New X-Fi drivers

[Lepardi 0]

what is the latest for the PCI Express X-Fi Xtreme Audio?

Your card is not X-Fi. It's audigy with a new name, so maybe the newest audigy drivers fit. Look from creative site.

[mattxr 9]

what is the latest for the PCI Express X-Fi Xtreme Audio?

Your card is not X-Fi. It's audigy with a new name, so maybe the newest audigy drivers fit. Look from creative site.

If anyone is unsure what they have go to the creative website and run the auto updater. It will search to see what you have and find the latetest for you.

[Guest]

Install the original drivers from the CD, and then install the betas over that. I know that with X-Fi drivers that's how it is suppose to be done.

You mean without removing the drivers with driversweeper and any such program? Just let the new install remove the old drivers?

Yes.

The drivers on the creative site are sometimes only updates meant to be installed over CD drivers. They don't include all the stuff from the CD online. And when something needs to be uninstalled, the installer for the newer drivers will do it for you.

It's unlikely that you will have problems by not using driversweeper or something like it. I never bother

Thanks for the clearifiction, I always installed my sounddrivers like that already but I was wondering what exactly was behind your comment.

Now all is clear

I agree with Dwarden, these drivers got my pleasure of playing arma up with 100%

Lets hope when their next version is released we can say Arma is perfect

[lee_h._oswald 0]

for Audigy 1,2 there are different drivers from 17 Jul

http://support.creative.com/downloads/welcome.aspx#

SBAX_PCDRV_LB_2_18_0001.exe

Thanks you for this information!

Installed them few minutes ago.

MfG Lee

[nubbin77 0]

Q,

This might sound extreme, but I had something like that happen to me before. Like it almost can't physically detect the card. I had to take my sound card out. Restart. Then shutdown, then reinsert the card and restart, then it detected it again.

I know it would be a pain in the ass solution, and there's no logic to it, but it worked for me.

[Dwarden 1124]

for Audigy 1,2 there are different drivers from 17 Jul

http://support.creative.com/downloads/welcome.aspx#

SBAX_PCDRV_LB_2_18_0001.exe

Thanks you for this information!

Installed them few minutes ago.

MfG Lee

glad to help

[fasad 1]

I still have "underwater sounds" (extremely muffled sounds) if I enable EAX. Is that still normal?

Can anyone please confirm that enabling EAX will result in extremely muffled sounds for any sound source without line of sight with the player, when using an XFi card (specifically the "fatality extreme gamer pro" or whatever it's ridiculous name is)? My old computer had the same issue, with an Audigy 2ZS, which makes me think this effect may be by design rather than a bug?

I have recorded a sample of the problem here: ArmA_EAX (65KB)

The player has LOS with some of the shots, but most are behind a tin shed.

[scruffy 21]

It is a feature, so that firefights on the other side of the city or behind a hill don't sound like the one next to you. The problem is that a single object sometimes has the same impact as a hill.

It does sound like this here. X-Fi with EAX, no sound mods. First burst is me firing, #2 is ~50m away in plain sight, #3 behind some buildings.

[mr burns 131]

Yup, ArmA 'feature'

Sadly the sound occlusion already kicks in with a bush or a tree between you and the origin, even standing beneath a terrain slope just 2 or 3 meters away from the source the sound will be muffled.

[Dwarden 1124]

i suggest you try SVM enabled / disabled because SVN 'keeps' sound levels in certain volume range thus too quiet are louder and too loud are quieter

w/o SVM usually close sounds are very loud and distant are really very quiet ...

[mr burns 131]

What is svn and where can i dis-/enable it?

[Maddmatt 1]

What is svn and where can i dis-/enable it?  

SVM (probably what Dwarden meant) = Smart Volume Management.

Should be in Creative Console Launcher as well as Audio Console if you have them installed, look in the Start menu under "Creative".

I never use it though. I guess it's good if you have the volume lower so that most sounds are still audible.

[Infam0us 10]

I never use it though. I guess it's good if you have the volume lower so that most sounds are still audible.

Really, when I'm playing music myself it sounds horrible without it switched on ... it's all distorted and overlapping levels of sound.

[Maddmatt 1]

I never use it though. I guess it's good if you have the volume lower so that most sounds are still audible.

Really, when I'm playing music myself it sounds horrible without it switched on ... it's all distorted and overlapping levels of sound.

I get great sound with it switched off

All it does is limit the dynamic range of the sound, I just tested it and it only did what I expected.

What sound hardware (speakers/headphones) have you got?

I notice that it does seem to lower the overall volume when switched on, so if you disable it then you should probably lower your volume a bit too.

I don't see any sound quality difference with it on or off.

[Asch 0]

i dont use any of this effects (svm, crystalizer, equalizer) even for music/videos. it doesnt sound better with all these features, it just sounds different imo.

[Infam0us 10]

I get great sound with it switched off

All it does is limit the dynamic range of the sound, I just tested it and it only did what I expected.

What sound hardware (speakers/headphones) have you got?

I notice that it does seem to lower the overall volume when switched on, so if you disable it then you should probably lower your volume a bit too.

I don't see any sound quality difference with it on or off.

