Missing Sounds in EL demo & ER

spelk · Post by **spelk** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:52 pm

Hello,

I'm playing the demo version of EL 1.008, bought but awaiting a registration key. I'm having trouble with some selective game sounds.

Here is what I CAN hear

menu beeps
thrusters
explosions
missiles firing

Here is what CANNOT hear

logo splashscreen jingle
audio during Intro
tutorial voice
music
laser fire

Its odd that some sounds are playing ok, and others are just not playing at all. The same situation seems to exist in ER v1.988 also. I played the EL demo on another machine today, and was stunned to hear the tutorial voice and other sounds, when all had been silent on my home machine.

Anyway, any advice or help anyone can give would be much appreciated.. I'm just a bit miffed that my introduction post to these forums is a technical problem.

I've snipped my relevant system details from DxDiag, if that helps...

Code: Select all

------------------
System Information
------------------
   Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.080814-1236)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.                
       System Model: Dell DXP051                  
               BIOS: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A05
          Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 3.40GHz (2 CPUs)
             Memory: 3582MB RAM
          Page File: 608MB used, 4856MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\\WINDOWS
    DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
     DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode


-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
            Description: SigmaTel Audio (emulated)
 Default Sound Playback: Yes
 Default Voice Playback: Yes
            Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\\FUNC_01&VEN_8384&DEV_7680&SUBSYS_102801A7&REV_1036
        Manufacturer ID: 1
             Product ID: 100
                   Type: Emulated
            Driver Name: 
         Driver Version: 
      Driver Attributes: 
            WHQL Logo'd: 
          Date and Size: 
            Other Files: 
        Driver Provider: SigmaTel
         HW Accel Level: Emulation Only
              Cap Flags: 0x2F
    Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 100000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
 Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
              HW Memory: 0
       Voice Management: No
 EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
   I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
               Registry: OK
      Sound Test Result: All tests were successful.

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
            Description: SigmaTel Audio
  Default Sound Capture: Yes
  Default Voice Capture: Yes
            Driver Name: sthda.sys
         Driver Version: 5.10.4823.0000 (English)
      Driver Attributes: Final Retail
          Date and Size: 11/16/2005 15:36:00, 1047816 bytes
              Cap Flags: 0x1
           Format Flags: 0xCC0

-----------
DirectMusic
-----------
        DLS Path: C:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\drivers\\GM.DLS
     DLS Version: 1.00.0016.0002
    Acceleration: n/a
           Ports: Microsoft Synthesizer, Software (Not Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal, Default Port
                  Microsoft MIDI Mapper [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
                  Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
        Registry: OK
     Test Result: Not run

tk7223 · Post by **tk7223** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:44 pm

I know this is prob. the first thing you have looked at but have you made sure your audio driver is the most recent release?

Also, I have found that with intergrated audio-some games require me to change the windows hardware acceleration slider for them to work correctly.

Just a couple things that have worked for me in the past.

spelk · Post by **spelk** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:36 pm

Yes, I've downloaded and installed the latest driver given at DELL's support site for my machine.

I also set the Hardware Acceleration slider to off for the SigmaTel Audio playback device.

Sadly neither of these measures has helped with the missing sounds.. the sound chip is an integrated one, and I haven't really had any problems with other games as far as I can remember, but perhaps it might be worth investing in a PCI Sound card, just because the driver updates and support are probably going to be much better than that given at DELL.

tha_rami · Post by **tha_rami** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:46 pm

Odd. Vice knows the technicalities of how sounds/music are played. DirectX handles certain audiofiles a different way, it might be relevant. Not certain.

tk7223 · Post by **tk7223** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:05 pm

Yes...I would wait for Vice to respond before you decide to spend money on another sound card. My suggestions are very generalized and not specific to your individual situation. I was hoping it might help

If you haven't had any other issues with other software then it's worth waiting for the Evochron Master to respond

Post by **Vice** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:21 pm

Not sure I'll be much help, but I'll offer some advice on steps to try. I've done some research into the SigmaTel Audio system and it seems that missing audio effects/playback are fairly common, but I wasn't able to find 'success stories' with solutions. Here are a couple of things you can try though:

- Uninstall the device completey in the 'device manager', then reinstall it through the add new hardware option and make sure you specify the correct driver to reinstall it. Once it's installed, test the game again.

