Does rfactor 2 support 7.1 surround sound?

Hey guys,

Took my gaming headsets with me for the laptop back home for christmas and my dad managed to hoover up the cable, ripping it from the ear-pieces.

So looking for new headsets and considering a set of surround headsets but need to know if rf2 supports it and if it sounds any good? I've always been curious about surround sound and would like to give it a try (perhaps some of you could recommend it or not).

So far from my limited google searching i have my eyes set on the logitech g430 as it's not too pricey and reviews say the sound quality is excellent. Mic has conflict with teamspeak and skype whilst in surround mode (via usb dongle) but i was thinking of getting around that issue perhaps by plugging the mic into the onboard sound card instead of joining it with the speak in the surround sound usb dongle.



I'd love to hear some of your thoughts, experiences, recommendations, etc.

Cheers!

 

I have a Logitech G35 headset, which has 7.1 capabilities, I,m pretty sure RF2 supports surround sound to a degree just not sure if its full 7.1 though. I know when I,m driving at the VLM Mid Ohio track, the sound reverberating off the fence/wall is fantastic which leads me to believe that it supports surround sound.

I have just changed from the G35 to the G40 as I also have a ButtKicker set up that I haven't been able to use with the G35 hooked up as its a USB only head set that has its own software.
I got the G40 as it plugs in as a standard headset does so I can use the ButtKicker again.
The sound from the G40 is probably not quite as good as the G35, but it still a great headset.

I also read on these forums that the latest Update has somehow taken the reverb from the game, not sure if this is true though.

But up until the latest update, as far as I,m concerned RF2 supports surround sound.

 

I have those for few months now. First time I launched it in Arma at full volume. I screamed for my mommy to take me away from that warefare.

However I highly recommend external high quality sound card. Without it that piece of equipment is used at 30 % of capability.

 

hmm, what sound card are you using ronnie? I'm still using my oooold X-Fi Extreme audio sound card, it can do 7.1 but i bet it's crap (especially considering it's not a real X-Fi because it uses some older processor and not the one in the X-Fi range cards).

And do you have any trouble with using skype or teamspeak whilst playing a game in surround sound (if you've ever done that)?

 

hmm...i just realised this a virtual 7.1 surround headset, so it's actually a stereo headset.

Not sure what to think about it all now.

 

Well, I have an X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS sound card, and it is able to simulate surround sound with just a stereo headset. It sounds great to my ears, and all the sounds are placed very well. Somehow it works out what channel the sound is coming from and then does some trickery in micro delaying the sound coming to each of your ears which is how is emulates the surround sound. If i spin around while a game character is talking to me, there voice perfectly tracks around to match.
It also means you can use some real brilliant stereo headphones, and have them act as surround sound headset. I use a set of Shure SRH840's, and its great. No need to buy those (IMO) tacky and s***ty "gaming" headsets. I had one set from Steelsound, and it broke in 1 year while being terrible for anything other than gaming and also being very overpriced. Bleh.

 

I've just been doing some more research/reading and quite a few are saying the same thing as you mini.

I had a pair of HOUSE OF MARLEY SOUL REBEL HEADPHONES (MIDNIGHT) which i thought were fantastic and i wouldn't mind getting another pair and trying virtual 7.1 vs true 7.1 if they are indistinguishable. I read only good things about Razer Surround software for virtual 7.1 surround.

Can anyone recommend really good quality stereo speakers then? Comfortable for long use with brilliant sound quality whilst fairly affordable? I may need to fork out for a new sound card too.

 

If my research is correct, then your card should be able to use the CMSS function. That is what Creative call the virtual surround. CMSS-3D or something.

As for headphones, that is quite a personal thing. Some people will only want big, muddy, bass heavy headphones as anything else would sound weak to them/lack a lot of punch (something like the Dre Beats range or "DJ" headphones usually fit that bass heavy catergory). Some people love clear and brilliant treble and high end (That's what those Steelsound 5hV2's were like that I had. Massive treble which was very tiring after a couple of hours use. Also made them terrible for anything other than gaming).
I wanted just a nice flat response with no over emphasis on any frequency range, which is why I went for some "studio monitor" headphones. But they were pricey. Sound great though, passively cancel a lot of noise out and are comfy.

Your best bet would be to try and find a shop that has rows of headphones on display to test out. Maybe find a brand you like the sound of and then look through their lineup. For gaming, open backed headphones might be nicer in that they give you a more "open" soundspace. They won't cancel much noise out though, and other people would easily be able to hear them XD
Some people find closed back phones to sound really close and "tight", and some people don't like that for gaming. I haven't really found that though. Maybe the CMSS thing helps with that in making things a bit more airy.

