I couldn't sleep recently, so I got up and fired up Doom 3. Since it was about one AM, I used headphones instead of my Bose desktop stereo speakers I use with my older computers. I had recently upgraded the sound card in the computer I was using to a PCIe X-Fi from a Live! so EAX 4 - this was my first time ever playing Doom 3 this way, and it really upped the creepiness level. The way the programmers made so many of the environmental sounds similar to the sounds of demons materializing can only truly be appreciated with headphones, and it does keep you on edge and your head on a swivel.

Darkness Knight wrote on 2024-10-18, 21:11:

The last X-Fi Support Pack 8.0 (Refresh 3) from daniel_k is the worst package, it is based on the Gigabyte X-Fi driver for its i […]
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Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-10-18, 04:06:

Out of curiosity, is this fix different from what DanielK did in his latest X-Fi driver pack? I know that Creative's official X-Fi driver had some bugs with OpenAL, and I was glad that they were not present with DanielK's drivers. That said, I never used EAX on anything newer than Windows 7. Are there additional issues with Win10/11?

The last X-Fi Support Pack 8.0 (Refresh 3) from daniel_k is the worst package, it is based on the Gigabyte X-Fi driver for its integrated sound... On the other hand, these are typical problems in daniel_k's drivers mod:

- Mode control on the remote unit does not work (Titanium Fatality).
- No microphone effects.
- "What U Hear" does not work if you do not install the Data file from win xp... but if you install it, you will lose WaveRT.
- The total harmonic distortion (THD) is off the charts.
- The branch 2.40.XX overload the DSP signal, which causes distortion at high frequencies and when using EAX filters (exaggerated reverb). All modified drivers of daniel_k based on that version have this issue.

The drivers modified by "Antes533" have another purpose; they have fixes and improvements, and these are their main advantages:

- The APO (responsible for rendering the sound) has been replaced with one of the highest quality; Scene depth, stereo and FX effects have been improved.
- The stability of the driver in general has been improved.
- Compatibility with the latest versions of Windows.
- 88.2kHz and 176kHz modes restored.
- Harmonic distortion has been improved.
- Being based on the official v2.17 drivers, these do not overload the DSP signal (unlike the 2.40) so the EAX effects are heard correctly without exaggerated reverberation.
- Other undocumented changes.

So it would be a kind of definitive drivers, saludos!

Can i install "Antes533" modified drivers on my X-Fi Xtreme Gamer edition or i'm out of luck?

Darkness Knight wrote on 2024-10-18, 21:11:

- The branch 2.40.XX overload the DSP signal, which causes distortion at high frequencies and when using EAX filters (exaggerated reverb). All modified drivers of daniel_k based on that version have this issue.

Thanks for the clarification! I remember having issues with OpenAL when using Creative's stock 2.40 drivers a while back. After some googling I had found this thread on the OldUnreal forums. At the time, the suggested solution was to revert to driver version 2.17.0008 which did fix the OpenAL issue for me. I was under the impression that DanielK's latest X-Fi drivers also fixed this problem, but from your post, it seems there may be other, unrelated issues with his pack.

Darkness Knight wrote on 2024-10-18, 21:11:

The drivers modified by "Antes533" have another purpose; they have fixes and improvements, and these are their main advantages:

Can these drivers be installed on WinXP 32-bit or are they only aimed at modern Windows versions?

Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-10-18, 21:34:

I had recently upgraded the sound card in the computer I was using to a PCIe X-Fi from a Live! so EAX 4 - this was my first time ever playing Doom 3 this way, and it really upped the creepiness level. The way the programmers made so many of the environmental sounds similar to the sounds of demons materializing can only truly be appreciated with headphones, and it does keep you on edge and your head on a swivel.

