Position and Speaker Level.
If you look at the picture the default is have both Speakers slighty angled pointing toward you.
Once you get that setup your good to go!
If you switch to 2.1 and Headphones. You will have to set the Windows Speaker settings to 7.1 every time you select Headphones.
As cool as my X-Fi card is I use my on-board Realtek card for my Mic as it has Noise Suppression and Acoustic Echo Cancellation.
Check it out.
(If you only have Onboard audio scroll down to "if you don’t have hardware sound you can still use DirectSound 3D and it will use your CPU".):
First of all if you have a Creative card you will have best results using Daniel_Ks fixed drivers and software: http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=327083 as he provides the most up to date software and fixes. (You can search for Daniel_K on the Creative forums for update releases that were missed on the Guru3d thread being slowly updated by going here and searching: http://forums.creative.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6)
*Make sure to properly uninstall the Creative Driver and software before installing Daniel_Ks stuff. Here's how properly and effectively do this to prevent any issues*
Follow this to properly remove it before installing the Daniel_K stuff:
Do you have CCleaner installed? If not snag it.
Go in control panel click on Programs and Features. Click on installed on to organized by recent then look for the following(If using the Creative stuff some might be missing): OpenAL, THX Setup Console, SoundFont Bank Manager, Dolby Digital Live Pack, DTS Connect Pack, Volume Panel, Creative Sound Blaster Properties, AutoMode Switcher, Creative Console Launcher, Creative Audio Control Panel, DDL and DTS Connect License Acivation, Creative ALchemy.
Uninstall all the Creative stuff. If it asks to restart, don't do it yet untill you have it all removed.
Once it's all uninstalled. Restart.
Now open up Computer. Click on the C: drive and type Creative in the search bar. Delete all the Creative folders that pop up. Now restart in Safemode (Press F8 before the Windows loading logo pops up). In Safemode load up CCleaner click on Registry and click scan for issues and then click fix. Do it a few times. Once it's all cleaned.
Right click on Computer and goto Properties click on hardware and click the plus by Sound, video and game controllers. Find the X-Fi driver and right click on it and select uninstall and click the checkbox to delete the driver.
Restart again.
Install the correct Driver pack for your sound card by Daniel_K.
How to enable Direct Sound 3D sound (hardware sound if you have the proper sound card) for example Source Engine games:
Use Creative Alchemy and add your games by clicking add game and using the game path where the .exe of the source engine game is (Source SDK and SDK 2007 for mods).
Then set Buffers 5 and Duration 10. Leave voices at 128. Click OK. (Only applies for Source engine games. Other games may use the default or use different values.)
Now click the right arrow to add them.
Now load up your Source game Open the console by pressing ~ (enable this in the keyboard settings) and type in snd_legacy_surround 1 and press enter. Do this for each Source engine game.
Make sure the in game audio settings is set to 7.1 too.
This will enable 3D hardware sound. Enjoy! Yes it sounds better than the games DSP engine. Even better than turning on dsp_enhance_stereo 1 setting too.
For other games check out: http://connect.creativelabs.com/alchemy/Lists/Games/AllItems.aspx
Now if you don’t have hardware sound you can still use DirectSound 3D and it will use your CPU just like the games current DSP uses. However the audio should sound better but I am unsure how it compares to real hardware audio?
Realtek does have a program like Alchemy called 3D SoundBack: http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/ (In order to get it to work. After you install it you have to right click on the SoundBack program and select properties then click the compatibility tab and click Run this program in compatibility mode for and select Windows Vista on the list and click OK for it to run)
This does the same thing restoring Direct Sound 3D effects. However being on board audio it would use the CPU instead of the Audios hardware if you had a sound card that was capable.
You can also do a search on Realtek Mod that uses modded X-Fi software on the card. Again it would use the CPU for the effects.
There is also Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB2 software: http://us.store.creative.com/Sound-Blaster-XFi-MB2-Download-only/M/B006GK73K8.htm also has software Alchemy too which uses the CPU.
So if you're stuck with on board audio you could try out Realteks Soundback or Alchemy in MB2 software and see if you hear a difference. I can but I'm using my sound cards hardware to do it and not the CPU.
How to optimize Headphone surround:
X-Fi Game mode settings:
Speakers set to Headphones.
24bit Crystalizer set to 50%. Depending on the game. If the game has really compressed audio then I crank it to 100%. (However this says above 50 it will distort. Unless driver updates have fixed the issue? http://techreport.com/articles.x/8884/3 Still playing with it.) You’d have to decide if you like it on 50% or all the way to 100% or off.
According to this: http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Genera...-Review/Feature-24bit-Crystalizer-and-Testing "The X-Fi leverages its ability to up-convert signals to 24-bit / 96 kHz by providing a feature called "24-bit Crystalizer". Since not every input signal is 24-bit (i.e. CDs and MP3s are 16-bit), the extra bits added during the upconversion gives the X-Fi an extra bits of audio to play with per piece of data. For example, a 16-bit sample has an extra 8 bits of information for a total of 24-bits. With these extra 8 bits, Creative uses a process to enhance the audio to make bass sound deeper, or bullets a bit more punchy. The catch here is that the sound card needs to be able to intelligently detect these instances and apply the appropriate effect. Otherwise those 8 bits just go to waste. "
CMSS-3D MacroFX & ElevationFilter set to Auto (maybe some games need this to be set to ON. Haven't noticed yet.)
The following disabled: EQ, SVM & Bass boost.
Master volume set to 12 as my new Headphones have no real volume control. (When set to 50 the left and right channel now stay at 50 thanks to Daniel_ks work. With the Creative drivers I had to set it to 67 for the left and right to be at 50.)
Go in the Windows speaker settings and select 7.1 (some games may like 5.1 better) with full range ticked. (This is mainly for games that check the Windows Speaker settings before selecting there Speaker mode as some games let you choose in there audio settings and others rely on what the Windows speaker configuration is set too.) The X-Fi Game mode will still be on Headphones.
On the Speaker properties under Advanced under Default Format: 24 bit, 96000 hz. (48000 hz if the game complains.)
How to optimize Stereo speakers surround:
The same as above applies except:
In the Windows Speaker settings you have to select Stereo. If you select 7.1 it will do it for the X-Fi Game mode too. You only do that for Headphones.
Now if you don’t have a subwoofer tick full range. If you do then untick it.
Now click the THX Settings button and set your Speaker Position and Speaker Level.
If you look at the picture the default is have both Speakers slighty angled pointing toward you.
Once you get that setup your good to go!
If you switch to 2.1 and Headphones. You will have to set the Windows Speaker settings to 7.1 every time you select Headphones.
As cool as my X-Fi card is I use my on-board Realtek card for my Mic as it has Noise Suppression and Acoustic Echo Cancellation.
Check it out.
Last edited:
Facebook
Twitter