Troubles with Forte 7.1 hooked up to receiver (DDL, gaming)

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ven77

Weaksauce
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Nov 22, 2009
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Ok, before I start, here is my setup:
Running Windows 7 Enterprise x64, latest drivers from Auzen installed (they're from 2009), DX11, headset and mic plugged into Auzentech Forte 7.1 card, receiver hooked up to card via RCA cable.

The problems:
1) most games do not have surround sound. For example, AFAIK, Dragon Age should have surround sound but I get none
2) DDL does not seem to work in games

I've made S/PDIF out my primary/default device before testing. On my receiver (an ancient Pioneer VSX-05), I've plugged the RCA cable going from the sound card into AC-3/PCM DIGITAL IN LD/SAT, and when I turn on my receiver, I make sure LD/SAT is the selected source and the signal is set to DIGITAL (not Analog). Also, I have a button to turn Dolby ON/OFF. When ON, the receiver displays "PRO LOGIC" unless it gets an AC-3 stream, in which case it displays DOLBY DIGITAL and the symbols for my 5 speakers and sub.

Now, if I go to Volume --> Playback devices --> Select SPDIF Out on Auzentech Forte --> Properties --> Supported Formats --> Select Dolby Digital --> Hit Test, my receiver switches from Pro Logic to Dolby Digital automatically, displays the symbols for speakers and sub, and plays sounds through each channel (LFE + 5 speakers). I hear the test sounds just fine.

However, if I start up a game that should have surround sound, my receiver still displays Pro Logic (I'm not getting Dolby Digital). As I understand, the Forte should be taking surround sound from games, encoding it into an AC-3 stream, passing it to my receiver, and then my receiver should do the decoding (my receiver decodes AC-3, tested it, and has worked with DVDs just fine). This is "DDL" right? In the StarCraft 2 beta for example, I've tried selecting "5.1" and "Surround Sound" from the Sound options, however in both cases my receiver still reads Pro Logic.

Lastly, if I start the Auzentech Audio Control Panel, and go to the "Speakers" tab, I can only select 2/2.1 or Headphones. If I select anything else, it switches to 2/2.1. The SPDIF IO tab has no options for me (all greyed out) except "Play Stereo Mix Using Digital Autput." This is unchecked at the moment.

Does anyone have any idea how I can get DDL to work correctly? Or how to get proper surround sound in games? I'd appreciate any help with this.

If it matters, I can't start ALchemy at all, but I don't think that is relevant to my problems above.
 
You need to setup Auzentech X-Fi Forte ANALOG outputs as your default output channel and configure them as 7.1 speakers.
DDL captures the analog outputs, converts them to DD format and sends the output to S/PDIF output.
 
Thanks for the reply.
ashmelev75 said:
You need to setup Auzentech X-Fi Forte ANALOG outputs as your default output channel and configure them as 7.1 speakers.
Click to expand...
How do I do this?

I don't see anything close to that in the Auzentech Audio Control Panel, and in my Playback Devices, I can only see "Speakers" (which would be my headset, plugged into the card) and "SPDIF Out" (which is RCA cable going from card to receiver).
 
ven77 said:
I don't see anything close to that in the Auzentech Audio Control Panel, and in my Playback Devices, I can only see "Speakers" (which would be my headset, plugged into the card) and "SPDIF Out" (which is RCA cable going from card to receiver).
Click to expand...

Well, that's what I mean.
In Playback Devices there's
1) Speakers, Auzentech X-Fi
2) SPDIF. Auzentech X-Fi

You need to choose 1st as Default and configure it as 7.1 or 5.1 (whatever is your speaker config). Make sure that it gets propagated to Auzentech console launcher or whatever their app is named (may need to restart windows). Turn on DDL in there, that will automatically encode the analog outputs and send them to your receiver.
You should be able to hear all speakers thru your receiver after you do the speaker test.

Connect headphones to Front Analog Out of Forte.
 
ashmelev75 said:
You need to choose 1st as Default and configure it as 7.1 or 5.1 (whatever is your speaker config).
Click to expand...

I am unable to do this.
I have 5 speakers + sub connected to receiver. Receiver connected to Forte. Headset connected to Forte. If I make speakers/headset primary, I am unable to choose 7.1 or 5.1, it always switches back to 2/2.1 (same goes when SPDIF Out as primary). I don't understand how I can configure speakers/headset for 5.1 anyway, since I only have 2 cables going into Forte (headset and RCA from receiver). Wouldn't I need the speakers themselves going into the Forte in order to configure the Forte for 5.1?
 
If you go into the Forte Control Panel and go to the encoding tab. Is DDL enabled? or does it give you some service error?
 
Some service error!

I checked and I do have Dolby Digital Live Pack installed (it shows up in Control Panel under Programs and Features)

EDIT: sorry not a service error, the program just crashes... Windows pops up telling me I have the option of closing it or searching online for a solution and closing it. Searching online, unsurprisingly, did nothing
 
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Dion, thanks for the link.

