Headphone support?

ArthurDentArthurDent Join Date: 2013-10-31 Member: 188904Members
in NS2 General Discussion
http://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/1fzonq/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-related_transfer_function

It would be really nice to have proper headphone support. Be nice to hear the skulks sneaking up and be able to tell from where just from the sound alone. :-D.

This would also be required for oculus rift support.
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Comments

  • CalegoCalego Join Date: 2013-01-24 Member: 181848Members, NS2 Map Tester
    http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/135343/7-1-surround-sound-does-it-work-properly
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  • ArthurDentArthurDent Join Date: 2013-10-31 Member: 188904Members
    edited August 2014
    Yes. I knew about that link, but their question was about getting proper suround sound support for surround sound speakers. My question is for proper stereo headphone support. If it is done right, you will hear things come behind you and in front of you with just a pair of stero headphones. The head releated transfer function modifies the 3d audio data to generate the sound your ears will percieve as occuring in a 3d space (hear things above, below, behind, etc.)

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  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    I just have stereo headphones and I do have positional audio. I can hear skulks, marines, or other around me. I can hear them in other rooms too but that is another issue entirely.
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  • METROIDMETROID Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165171Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Stereo sound in NS2 is very nice, you can easy locate skulks, etc.
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  • joshhhjoshhh Milwaukee, WI Join Date: 2011-06-21 Member: 105717Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester
    It's all based on preference. Stereo works fine. Stereo with a Dolby 3D sound codec works fine.

    I personally believe that the actual headphone makes more of a difference than the 3D codec used though. Do you want an immersive bass-heavy headphone or a good neutral (some would say boring) headphone that works much better with audio positioning.
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  • shonanshonan Join Date: 2013-01-28 Member: 182562Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited August 2014
    NS2 uses FMOD which supports 3d audio, but I'm not sure whether the game makes use of it (3d audio, i.e. hear sources below/above you as well, not just on a 2d plane around you)
    joshhh wrote: »
    It's all based on preference. Stereo works fine. Stereo with a Dolby 3D sound codec works fine.

    I personally believe that the actual headphone makes more of a difference than the 3D codec used though. Do you want an immersive bass-heavy headphone or a good neutral (some would say boring) headphone that works much better with audio positioning.

    Changing headphones isnt related to audio positioning, its HRTF which is a mathematical function in audio post-processing. HRTF is either done solely by the game on CPU, HW accelerated on an audio chip or as a mix between the game (5 or 7 channel output) and your audio driver from that 5 or 7 channel input into stereo.

    Ofc the audio quality of your cans may have a small indirect effect on the positioning quality, but with any decent cans it just wont happen and why would you use cans that bad for anything at all anyway :P
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  • ArthurDentArthurDent Join Date: 2013-10-31 Member: 188904Members
    @shonan Yes you're right. HRTF processes the 3d sound to make it be the same as what your ears would hear if you were in that room. ALsoft (Open AL) has the HRTF capability built in the newest version. I don't know what sound system NS2 uses. If it's OpenAL, then it would be simple to make HRTF an option. I don't know which other sound systems have HRTF capabilities built in.
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  • joshhhjoshhh Milwaukee, WI Join Date: 2011-06-21 Member: 105717Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester
    shonan wrote: »
    Changing headphones isnt related to audio positioning, its HRTF which is a mathematical function in audio post-processing. HRTF is either done solely by the game on CPU, HW accelerated on an audio chip or as a mix between the game (5 or 7 channel output) and your audio driver from that 5 or 7 channel input into stereo.

    Ofc the audio quality of your cans may have a small indirect effect on the positioning quality, but with any decent cans it just wont happen and why would you use cans that bad for anything at all anyway :P

    Yes, my point wasn't that a headphone will change the audio positioning directly. I already understood the signal processing side. There are some cans that have characteristics which capitalize on the effect of the audio positioning better than others. IE try several headphones through the same source with the same game/audio settings. Some perform better than others.
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