[Hardware] [Resolved] There should be no audio distortions while the movies play

emptyVoid

I'm experiencing the same audio issue as with BG2:EE. I thought it was fixed back in one of the BG patches... and no, the issue still plagues both BG:EE and BG2:EE (checked the lastest steam versions).
Is it SO HARD to fix an issue reported a year ago?

Gate70

Can you provide more details please @emptyVoid‌ e.g. any particular movie, what part of it and what kind of distortions.

In case this is device specific can you advise what version of Windows you have, your sound card and the driver version of the card please.
Thanks

emptyVoid

Here is a sample of the intro movie: http://youtu.be/w6iDSUH8Ruo

OS: Windows 8.1 Pro (all updates)
HW: PCIe SB X-Fi Titanium Champion Series, Driver version 2.40.8 (latest via Creative Software AutoUpdate)

Cerevant

@emptyVoid There are known issues with the Crative X-Fi drivers that can cause these kinds of distortions. Try installing OpenAL_Soft from here:
https://beamdog.zendesk.com/entries/31177538-Troubleshooting-Reinstall-OpenAL

emptyVoid

Thanks, but I won't: Chrome flags the executable as potential malware, the installer requires administrative privileges while not being signed, and it's possibly build from an open-source library with "as-is" warranty.

Cerevant

The warning from Chrome is that the file is not commonly downloaded, which is of course true - we don't have many users seeing this issue.

If you'd like to install it manually, you can download the original version here:
http://kcat.strangesoft.net/openal-soft-1.16.0-bin.zip

You will need to extract the 32-bit version of the DLL and put it in the game directory. This only requires administrative rights if you have installed the game in the default Program Files directory. If you put it in the game directory (with the baldur.exe / icewind.exe) it will not affect any other programs.

The issue is with Creative's implementation of hardware accelerated OpenAL on the X-Fi. This library is a full software implementation of OpenAL that is fully compliant with the specification. The game works properly with this library and other compliant implementations of OpenAL, so there are no plans to change the game to address issues specific to the X-Fi.

emptyVoid

Thanks. Though you missed an installation step: the library should be renamed to OpenAL32.dll.

Can you advice please: do all Creative sound cards affected by the issue or is it the X-Fi series only? (since was planning the upgrade to Sound Blaster Z series card)

Franpa

It also affects the Auzentech XFI Forte soundcard which uses a Creative XFI chip (SPU) so I'd be pretty confident in assuming it affects all Auzentech/Creative cards that use a Creative SPU, however the Z series of Creative cards is pretty new still and may have had a fix implemented in their drivers that has yet to be back ported to older sound card series (Probably wouldn't get back ported even if a fix was implemented for the new cards).

Do note that OpenAL_Soft might only produce mono sound.

Illydth

@Gate70: You might consider marking this one as fixed.