I managed to start all the necessary services, and now I do get sound coming out of the speakers, and DDL seems to work. However, I am still experiencing problem 1), no surround sound. I can get to the Encoder tab, I can enable DDL, however it says to enjoy it, I must have the headset selected as my playback device. This makes no sense to me - how could I get sound if I had no headset plugged in and only a receiver connected via RCA?

I did not have to use Vista SP2 compatibility mode for any of the services to start/run. I've tried turning on my receiver after my PC, but that doesn't solve the problem. Like you, I am now only getting stereo through the receiver, no surround.
 
Seriously, I can't understand your problem.

connect_forte_lg.jpg


Forte has the following:
1) Digital Output (SPDIF)
2) Headphone Output
3) Break-out connector thingy with Mic input.

Why can't you connect your receiver to the SPDIF out and your headset to Headphone Out and Mic input?

Please explain.

As I said, you need to configure Speakers Auzentech Forte in Control Panel/Sound/Playback Devices as your default device. With DDL on that will send the encoded sound to your receiver AND you should be able to hear the sound on your headphones.

From Forte's FAQ:
Digital sounds such as DDL and DTS delivered via SPDIF out are not muted when the headphone is connected.
 
just make sure windows is set to 5.1, even with the creative audio control panel set to headphone this should still be 5.1.
 
ashmelev75 said:
Why can't you connect your receiver to the SPDIF out and your headset to Headphone Out and Mic input?
Click to expand...
That is exactly what I did.

As I said, you need to configure Speakers Auzentech Forte in Control Panel/Sound/Playback Devices as your default device. With DDL on that will send the encoded sound to your receiver AND you should be able to hear the sound on your headphones.
Click to expand...
Done. No surround sound though.


As I said, I am unable to set anything to 5.1. It always switches back to 2/2.1. I can go Headphones or 2/2.1, nothing else. If I pick anything else, it switches back to 2/2.1. I can only "configure" the Headset, not the SPDIF Out.
 
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/4301/playback.jpg
"Headset" was named "Speakers" I just re-named it to "Headset"

Headset can be configured and I can go into properties.
Configuring headset gives me only one option, Stereo.
SPDIF Out can't be configured.

Auzentech Audio Control Panel only lets me pick 2/2.1 or Headphones under the Speakers tab/Speakers configuration. I assume this is because my headset is plugged into it. I am unable to set number of speakers, or really interact in any meaningful way, with SPDIF Out. I can only enable DDL under the Encoder tab (which I did), but that gave me stereo sound, not surround sound (even though now, my receiver shows DOLBY DIGITAL instead of DOLBY PRO LOGIC and the symbols for 5 speakers + LFE show up), only the front left and right play, and the sub.
 
If you unplug headphones, does it allow you to change speaker settings to 5.1?
Also, what mode (Game/Entertainment/Audio Creation) is currently selected ?
 
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ashmelev75 said:
If you unplug headphones, does it allow you to change speaker settings to 5.1?
Click to expand...
No. If I go to configure, it is still "Stereo." If I go to the Auzentech Audio Control Panel Speakers tab, I can only pick Headphones or 2/2.1. If I pick anything else, it goes back to 2/2.1.
I've been in Game Mode the whole time, never changed that.
 
ven77 said:
No. If I go to configure, it is still "Stereo." If I go to the Auzentech Audio Control Panel Speakers tab, I can only pick Headphones or 2/2.1. If I pick anything else, it goes back to 2/2.1.
I've been in Game Mode the whole time, never changed that.
Click to expand...

Have you tried changing the speaker config using the Audio Console?
 
I don't have that installed...could it be the difference maker? heh

EDIT: installed it. It seems to be a different skin of the Auzentech Audio Control Panel. Regardless, same deal here: Pick Headphones, or 2/2.1. Anything else results in 2/2.1 being auto selected.
 
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ven77 said:
I don't have that installed...could it be the difference maker? heh
Click to expand...

How about uninstalling your drivers, wiping them using Driver Swiper and reinstalling the latest Forte drivers from the Auzentech web site?

And just to confirm we are not having any misunderstanding, here's the normal speaker config screen:
43c09cc7-3939-4596-8938-16d1d3a4d0f5.jpg
 
On that speaker config screen, I only have stereo.

Heh, I've already done the reinstall from Auzen's site. I removed, went to safe mode, driver sweeper, reboot, install new.

EDIT: *4th* driver re-install solved my issue. After it, I had to manually install the CTAud service, which I didn't have to before. I don't know what was different about the 4th re-install, but it worked. The DDL test fails in Windows, but DDL works in games, and surround sound works properly in games that support it.
 
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ven77 said:
On that speaker config screen, I only have stereo.

Heh, I've already done the reinstall from Auzen's site. I removed, went to safe mode, driver sweeper, reboot, install new.

EDIT: *4th* driver re-install solved my issue. After it, I had to manually install the CTAud service, which I didn't have to before. I don't know what was different about the 4th re-install, but it worked. The DDL test fails in Windows, but DDL works in games, and surround sound works properly in games that support it.
Click to expand...

I know the feeling.. Drivers are flaky in Win7. But they work once its all goin.
 
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