- Move the hardware accelerator slider back up to the maximum position, then step it down one notch at a time, test the game at each level for any changes.

- Uninstall the device completely in the 'device manager', then shut down the system and restart it, let Windows automatically detect and apply drivers/settings after the reboot, then test the game once it's finished.

- One source cited a driver designed for Creative Labs X-Fi cards as having success for them on a partial missing sound problem. I don't know why this was recommended or if it would work for anything since it appears to be for a completely different device, but I thought I'd mention it just in case. It's the driver listed next to 'Sound Cards'.
http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?c=u ... e&~ck=anav

[Edited on 2-5-2009 by Vice]

spelk · Post by **spelk** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 3:05 pm

Thanks for the pointers, I ran through them all systematically, but haven't had much success. There seems to be a lot of SigmaTel Drivers out there supposedly for my PC, but they won't install via their setup, and if I install them manually, no audio playback device shows up and I lose sound altogether.

I'll have a look at work and see if we have a spare sound card there, or pick up one and try it. Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I'll let you know how I get on.

spelk · Post by **spelk** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:37 pm

Oh eck, I'm a bit stumped now. I bought a soundcard a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio card and installed it and disabled the onboard SigmaTel Audio device, rebooted, and my EL still exhibits the same missing sounds as before.

The sounds that do play, seem to stutter a little, the main sound I get being the engine burst when I apply thrust.. the stutter is more like a ticking in the sound itself.

I've uninstalled EL and reinstalled it to the default install directory just in case, but still no luck.

Vice, do you think it could be a codec problem?

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to try now, and its becoming a bit of an obsession.. I feel like I'm missing out when the majority of my space travelling is in total silence...

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated..

Post by **Vice** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:19 pm

It could be codec related, except that the sounds playing are simply WAV. Perhaps there is something related to sampling rates. Try installing a recent version of Windows Media player onto your system, see if that makes any difference.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/window ... fault.aspx

spelk · Post by **spelk** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:29 pm

Installed Media Player 11, and it doesn't seem to have helped.. its really odd.. if they're all WAV files, and some are playing, why wouldn't others play? Are the sounds that are not playing at different sample rates to the ones that are playing? So theres a sample rate as such that my system doesn't seem to be able to play?

I wonder if I can get some WAV files at the same sample rate and see if they will play via WMP11?

tk7223 · Post by **tk7223** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:57 pm

Can I ask if your using digital output for speakers? Also, your last couple of entries sparked a problem I had a long time ago with the number of sound channels a program was trying to open. My system resources were so close to max'd that when more than a couple things started to happen(sound included) my pc would crash-but that was with intergrated sound/graphics. Have you run Directx Diag?

LOL...nvr mind...your paste from your initial entry showed plenty of resources as Identified by Dxdiag...It's been a long day...

[Edited on 2-7-2009 by tk7223]

Post by **Vice** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:59 pm

Interesting, that may be it. Your system may be missing or have a corrupt codec for adpcm perhaps. Try the instructions on this page to install some default adpcm codecs:

http://www.free-codecs.com/guides/How_t ... P_2000.htm

spelk · Post by **spelk** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:46 am

That seems to have done it! I now get the music, intro and laser fire sounds playing. The MS ADPCM codec couldn't be found automatically, so I had to dig out my WinXP SP2 CD and install off there, it also warned that the file MSADP32.ACM was an older one than the one installed.

So thanks for getting to the bottom of this problem, Vice. I am a much happier pilot to be able to hear the full complement of sounds to go along with the game..

There is one niggling oddity though, and that is the voice on the tutorial sections, it starts to play clear, and soon drops into a very bass heavy low mumble, yet if you hit the Esc key, to take you back to the Exit menu, it becomes clear again for a few seconds, and then drops back to an inaudible mumble. How very odd. I'll dip into the soundcard settings to see if this is part of some weird X-fi setup, and let you know if I fathom this one out. But thanks again for your help on nailing the missing sounds problem.

spelk · Post by **spelk** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:54 am

I've sorted that muffled voice over problem out. It seems in the Audio Console, there is a setting for X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround Sound, and that was enabled by default. Turning this off, clarified the tutorial voice overs.

Hopefully if any other EL players come across these odd problems, they'll be able to follow this thread and find a solution.

Thanks again, now I'll get on with piloting my bird across the stars...

Post by **Vice** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:48 am

Excellent, glad that was it!