Author Topic: [Solved] Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'  (Read 1076 times)

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Offline amiralace

  • 23
  • aka Qalam
[Solved] Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'
Hi folks,

I just reinstalled FS Open on a new PC running Win 10 through Knossos. Game and mods are launching fine, but I've got a weird and annoying 'sizzling' effect on the audio in background.
- I secondarily put OpenAL32.dll in the main FS2 folder (although the game launched without an error the first time). I also tried to put the dll in the FSOpen folder. No change.
- This issue happens when I launch the game through Knossos be it FS, FSport, FSport media vps, FS2, FS2 media vps, but *everything is fine when I launch the game via the retail executable*
- I tried deactivating enhanced audio in the Knossos settings. No change.

My sound setting in Knossos is attached.

I couldn't find a previous report of that issue in the forum. Any clue? This seems to be related to FSO/Knossos specifically.

EDIT: This is more than just sizzling... I tried launching a mission and the briefing voice was all scrambled.

Quote
SOLUTION

I installed the High Definition Audio codecs to replace my current version of Realtek, and it did the job!
https://www.realtek.com/en/component/zoo/category/pc-audio-codecs-high-definition-audio-codecs-software



[attachment eaten by a Shivan]
« Last Edit: March 26, 2020, 12:17:38 pm by amiralace »

 

Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'
Did you change your sample rate? I vaguely remember a similar issue years ago when I messed with it. Try setting it to 48000 and see what that does.

Note: FSO comes with OpenAL bundled in now. Whatever instructions you found to add the dll are old.

EDIT: Also remove any openal dlls you added in places just to be sure we don't have conflicts.
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Offline amiralace

  • 23
  • aka Qalam
Re: Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'
I changed to 48000 and lower values and it did not change anything, but I think the sample rate might be the right lead. I launched a quick debug with both 44100 and 48000 as settings and here's what I got:

With 44100...
Code: [Select]
Initializing OpenAL...
  OpenAL Vendor     : OpenAL Community
  OpenAL Renderer   : OpenAL Soft
  OpenAL Version    : 1.1 ALSOFT 1.18.2

  Found extension "AL_EXT_float32".
  Found extension "ALC_EXT_EFX".
Enhanced sound is enabled.

  Sample rate: 48000 (44100)
  EFX enabled: NO
  Playback device: OpenAL Soft on Speakers (3- Realtek(R) Audio)
  Capture device: OpenAL Soft on Microphone (3- Realtek(R) Audio)
... OpenAL successfully initialized!

With 48000...
Code: [Select]
Initializing OpenAL...
  OpenAL Vendor     : OpenAL Community
  OpenAL Renderer   : OpenAL Soft
  OpenAL Version    : 1.1 ALSOFT 1.18.2

  Found extension "AL_EXT_float32".
  Found extension "ALC_EXT_EFX".
Enhanced sound is enabled.

  Sample rate: 48000 (48000)
  EFX version: 1.0
  Max auxiliary sends: 2
  Playback device: OpenAL Soft on Speakers (3- Realtek(R) Audio)
  Capture device: OpenAL Soft on Microphone (3- Realtek(R) Audio)
... OpenAL successfully initialized!

So it seems that my sampling rate is set at 48000 even though my setting is 44100? Why can there be a difference?

 

Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'
No idea. The advice I've given is the extent of my knowledge on the subject. Will need to wait for one of the smarter SCP guys to chime in.
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Offline amiralace

  • 23
  • aka Qalam
Re: Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'
I did some digging and read that this issue could be caused by GPU coilwhine when fps is very high, and v-sync is off. Although v-sync should be on by default in FSO (though I couldn't find any trace in the debug log), and although the issue doesn't occur on my retail game (or any other game) which probably also runs at high fps, I did cap fps to 60 in FSO. But that doesn't do it. Anyone?

UPDATE: I reinstalled FSO through the old installer... and the issue persists! So, whatever it is, it has nothing to do with Knossos.  :banghead:
« Last Edit: March 26, 2020, 06:55:40 am by amiralace »

 

Offline amiralace

  • 23
  • aka Qalam
Re: Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'
A recording of the thing here...

[streamable]https://streamable.com/s/81duz/gqkwta[/streamable]

 

Offline Mito [PL]

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  • Proud Member of Slavicus Mechanicus
Re: Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'
This is definitely not coil whine - coil whine is a constant high pitched sound coming out of your computer's component physically, as in, it won't get into the recording if you record your desktop. This is something really different, and I'm not really sure why. Might be retail FS2 files being broken, might be some audio codec problem. Hard to say, and I don't really have any experience with audio stuff.

Not sure what this does mean, though:
Code: [Select]
  Playback device: OpenAL Soft on Speakers (3- Realtek(R) Audio)Maybe some audio device is improperly detected? Perhaps you can change the audio device in Knossos settings? Also, you might think about updating your audio drivers, too.
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Offline amiralace

  • 23
  • aka Qalam
Re: Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'
Yes, you're absolutely right. If it was a physical problem, it would occur with or without sound and obviously not just through my headphones... This must have something to do with the reading/sampling/conversion of audio files somehow.

I don't think anything is broken with my retail FS2, because if I launch the vanilla exe, everything is fine. Interestingly, however, if I launch Retail FS2 with Knossos, I get the same thing. And since I also get the noise if I install FSO the old fashioned way, this must be because of some file added by FSO but that is not related to at least the graphical improvements. Everything seems to point to some incompatibility with OpenAL, even though the debugger says it's loading fine.

That line seems correct to me though - OpenAL soft is used on my audio card which uses Realtek. I can't change the playback device (only this one option), but I'll try force updating the drivers (all mighty Windows had told me they were already up to date, but who knows...)

 

Offline Mito [PL]

  • 210
  • Proud Member of Slavicus Mechanicus
Re: Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'
Your best bet would be to check in Device Manager which driver version is your audio device using, and then compare that to the newest audio driver version on the page of your motherboard's driver support. Or your sound card's driver support. Default Windows drivers sometimes have problems.

Also, maybe try launching the game on different versions of FSO, maybe some newer one will not have that issue? Note that "Retail FS2" in Knossos still uses FSO engine, so I'm pretty sure the fault can be pointed at something conflicting with FSO.
How do you kill a hydra?

You starve it to death.

 

Offline amiralace

  • 23
  • aka Qalam
Re: Knossos install and sound 'sizzling'
Gosh! Got it!

I installed the High Definition Audio codecs to replace my current version of Realtek, and it did the job!
https://www.realtek.com/en/component/zoo/category/pc-audio-codecs-high-definition-audio-codecs-software

What a relief. I've loved that game since its release and you guys have done an amazing job with the FSO - I even bought a new stick to play it. Almost broke my heart to think I'd be stuck on some hardware frustration.

Thanks for your help. Let's fly!