5.1 Sound (no rear or positional sound) isssues

[RolandGunner]

Is there a way to get DDO to recognize the rest of my speakers? I just have onboard sound, and I have z-5500 logitech speakers... I can set it up in PLII Movie or Stereo x2 and use the other speakers.. but what I'm hoping for is to be able to stay in 6 channel Direct and have positional sound coming form all speakers?

I'm using the Direct connection, not optical.. and this is not a system issue.. my speakers work great with everything else, including other games... and they are fine/working in DDO, I'm just hoping I can get more.... I do have EAX enabled in game setup options, but I've tried turning it off and on ... I have the most current realtek 6305 drivers for Win 7 installed...(I think those are what I'm suppose to have installed?)

I have searched the internet high and low, as well as these forums... there is very little discussion about sound/speaker issues in DDO.. Either I'm searching for the wrong words, asking the wrong questions.. or I'm the only one with this "problem"... or this isn't a problem, I just need to get a real soundcard?


My dream is to be able to hear monsters behind me in my rear speakers.... or be able to walk around a waterfall and have it "move" to different speakers....

Thanks

Roland

Specs:

Win 7
Abit VT7 Motherboard
Logitech z-5500 speakers
Moron for user

[RolandGunner]

Well I guess maybe this isn't a DDO problem.. I just fired up Mass Effect and I'm not getting 5.1 in that as well... It shows 5.1 in the settings.. but when sound comes out.. its just the front speakers? I guess it was back in Win XP that I was getting directional sound in Half Life 2 and Bioshock... or at least I thought I was...????

I can turn on auto fill or what ever that is.. but that is not really what I want..

I went back and uninstalled... then reinstalled the Realtek drivers... I also installed, uninstalled.. and now reinstalled the HD realtek drivers... with a reboot and check between each step.. no luck...

I guess I'm having a sound problem not a DDO sound problem... but any help would still be appreciated...

I play with a usb headset on 90% of the time anyway.. so this isn't a big deal.. I just hate having something not working properly...

Thanks

[RolandGunner]

I finally found a Win 7 forum with other people having the same problem... In a misery loves company sort of way.. I'm glad to finally find out I'm not the only one.....

You can set everything up in Control Panel/Sound, you can even test it.. seems to work fine... but when actually receiving 5.1 sound it only plays as if it's 2 channel stereo...

As of now.. you can speaker fill, change to PLII, or some other "enhancement"... or just deal with it... or I guess roll back to XP...


At least for now...I guess I just go with the headset....

Thanks... and if anyone has any other suggestions... I'd be happy to hear them....

[pot]

Do you have a Creative Labs card? If so, you need to download Alchemy to use hardware surround sound in Vista/Win 7.

[RolandGunner]

No I do not have a discrete sound card.. just onboard... Realtek AC'97


I have found forums filled with people with similar problems... no one really has an answer.. just workarounds... speaker fill... just use pro logic.. but none of them give you directional sound.... I can get sound out of all speakers.. just not the "correct" sound out of all speakers...

I guess I have had this problem since I started using Win 7 and just didn't notice it until I played DDO... I still get perfect sound in Movies..if they are 5.1 movies that is... but for games, it is hit and miss... mostly miss... For instance in Civ 4 the sound still works fine (there is no real direction.. but the music comes from all speakers in the opening menu... but in a few other games that I have tried.. similar results to DDO...

Thanks for the suggestion though... I appreciate it...