New Computer Blues: Sound Problem with ToB

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Sun Jun 09, 2002 3:20 pm

I have searched the forums to an answer, to no avail. My new Dell computer is amazing. It speeds up BG ToB to levels I never knew were possible. The graphics are astounding! But, the sound is strange.

I am running Pentium 4 2.26GHz, with SoundBlaster Live! Value card, and nVidia GeForce 3 Ti Graphics Card. Windows XP (professional).

Music and normal sound seem to be okay. But Voices are strangely distant and echo-y. This goes for the Player Character, Party NPCs, and other NPCs (merchants, etc.). When I turn off the Environmental Audio, the other NPCs (merchants, etc.) sound just fine, but I lose the PC and Party NPC voices altogether! Very weird. It also seems that some voice sounds are missing entirely, no matter what settings I have…

So, I updated the sound driver, and I just downloaded the nVidia 28.32 driver. Not really any change.

Is there any hope for me or do I just chalk it up to the difficulties of the operating system combined with the (apparently) most problematic sound and graphic cards associated with the game?

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Sun Jun 09, 2002 3:30 pm

It is not your magnificent system

it is your sound card. Have you tried turning off the EAX? There is also a drop down menu with soundblaster, check the effects settings in there...I have this problem playing online, but not single player - same card...

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Sun Jun 09, 2002 3:37 pm

Originally posted by Yshania
It is not your magnificent system it is your sound card. Have you tried turning off the EAX? There is also a drop down menu with soundblaster, check the effects settings in there...I have this problem playing online, but not single player - same card...

I assume, by EAX, you mean the Environmental Audio that I have been playing with.... As mentioned, it produced strange results. I am now looking for this Sound Blaster drop-down menu you are taunting me with....

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Sun Jun 09, 2002 3:49 pm

Start/programs/Creative/Creative Launcher

there is a myriad of setup options in there...

Just ask DW how I echo in caves when using ICQ whilst playing online!

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Sun Jun 09, 2002 4:14 pm

Originally posted by Yshania
Start/programs/Creative/Creative Launcher there is a myriad of setup options in there...

Just ask DW how I echo in caves when using ICQ whilst playing online!

How about Start/Programs/Creative/Sound Blaster Live! Value/Audio HQ
then I go into the EAX Control Panel, select All Effect Off, get out, restart computer (just to be sure)

No change.

What sort of myriad options did you have to play with to get it right?

Yes, I seem to remember something about that.....

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Sun Jun 09, 2002 4:30 pm

I played around with everything - turning it all off or no effects. To be honest, this is still a current issue and I am not sure it has worked since we have not played online since. Single player is ok, but multiplayer throws an echo (where it would be expected - ie in caves) but it is distracting and hard to understand.

I am wondering that this thread might be better in the Tech forum, since it is definitely a hardware and not a software problem.

What I am waiting to see if it has worked is this:

In EAX control panel of the Audio HQ part of the sound card, there is a slider under reverb. I have turned it to zero...