[XxDeadlyxX]

I'm using 3.6.10. I have an X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty sound card. Vista 64. When I enable OpenAL and choose either Generic Hardware or SB X-Fi Audio [0001], I get sound from all 7.1 speakers. However, during the game, a large majority of sounds come out of the rear speakers (all sounds from other ships, their gunfire etc). Regardless of where the sounds *should* be coming from, they all come out of the rears. There's no directionality. Is this the way it's meant to be? Or do other people get proper directional sounds using OpenAL? It's just kinda stupid when I hear stuff behind me when it's actually in front of me, defeats the purpose of using OpenAL to get surround sound.

All other games that use OpenAL that I've tried (most being shooters), I get proper directionality, even UT99 which has a hack-job OpenAL solution, it has proper directionality.

[Herra Tohtori]

I think FS2_Open sound output is limited to two channels no matter what you do; I think there are some plans to upgrade the sound to include multi-channel support but for now you're probably better off mixing the channels to play from the speakers as left/right pairs (stereo surround on the CMSS 3D tab on EAX console, assuming that Creative card has anything in similar with my puny SB Live!24bit external card's interface...

Also, Generic Software is supposed to be the selection in the Launcher/Audio tab that should be selected. The sound coming from the two rear speakers might be caused by the Generic Hardware selection or something else, dunno what... and apart from checking that the rear speakers actually are connected to rear output (should be trivial to check in Speaker Settings and I don't think this is the case anyway) I can't really add more at the moment.

[Mr_Maniac]

Also, Generic Software is supposed to be the selection in the Launcher/Audio tab that should be selected.

I can be wrong, but as far as I know, "Generic Software" is the choice for sound cards, that don't have "hardware-acceleration"-Support in OpenAL (or at all?).
So at least X-Fi-Users should be able to select their sound card from the List.
I have an X-Fi now, too, but before that I had a SBLive! 5.1 Player that also just worked fine with "Generic Hardware".

But, again, I could be wrong on that matter (I don't have a 5.1 or 7.1 Speaker Set)...

[karajorma]

Certain Creative cards work with generic hardware presumably cause Creative actually took the time to support OpenAL properly. But not all of them work so it's basically a case of trying it and hoping for the best with them.

[maya]

I have similar problems on some movies and games where audio only comes from the rear speakers.
The only difference is im using and onboard Realtek 5.1 soundchip.

Before anyone sais its pants, it really isnt. It does what it sais on the tin.

Anyway i just switch it to 2 channel or headphones in the output type and everything is hunky dorey.