EAX support or no support?

**PXZyan** · March 04, 2009, 02:55 PM

Hey guys.

I am unsure if EAX is supported?? There is no option but I would imagine it would be enabled though 3D hardware acceleration in game options?? Or would it be windows default??

**Nuxes** · March 14, 2009, 06:46 PM

I try to set hardware sound, but it just goes back to "windows default". Does this mean I can't use EAX? In battle, is sounds like there are maybe 16 sound channels, no where near the 128 that and X-Fi can handle. I tried messing around with Alchemy but haven't found anything yet.

**centurie** · March 14, 2009, 09:07 PM

EAX only works on xp...vista does not support EAX.........

**I-the-gamer** · March 15, 2009, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by centurie

EAX only works on xp...vista does not support EAX.........

Yes it does. At least with Creative Alchemy. Besides, this thread is about if Empire supports EAX, not if vista does.

**IHV** · March 16, 2009, 05:37 AM

When i bought Empire i had Asus P45 onboard sound Realtek ALC1200 and i had rather poor sound in battles, missing sounds, sounds come and go, crackling. So i tried Creative X-Fi Titanium along with Alchemy and without Alchemy, and there is no differense , its still the same, very very poorly done sound in this or i must say bugged (i hope), trying to use Direct 3d from options made it even worse.

So in my opinion the EAX doesnt work using Vista and Alchemy.

I have lot of questions about the quality reviews ive read about thsi game, especially PC Gamer review, after reading that i decided to buy the game but if id known its so buggy...

Concept itself is great and id love to play it when its done.

**jmbuehler** · March 16, 2009, 09:05 AM

1. Enbaling EAX via Alchemy in Vista for any X-Fi chip DOES work.
2. The sound is simply appalling, no matter what sound chip or speaker configuration you use. The worst sounds so far for me have been soldiers marching, really make me cringe and ten zoom out.

**Baleur** · March 17, 2009, 06:37 AM

Using Asus Xonar here, due to being fed up with Creatives horrible driver support for so many years.

**Brusilov** · March 17, 2009, 06:41 AM

Originally Posted by Shāhānshāh

Yes it does. At least with Creative Alchemy. Besides, this thread is about if Empire supports EAX, not if vista does.

Originally Posted by jmbuehler

1. Enbaling EAX via Alchemy in Vista for any X-Fi chip DOES work.
2. The sound is simply appalling, no matter what sound chip or speaker configuration you use. The worst sounds so far for me have been soldiers marching, really make me cringe and ten zoom out.

I installed Alchemy with by Vista 64 bit ultimate ediiton and found that my sound system has gone from a 7.1 system to a lot less - rear speakers no longer work even in test mode...

**jmbuehler** · March 17, 2009, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Brusilov

I installed Alchemy with by Vista 64 bit ultimate ediiton and found that my sound system has gone from a 7.1 system to a lot less - rear speakers no longer work even in test mode...

Well, Alchemy is a rather crude work-around to a problem, which is pretty much ruining Creative at the moment. Due to the new kernel architecture of Vista and all supsequent OSs (i.e. win7 etc), hardware sound vie a DirectX API is not possible anymore, so Alchemy is meant to re-write the sound output of a given app to use OpenGL.
I haven't got 7.1 myself, but I have heard from many sources that it doesn't work properly with Alchemy. To top it off, Alchemy really doesn't play nice with Vista64...
I used to have a Creative Xfi Titanium Fatal1ty PCIE in my system, but because of the stated issues and Creative's inability to produce drivers which work properly with Nvidia chipsets, I switched back to the sound module delivered with my Striker II Extreme and haven't looked back.

**Nuxes** · March 17, 2009, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by Brusilov

I installed Alchemy with by Vista 64 bit ultimate ediiton and found that my sound system has gone from a 7.1 system to a lot less - rear speakers no longer work even in test mode...

I've got Vista 64 and haven't had any trouble with my 4.1 system, although I mainly use headphones with CMSS. Either way, ETW sounds crappy.

**Brusilov** · March 17, 2009, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by jmbuehler

Well, Alchemy is a rather crude work-around to a problem, which is pretty much ruining Creative at the moment. Due to the new kernel architecture of Vista and all supsequent OSs (i.e. win7 etc), hardware sound vie a DirectX API is not possible anymore, so Alchemy is meant to re-write the sound output of a given app to use OpenGL.
I haven't got 7.1 myself, but I have heard from many sources that it doesn't work properly with Alchemy. To top it off, Alchemy really doesn't play nice with Vista64...

I had my PC as a 'special build'. When it was delivered it came without the graphics cards in place. The two GTX280s are quite heavy and were delivered in their own boxes (my previous PCs were mainly Dells - they built a special cradle to hold the 8800GTX card in place). The instructions to install the cards did not cover SLI and the SLI bridge was hidden away somewhere.

I found that playing RTW that EAX was not being selected. I installed Alchemy and still no EAX was available. I also get crackling speakers when playing RTW and ETW.

I am sure that at one stage I did have all speakers working properly. I don't recall when they stopped. It may simply be a matter of uninstalling everything and reinstalling without Alcemy. I've been working away from home for a year and only have the occasional weekend at home to rest. Unfortunetely, I now have a lot of time on my hands from the end of this week so I should be able to find time to sort these things out - another job is the priority though.

Originally Posted by Nuxes

I've got Vista 64 and haven't had any trouble with my 4.1 system, although I mainly use headphones with CMSS. Either way, ETW sounds crappy.

I think I've got a 4.1 system at the moment......

I presume you have a X-Fi card?

**Nuxes** · March 17, 2009, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Brusilov

I found that playing RTW that EAX was not being selected. I installed Alchemy and still no EAX was available. I also get crackling speakers when playing RTW and ETW.

I presume you have a X-Fi card?

I've given up on getting better sound out of ETW, but Rome and Med2 work fine with Alchemy.
I presume you enabled the games from the Alchemy menu? If they don't show up automatically have to manually add them. Also, make sure you have the latest OpenAL installed:
http://files.filefront.com/OALInstex.../fileinfo.html

My card is an X-Fi Elite Pro PCI-E.

After the latest ETW patch, I have been able to select Hardware Audio from the list, but it still sounds the same as the other options.

**jmbuehler** · March 17, 2009, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by Brusilov

I had my PC as a 'special build'. When it was delivered it came without the graphics cards in place. The two GTX280s are quite heavy and were delivered in their own boxes (my previous PCs were mainly Dells - they built a special cradle to hold the 8800GTX card in place). The instructions to install the cards did not cover SLI and the SLI bridge was hidden away somewhere.

I found that playing RTW that EAX was not being selected. I installed Alchemy and still no EAX was available. I also get crackling speakers when playing RTW and ETW.

I am sure that at one stage I did have all speakers working properly. I don't recall when they stopped. It may simply be a matter of uninstalling everything and reinstalling without Alcemy. I've been working away from home for a year and only have the occasional weekend at home to rest. Unfortunetely, I now have a lot of time on my hands from the end of this week so I should be able to find time to sort these things out - another job is the priority though.

I think I've got a 4.1 system at the moment......

I presume you have a X-Fi card?

What chipset are you using? If it's not an X58 (the only Intel chipset supporting SLI), you will have an Nvidia chipset. If so, just take out your XFi and replace it with something abolsutely not related to Creative. Creative+Nvidia=horrible mess

**PXZyan** · March 17, 2009, 05:22 PM

I really doubt EAX is in this...standard audio is barely stable!! EAX will certainly not be supported!! maybe in many patchs to come in the future?? hopefully.