Lord Myn wrote on 2025-09-19, 15:45:

Hello,

I've just bought an Audigy 5/RX PCI-E soundcard, but when I tried to use an EAX supported game ( I set it in Alchemy) there are no EAX effect, and dsounlog.txt has a line: DirectSoundCreate : Failed to initialize Creative ALchemy, falling back to dsound.dll. Can you help me to make it work?

I've installed Alchemy 1.45.20 & OpenAL and set EAX effect in control panel to 'No effects'.

Find ALCapsViewer 32 and 64bit utility
This is a Creative utility that checks the correctness of OpenAL files, registry entries, and hardware compatibility.
Separately for X86 and AMD64 targets

https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file … 5-openal-tools/

Thanks, it's a handy tool, it shows my SB Audigy device OK:

------------------
System Information
------------------
Report Time: 2025/9/20 10:55:36
BIOS: ALASKA - 1072009 3208
Processor: ~4342MHz AMD Ryzen 5 8600G w/ Radeon 760M Graphics
Memory: 32 GB
Default Audio Device Name: SPDIF Out (Sound Blaster Audigy 5/Rx)
Audio Driver Filename: {0.0.0.00000000}.{419ff71e-5da9-43cd-ba44-e49155f95449}
Audio Driver File Version:
Audio Driver Product Version:
ALCapsViewer Version: 1.0.3.0

-----------------
OpenAL Components
-----------------
Name Path Real Path Version
OpenAL32.dll C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ C:\Windows\SysWOW64\OpenAL32.dll 6.14.357.25
ct_oal.dll C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ct_oal.dll 6.0.301.63
wrap_oal.dll C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ C:\Windows\SysWOW64\wrap_oal.dll 2.2.0.7

--------------
OpenAL Devices
--------------
Name: SB Audigy 5/Rx [EFC0]
Sample Offset: Yes
Linear Distance Model: Yes
Exponent Distance Model: Yes
Capture: Yes
Enumeration: Yes
EAX 2.0: Yes
EAX 3.0: Yes
EAX 4.0: Yes
EAX 5.0: No
X-RAM: No
Enumerate All: Yes
EFX 1.0: Yes

Name: Generic Software
Sample Offset: Yes
Linear Distance Model: Yes
Exponent Distance Model: Yes
Capture: Yes
Enumeration: Yes
EAX 2.0: Yes
EAX 3.0: No
EAX 4.0: No
EAX 5.0: No
X-RAM: No
Enumerate All: Yes
EFX 1.0: Yes

sharangad wrote on 2025-09-20, 00:55:

Which version of Alchemy have you got?

Since I can't link to image alone, I'm writing this pointless text where I express I feel admins of this place should be replaced.

UCyborg wrote on 2025-09-20, 11:14:

Since I can't link to image alone, I'm writing this pointless text where I express I feel admins of this place should be replace […]
Show full quote

sharangad wrote on 2025-09-20, 00:55:

Which version of Alchemy have you got?

Since I can't link to image alone, I'm writing this pointless text where I express I feel admins of this place should be replaced.

In "control panel->add remove programs "OR "settings->apps->installed apps" it should list creative alchemy version x.xx.

[EDIT] Alchemy isn't offically supported on the RX, at least not anymore. This lists supported cards including the AE-9 and Audigy FX but there's no RX.
https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967

The available downloads for the Audigy RX:
https://support.creative.com/Products/Product … Audigy&CatName=

Even soundfont bank manager isn't supplied anymore.

[EDIT2] Does anyone have a copy of the driver CD?

There it says 1.45. But that's just the app ALchemy.exe, which doesn't do much interesting other than copy dsound.dll around and change registry for dsound.dll to be loaded properly for games that load it via COM. That dsound.dll (2019) is newer than ALchemy.exe (2017), which version is written as 1.4.5.0 in the EXE.

