Voice comm uses 2nd sound card
schkorpio
I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
<div class="IPBDescription">so that it only comes from head phones</div><a href="http://imageshack.us" target="_blank"><img src="http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/2714/voicekd2.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
Most people these days (and im basing this on my friends) have bought a motherboard that already comes with a soundcard, usually one that will get you by, but then they also purchase a real sound card, such as a soundblaster from creative as an add in card (you get more features like EAX 5 etc)
I've noticed that some games don't have built in voice comms so players use programs like ventrillo and teamspeak. In the settings of those programs they select there onboard soundcard to play the voices and then plug some headphones or just an earpiece into the onboard soundcard.
This effectively makes all game sounds come from your speakers, and then all voice chat through your headphones or headset.
It elimates those really really loud voices when you just want to have the game turned up loud without disrupting the game sounds, and it also means that other people in your house don't hear people from the interwebs yelling (OMG you dropped the flag noob etc)
It also gives a bit more immersion as it feels like your actually wearing a voice comm headset (as not game soudns are played through there, just the voice chat)
So im sure it would be possbile for hl2 to detect if you have a 2nd sound card, and then in the options let you choose which one you would like for voice chat, and it would then only play the voice chat through the 2nd sound card <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Another idea would be that if players are near you, u'd hear it through your main speakers as well, but if you are far away it would only come through your headset because u'd be receive it via radio in game <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
EDIT - I forgot to mention that you can also buy USB headsets which have a built in soundcard in the headset for this purpose <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> , so you don't actually need to have 2 sound cards to begin with - making this accessbile for everyone that is looking to purchase headphones or a headset - get a USB one <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Most people these days (and im basing this on my friends) have bought a motherboard that already comes with a soundcard, usually one that will get you by, but then they also purchase a real sound card, such as a soundblaster from creative as an add in card (you get more features like EAX 5 etc)
I've noticed that some games don't have built in voice comms so players use programs like ventrillo and teamspeak. In the settings of those programs they select there onboard soundcard to play the voices and then plug some headphones or just an earpiece into the onboard soundcard.
This effectively makes all game sounds come from your speakers, and then all voice chat through your headphones or headset.
It elimates those really really loud voices when you just want to have the game turned up loud without disrupting the game sounds, and it also means that other people in your house don't hear people from the interwebs yelling (OMG you dropped the flag noob etc)
It also gives a bit more immersion as it feels like your actually wearing a voice comm headset (as not game soudns are played through there, just the voice chat)
So im sure it would be possbile for hl2 to detect if you have a 2nd sound card, and then in the options let you choose which one you would like for voice chat, and it would then only play the voice chat through the 2nd sound card <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Another idea would be that if players are near you, u'd hear it through your main speakers as well, but if you are far away it would only come through your headset because u'd be receive it via radio in game <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
EDIT - I forgot to mention that you can also buy USB headsets which have a built in soundcard in the headset for this purpose <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> , so you don't actually need to have 2 sound cards to begin with - making this accessbile for everyone that is looking to purchase headphones or a headset - get a USB one <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Comments
So im sure it would be possbile for hl2 to detect if you have a 2nd sound card, and then in the options let you choose which one you would like for voice chat...
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Go ahead an post you request on the Steam/HL2 forums.
The idea itself is not bad, but I'd rather not have the devs waste their precious time with "features" that don't really add to the gameplay.
Also, you forgot to mention that there's a drawback to your idea. If you "have the game turned up loud" on your speakers and you use your headset for communication then your teammates will always hear your "game sounds".
If you're using a headset they wont hear a thing.
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Read his post again and you will realise: they will.
just a hint: game -> speaker -> microphone -> game -> "they"
As for the drawback... I've gamed with people who use speakers and a sit-on-table mic before. Its not all that bad/confusing.
Read his post again and you will realise: they will.
just a hint: game -> speaker -> microphone -> game -> "they"
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If you have a headset it has a microphone on it. Headset mics generally have noise canceling features. They will only hear you unless your mic is a piece of crap.
If you have a headset it has a microphone on it. Headset mics generally have noise canceling features. They will only hear you unless your mic is a piece of crap.
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that isn't true. most mics are just mics.
I dont understand please make it simple too for newbies like me <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> just plug in headphones and play
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added a picture for you kezza <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
its simple enough. but of course by default this would be switched off so it doesnt scare away anyone wishing to get on the mic for the first time.
<a href="http://img484.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hl2soundog8.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/7639/hl2soundog8.th.png" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
Look at the <a href="http://www.steampowered.com/status/survey.html" target="_blank">"Steam Hardware Survey"</a>. There's a category listing all "Audio Devices".
