Sounds sticking

[Alex72 1]

Hello fellow ARMA heads,

I want to know now if its soundcard related (AUDIGY2) or if its a universal problem im hearing. To test this be concentrated and do as i describe.

Choose a javelin unit (player) and put a tank far away from you. Ideal is UTES and have yourself at one end of the runway and a tank at the other. Even sit on the east side of the runway higher up in the grass to get some distance. The distance is not important to the problem but it gives you time to think and really listen.

Shoot and when you hear the explosion - turn (left ALT) your head left and right and LISTEN. Does the sound stick? Like in not sounding from a solid source but is stuck and plays out as you heard it when looking at it. You can even turn your head left or right from the tank before it explodes and then turn your head left to right. The trailoff in the sound should stay where it is and you should hear it in whatever ear is in the explosions direction - as in ArmA1 and any other game. To me it sticks and "follows" the ear i heard the explosion go off in. So if it explodes behind me - i hear it behind no matter how i turn my head until explosion sound has played out.

So the sound is stuck. This has huge impact on gameplay as you have a hard time pinpointing where the heck it exploded. you hear it right of you but as you move to see right the sound follow your right ear and its very hard to know where the explosion was.

I want to know if its my card (and some others) only. If so i think BIS will have to correct it or me buying a new card. If its all cards - BIS really have work to do in the sound engine departement. Cause sounds are important in a combat FPS of this caliber.

Thanks for testing! :)

PS. Tested with HW=1 and HW=0 before you ask. And i got latest drivers for the card.

PS2. Even firing with a M4 from first person and turn my head left to right while firing have the same effect. Hear it in both ears instead of whatever ear is closer to the gun. ArmA1 this works, but in ARMA2 not for me.

Alex

Edited July 4, 2009 by Alex72

[Mark XIII (DayZ) 18]

Tested & Confirmed.. :(

I really hope this is a bug not a feature guys, pinpointing threats with your ears is a natural thing, please don't take it away.

BTW, side effect of this is..when everything pushed into one space things get very messy soundwise. Could explain the distortion problems I've heard about. Anyways, please go test this out simple by firing rifle and using your mouselook to look left/right. If your muzzle sound doesn't move, our point is proven, so shout up and be counted.

Edited July 4, 2009 by Mark XIII
Editing

[Alex72 1]

Thanks Mark!!!

Hearing it from one of the top sound modders now make me confident BIS has a problem with the new sound engine.

Hopefully it is some config tweak. Worst is if its unfixable to the point BIS thinks its not worth the effort. However this is greatly important to me and many others as not being able to pinpoint impacts etc with your hearing in a combat sim will greatly push ARMA2 down the "sim" status.

I know there is a lot of important things to fix in ARMA2, but this to me is up there with everything else. I know now why ive been so confused many times not knowing what is happening on the battlefield. I know why i moved one direction just to find the enemy was at the other and so on. Not being able to pinpoint some sounds make it hard not to say unrealistic.

Would hope to hear from BIS themselves that this is going to be adressed as its a big deal. I have my faith in BIS though and always had so i hope to either hearing this is acknowleged or i just have to wait as a good boy to eventually -maybe- see in a patch log that its dealt with. Im testing ArmA1 and this problem isnt there so i hope this is simple to correct for BIS.

I hope you will look into it BIS, and maybe offer MarkXIII a temporary job to help out with sounds wouldnt be a bad idea? Think in fact its a very good idea seeing his track record of sound modifications for this community.

Regards

Alex

Edited July 4, 2009 by Alex72