I do have a version of dsound.dll from February 2017 and a bunch of others, there are multiple so called 1.45 versions, the February 2017 version is from installation package which has SoftwareVersion = 1.45.15 written in Version.ini.

UCyborg wrote on 2025-09-20, 12:04:

There it says 1.45. But that's just the app ALchemy.exe, which doesn't do much interesting other than copy dsound.dll around and change registry for dsound.dll to be loaded properly for games that load it via COM. That dsound.dll (2019) is newer than ALchemy.exe (2017), which version is written as 1.4.5.0 in the EXE.

I do have a version of dsound.dll from February 2017 and a bunch of others, there are multiple so called 1.45 versions, the February 2017 version is from installation package which has SoftwareVersion = 1.45.15 written in Version.ini.

I tried 1.45.20 which is the last version released (~2020). It didn't work.

sharangad wrote on 2025-09-20, 12:09:

I tried 1.45.20 which is the last version released (~2020). It didn't work.

There are a few older versions of ALchemy still available for download on Creative's website.

Try this page though I'm not sure how well the link will work, since their website is a bit messy.

OK worked out the problem. The newer versions don't work in older games like NFS HS. There's no DS3D/EAX option when using it there. With Alice it does work with newer dlls but there's a directsound error followed by using default OpenAL and the game reports that EAX 2 is in use. NFS HS *might* be EAX1.

sharangad wrote on 2025-09-20, 12:43:

OK worked out the problem. The newer versions don't work in older games like NFS HS. There's no DS3D/EAX option when using it there. With Alice it does work with newer dlls but there's a directsound error followed by using default OpenAL and the game reports that EAX 2 is in use. NFS HS *might* be EAX1.

EAX Unified can sometimes help with older EAX versions.

Try installing that if you haven't already. I've linked it a few pages earlier.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2025-09-20, 12:56:

sharangad wrote on 2025-09-20, 12:43:

OK worked out the problem. The newer versions don't work in older games like NFS HS. There's no DS3D/EAX option when using it there. With Alice it does work with newer dlls but there's a directsound error followed by using default OpenAL and the game reports that EAX 2 is in use. NFS HS *might* be EAX1.

EAX Unified can sometimes help with older EAX versions.

Try installing that if you haven't already. I've linked it a few pages earlier.

Tried EAX Unified, but nope, it only works with Alchemy Universal and not official releases.

The sad truth is Creative Alchemy has never been supported officially on RX, I bought my first one in 2014 (which came with installation CD, that day) and it had no SFBM, nor Alchemy. You have to install the alternative driver pack (Audigy Support Pack - latest version is 8.1) and it does have the SFBM and Creative Alchemy (and Graphical EQ, EAX Console, Speaker Settings which are also not part of the official package).

The only catch: Creative Alchemy is not working in Win11 anymore, so have to use the universal version (as I was instructed few posts before), but it uses the native OpenAL ability of the card, indeed (sounds very different and more natural, than the software counterpart - I'm using a SoundBlasterX G6 too, so I can compare them).

sharangad wrote on 2025-09-20, 11:29:

In "control panel->add remove programs "OR "settings->apps->installed apps" it should list creative alchemy version x.xx. […]
Show full quote

UCyborg wrote on 2025-09-20, 11:14:

Since I can't link to image alone, I'm writing this pointless text where I express I feel admins of this place should be replace […]
Show full quote

sharangad wrote on 2025-09-20, 00:55:

Which version of Alchemy have you got?

Since I can't link to image alone, I'm writing this pointless text where I express I feel admins of this place should be replaced.

In "control panel->add remove programs "OR "settings->apps->installed apps" it should list creative alchemy version x.xx.

[EDIT] Alchemy isn't offically supported on the RX, at least not anymore. This lists supported cards including the AE-9 and Audigy FX but there's no RX.
https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967

The available downloads for the Audigy RX:
https://support.creative.com/Products/Product … Audigy&CatName=

Even soundfont bank manager isn't supplied anymore.

