[Zorlac]

I am just talking about native OpenAL games such as Lord of the Rings Online. If I run in Hardware audio mode, then there is no sound. If I switch over to Software audio mode, then there is sound. Checking/unchecking EAX in game does not seem to have any effect. The Hardware/software mode and EAX settings are all in game in the config panel.

I'm pretty sure I have read elsewhere too that the Auzentech Prelude X-Fi will not support hardware acceleration in games out through the optical/coax SPDIF. Auzen themselves told me I would have to turn on Dolby Digital Live.

It does sound like Creative Labs' own X-Fi cards do not have this problem. I may just try out the Titanium and take it back if it does not work.

I have NO problems getting bit perfect audio to my DAC via Foobar w/WASAPI. My problem is strictly with *hardware accelerated* audio in games not working.

 

[Bones13]

I also play LOTRO ( switched form WoW for the LOTRO beta). I will preface my comments with the fact that I listen to music (via foobar or iTunes) during my evenings of play. Any game music/sound effect always gets too repetative for my liking. I will occaisionally turn on the voice part when forced, but really don't prefer it.

I think that setup of the sound card make some difference on what is supported, and what works/not works. If you switch the XFi cards to "bit-perfect" as instructed in the audiophile guides here on HeadFi, I am pretty sure that EAX is turned off, along with all other sound processing. If you are doing gaming and audiophile listening, you will be switching from 'game mode" to "audio creation" mode to get the best of each of these.

I had always thought that only the Creative cards had the EAX at the hardware level, with the others running software versions. But then I have always stuck with the Creative cards.

 

[Zorlac]

Yeah...I always use Audio Creation mode with Bitperfect output turned on.

I have tried Game mode, but LOTRO still will not play sounds in Hardware acceleration mode in game.

I am convinced this (hardware acceleration when using SPDIF OUT not working) is a limitation of Auzentech's version of the X-Fi (aka Prelude). So...I think I am going to try a Creative Labs X-Fi (aka Titanium).

Will let you know the results once I test.

 

[Zorlac]

I got the "Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series" sound card.

And I am happy to report that I think it is working the way I want. I have the latest driver and pulled up the "Audio Control Panel". There is a tab called "SPDIF I/O". I had to check the box next to "Play Stereo Mix using Digital Output" in the "Digital Output" section.

Now I can select the normal X-Fi option in the Lord of the Rings Online audio config section instead of having to select generic software audio.

So is the X-Fi now using its own DAC and ADC before it outputs via optical out?

...so yeah, my OCD is not over yet (more questions):

1. How the hell do you prove that hardware accelerated OpenAL, EAX features, EAX effects, etc., are enabled and working???? Creative Labs could market just about any new feature in EAX and the listener would have no way to prove its working it seems... Is there software to analyze which EAX features are supported, which are being used, etc.?

2. Do you really have to be in Game Mode in order to take advantage of hardware acceleration and EAX feature/effects in games? It seems to me that Audio Creation Mode can support these "optionally" from what I have read online. What does optionally mean?? heh

3. How do I prove that I am getting bit perfect output in Audio Creation Mode? I need some way to monitor the SPDIF optical output via hardware or software. Someone here has to know the answer to this without hooking my card into a multi-thousand dollar home theater amp to find out.

 

[j0shimi]

Game Mode supports EAX 5.0 whereas Audio Creation Mode only supports up to EAX 3.0
You can look up the difference in EAX here:

Environmental audio extensions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Audio Creation mode's main panel you can set the option to Bit-Perfect.

I still don't understand why you had problems with your Prelude? As I have stated before, I get full EAX support through my Toslink to DAC without the use of DDL. The Prelude is as much an X-Fi card as the titanium, they only use different OPAMPs.

 

[hohum]

Just going to bump this thread, as I've come across the same problem that Zorlac did... albeit with one of Creative's own cards (an OEM X-FI XtremeMusic). It's not possible to play any hardware accelerated audio or EAX effects over S/PDIF without a DDL plugin (which is useless to me, as I want Stereo PCM). This may be a Vista specific problem, not sure... I don't have XP anymore, so I'm unable to test.

Now, what Zorlac was able to do is:
Quote:

I had to check the box next to "Play Stereo Mix using Digital Output" in the "Digital Output" section

This would indeed fix the problem, as it simply dumps the post-mixed content that Windows captures from the soundcard down S/PDIF as standard PCM. Unfortunately, that's not possible with some cards such as the one I have here, for the simple reason that the 'stereo mix' device under the recording tab does not exist. So, as soon as you try and play any game using OpenAL (that's either natively coded or is using the Alchemy wrapper), you hear nothing whatsoever.

I'm fairly certain it's not fixable as it seems to be down to certain OEM hardware revisions not having the same features. I believe this may be down to copyright concerns - OEM vendors don't want to face lawsuits against them because their machines allow people to easily pirate protected audio content, so the stereo mix feature is made unavailable. Anyway, just thought I'd share my findings.

