TS2013 and EFX Audio Issues

[scefhwil]

I don't have any of the control panel options enabled, and as my card is only an Audio version I don't have any mode options to choose from.

Driver version: 6.10.0.209, Driver date: 27/08/2009 (Win7 64)

I have a 2.1 speaker setup, what about you? Using headphones I can clearly hear the 3D positioning.

I've spotted in other threads that setting the hardware accelaration using DXDiag has cured some peoples other issues.

[x5pgr]

I devoted most of Saturday to a fresh install/download of TS2013 – decide on a clean start. So far quite impressed and there does seem to be a noticeable performance improvement. However I also suffer from intermittent sound cut outs as described by ‘ttjph’ I ran Dxdiag to look at the hardware acceleration as suggested by others but that does not offer any options to me to change hardware acceleration – I am using the on board SoundMax Integrated Digital HD Audio on my Asus Motherboard and Vista 32 bit.

One thing I did notice from running Dxdiag was that it tells me that I have DirectX 11 whereas I notice that the Direct X installer in the Railworks\Install folder appears to be DirectX 9. Not sure whether the DirectX version is relevant here or not.

Having done a fresh install to Drive C I have found that this drive now appears heavily fragmented so I am go to do an in depth defrag and see whether that improves the situation before trying anything else.

Peter

[smartie38]

Scratch what I said, directional sound isn't working, weirdly it seems to for certain sounds, for alot it doesn't! I say it works for some as I had the camera view on one of the platforms at paddington and I could clearly hear rolling stock approaching from the left or right, yet I've just had a go with the hst and the directional sound isn't working!

I can see why RSC chose to use OpenAL soft though, if I read the documentation right it enables efx effects on all sound cards/onboard sound solutions which is great, no need for a dedicated card with eax/efx support, although those cards offer hardware accelerated sound unlike the software alternative of OpenAL soft, but it seems there is problems with directional sound, I wonder if it's just x-fi cards effected or whether it's the same for any card/onboard sound.

[JustRight]

Scratch what I said, directional sound isn't working, weirdly it seems to for certain sounds, for alot it doesn't! I say it works for some as I had the camera view on one of the platforms at paddington and I could clearly hear rolling stock approaching from the left or right, yet I've just had a go with the hst and the directional sound isn't working!

If you have a Creative based sound card, give my little hack a try. Seems to work for me, and a couple of others that have posted here.

I understand why RSC would have chosen OpenAL Soft, but I wonder if it causes issues with Creatve cards that actually support this stuff in hardware?

[JustRight]

I don't have any of the control panel options enabled, and as my card is only an Audio version I don't have any mode options to choose from.

Driver version: 6.10.0.209, Driver date: 27/08/2009 (Win7 64)

I have a 2.1 speaker setup, what about you? Using headphones I can clearly hear the 3D positioning.

I've spotted in other threads that setting the hardware accelaration using DXDiag has cured some peoples other issues.

Thanks for the reply mate.

I am using an X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro (PCIe) with a 4.1 speaker setup. I might try switching off all the native options like EAX and CMSS-3D etc. Although so far I have had no success at all getting the OpenAL Soft driver provided by TS2013 to do anything but produce a monophonic sound stage with a bit of occlusion and reverb.

Why is nothing straightforward

[DavidVI]

Thought i'd post here rather than making a new thread.

For some reason my Class37's are now really quiet. Almost quieter than driving an electric locomotive. I've reinstalled the AP class37 Pro soundpack and still same results. I remember enjoying the hell out of the AP soundpack in TS2012 but now I seem to be missing something. Other vanilla locos have engine sounds.

I don't have a Creative card, i'm using the onboard HD sound with 7.1 speakers so the new audio engine was a welcomed change, until I grabbed a 37.

Any ideas?

Update: I forgot to turn EFX back on after installing, this changed it a bit but it's still much louder outside, the cab seems really quiet.. I suppose it might be back to normal though, i'd have to check out other locos

[NSWR67]

Hey JustRight !

I've been enjoying the sound experience that OpenAL brings but thought that there was just something missing and you've 'hit the nail on the head'.

For me, this is quite evident in driving the Class 86 in WCML Nth. In TS2012 I would jump into an outside view (Shift+2) whilst driving and you could really hear the difference in sound played through my headphones when pressing the arrow keys to move around. In TS2013 it's just a non changing mono experience.

I'm running a Creative X-FI Extreme Gamer with the latest drivers and have tried altering various settings in the Creative software to no avail.

