Can you pinpoint gunshot sounds?

[bono_lv 10]

I find it hard to pinpoint the direction of gunshot sounds. Is Arma using 5.1 surround or it's only stereo?

For example... I hear AK shots to the right. I know it's on right, but don't know is it more in front or behind me. When I try to look to aproximate direction of gunshot sound it's nearly impossible to know where it's coming from. From most left side of visible image on monitor or from most right side. Kinda confused.

Comparing to any other game, not only shooters, I usually hear the direction of sound and I can pinpoint it quite accurate.

[celery 8]

I pinpoint sounds by frequently turning my head/soldier. Hearing sounds from different angles gives a better awareness of where they originate.

[bono_lv 10]

I do the same, but still it's kinda hard. In any other game that supports surround sound I find doing it very very easy.

[EDcase 87]

Yes, the surround doesn't seem as effective as ARMA1. Probably because ARMA2 doesn't use hardware sound.

To me the sonic crack as bullets go by is too loud. Since the crack has no direction its very unhelpful as it over powers the gunshot sounds.

Of course I've never been in a gun fight so can't say if its realistic or not.

EDIT: I'm using a Creative X-Fi with surround headphones. (It did work very well with ARMA1)

Edited October 29, 2009 by EDcase

[celery 8]

Only other thing I can say is that most FPS games have unrealistic 3d sounds. IRL you don't hear where sounds come from as well as in games because IRL you get the same sound almost just as loud in the other ear but in most games the opposite side gets almost no sound. True sound pinpointing comes with microscopic latency, not just volume, and I don't know which games if any use that method.

Holophonic sound sample

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiR-ZT4X4eg

Edited October 29, 2009 by Celery

[dogz 10]

I dont seem to have a lot of sound issues, that said... I would not rate A2 3d sound as that great but then I only use stereo headphones.

check this thread for more info re sound issues in A2

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=85413

[bono_lv 10]

Can someone confirm that Arma 2 engine uses surround sound at all?

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Uhm, I am using headphones only, due to playing LOUD and neighbour considerations. But I have no problems approximately locating a sound such as a vehicle. In coop games, AI rarely miss at close range, making bullet cracks a non issue. At longer distances, the bullet crack is loud and may dampen the gunshot sound. Here is a real world comparison:

J8PuPLIyg9E

With the sound mods I'm using, it sounds precicely as if an SVD was opening up on me. I have no problems with this effect in Arma2, although I'm not sure how it sounded using no addons.

[77scout 10]

I have a simple 2-speaker system and can't hear directions at all, not even the basics of whether the shots are coming from left or right.

[Opticalsnare 12]

Same here there seems to be no direction on anything. If an explosion goes off and i turn into the direction of the explosion sound where it came from the sound simply moves alround like its not been emitted from the source.

[Bulldogs 10]

Same here there seems to be no direction on anything. If an explosion goes off and i turn into the direction of the explosion sound where it came from the sound simply moves alround like its not been emitted from the source.

That happens if you have CMSS turned on (creative sound upmix effect), make sure you disable it as Arma doesn't support hardware sound upmix effects.

I find it pretty easy to pinpoint sounds using a 5.1 setup X-Fi ExtremeGamer, with CMss and Crystalizer disabled, but being that it's a software sound engine I could see the problems with other setups.

[Opticalsnare 12]

How do i disable it?

[l mandrake 9]

I have stereo headphones with Vopsound2.1 - I can locate DIRECTION almost instantly, no problems.

But I have real problems judging DISTANCE. Gunshots always sound a lot closer than the enemy's real position, rifle shots volumes dont seem to lower with distance.

[Bulldogs 10]

Depends on what sound card you're using. If you're using a creative sound card (sound blaster, X-Fi, etc) then it shoiuld be under Creative audio panel (CMSS/CMSS:3D), if you're using a different sound card then it'll have a different name.

[Opticalsnare 12]

I got a M-Audio 2496, cant find anything to do with effects its all just basic. :(

[CarlGustaffa 4]

I'm running onboard soundcard (soundmax). I do have direction when sound starts, but not while it is playing. Turning around during an explosion will not update the sound location as it did in Arma1.

[Opticalsnare 12]

Yeh thats extactly the same problem as mine.

[Smurf 12]

I'm running onboard soundcard (soundmax). I do have direction when sound starts, but not while it is playing. Turning around during an explosion will not update the sound location as it did in Arma1.

Exact the same thing. Is really annoying when come to explosions. Sometimes, make me run in circles. Really.

But I guess that is just a little bug.

[EDcase 87]

The sound of explosions not sticking to their source is a known bug.

I hope its one of the things fixed in the next patch

[Bulldogs 10]

I only get it myself if I put CMSS on, but I guess it may be built in to the drivers on your cards.

[galzohar 31]

In-game speed of sound is infinite so you will hear the shot before you hear the crack (as opposed to real life). Like real life, though, neither sound overpowers the other because you don't hear both at the same time.

I hadn't noticed much difference in ability to detect shots based on sound between Arma 2 and other games.

[bono_lv 10]

I have Creative Extreme Audio.

I'll disable those settings and will report.

[Leopardi 0]

ARMA 2 sound engine is crappy software engine without hardware support for X-FI cards so hell naw.

[markushaze 10]

It seems to work ok here,

It is difficult that's true, in real war... wouldn't it be difficult to hear where your being shot at from?

Ok, i don't Know how it is in real war, but when watching a good ( war) movie, the soldiers seem to also have truble pinpointing EXACTLY where it is. The gerenral direction is quickly acquired, but the exact position is pretty hard to find.....

I find it works well enough even though it is not easy.

i have a 5.1 system, and for me, gunshots do pan around... gota retest precicly.

i have crystalizer on in my XFi settings, everything else ( SVM, Upmix ect.) is off.

The explosions are more of a problem for me.

because it should be possible to pinpoint a loud bang... easier then a ( or several gunshots?

I hope too that BIS dose work on hardware support for ARMA2. maybe that would add a couple of FPS as well for everybody?

Edited October 30, 2009 by markushaze
spelling

[bono_lv 10]

I can confirm, that disabling crystalizer and cmss really improves surround performance with creative cards.