[Mad Lust Envy]

So The Division 2 does it's own HRTF? If so do you just need to select the "Headphone" profile in the audio settings and make sure any additional hardware or software VSS one might have is disabled?

I've been playing it with the "Home Cinema" profile and Atmos for Headphones and it's good, but not great.

I'll have to test. I play Division 2 myself. I've been using GSX.

PC of course.

 

[KR1SeS]

I'll have to test. I play Division 2 myself. I've been using GSX.

PC of course.

I'm on PC as well. I was using Atmos for Headphones and with the "Headphones" profile in game it didn't sound as good as the "Home Cinema" profile. I'm now wondering if this is because the "Headphone" profile already has it's own HRTF and if that's the case I should be comparing the following:

• Atmos for Headphones (or any VSS) off with The Division 2 audio profile set to "Headphones"
• Atmos for Headphones (or any VSS) on with The Division 2 audio profile set to "Home Cinema" (or anything other than "Headphones")

Thoughts?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

No, when you use stuff like Atmos, you MUST set games to stuff like Home Cinema. Remember, it's supposed to be taking a home theater setup and turning that into virtual surround. You MUST NOT put games into headphone modes when using virtual surround dsps, like Atmos, SBX, Dolby Headphone, GSX, etc.

As far as the Headphone option in Division 2, it's a far cry from virtual surround. It ain't no Atmos, that's for sure. It's marginally better than just stereo as it projects out front, but rear cues are still within the headspace, at the very least, the front to back audio cues sound very different, so it's definitely useful if you don't have any virtual surround dsps.

 

[mindbomb]

Usually, what the headphone setting does is tell the game where your speakers are located - like straight to the left and straight to the right, as opposed to speakers, which are front left and front right. This has implications for how the game pans the audio when the player turns.

Good audio pans help with direction, so this is an important setting.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Makes sense. I never thought of that, and always assumed it was some attempt at making a specific algorithm to make the sound more suited to headphones and appear more dimensional. I'm sure there ARE instances like that, which makes the headphone setting at times like a distinct htrf made for headphones, but what you're saying makes a helluva lot more sense in the grand scheme.

 

[Fegefeuer]

I simply don't get how a studio with Ubisoft's talent and financial power is still incosistent in delivering audio quality and technologies while maintaing high end graphics. Look at those Assassins's Creed Games. Even the latest installment, AC:Odyssey has a sound quality that is from the worse parts of the PS360 era. I'm guessing it's the same for the FC5 which I called "telephone quality" years ago regarding its predecessors. I simply don't get it.

Then you have Capcom who provide Dolby Atmos and their own binaural approach to their latest game, on RE7, Monster Hunter etc.. In defense of Ubisoft DMC5 seems not to have any of that 3D Audio either.
At least EA (I don't play their games since many years) is consistent with good sound on their mainline games. (Battlefield, SWB), at least in regards to sound quality.

How hard can it be with such talent to provide support for object based audio in (highly successful) games that would hugely benefit from it? (Wildlands, Division 2)

 

[Nemmera]

No, when you use stuff like Atmos, you MUST set games to stuff like Home Cinema. Remember, it's supposed to be taking a home theater setup and turning that into virtual surround. You MUST NOT put games into headphone modes when using virtual surround dsps, like Atmos, SBX, Dolby Headphone, GSX, etc.

As far as the Headphone option in Division 2, it's a far cry from virtual surround. It ain't no Atmos, that's for sure. It's marginally better than just stereo as it projects out front, but rear cues are still within the headspace, at the very least, the front to back audio cues sound very different, so it's definitely useful if you don't have any virtual surround dsps.

Maybe I've been too amazed by the "random feel of surround" using headphone mode and not critically analyzed how it does surround.

What are your thoughts on Atmos with Home Cinema setting in TD2 then? I saw some reports of people's sound cutting out when playing it with Atmos enabled, so I steered clear initially.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Maybe I've been too amazed by the "random feel of surround" using headphone mode and not critically analyzed how it does surround.

What are your thoughts on Atmos with Home Cinema setting in TD2 then? I saw some reports of people's sound cutting out when playing it with Atmos enabled, so I steered clear initially.

The sound is UNDENIABLY messed up in TD2 no matter what you use. A lot of sounds, voices, etc are outright missing, even when the subtitles are going a mile a minute. They screwed the pooch in terms of sounds atm.

I'm gonna stop testing Atmos on PC because I still feel my PC is not doing it right. It's like the room size/surround size is like at 10% instead of a moderate 50/65% or so. Better than stereo and whatnot, but I really think having done all those internal system settings with Hesuvi all that time ago messed my system up.

I say that because every demo I see of Atmos online sounds more like a virtual surround I expect.

At the very least the important stuff like enemies, shots, and sound effects are all fine in terms of the game not having those muted. It's more like part of the world ambience is messed up in this game.

 

[Vader2k]

New driver and firmware released for the Sound BlasterX G6 today. Both can be found HERE.

