rf2 7.1 sound?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by keyloki, Jan 3, 2016.

  1. keyloki

    keyloki Registered

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    Most posts are related to headphones.

    I hooked up a Panasonic 7.1 Blu-Ray home theater surround system to my computer via optical audio cable, using the built in sound card on an Asus MB. Can I get 7.1 sound out of rF2 through the speakers? I'm not sure if the native support is there or if Win 10 (64) is even set to use 7.1 as it is. Since I'm using an optical cable, I'm not even finding setting for 7.1, 5.1 or anything. :confused:

    TIA
     
  2. David Turnbull

    David Turnbull Registered

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    you wont get actual 7.1 through optical from windows, it can support max 2 channel compressed audio, so youd need it plugged into something that can decode it to either 5.1 or 7.1.

    to get proper 7.1 you'd need to use the 3.5mm jacks on the soundcard.

    edit: sorry completely missed you have it into a home theatre, with the 2 channel audio coming from windows through optical to the home theatre you should be able to use its settings to either use dolby home cinema, pro logic, or whatever it has to decode the stereo stream and it will output to a virtual 7.1.
     
  3. keyloki

    keyloki Registered

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    you were correct, the home theater decoded and gave me a "surround" sound. I dont really notice the sound of opponents comming by me or me going by them, but its better than sound from only 2 speakers up front.....thanx
     
  4. DurgeDriven

    DurgeDriven Banned

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    Or you can get a amp like the Creative/ Soundworks DTT3500, it does all my sims to 6 speakers with Dolby Live encoder , 16 years old.

    Sounds heaps better then normal surround.

    If you start with onboard card you up chit creek without a paddle.

    I tried latest Realtek and it was horrible for sims, not too bad for other titles.
     
  5. Carlo

    Carlo Registered

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    Durge, the OP is using the optical output to his home theater. The Realtek is just a pass-thru. The superior DACs in his home theater box do the decoding. I have a Realtek 1150 on-board, but use optical out just like the OP to a 110w ch 7.1 system. David's response above is correct.
     
  6. Ozzy

    Ozzy Registered

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    Do your soundcard support DTS / Dolby Digital live encoding? That's the only way I know to get multichannel audio over a digital connection.
     
  7. Carlo

    Carlo Registered

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    Unfortunately, on my mobo, Dolby Digital live is locked (disabled) - Gigabyte was too cheap to pay the <$5 license fee I guess. I generally use PLX on the receiver for "virtual" (emulated) 7.1 although I have Dolby Digital and a bunch of other decoding options.
     
  8. David Turnbull

    David Turnbull Registered

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    check out the hacked drivers for the alc1150 Carlo, I'm using them, I'm sure the ones I've got in are r2.79, anyhoo using these will give you DTS Interactive and Dolby Digital Live through your onboard :)
     
  9. DurgeDriven

    DurgeDriven Banned

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    Yes I have old X-Fi Titanium, works great even with W10 now that Creative updated drivers, lucky my model was right on the cliff of missing out.
    The 3rd party drivers did work anyways but they are not great.


    I am in Catch22 land lool
    The DTT3500 still works like new but it cant even run analog 5.1 if I had to run the Realtek.
    I would really like to get rid of the lot but replacing is ridiculous for me as it works so lovely.

    I do not like running Creative services which you must do for Dolby Digital Live, most people can just disable it in services. ( Creative services steals about 1% CPU )

    Simple logitech USB gaming headphones are the best thing I brought recently, I have a usb extension next to wheel, plug or unplug no muting or additional settings, creative flexi-jack, Crystalizer and CMSS both in rF2 as well.

    Pic is on my W7 SSD

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 4, 2016
  10. David Turnbull

    David Turnbull Registered

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    whats the catch22 Durge?

    You could have proper analogue 5.1 connected to your onboard realtek, just use 3.5mm to rca cables connected to your DTT3500, that way although analogue your not having to decode anything.

    and to be honest todays latest realtek onboard audio is just as good as any addon soundcard upto around £50 so they are more than enough for most home users.

    and doesnt using a USB headset defeat the purpose of having a good soundcard as the USB audio device wont use your Creative software?
     
  11. DurgeDriven

    DurgeDriven Banned

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    1. Realtek compared to old X-Fi titanium sounds rubbish, car engines, music and movies sound hollow. ( I do not use Headphones 24/7 ;) )


    2. The DTT3500 only supports 4 point analog. ( this is it's "bug bear" )


    3. That is what I thought too but the headphones work and sound fine enough for me.
    I can hear the wood creak in chassis , windshear off the little posts at Spa, I can hear a cow moo 1/2 a mile away.....etc
    All the engines sound rich and full.


    I broke my good set of gaming phones ( they sounded a tad better but not much )

    I brought USB for ease, I have to reach a few inches to connect them and they both cancel / power up each other without any settings or mute , etc.

    If money allowed I would get a new set of gaming phones no doubt. ;)


    edit:


    P.S. Thing I like about the DTT is I can use Analouge, Digital and USB together

    No need to mute turn things off I can leave all connected, even use Analouge and Digital and USB at the same time !