If you sum up all users that have some kind of Creative soundcard you get aroung 15%. All other users have some kind of onboard sound (mostly Realtek and SoundMAX).
So schkorpio basically wants a feature that requires extensive programming, has nearly no gameplay advantages, has other disadvantages and only caters to around 15% of all users.
Good luck with that request!
Here's my final attempt to end this discussion:
Look at the <a href="http://www.steampowered.com/status/survey.html" target="_blank">"Steam Hardware Survey"</a>. There's a category listing all "Audio Devices".
If you sum up all users that have some kind of Creative soundcard you get aroung 15%. All other users have some kind of onboard sound (mostly Realtek and SoundMAX).
So schkorpio basically wants a feature that requires extensive programming, has nearly no gameplay advantages, has other disadvantages and only caters to around 15% of all users.
Good luck with that request!
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there is very little programming involved, actually, and what he wants is simple. Instead of having hl2 combine other players voices to the game playback channels, simply leave it alone on its own... and then have an option in the audio panel to select which audio device to use. Hl2 uses direct X, so direct sound, which is easy to use and configure. They probably wont do this but it would be nice to give the user the ability to separate the channels.
there is very little programming involved, actually, and what he wants is simple. Instead of having hl2 combine other players voices to the game playback channels, simply leave it alone on its own... and then have an option in the audio panel to select which audio device to use. Hl2 uses direct X, so direct sound, which is easy to use and configure. They probably wont do this but it would be nice to give the user the ability to separate the channels.
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exactly, Windows and DX9 has already done all of the work for you that requires driver programming, its just a matter of getting hl2 to be able to choose a soundcard instead of using the system default set in control panel. I'm sure Max would be able to do this as he's made a game engine b4.
The 15% doesnt really mean anything, surveys can be decieving, say for example all of that bothered to take the optional survey onyl have onboard cards, but there could be just as many that didnt take the survey who use add in soundcards, or say all 15% of those players are NS players. nobody is to tell unless everyone that uses steam is forced to do the survey, which im sure would be illegal in most countries.
its still a valid point, i'd rather NS2 come out sooner than later if this is difficult though. also i'd hate to think that people are using external programs to achieve this while players using in game comms miss out on info which is being relayed by players using 3rd party software.
What about the motherboards where you have to utterly disable onboard sound for a soundcard to work?
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look, that is up to you. What he wants *could* be used with multiple sound cards, whether onboard or not, or on the same soundcard just out different outputs. There is no neccessity for it to be onboard or anything, he just wants control of where the voice sound goes.
Also, you forgot to mention that there's a drawback to your idea. If you "have the game turned up loud" on your speakers and you use your headset for communication then your teammates will always hear your "game sounds".
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Anyone who uses speakers (rather than headphones) has this problem so i don't really consider it a problem. I used to use speakers and a standalone mic myself.
Anyway, if this feature is ever realized, I may go get myself a cheap pci soundcard
What about the motherboards where you have to utterly disable onboard sound for a soundcard to work?
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Very few and far between in modern (ie less than 2 years old) systems. Pretty much every single motherboard made for about 2 years now has allowed coexistence of onboard, and add-on sound cards...
Just buy a proper headset and set up your ventrilo/teamspeak correctly and theres no problem, theres no point using ingame voice comms at this point in time because they're simply nowhere near as good.
The reason people use Ventrilo and TeamSpeak2 is because they work, they're easy to use and flexible, and they have good quality. The end result you're looking for here is to have a good mci setup with no background noise? Splash out $20 and buy a headset with a microphone, they're not expensive and they're not hard to setup.
Just buy a proper headset and set up your ventrilo/teamspeak correctly and theres no problem, theres no point using ingame voice comms at this point in time because they're simply nowhere near as good.
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thats the problem unfortunatley, it would be nice to have everyone on teh same system
Only works for games that are coded with the instruction to send audio data to the sound card rather than the CPU (Creative boosted my BF2 performance by 20 FPS but only after I turned off the onboard sound in BIOS).
Best thing to do would be hooking up your frontex to the PCI card and channeling the audo through the card for game sounds and another through to the frontex for voice comm.
However if you have a creative card and a Logitech external decoder plugged into the card then you can pretty much already do this. Its good as my cousin can have game sounds coming from his logitec 7.1 speakers and play music at the same time that comes out of headphones plugged into an audio frontex that is attached to the Creative sound Cards relative port on the card whilst the onboard sound is compleatly disabled so that he benefits from the audio processing being done by the creative card rather than the CPU.