 

I got G430's last week and so far they have been great. They work perfectly with Teamspeak, so I'm not sure what the problem is there. Haven't tried Skype.

-The new Logitech Game Software has a problem and breaks the Lightning SST shifter. So I rolled back to the older version of the LGS, and now I lose some functionality with the headset. But using the Windows sound controller they are fine and the Windows Virtual Surround enhancement sounds good to me. Cars in back of me sound like they are in back of me, beside me sound like they are beside me. But this is a bug with the LGS 8.50 and up software.

What's really funny though, is that I just happened to get a G430 headset and in my league, my car is a F430! Yes, it was a coincidence and yes, I am meant to be with that awesome car!

 

I have this and it is amazing...

http://www.turtlebeach.com/product-detail/pc-headsets/ear-force-z-seven/341



Completely recommend it.

 

OK.. Time to step in and stop some tragedies.

DO NOT EVER EVER BUY SURROUND SOUND HEADSETS

I have made a bit of a reputation being the official go-to audio guy on reddit and can tell you all without a doubt you NEVER ever EVER need more than 2 drivers in a set of headphones. The attempt to call a set of cans 7.1 is an insult to anyone that understands home theater or sound reproduction in general. You simply can't get a center channel in headphones, you can't get a dedicated subwoofer in headphones and 99.9% of the time "surround" effects can be simulated with software and 3d sound virtualization..

like this man talking behind you.

What you want instead of all that flashy plastic gamer crap is just a GOOD SET OF HEADPHONES and a Mod-mic or desktop mic. Not Bose.. not Beats.. Something from a company made in Germany, Ireland, Japan or the US. Something made by a company that sells NOTHING but headphones. AKG, Sennheiser, Beyer-Dynamics, Grado, Koss, Audio-Technica, BrainWavz.. These are the names you should pick from.

I try to go over some basic explanations and choices for headphones on my most recent guide.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Zeos/comments/1rigzs/headphone_buying_guide_nov_2013/

If anyone is wondering which headphones I use it is the NVX xpt100's. The best $80 you can spend right now.

 

Tim said they are working on proper surround sound. So it should get better soon.

 

You would have been great to talk with a few months ago when I was picking out a really nice set of headphones. XD I got so sick of the audiophile websites and forums when trying to get some solid advice on a good set of cans...yknow, you get sick of the guys who "wont eat eggs coz it somehow affects the quality of sound from their speakers" types...s**t like that.
Still, I ended up with something great anyway lol.

 

No offence but a bit contradictory here " Exactly. Even if your using the on-board audio that every motherboard comes with. Good headphones goes a long way all on their own, and then save up for a good sound card. A PCI bus card is a minimum, all external USB solutions are inferior. "

You can spend a million bucks or you can spend 10 bucks, if what you buy does your job, then well and good.
The guy was just looking for some head phones, not the opera house.
I think he will get good use from the G430s using RF2.

 

I ve a G35 but not happy with sounds . It switches between Stereo und 7.1 intermittent . I dont like it and went back to Stereo

 

USB headsets are inferior. USB dac's like the Behringer UCA-202 are amazing value/quality.. For $30 you get super clean RCA line outs, an OK-ish headphone amp and a SPDIF optical out. http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/behringer-uca202-review.html

The shure's are good headphones. I see them recommended all the time but unfortunately for anyone trying to rock "wireless" headphones you are going to be disappointed. Trying to fit a dac and amp and battery into a headphone is a bad idea. They cut quality on everything and it does affect the sound.

 

Yep, if they meant USB headphones are inferior, sure, i could go along with that (though of course, they are far cheaper), but there is no way USB audio cards are inferior to anything. I run a firewire soundcard and Sennheiser HD600's, USB is no different. it simpy comes down to the components used in the audio card (dacs, etc).

 

<<Plantronics GameCom 780>> Almost all gaming headset, only simulated 7.1 surroundsound.

 

If you are going for immersion as well as being able to talk on TS or other chat programs, you are going to have to make sacrifices. You either have to pump up the TS volume quite a bit, or turn down the game volumes quite a bit in order to hear anything reliably. Best option would be to use a single ear headset for your TS so that you can hear everything outside the headset, and turn your audio to the levels you want for the game. This will muffle the one ear, but it is preferable to the alternatives.

 

sound = immersion something rf2 does not have. lacking in all areas where this is involved,