From the reddit post where I saw this mentioned, here's the list of fixes / updates:

Software:

• Fix BSOD issue with certain USB hubs and connections
• Improve G6 page load time after hotplug
• Add controls for Noise Reduction, Acoustic Echo Cancellation and SmartVol for microphone input
• Add Voice Enhancer for microphone input
• Fix Speaker test not working in Russian language
• Fix incorrect Speaker test sounds in Korean and Polish
• Fix Cannot play Speaker Channel Test
• Fix Microphone page not appearing after HotPlug
• Unable to turn off LED indicator for Direct mode and Volume Control
• Reorganize Menu system for easy access

Firmware:

• Improved Surround, SmartVol, Dialog+ effects
• Improved microphone recording quality and latency *
• Improved respond time when switching modes
• Add controls for Noise Reduction, Acoustic Echo Cancellation and SmartVol for microphone input
• Add Voice Enhancer for microphone input
• Fix Clicking/popping noise when playing 32bit audio
• Fix Scout/SBX/Direct mode status not syncing with software in certain conditions
• Fix Dolby Digital decoding stops working in certain conditions
• Fix Device not detected when switching modes
• Fix Device disconnect during power up
• Fix Direct mode status not updated when triggered through button
• Fix Mic recording related issues caused by certain events

* turn off all Mic related processing/effects for sidetone latency fix

I haven't downloaded yet, but looks like a nice list of improvements!

 

[DrKrFfXx]

New driver and firmware released for the Sound BlasterX G6 today. Both can be found HERE.

From the reddit post where I saw this mentioned, here's the list of fixes / updates:

Software:

• Fix BSOD issue with certain USB hubs and connections
• Improve G6 page load time after hotplug
• Add controls for Noise Reduction, Acoustic Echo Cancellation and SmartVol for microphone input
• Add Voice Enhancer for microphone input
• Fix Speaker test not working in Russian language
• Fix incorrect Speaker test sounds in Korean and Polish
• Fix Cannot play Speaker Channel Test
• Fix Microphone page not appearing after HotPlug
• Unable to turn off LED indicator for Direct mode and Volume Control
• Reorganize Menu system for easy access

Firmware:

• Improved Surround, SmartVol, Dialog+ effects
• Improved microphone recording quality and latency *
• Improved respond time when switching modes
• Add controls for Noise Reduction, Acoustic Echo Cancellation and SmartVol for microphone input
• Add Voice Enhancer for microphone input
• Fix Clicking/popping noise when playing 32bit audio
• Fix Scout/SBX/Direct mode status not syncing with software in certain conditions
• Fix Dolby Digital decoding stops working in certain conditions
• Fix Device not detected when switching modes
• Fix Device disconnect during power up
• Fix Direct mode status not updated when triggered through button
• Fix Mic recording related issues caused by certain events

* turn off all Mic related processing/effects for sidetone latency fix

I haven't downloaded yet, but looks like a nice list of improvements!

A source selector on the fly, without having to disconnect or resort to the SBX software would be great.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

You know what's ironic? I JUST checked the site yesterday since I hadn't used it in awhile and updated it yesterday. Lol. So here we go again...

 

[Find the Door]

X7 also got an update Feb 21st no one posted it

 

[vloshko]

I never posted this to this thread (first post), though I'm sure I let MLE know at some point. Anyway, I posted this thread in my steam guide.

 

[mindbomb]

I never posted this to this thread (first post), though I'm sure I let MLE know at some point. Anyway, I posted this thread in my steam guide.

On bit depth, I will suggest 24 bit, because it can help under some circumstances, but it won't hurt. The selection here determines the final conversion from a 32 bit intermediate format, so you aren't preventing an upconversion by selecting 16 bit. But using 16 bit can hurt you if you are using a very low volume level in windows. Let's say you have a motherboard that can do 105db dynamic range in 24 bit mode, and 96 db in 16 bit (the maximum for 16 bit). And then let's say this motherboard happens to output a high voltage on the headphone jack, and you use IEMs or something so you end up using 5% volume in windows. 5% volume in windows is around -45db (the scaling is weird). This means you are going to lose 45db off your dynamic range. So with the 16 bit setting, you are down to 51db dynamic range, but 60db with 24 bit. It's a modest improvement that is nice to have. This applies even for 16 bit starting material.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Guys ok, so testing the G6 today, it does seem to output Dolby Digital to the optical out. I have it set to SPDIF Direct, and my PC setting the G6 to 7 speakers

This is noteworthy, because last I remember, it DIDN'T send Dolby Digital through the spdif output.

By that, I mean that now I'm able to get Dolby Headphone from my Mixamp 5.8 while it is attached to the G6. This is significant for me, because otherwise, I wouldn't be able to get DD from my PC with just the Mixamp 5.8.

So either I had it set up wrong, or at some point the G6 passed didn't pass Dolby through the optical out at some point.