As I no longer have a backup of the TS2012 OpenAL32.dll I'll have to wait for RSC to offer a solution (when and if that'll be is anyones' guess).

Two steps forward and one step back yet again.

Cheers,

Steve.

[rededge]

Good spot on the lack of directional audio, and thanks for the fix - worked for me.

Two other sound-related issues:

1) Before applying this fix, I had issues with TS losing sound completely (including the initial game loading sequence). This was despite having played it fine earlier in the same morning, no reboot or anything.

2) Has anyone else noticed issues with sound cutting out for a split second, at semi-regular intervals (15-35 seconds)? I've had it now with the 66 and with an HST, although I didn't notice it with a (sound-pack-applied) SD40-2.

I have the same sound drop outs as described in 2) above, and have tried JustRight's suggestions also to no avail (although this is for the surround sound I know). Is there any further comment on this issue? I have updated drivers, cleared cache, etc.

Whilst it isn't "gamebreaking" it is simply an annoyance, and now I almost subconsciously look for it...
I did try physically removing the soundcard I have (Creative Audigy SE PCI) and reverting to onboard device, but this gave the same result, curiously.

I have emailed RSC support, and await response! Hopefully they will at least acknowledge there is an issue with this.

[AndyUK]

I have the same sound drop outs as described in 2) above, and have tried JustRight's suggestions also to no avail (although this is for the surround sound I know). Is there any further comment on this issue? I have updated drivers, cleared cache, etc..

In my case they seem to coincide with a very brief visual pause as scenery loads. Although the loading pauses are much reduced over TS2012 the audible clue that seems to accompany them now on occasions makes them almost more noticeable. I too have informed RSC.

Andy L

[Retro]

I have the same sound drop outs as described in 2) above, and have tried JustRight's suggestions also to no avail (although this is for the surround sound I know). Is there any further comment on this issue? I have updated drivers, cleared cache, etc..

In my case they seem to coincide with a very brief visual pause as scenery loads. Although the loading pauses are much reduced over TS2012 the audible clue that seems to accompany them now on occasions makes them almost more noticeable. I too have informed RSC.

Andy L

Same here.
Kind regards James.

[scefhwil]

Well, I was being to doubt my own ears, so have double checked with headphones and I do indeed have positional effects.

There are a few command line options that you guys might like to try (some may only work in windowed mode):-

-ShowSoundDeviceSelector - I just get OpenAL Soft in my list

-ForceSWMix - No detrimental effect for me

Stuart

[NSWR67]

Ok,

I've flagged this with RSC and this is their reply:

"The game now features its own version of Open AL the X-Fi card will conflict with it, please disable it in your sound card to allow the games version to function, this will prevent any conflict.

This affects a number of sound cards Sound Blaster and Audigy as well."

With the above in mind does anyone here now how to disable Open AL on the sound card to allow Open AL Soft to function ?

Steve.

[fransonline]

....
2) Has anyone else noticed issues with sound cutting out for a split second, at semi-regular intervals (15-35 seconds)? I've had it now with the 66 and with an HST, although I didn't notice it with a (sound-pack-applied) SD40-2....

"Glad" to hear I'm not the only one with these irritating sound stutters since version 2013.
I also have a Creative X-Fi Platinum sound card in Windows 7 and can't find what causes this issue.

I am also contacting support from Railsimulator.com, but so far with no solution.

[glowball]

I too suffer from the 2013 sound stutters.

I have been trying out the fix reported earlier and it does vastly improve the sound experience but possibly could also be causing problems.. the opening screens text no longer aligns with the thump sounds and I have been experiencing loss of engine sounds at times. I need to go back and replicate a particular problem with and without the fix before I can be certain... and with & without EAX on. Creative's 3D mode doesn't have any effect.

Win7 64, X-Fi Titanium & headphones.

[rededge]

I have the same sound drop outs as described in 2) above, and have tried JustRight's suggestions also to no avail (although this is for the surround sound I know). Is there any further comment on this issue? I have updated drivers, cleared cache, etc..

In my case they seem to coincide with a very brief visual pause as scenery loads. Although the loading pauses are much reduced over TS2012 the audible clue that seems to accompany them now on occasions makes them almost more noticeable. I too have informed RSC.

Andy L

Received a reply referring to a fix for XP (even though I described my system and said I was using W7 64bit) about reducing the hardware acceleration. Which doesn't have anything to do with the fault I reported, so it appears to be a "generic" reply to this sort of fault.

To be fair though, it is early days so to speak, so maybe a tweak could be forthcoming in a future update.