Crackling Sound : call for a patch

[doitoliv 0]

Hi all,

Excuse me for my strange english cause I'm french.

My problem is a very common problem for those who are playing OFP 1.30 under Windows XP with a SBLive (I know that the problem also exists with other configs but it is mostly with this one). I tried all the releases of SBlive drivers from 3509 rev 1 to 3512 (unofficial release) and the problem is not fixed. The thing which is very strange is the way the problem can disapear:

-> When you drive a vehicule in internal view, the sound is crackling depending on the speed of the vehicule.

-> When you pass in external view to go back after in internal view, the problem DISAPEAR. It comes back each time you enter a new vehicule...

And now : what is NOT the solution!

-> desactivating EAX, Sound Acceleration or both in OFP

-> desactivating Sound acceleration in Windows

-> replacing the SBLive by a SB128

-> activating the Win98 compatibility mode for OFP shortcut

I don't think that the problem comes only from BIS but I must say that it is the only game where I encounter any problem. Furthermore, the way the problem can be stopped during game makes me think that it shouldn't be to difficult to patch that (HI, BIS DEVELOPPERS, ARE YOU STILL HERE?).

In 3 words : FIX IT PLEASE!

Everybody who is concerned by this bug is invited to reply this post to show BIS the number of peoples concerned.

Olivier

[doitoliv 0]

up!

Are BIS developpers still alive???

Olivier

[Spitfire 0]

Does your motherboard have a VIA KT133 -chipset? It's been reported to cause some sound crackling issues with Live and some other Creative cards.

If you have a VIA chipset, download the latest 4-in-1 drivers for it. It has solved the problem for some Live users.

If that doesn't do a thing try enabling Delay Transaction and PCI Master Read Caching from the BIOS.

(Edited by Spitfire at 5:55 pm on Dec. 3, 2001)

[doitoliv 0]

Yes, it is a VIAKT133A motherboard. I have already tried the BIOS fixes. My VIA 4in1 are 435v but I will try the newer ones to be sure!

(Edited by doitoliv at 5:53 pm on Dec. 3, 2001)

[Spitfire 0]

See if you can find a tweak for the problem here:

http://www.viahardware.com/faq/kt7/faqsound.html

[doitoliv 0]

Thanks,

But I've already tried all that is in this FAQ. Even the last Via Bus Master! But, even if the bug is due to VIA/Creative, I think the way it disappears (see earlier post) prooves that it CAN be solved by BIS.

[PostaL 0]

i have the same problems here. You are totally right, its all in the ofp programming. I tried everything. I dont have problems with other games. And it disappears by switching views. So it can be solved other ways

[Kegstand 0]

I too am experiencing the crackling sounds. I have only recently experienced it. Only thing I have done differently to my system is upgrade to Windows XP Pro. I was running ME prior to the upgrade and had v1.3 installed. Never experienced the crackling B4. I have an ASUS A7A266 MB. All the latest SB Live updates have been installed. I have noticed if I disable EAX in the options screen, the crackling goes away. Any suggestions?

[doitoliv 0]

My config is XP+SBLive+OFP 1.30 too. All people I know who have this problem are using this.

ARE OFP DEVELOPPERS in holidays or what?

I just expect a post saying that you are working on it and that it will be fixed in the next patch (and according to the posts here in the TROUBLESHOOTING FORUM, this patch is awaited by many of US!).

Olivier

[Jocko Flocko 0]

I just switched to Windows XP Pro, and am now experiencing this problem as well.

[doitoliv 0]

My problem appeared when I installed WinXP pro as you. But that doesn't mean that it is not the ofp coder's fault. May be OFP is a bit sensible for sound, a bit too much!

[Kegstand 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Quote: from doitoliv on 9:53 pm on Dec. 4, 2001

My problem appeared when I installed WinXP pro as you. But that doesn't mean that it is not the ofp coder's fault. May be OFP is a bit sensible for sound, a bit too much!<span id='postcolor'>

It is a shame really to be forced to downgrade your O.S. back to a previous version of windows. I wonder why BIS has not at least acknowledged this. As I stated earlier, Turning off the EAX and leaving hardware acceleration enabled in the options screen has fixed (more like placed a band-aid on it) the problem for me.

[Mister Frag 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Quote: from doitoliv on 4:53 am on Dec. 5, 2001

My problem appeared when I installed WinXP pro as you. But that doesn't mean that it is not the ofp coder's fault. May be OFP is a bit sensible for sound, a bit too much!

<span id='postcolor'>

The problem is with the SoundBlaster drivers for Windows XP, not OFP. That's why people with other operating systems or different sound cards aren't having the same problem.

The fact that the problem disappears at times while playing OFP is irrelevant, the conditions in the game simply don't cause the symptoms at all times.

This is a problem that Creative Labs will have to fix.

[doitoliv 0]

No I'm not agree with you Mister Frag because, as I said earlier, the way the problem can simply disappear (changing to external camera then back to internal solve the problem) show that it should easily be corrected in a patch from BIS. I know that Creative Labs is certainly the source of the problem but as those problems only appears in OFP, it is the work of BIS to fix their game.

When I develop a soft for INTEL procs and that it crashes with AMD procs, it is my job to make it work on the both platforms!

Olivier

[doitoliv 0]

up!

BIS, WHERE ARE YOU?

[Mister Frag 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Quote: from doitoliv on 6:59 am on Dec. 5, 2001

<Snip>

When I develop a soft for INTEL procs and that it crashes with AMD procs, it is my job to make it work on the both platforms!

Olivier

<span id='postcolor'>

You're only saying that because you have never been in that position. I have.

If you develop a program using standard development tools such as Microsoft Visual C++ and it works fine on a box with an Intel processor, and it doesn't work right on a box with an AMD processor, the fault is likely with the code generation in the compiler, or the AMD processor itself.

It's wonderful that you'd be willing to try to work around it, but sometimes that just isn't possible, especially if the problem occurs in a piece of code that you have no control over.

In the case of OFP, it makes calls to DirectX for all of the sounds that you hear, and if the request to play certain sounds or apply an effect to them causes the sound driver to get confused, who is responsible?

In the case of Sound Blaster systems, people get a crackling sound or high-pitched noise. Do you think that OFP requested a load ear-splitting noise to be played? The Sound Blaster drivers are just not mature.