its funny how ppl spend a ton on cpu's/vid cards, but have a lame as hell sound system...
its funny how ppl spend a ton on cpu's/vid cards, but have a lame as hell sound system...
I don't think that's really surprising. To play many of the latest games, you need an uber CPU and GPU to get the game to run smoothly at all, but even the sound chip on your mobo is enough to get the game running.
Besides, sound systems haven't seen nearly as much development as video cards. There isn't yet even really functional real-time 3D sound. If you think about those prerecorded clips listened to with headphones where you hear a matchbox being shaken around your head, closer and farther away. Simulations (games) are still miles away from that. Because sound cards are stepchilds compared to video cards.
I've not very keen on sound. I can tell the difference between really crappy sound and acceptable sound, but that's about it.
This somewhat strikes my ground. I do not intend to waste<-- money on sound. I have two very agressive parents with 1 very agressive sister. They agro on any loud sounds. Second, I favor stereo above any other system around, so anything past a 2.1 system is wasted on me, I do like it in games, don't get me wrong, but I'll just have to get it when I live on my own.Originally Posted by Board of Command
And going all "zomg wowzor come hear my sound" ..feels like I'm one of those idiots that put soundsystems in their cars that fill up the whole damn thing.
Yes, soundcards are irrelevant to me.
Altough I admit I probably will buy a soundcard this time. As my financial situation currently allows me to, perhaps we can boost some performance in my Sennheiser headset.. :P
Where did i say loud? I said better, a powerfull (digital) speakerset and a kickass soundcard will IMPROVE the sound quality.Originally Posted by ?igma
500watts of power doesn't just mean it will go loud, it means it will produce perfectly clear sounds at any sound level, and if its digital, it might even crystalize the output aswell, making even 128kbps sound good.
My mom goes agro on even medium level sound, but she isnt around all the time, plus the speakerset+soundcard improve headphone quality too.
"And going all "zomg wowzor come hear my sound"...
If that is your definition of IMMERSION, then fine..
Soundcards aren't dumb gimmicks that just make stuff louder.
Oh and kraco, to get 3d sounds out of a headphone, you will need a surround headphone, if you heard those sounds with a normal headphone, it's just trickery. There is no way to get 3d sound out of 2 speakers. Like that retarded bose 3-2-1 system, ugh..
EAX and DTS are great at producing 3d sound.
Sounds to me someones wasting his time getting into stuff nobody wants to be into :P Sound...
Oh my set isnt so bad, I have two Bose Boxes each 500W, Let's just put loud as being what I really meant, anything past whispering is considered too loud.
And here comes my completely unsupported opinion. Spending money on sound is retarded, untill you have it in huge amounts. I cant play games without a decent cpu, I cant play games without a decent Graphics card, ram and decent HD storage. Without all those thing being balanced, I can't play anything. It's a worthless piece of junk.
Buying hardware to improve sound, is like buying a spoiler for your car. It drives perfectly without, it's just for the finishing touch.
You got one thing right: It is trickery. You know, the human hearing is stereo, not 5.1 or 7.1. Or maybe you could say it's 2.1 if you count feeling some uber basso all the way down to your bones...Originally Posted by darkshadow
Well, I'm already repeating myself, but if you haven't heard any of those recordings, there's no way you would understand. It's like trying to explain Shinji's epic lameness to someone who hasn't watched Eva. But the whole idea is to mimic the way the shape of the human head and ears affect the quality of the sound you are hearing (and possibly other aspects but like I said, I'm no expert and it takes some sort of a pro to make these things). It's not just whether the left or the right channel is louder (or how loud is the sound in all of your 8+1 speakers).
Too bad I can't link you to any such sound samples, because I have only heard them when some people have made forum posts with them elsewhere, and that forum has a mod that allows you to play sounds via a simple interface straight in the post itself, so I have no idea where they came from nor do I have them locally.
Surround sound is all about your perceived origin of the sound. I can sort of understand what Kraco is referring to with something like the barbershop sound. The sound has to be tweaked so that it sounds like it actually has a "direction" and this is done by modifying the individual levels and pitches of all the different sounds in the clip with respect to the shape and size of a human head.
It's audio illusion.
Its good enough to get the game running yeah, but its not good enough to immerse you in the game audibly, and what do you mean with 3d sound? 8 discreet channels? cause even a audigy 2zs can produce 8 discreet channels no problem, plently of games are compatible with EAX or dolby/DTS.Originally Posted by Kraco
Also the soundcard takes some stress off the cpu, plus the X-FI crystalizes sound into 24bit, which gives a pretty major improvement.
Even on the "old" ps2, a good soundsystem makes a game far more immersive.
shadow of the colossus, through the tv, or some lame 2.0(1) desktop speakers, has nothing on a optical connection to a 500watt 5.1 system with PLII. It just makes it that more... EPIC.
Oh and burnout revenge on the x360.... gives me the shivers, thats how awesome it sounds.
Other then video, sound envelopes and sucks you in, IMAX screens aren't just upgraded with a bigger/digital screen either, they get a much better sound system aswell.
If you had had an opportunity to sometimes listen to those clips I referred to, you would know what I'm talking about. With (quality) headphones on, if you closed your eyes, with one clip it absolutely felt like you were sitting in the chair at a barber. It almost made you shudder when you heard the scissors suddenly cutting your hair. But unless you have heard these clips that are recorded using a human head and ears models (though I don't know the details), you can't understand what I mean.Originally Posted by darkshadow
No need to tell me about it. I have built a few FPS SP game levels. Sound wasn't ever my strongest point (because it would have been nigh impossible to produce new scifi sound effects at home), but just like you say, it's of utmost importance to pay due attention to it or the level will fail horribly.Other then video, sound envelopes and sucks you in...