Yeah, I replayed the original Doom 3 + RoE a while back, and the EAX 4.0 enhancements were very noticeable. After that, I played through the "Lost Mission" levels from the BFG Edition (which has no EAX support) and was disappointed with how flat the soundstage was in that re-release.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is another game from that time which has a really nice EAX implementation. I particularly remember the sound of raindrops falling on the tents in the first mission. If you enter one of those, and close your eyes while wearing headphones, it really feels like you're standing inside that tent during a rainstorm. The audio positioning accounts for elevation, and correctly places the raindrop sounds on the roof of the tent i.e. right above your head. The effect is also slightly muffled due to the sounds passing through thick fabric.

I played last night Quake 4 on my version of the ultimate Windows XP system:
E8600
Abit IX48 GT3
2*2gb DDR3 1333 - only 3.25gb recognized
Leadtek geforce 9800GTX+ 512mb
Intel 240gb SSD
Creative Audigy 2ZS with 5.1 speakers setup
It made a massive difference, I only played the first level but it feels like you are right there - in the thick of the action!
Incredible how EAX can make a game feels even more immersive despite having the graphics at 1600*1200 maxed out!

nd22 wrote on 2024-10-24, 07:48:

I played last night Quake 4 on my version of the ultimate Windows XP system: E8600 Abit IX48 GT3 2*2gb DDR3 1333 - only 3.25gb r […]
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I played last night Quake 4 on my version of the ultimate Windows XP system:
E8600
Abit IX48 GT3
2*2gb DDR3 1333 - only 3.25gb recognized
Leadtek geforce 9800GTX+ 512mb
Intel 240gb SSD
Creative Audigy 2ZS with 5.1 speakers setup
It made a massive difference, I only played the first level but it feels like you are right there - in the thick of the action!
Incredible how EAX can make a game feels even more immersive despite having the graphics at 1600*1200 maxed out!

Indeed! Quake 4 has an excellent EAX implementation, including very accurate positional audio and highly realistic explosion sounds.

For best results, I'd recommend playing it on an EAX 5.0 capable sound card i.e. an X-Fi. That way, the game can utilize Creative's "pure path" technology for more precise speaker controls and even better subwoofer use. Unfortunately, I can't provide any additional info for that, since the Internet Archive doesn't work properly at the moment. Here are the old links, for when the site goes back up:

EAX Pure Path
Sound Blaster X-Fi Audio in QUAKE 4

Pure path is an EAX 5.0 exclusive feature, and I got to experience it first hand on my X-Fi Titanium connected to a 5.1 speaker setup. In Quake 4, it was particularly noticeable during a later level when you're driving a tank-like vehicle while enemy rockets are falling and exploding all around you.

KainXVIII wrote on 2024-10-18, 21:35:

Can i install "Antes533" modified drivers on my X-Fi Xtreme Gamer edition or i'm out of luck?

Yes, you can now:
X-Fi's [CA20K1 & CA20K2] Driver MOD compatible with Win10 & Win11.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-10-18, 21:56:

Can these drivers be installed on WinXP 32-bit or are they only aimed at modern Windows versions?

At the moment, this driver mode is only for newer versions of Windows.

BTW, here a vidoe o Quake 4 with the x-fi ca20k2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXn3cuRg4yA

Saludos!

The sound's positioning is so good and is so accurate that I finished Quake 4 one more time. You can pinpoint the enemies location and dodge incoming missiles. I know Quake 4 does not gets much love but I like this game!

nd22 wrote on 2024-11-03, 12:36:

The sound's positioning is so good and is so accurate that I finished Quake 4 one more time. You can pinpoint the enemies location and dodge incoming missiles. I know Quake 4 does not gets much love but I like this game!

I played the hell out of that game when it first came out. Great story and gameplay. The sound design was fantastic. I really should install it again and play it through.

Q4 is a very unappreciated gem of a game and deserves a sequel, though I don't think it will ever happen. Unfortunately, it came out at the wrong time and was overshadowed by Halo 3, Gears of War, and other FPS titles that flooded the scene during the early years of Xbox 360 and PS3. Even though PC gaming was a thing, it wasn't as widespread or accessible as console was at the time, so it was console releases that made or broke an IP and future releases.