[EDIT2] Does anyone have a copy of the driver CD?

Lord Myn wrote on 2025-09-21, 08:57:

The sad truth is Creative Alchemy has never been supported officially on RX, I bought my first one in 2014 (which came with installation CD, that day) and it had no SFBM, nor Alchemy. You have to install the alternative driver pack (Audigy Support Pack - latest version is 8.1) and it does have the SFBM and Creative Alchemy (and Graphical EQ, EAX Console, Speaker Settings which are also not part of the official package).

The only catch: Creative Alchemy is not working in Win11 anymore, so have to use the universal version (as I was instructed few posts before), but it uses the native OpenAL ability of the card, indeed (sounds very different and more natural, than the software counterpart - I'm using a SoundBlasterX G6 too, so I can compare them).

I think they're pitching it more as a budget card for multi-channel ASIO, than a gaming card. The ASIO side of things works really well out of the box.

The latest ALchemy works on my end on Win11 23H2 + Audigy Rx. I guess few odd games are exception.

UCyborg wrote on 2025-09-21, 12:59:

The latest ALchemy works on my end on Win11 23H2 + Audigy Rx. I guess few odd games are exception.

I'm on 24h2.

Yeah, that was the two main reasons I bought this card: the really good ASIO support and the hardware SF synth (with DSP effects), this is the only card on the market which still has MIDI synth. (I had an X-Fi Titanium HD, I really, really regret that I've sold it two years ago, that was my best sound card on 30 years).

[/quote]

I think they're pitching it more as a budget card for multi-channel ASIO, than a gaming card. The ASIO side of things works really well out of the box.
[/quote]

sharangad wrote on 2025-09-21, 13:13:

I'm on 24h2.

And there the latest ALchemy is broken in general? Drakan or Half-Life for example don't strike me as particularly picky when it comes to ALchemy.

My old desktop can't go beyond 23H2 due to CPU requirements.

UCyborg wrote on 2025-09-21, 14:10:

sharangad wrote on 2025-09-21, 13:13:

I'm on 24h2.

And there the latest ALchemy is broken in general? Drakan or Half-Life for example don't strike me as particularly picky when it comes to ALchemy.

My old desktop can't go beyond 23H2 due to CPU requirements.

Even games where it works with an official release still produce errors in the log files.

EDIT: disregard.

UCyborg wrote on 2025-09-21, 14:10:

My old desktop can't go beyond 23H2 due to CPU requirements.

Honestly, I never knew that the dsound.dll file had sound card IDs written inside it; I thought it was universal.

It's not entirely relevant, but it's Windows 11 24H2 (26100.6584) + Titanium HD PCIe + Daniel_K driver pack.
The log file doesn't contain any errors, only "Using Native OpenAL Renderer."

shevalier wrote on 2025-09-23, 14:29:

Honestly, I never knew that the dsound.dll file had sound card IDs written inside it; I thought it was universal. […]
Show full quote

UCyborg wrote on 2025-09-21, 14:10:

My old desktop can't go beyond 23H2 due to CPU requirements.

Honestly, I never knew that the dsound.dll file had sound card IDs written inside it; I thought it was universal.

It's not entirely relevant, but it's Windows 11 24H2 (26100.6584) + Titanium HD PCIe + Daniel_K driver pack.
The log file doesn't contain any errors, only "Using Native OpenAL Renderer."

This is the Audigy RX, which Creative doesn't promote as an Alchemy compatible device. On their site they list the Audigy fx (realtek based) as being compatible along with the pci audigys and all the x-fis and all the new stuff (z/ae etc) . The rx they promote as a musician's card.

The using "native openal renderer" message is there when using alchemy universal with the rx. It's also there with some games with regular alchemy, but it's preceded by "error initialising dsound using default sound.dll"

[EDIT]
Feedback from someone running a pci Audigy on win11 24h2 might be useful at this point.

We have two Audigy rx users experiencing the problem.