Z-5500 Settings Advice + Audigy 2 ZS Gamer

[snapper316]

Hello, I recently purchased these two, and upon searching the forums was unable to find a solution to my exact problem.

I currently have my control pod on 6 Ch Audio, and then the Audigy 2 ZS and windows settings on 5.1/5.1

When playing a game, I.e. WoW, UT2004, and others. there is no sound from the center speaker. I'll talk to a Person in game (Clicking them makes them talk...) and rotate my character around, the sound goes from front right(loud) to rear right, rear left, front left(loud), and then NOTHING in the center. A very feignt sound comes from FR and FL, and sounds as if it is thinking it's coming through the center.

Also say, firing a gun on UT2004 is VERY feignt(from FR/FL), as if it believes its using the center channel as well....

PL1 or PL2 I do not want to go into because that ruins the rear speakers and the "3d surround" effect.

If anyone has any suggestions on how I should set the software or what to enable/disable that would be excellent.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Heckler 5th]

i may be wrong but most games send out sound streams in stereo (front left & front right channels) only, not DD5.1. so unless you set your sound card or speakers to create a "bastardized" 5.1 matrix for you (i.e. prologic II), you won't have any sound sent to the center channel.

does your center channel work if you play a DD5.1-encoded source such as a DVD on your computer? make sure your DVD player software outputs DD5.1 first, tho.

 

[snapper316]

Hmmm...okay. maybe I will set it to 4 speakers when playing games. just seems like a big waste of a center speaker :

I will test later today with Optical and PS2 and stuff...who knows...

I had the z-560's and noises seemed louder from the center of the monitor standpoitn(gun view, etc)

 

[LOUISSSSS]

maybe try and make sure your speaker switch setting is the same as the SB creative software setting...

 

[snapper316]

Well... I can at least say plugging the z-5500's straight into my DVD player optical sounded amazing.....so maybe I'll live with sub-par PC Game sound location...and set everything for 4.1 or just surround speakers. so that hopefully I can get full volume from my FR and FL speaks

 

[Ghouler]

if you are using 6 channel direct analog inputs on z5500 then make sure you plugged cables into the right outputs on the rear of Audigy 2 zs. Going from firewire you have line out 3 (sub and center), line out 2 (rear) and line out 1 (front).
If that is the way you have them plugged and you are getting no center, unplug the cable from line out 3 i.e. jack next to firewire slot and replace it with headphones.
When you load a game you should be hearing center channel in the left headphone.
This means there is something wrong with either the cable or settings on z5500.
If you cannot hear anything in headphones the problem is within PC.
Then make sure you have selected 5.1. and "digital output only" is UNticked. Check the sound settings in the game, too.

 

[snapper316]

Originally posted by: Ghouler
if you are using 6 channel direct analog inputs on z5500 then make sure you plugged cables into the right outputs on the rear of Audigy 2 zs. Going from firewire you have line out 3 (sub and center), line out 2 (rear) and line out 1 (front).
If that is the way you have them plugged and you are getting no center, unplug the cable from line out 3 i.e. jack next to firewire slot and replace it with headphones.
When you load a game you should be hearing center channel in the left headphone.
This means there is something wrong with either the cable or settings on z5500.
If you cannot hear anything in headphones the problem is within PC.
Then make sure you have selected 5.1. and "digital output only" is UNticked. Check the sound settings in the game, too.

LOL. No comment man.... I don't know how I did it, but with 3 orange stickers on the Audigy 2 ZS sticker cover thingy, I was using the wrong slot!!! Everyone's a noob sometimes. Thank you!