Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Issues

[GaleForce]

Outsourced/retarded Compaq tech support hasn't been able to do crap for me except send me a new soundcard which still doesn't work, so I'm looking for some help here.

I think I've pretty much located the problem with my soundcard. For a bit of background, whenever I play a game that requires hardware buffering from my soundcard, the sound is either extremely choppy and distorted or just not there all together. In the case of my newest game, Doom 3, its not there, and I refuse to play the game without sound.

I traced the problem to hardware buffering pretty easily. I went into the DirectX Diagnostic Tool and ran a sound test. Not only did the test tell me my sound card did not support hardware buffering (it does, Sound Blaster Audigy 2) but upon further investigation I saw that the type of sound card was listed as EMULATED and for driver information nothing was present.

I know that for the type, according to Creative Labs Tech Support, it is supposed to be "WDM." And I assume there should be driver information listed as well. The problem is, Compaq computers don't come with the creative soundblaster drivers on CD, and soundblaster website doesn't give them to you (only updates). I downloaded the Spring 2004 Audio Drivers from the Compaq website, but before I even get a chance to install them, Windows installs the soundcard by itself and I'm back at square one with an emulated card.

Any help you guys can provide would be much appreciated. Attached is a picture of the DXDiag problem (no hardware buffering, emulated type, no driver info). Btw, DirectX version is 9.0c (newest one).

 

[Jake.LD]

Download the latest drivers from Creative. It says update on their site, but you don't actually need any previous drivers installed.

Remove any old drivers you have installed and when Windows tries to install it's own drivers, click cancel. Then install the Audigy drivers.

 

[E4g1e]

There is an issue with the Creative software and Norton AntiVirus 2004. For many users, disabling the four or five Creative startup items through msconfig is the only way to get NAV Auto-Protect working at all. I got the A2 ZS Platinum right now in my main rig, so there are five of those items to disable.

My Revo will go into my secondary AMD rig when it gets built.

 

[Gaim Mastr]

I'm have somewhat similar problems with my sound system, which includes the Audigy 2 ZS card. Perhaps the solution to both of our problems can be found by comparing notes or something.


Background:
I'd just built my system this weekend. This included the full retail version of WinXP Pro, the retail version of the audio card.


Audio Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS

Speakers: Logitech Z-5300 (5.1 THX)

I've updated the Audigy 2 ZS driver yesterday morning.

I cannot get the front (center) speaker to function properly while playing any game with EAX, 5.1 surround sound, etc. The rear speakers don't seem to function properly either.

All speakers function when playing with a basic stereo (2-speaker) in-game setting. As well, they all function while playing music on my desktop with Winamp.

First I diabled the onboard sound chip that comes with the ASUS K8V motherboard via the BIOS settings. Then I'd used the Audigy 2 ZS "Installation and Application CD" to install the Windows driver and some of the extras that came with it. I then downloaded and installed the latest driver for the audio card.

I've triple-checked all wire and PCI connections to my satisfaction. I'd even turned off the power to my speakers for a while to see if there was some sort of reset function in doing that, as there doesn't appear to be any reset button on them. My speakers are analog, so I'm certain that I have them connected to the sound card in the correct locations (three wires).

I've run the Creative Diagnostic tool, which shows the hardware & software having passed. But upon testing the speakers only the front left and front right speakers made sound correctly.

I then entered the THX setup console where I clicked the Channel and Noise buttons to check the speaker connections.

This resulted in the Front Left and Front Right speakers sounding loud & clear. While I did hear sound from all remaining speakers it was at a much lower volume than the two fronts.

I think I've tried every conceiveable setting in the audio contrl panel, with no positive results.

In the THX Setup Console when I click the Channel or Noise buttons (to test the speakers), sound that should be emitted clearly from any one of the non-functioning speakers is actually coming through all speakers, but at a VERY reduced volume.

For example, when only the right rear speaker is supposed to be making a sound, that sound comes in through all speakers, but barely audible.

I'd even removed the included Digital CD Audio Cable from between the card and my optical drive just to see if that was causing any problems. But that didn't produce any results.

No matter what game I play, I cannot get any speakers othe than the front left & right to function properly. Certain "environmental" sounds do come out of the other speakers, but all of the "primary" sounds are at drastically reduced levels.

For example, in Call of Duty I cannot hear myself fire my own weapons. And certain explosion in front of me and behind me are barely audible. Unless I select the lowest ingame sound option, which is nothing more than 2-speaker stereo.

In Morrowind I cannot hear my own footsteps or hear NPCs talking to me, unless I turn so that the NPC is angled to my front left or right.

In NOLF2 the cut scenes seem to play perfectly through all 5.1 speakers. But in game action is different. Any sound environmental sounds and most primary sounds only come in loud and clear if they are from the direction of my front left or right. For example, in the opening scene by the water fall, I can hear the two NPCs speaking clearly to me no matter how I turn. But the sound of the water fall will only come in clearly if its facing my font left or front right. Otherwise the waterfall, my footsteps, the sounds of enemy NPCs and my own gunfire are almost silent.

While playing cut scenes or movie files I hear sound crystal clear out of all speakers.


So the problem seems very precise and consistent in all games that I play. Basically, in games my speakers are only functioning as a 2-speaker system, with drastically reduced sounds comming from the rest. It's as if the audio card isn't putting out the 5.1 surround sound that it should be.

I've ran the DX9.0b sound diagnostic, which showed it to be working with both software and hardware buffering. Also, under "Device > Type" it does display WDM. And the Driver section does display the current driver.

I always install software & hardware, and play games with absolutely nothing running in the background, except the Creative Volume Control.

I've tried disabling all of the extras that got installed along with the original driver from the included "Installation and Applications CD". I've even tried uninstalling everything related to the card and only installing the latest driver.

All to no positive results whatsoever. I'm seriously running out of ideas.

 

[Mister X]

GaleForce, try this----> http://www.driverheaven.net/showthread.php?threadid=45004

 

[GaleForce]

Thanks for the help guys, I'm gonna play around with it tonight and see if I get any results.

That Norton Antivirus problem... could that cause a lack of sound and an emulated sound card?

 

[ncantador]

Another thing you as can try is going into the device manager and deleting any hidden devices which could be causing conflicts. Also make sure if you have any onboard sound devices, that those are disabled in the bios.

 

[Blue Knight]

To both of the problems: Creative is very finicky with IRQ settings and many people have solved their problems by moving the sound card to a different PCI slot. Try putting it in a location where it doesn't share any IRQs.

GaleForce: It sounds like either a driver or DirectX problem. You can download the creative drivers manually and extract them manually (using a program like winzip). Go to your device manager and update the creative drivers manually - picking the ones you just extracted. See if that works.

Gaim Mastr: It sounds like your card is set up in stereo. You haven't mentioned this yet, but have you changed the "Speaker Setting" to 5.1? If you have, a driver reinstall might help as well.

Sadly, Creative cards need to have some of their bloatware installed to be used effectively. Personally I use the Speaker Setting, EAX console, Surround Mixer, and AudioHQ. Driver's alone will work, but it usually just turns your card into being a stereo system.

Hope this helps some. Post up additional information if this doesn't work.

 

[Gaim Mastr]

Just as a followup, I'd determined that the card was defective. Sent it back to Newegg for a replacement. The new card worked perfectly right out of the box.

Thanks for the suggestions !!


Gaim Mastr
Lead Administrator of the new 3D Gamers message board.