    Try that on a Realtek. ;)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 4, 2016
  12. Carlo

    Carlo Registered

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    @David ...

    Thanks for reminding me about the hacked drivers. Since I mainly use optical when playing mp3s and downloaded YT videos (no, not porn), I never pursued this.

    Found a hacked r2.79 dll on techpowerup and tried it using a newer set of Realtek drivers. I now have DTS and Dolby Digital Live. I do like the Dolby Home Theater option for stereo content (even though it's fake).

    Realtek Ctrl Panel
    View attachment 18958

    Oddly, however, the rear channels are coming out the side speakers, not the rear. Front, left, center, and sub work as expected. Others have had this problem and I haven't found a solution - not that important though since I'm almost deaf from my R&R days with rock bands and use of my main sound system at excessive volume.
     
  13. DurgeDriven

    DurgeDriven Banned

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    I tried all that with Realtek , honestly compared to a X-Fi using the same amp and speakers it sounds horrible.

    You want to try a quality card or DAC /heaphones in rfactor2, you won't believe the stuff you hear.

    Like Kunos and SMS they do not really vary much but rF2 just comes alive.

    The thing rF2 does better I think is the positional sound, even with stereo headphones.

    I can tell if a car behind me is a foot more to the left or right, in other sims it is just a constant noise behind you.
     
  14. David Turnbull

    David Turnbull Registered

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    well thats personal preferrence I think because I have the alc1150 with hacked drivers connected through my teac av reciever and it sounds great.

    I had the creative x-fi pci card in last pc and didnt bother using it in this because it sounded no diffrent, I actually have 2 of them in boxes because onboard these days sounds the same as them and they were £40 per card.
     
  15. DurgeDriven

    DurgeDriven Banned

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    Realtek is not bad, just horrible compared to what I hear through a aging X-Fi

    Like I said I cant run 5.1 analog so Realtek suffers.

    Seriously listen to a 1150 and then a Titanium X-Fi ( not a normal X-Fi ) A normal X-Fi is not the same chipset. ( like cheese and chalk ) A normal X-Fi can't run the Dolby Live software .
    Dolby is a seperate package you only get and can install with top end Creatives.

    IF I had a set of big Logitech speakers the realtek would sound much better naturally ( as I could run proper connections )

    ............but then again I would not have the DTT3500 effects would I.


    Do a windows speaker test using Dolby, do all speakers test properly, I expected not, they never did the times I tried Realtek/dolby via digital.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 4, 2016
  16. keyloki

    keyloki Registered

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    well, I had an old Creative 5.1, running through the MoBo realtek but lost my LR output for some reason. So I was going to add a Creative soundcard but thanx to my Crossfired GPUs and the Thermaltake case with the PSU at the bottom, I simply dont have access to a slot. I already had the home theater and all the hookups, so I went that route. Thanx for the awsome discussion you all.
     
  17. Ricknau

    Ricknau Registered

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    Man my head swims trying to understand all the spec-talk you guys are doing. All I know is I have a Creative 5.1 wired speaker system with a Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer card with latest drivers. The card is set to 5.1. I can run the Creative speaker test app and hear all the test sounds coming form the correct speakers. But with rF2 set to 5.1 I hear nothing from the rear speakers. That just shouldn't be.

    Sorry if I'm sidetracking the OP topic.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 5, 2016
  18. Prodigy

    Prodigy Registered

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    I'm pretty sure there's sound from rear speakers too, but sometimes the sound won't appear immediatelly once in the pits, I need to drive further out on the tracks, for example on Silverstone. Then the sound suddenly appears in rear speakers and I have all 5.1 working. I'm using Logitech Z906 setup.

    Always found that weird, like some kind of a bug.
     
  19. M D Gourley

    M D Gourley Registered

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    I am with you on that one..if what you say is that you 'hear all the test sounds coming form the correct speakers' ...then logic would dictate that your 5.1 surround sound system is working perfectly and there must be a setting wrong in the rF2 settings or rF2 itself. I played around with all the 'Audio' settings in the rF2 audio section, ....try setting it on each one and try it out to see if it makes a difference...'Windows Settings' > 'Headphones' > 'Stereo' > '5.1' etc...it worked for me when I set it to 'Windows Settings' then it all came alive in my Asus Strix 7.1 True Surround Sound Headphones with great surround.
     
  20. DurgeDriven

    DurgeDriven Banned

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    I think the wind shear is fantastic.

    Take the Belgium posts and poles on the open pieces of track they are not so noticeable, but listen when you get up past Stavelot on the left there is a high bank and the posts are very close to it , listen to how you hear them more !
    ( that is assuming you have a chipset and speakers to hear them at all )

    Everywhere the telegraph poles are closer to background ( bank / trees ) you hear more reverb/echo

    Masta Straight drive as close to the wall and house on the left as possible ( 1" ) ....what a rush of audio man.

    On the X-Fi and my old TT headphones stuff like that was crystal clear.

    I swear I can hear creaks in my chassis at Malmedy chicane, people think I am crazy. lol

    The ZR-1, 200mph@Longford the wind is so great. lol

    Other sims have good effects like that but they sound so canned and no good positional effect.
     

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