RetroGamer4Ever wrote on 2024-11-04, 03:44:

Unfortunately, it came out at the wrong time and was overshadowed by Halo 3, Gears of War, and other FPS titles that flooded the scene during the early years of Xbox 360 and PS3.

It was a 360 launch title. Modern Warfare, Gears and Halo 3 weren't for years... The only other 360 FPSes at launch were COD2, Condemned, Perfect Dark Zero, and Peter Jackson's King Kong The Official Game of the Movie. On PC, Quake4 was released around the launch of F.E.A.R. and Serious Sam 2, which also have their own share of major issues. There was no overshadowing here, there wasn't a better time for it to release.

(also it was never on PS3)

Yeah, I revisited Quake 4 last year and had a blast. It's pretty much a direct sequel to Quake 2, which I also enjoyed back in the day. In terms of EAX, Quake 4 is one of the few games that can actually make use of X-RAM on X-Fi sound cards. Here's a screenshot from my WinXP rig:

Not sure if this can improve performance on my overpowered Ivy Bridge system, but it's nice to see the feature actually get some use. 😀 The 127 hardware voices and EAX 5.0 are definitively noticeable though.

Hi all

Love EAX on my 5.1 speakers. However opening some games (e.g. SP chaos theory/neverwinter nights) I get a static and/or fluttery sound that drowns out what should be there on the intro movies and opening credits - it settles down after that when in the game but still pops up now and again. Driver issue do think? SB0770 connected via the analogue input to my AV receiver. Thanks!!!

Toaster999 wrote on 2024-11-11, 08:45:

Hi all

Love EAX on my 5.1 speakers. However opening some games (e.g. SP chaos theory/neverwinter nights) I get a static and/or fluttery sound that drowns out what should be there on the intro movies and opening credits - it settles down after that when in the game but still pops up now and again. Driver issue do think? SB0770 connected via the analogue input to my AV receiver. Thanks!!!

From what I remember, the SB0770 is a Dell OEM card, and it might need Dell's drivers to function correctly.

Check Phil's website and see if the ones there work for you.

NWN can have issues with multicore CPU's causing issues with audio, if you have one try to force the game on one core to see does that fix it. Dunno about Splinter Cell though.

Thanks both. I've narrowed it down to just the FMV intros and cut scenes. To be expected?

Toaster999 wrote on 2024-11-12, 07:32:

I've narrowed it down to just the FMV intros and cut scenes. To be expected?

No, those should play fine as well.

If it's not the drivers, check if you have any third-party multimedia codec packs installed. I once had crackling issues in some games because I was using the K-Lite Codec Pack at the time.

I think it's fixed - I moved the sound card to the last slot and the graphics card to the first PCIE slot. Seems to have helped - not sure why...

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-10-24, 08:12:

Unfortunately, I can't provide any additional info for that, since the Internet Archive doesn't work properly at the moment. Here are the old links, for when the site goes back up:

EAX Pure Path
Sound Blaster X-Fi Audio in QUAKE 4

Looks like the archived links work once again.

When time permits, I will create a dedicated EAX page on the Vogons Wiki, as to provide a more permanent home for this kind of info.

DrLucienSanchez wrote on 2024-10-04, 09:20:

Icewind Dale is a strange one. Officially supports environmental audio (EAX 1.0) like Baldur's Gate. I have ran it on XP and 98 with the Audigy 2 ZS drivers - VxD for 98 - and can't hear any difference at all versus having it switched off, while with Baldur's Gate 1/2 there is a night and day difference.

Small update on this. I found an archived version of the Icewind Dale II page on Creative's EAX Featured Games website. It contains this quote from Interplay's Director of Audio:

Adam Levenson wrote:

With EAX, Interplay Audio is able to deliver an enhanced, more immersive audio experience to PC Gamers.

So I'm guessing they did implement some EAX functionality in the Icewind Dale games, though how well that works is up for debate. It's certainly much less noticeable than in the Baldur's Gate 1&2, which share the same engine.