Sound channels and how to use them

[mpicco]

Ok so here's the picture.
I've started to fly online and I've been trying to understand what the ATC is telling me which is not always so easy.
So i came up with an idea i am not completely sure if its doable.

I have a 5.1 sound system integrated to my motherboard. Right now im just using the "front" jack (the light green one) to feed a 2.1 sound system, which runs great. I was wondering if theres any software that can redirect specific executables (say fs9.exe) to sound on other channels?

My final goal would be having my 2.1 speakers roaring with the engine sounds (and everything else in the airplane of course) and my headset for the ATC (in this case, Team speak).

Is this possible? can anyone find a way to do it?

[Nick N]

Ok so here's the picture.
I've started to fly online and I've been trying to understand what the ATC is telling me which is not always so easy.
So i came up with an idea i am not completely sure if its doable.

I have a 5.1 sound system integrated to my motherboard. Right now im just using the "front" jack (the light green one) to feed a 2.1 sound system, which runs great. I was wondering if theres any software that can redirect specific executables (say fs9.exe) to sound on other channels?

My final goal would be having my 2.1 speakers roaring with the engine sounds (and everything else in the airplane of course) and my headset for the ATC (in this case, Team speak).

Is this possible? can anyone find a way to do it?

FS9 is not 5.1 if this is FSX, it is

Either way, if you are not setting the Windows sound system and your drivers up to run the type of speakers you use, that is probably why you are having trouble hearing ATC. If Windows and the sound mixer for the sound device are set to use 5.1 or any other type of speaker setup other than the type you use, you will loose sound FX and voices

Also, there are volume levels in MSFS that can be raised


As for getting 4.1 surround out of FS9, you can do it using this in the FS9.cfg file over-writing the original section

[SOUND]
SOUND=1
SOUND_FADER1=0.460000
SOUND_FADER2=0.460000
SOUND_FADER3=0.620000
SOUND_FADER4=0.800000
SOUND_FADER5=0.090000
SOUND_FADER6=1.000000
SOUND_QUALITY=2
Channels=4
SamplesPerSec=44100
BitsPerSample=16

[mpicco]

Hm, i can hear the ATC fine, it comes out of the speakers... What i wanted to do is move the realism up a notch and have the speakers play only the FS sounds (using FS9 btw) and the headphones play only the Teamspeak sounds... Is there any way to trick windows into sending all of the FS sounds into my front (in this case the 2.1 system) and all the Teamspeak to my back (which would have the headset plugged in to)?


Like so:


Motherboard (with 5.1 card onboard)

[Nick N]

No

But if you use the config file edit I posted, and, set up Windows, the drivers and the speakers in a 4 channel configuration, it may increase the sound you want to another output

FS9 is not surround sound and was never designed to send sound to more than 2 outputs, therefore what I posted is more of a simulated surround than a true surround.

It may help get what you want.

otherwise, without the above edit it all goes to 2 channels

[mpicco]

Hmm i see, with that config do you think its possible to trick it to belive there are 4 channels there and if i set the volume to zero for the rear it will send to the front channels only?
Then itd be a matter of tricking Teamspeak to send to the rear channels

Me and my ideas...

[JBaymore]

This is a very common approach for those of us who have simpits.

The Teamspeak program is run on one of the OTHER computers in the pit.

[Nick N]

What I posted above will give you a similated 4 channel surround

What you must understand is the way you hear what that produces is switch the view to outside the aircraft and then pan around it with the engines running. I dont think you get full-blown 4 speakers firing all the time, what you get depends on the sound.cfg file and the direction your ear is pointed to the sound so it simulates a surround.

As I recall, rotating your head or view in the cockpit also tickles the rear speakers

You dont get all 4 speakers firing sound at you all the time.. assuming Windows and the drivers are set up correctly you get sound out of the other 2 speakers when your viewpoint and the rear sound are in allignment. Its been a long time since I used FS9, well over a year, so I am passing on what I remember about it and the way it works.

As for another program operating though FS9, as John pointed out, you need that application to have access to the sound system directly. I dont use teamspeak or other programs like that so I can not advise on setting it up. Johns solution above sounds like it comes with expereince

The other solution is based on the motherboard and the BIOS. Some will allow a sound card be installed and allow you to use both onboard AND the soundcard. You configure your external program to use the sound card instead of the onboard. Some motherboards do not allow both because of IRQ issues and as soon as you install a card, it automatically shuts down the onboard. It depends on the motherboard and its BIOS. I can tell you that sound is a major killer of performance to so having 2 will take more CPU cycles from the system. That is why Johns suggested method woud probably be best.

[Nick N]

One other thing you need to be careful of is the outputs themselves. I dont know how many times I came across the documentation for the mortherboard being wrong about which plugs do what. Many of them switch the outputs to different plug holes when you go from 2 speaker to 5.1, 4.1, quad, etc.

Even some sound cards do that too but not as much as onboard. You have to review the documentation carefully about what the outputs do when switching to different protocols.

For FS9 I dont think you want your sound on 5.1, either 4.1 or quad for the edit I posted and you must make sure -both- Windows AND the sound card are set to run the same output, and the plugs are correct.. and any volume slider that becomes available during that switch is enabled and UP.


If you are not using that edit, it is best to have the speaker output set to "desktop stereo" or 2.1 if you have a 3 speaker setup, one being a sub

Many surround cards flip (switch) the center and sub wooofer channel without you knowing it.. another thing you have to watch out for