I'm using a Medusa 5.1 Surround Sound Headset. And I too have noticed it does make the sound quieter when you switch it on, but perhaps more clearer.

How far do you have your volume knob turned up on the console because I have mine all the way up with the bass 3 quarters on, and the treble all the way up. Any further and the bass starts to sound like a cheap car stereo.

[Maddmatt 1]

I'm using a Medusa 5.1 Surround Sound Headset. And I too have noticed it does make the sound quieter when you switch it on, but perhaps more clearer.

How far do you have your volume knob turned up on the console because I have mine all the way up with the bass 3 quarters on, and the treble all the way up. Any further and the bass starts to sound like a cheap car stereo.

Volume at 45%, bass and treble at 60% with equaliser set to a slightly modified version of 'Rock'.

In the mixer I have Wave playback at 100%.

Sennheiser HD515 stereo headphones.

That gives decent volume with SVM off. If I had it on then I would turn the volume up to make up for it.

The volume you get might be different due to different headphones. Yours are 5.1 so maybe they need the extra power. I guess those headphones would sound a bit different to mine at the same settings.

When trying with SVM off, turn down the volume. Maybe it's the high volume causing the noticeable distortion.

[Infam0us 10]

Volume at 45%, bass and treble at 60% with equaliser set to a slightly modified version of 'Rock'.

In the mixer I have Wave playback at 100%.

Sennheiser HD515 stereo headphones.

That gives decent volume with SVM off. If I had it on then I would turn the volume up to make up for it.

The volume you get might be different due to different headphones. Yours are 5.1 so maybe they need the extra power. I guess those headphones would sound a bit different to mine at the same settings.

When trying with SVM off, turn down the volume. Maybe it's the high volume causing the noticeable distortion.

Possibly, what other settings do you use on it aswell?

Personally music sounds much better for me when I put it on 4.1 Mode, might be because of my Surroundsound Headset though?

EAX Effects make no difference, other than making everything sound like it has a echo.

X-Fi Crystallizer Makes it sound crisper for me

And I stick my EQ on Dance, as its what I normally play through it ..

I personally find it a bit overwhelming with all the settings that you can change to try and get the best settings, although I'm happy at the moment when I can locate people ingame just by sound where my friends only hear noise

[fasad 1]

Thanks to $cruffy and Mr Burns for confirming it as a feature. It was a nice idea to model sound occlusion, but it either works extremely poorly on Creative hardware or BI really overdid it.

[odjob 0]

Thanks to $cruffy and Mr Burns for confirming it as a feature. It was a nice idea to model sound occlusion, but it either works extremely poorly on Creative hardware or BI really overdid it.

I agree.

The sound oclusion "feature" is a nice concept but not very well implemented. For example a helicopter is very loud but a small bush or a lamp-pole make it sound like its behind a hill. In my opinion it (sound oclusion) should have been limited to terrain only.

[Maddmatt 1]

Possibly, what other settings do you use on it aswell?

Personally music sounds much better for me when I put it on 4.1 Mode, might be because of my Surroundsound Headset though?

EAX Effects make no difference, other than making everything sound like it has a echo.

X-Fi Crystallizer Makes it sound crisper for me

And I stick my EQ on Dance, as its what I normally play through it ..

Crystalliser at 50%, default. 100% sounds good too, it's just that I can't decide which I like more

100% might be better for games, to enhance loud sounds like gunshots.

I use CMSS 3D since I use stereo headphones, gives a perfect 'simulation' of surround sound for games and music. Awesome being able to even tell if a sound is above or below you

EAX is set to 'none'. It's pointless for music. Of course I turn it on in games.

Quote[/b] ]

I personally find it a bit overwhelming with all the settings that you can change to try and get the best settings, although I'm happy at the moment when I can locate people ingame just by sound where my friends only hear noise

Yea settings are a pain. but it's great once you've found a setup that you like.

Quote[/b] ]Thanks to $cruffy and Mr Burns for confirming it as a feature. It was a nice idea to model sound occlusion, but it either works extremely poorly on Creative hardware or BI really overdid it.

It's not because it's overdone, but just because the implementation is basic. It just based on whether you have LOS or not, it doesn't take into account whether it's a bush or a hill blocking the view.

What I would like even more than that feature is if sound could be altered based on distance, simulating that low frequencies travel further than high frequencies.

That would make a huge difference IMO.

Maybe a possibility for ArmA 2?

I don't know if it's easy to implement or if it would introduce problems though.

[SaOk 112]

Where I can find these drivers? I went to creative.com but newest driver for X-Fi Audio is dated 2 Apr 08 (1.04.0079). :S

I have had problems with sounds. I cannot hear engine if I am in a vehicle when EAX and Hardware is "on".

[mattxr 9]

i can hear vehicles half way across the map now? anyway to fix this?

[kklownboy 43]

i can hear vehicles half way across the map now? anyway to fix this?

turn down your EAX effects to -20 or lower. This is in the Creative console, in Mixer.

[mattxr 9]

i can hear vehicles half way across the map now? anyway to fix this?

turn down your EAX effects to -20 or lower. This is in the Creative console, in Mixer.

hmm i just reinstalled the drivers and now it works nice.

thanks anyways