 

[43st]

I've been trying to find a way around this for the last few days myself. It's quite unfortunate that the Prelude's hardware sound can't be used at all without going back to the analog outputs. Kinda makes the inclusion of the X-fi chip worthless.

I'm using Vista 64 at the moment and I have no idea why this would work in XP and not Vista. Does anyone know if Vista64 and the Auzen Forte has the same issue?

BTW, I did try Virtual Audio Cable and it did work. But with some pretty unacceptable latency.

 

[Zorlac]

The new Forte apparently fixes this problem and has the "Play Stereo Mix using Digital Output" setting. I will most likely be purchasing it for my next build. I also like the fact that it has a Coaxial SPDIF whereas the Titanium only has Optical SPDIF.

 

[43st]

Yeah, I saw your comment in the xtremesystems.org thread, as well as the picture that clearly showed Vista + Settings panel + "Play Stereo Mix using Digital Output".

I kinda hate to base a purchase off of scant information but the card should be showing up tomorrow.

EDIT: Forte arrived and installed, sending the stereo mix to the digital output works perfectly! (on Vista 64)

 

[sonci]

Sorry, to bump this thread again,
My gaming PC was long time unused, but this new Wolfenstein reminds me the good times..

since my xfi platinum analog out is ruined due to modding, I have to chose between an external receiver connected to xfi SPIDF, or another xfi card such as Prelude,

I`m using Windows7, does anybody know for sure if EAX 5.1, is fully transportable to external receiver by spidf?
I`m reading controversy posts especially on Newegg,
also is it true, that : even if it works analog out is better anyway, because multichannel sound is uncompressed?

I`m only interested on 5.1 sound as I dont use Headphones..

 

[Necrolic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Planar_head /img/forum/go_quote.gif I doubt that the Titanium would be any different. Because all the sound processing is going out to a DAC, the sound card can't apply it's special sauce to the sound. You must use the sound card's DAC for EAX and the like.

Incorrect. EAX/CMSS-3D both worked out of the SPDIF Out of my Forte before I returned it due to the buzzing noise.

 

[SoFGR]

wait a minute, that famous x-fi forte buzzing noise is audible when using SPDIF-coaxial cables too ? I thought that i was only happenng when you used the analog headphone jack output. Please clarify

@ zorlac : you can verify that you are getting true bitperfect output simply by adjusting the master volume setting in windows while gaming, if you hear no difference in the volume output when you set the master volume to say :0% then you definately hve bitperfect output working

About the gaming mode, afaik EAX 3.0+ is only available in game mode, same thing applies to BF2/BF2142 x-fi mode - ultra high audio quality setting. So if you are playing a game without EAX 3.0+ support you can use audio creation mode instead. Hardware audio acceleration should still work fine i guess.

 

[ROBSCIX]

When I tested the Forte through digital all the cards effects would be heard over S/Pdif connection. Althoguh for normal S.Pdif output you would only get stereo and need to enable a digital enocder such as Dolby digitla live to get surround over digital output.

 

[sonci]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoFGR /img/forum/go_quote.gif wait a minute, that famous x-fi forte buzzing noise is audible when using SPDIF-coaxial cables too ? I thought that i was only happenng when you used the analog headphone jack output. Please clarify .

I can't get convinced by pci express soundcards, probably the Prelude is still the way to go for xfi cards,

I don't understand if Dolby Digital Live is a good thing, or it just ruins the sound..

 

[_Spanky_]

I recently went through a bunch of emails and about 3 support people trying to find an answer to this. Summarized, this is what was said:

- All features may not work properly in Windows 7 in the current driver.
They HAD a beta but that was months back and they have yet to publically release it.

- S/PDIF will not transport EAX, CMSS3D or other effects on any Creative card.
I find this hard to believe given the proof about mixing stereo over S/PDIF but I asked them about this and asked if it uses the internal DAC making the use of an external DAC pointless. They didn't really reply, just got stuck in another useless information circle.

This conversation was the most recent one. I e-mailed them after reading this thread oddly enough. The first time I e-mailed them they said it was possible, now I get these conflicting statements. To my knowledge, you can buy the DDL pack and apparently have EAX mixed with 5.1 and sent over S/PDIF but you need a Dolby receiver to decode it. The possibility of EAX with stereo S/PDIF is anyones guess. I plan to try it in less than a week with my X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro. I did set the default sound device to S/PDIF out on Windows 7 and then loaded up BF2 with the audio set to X-Fi Ultra Quality and the little volume meter in the sound panel acted like no sound was being passed through which would support one of the posts in this thread. However, I get the same results when using WASAPI through S/PDIF output in Foobar so... again, it's anyones guess. I will post back my findings.