Correct way to set up CMSS-3D headphone?

Uriel said:
subbass -That AlChemy games and setting list for you: http://connect.creativelabs.com/alchemy/Lists/Games/AllItems.aspx

The setup advice for Steam is particularly useful if you buy older games on Steam, as they aren't autodetected by AlChemy. Please note that most source engine games now use software sound so don't need AlChemy any more though.
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Thanks :)

xiphrex said:
Well recently I bought a modded xtrememusic off the MM and now I cant listen to anything on my PC in anything other than audio creation mode.

Cant believe the difference really, and still cant.

I only really play CSS and I have headphones set in creative options and headphones in game, and it sounds okay. I can position sound around me fine. If creative would switch modes based on what applications you are running then I would probably turn game mode on for playing, but cant be bothered to do it manually every time.

Still have this stupid win7 audiodg memory leak though but I can fix that by restarting the process.

Maybe creative should focus more on their drivers...
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Yes changing the modes manually is bit of a bummer. Sometimes I'd forget to change it and have already loaded my game and then I'd have to wait for the hundreds of intros till I can exit the game.

I think the correct way of setting it up is the way shown in the very first post of this thread. ie. 5.1 in game (if possible) and in Windows and headphone in Xfi control panel. Well that's the way I found that sounds best to my ears.
 
xiphrex said:
I only really play CSS and I have headphones set in creative options and headphones in game, and it sounds okay. I can position sound around me fine. If creative would switch modes based on what applications you are running then I would probably turn game mode on for playing, but cant be bothered to do it manually every time.
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As an alternative, you could try
- Creative Audio Console: Headphones + CMSS-3D on (desyncronise from Windows if you have the option)
- Windows 7.1
- Game 7.1

As it's a software based game engine, you don't have to run in gaming mode (but you may need gaming or entertainment modes for CMSS-3D to work properly. The extra features of gaming mode have nothing to do here.

That will trick the game into thinking it's running on a 7.1 system. The X-Fi will simulate the 7.1 speakers over your headphones.

Everyone experiences this Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) stuff a little differently. Some people will prefer the game's own headphone mode. Some will prefer CMSS-3D. What matters really is getting a HRTF that's right for you.
 
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Another thing though is that doing it the way it says in the first post, the CPU usage goes up for me. I mean now its almost 0% but with 5.1 its almost constantly 5%.

Dunno what the point of a soundcard is if the CPU has to process sound as well.

Anyway I think its a driver issue, we shouldnt need to put windows and games and creative settings differently just to use the sound card properly, it should all be done from creative driver settings.
 
After owning a Xfi Xtremegamer for a few months which I got primarily for the CMSS-3D; I don't see a big difference. They sound nothing like in the demos. I have my Xfi set up like in the screenshot in the first post of this thread.

My headphones (not really gaming headphones) are plugged directly to the soundcard. The only game where I recall that sounded quite good was Kane and Lynch. Other than that, it sounds like 2.0 plain stereo to me. :D I tested with some films and they sound quite good.

However I have noticed that the dialogue in some games sound very reverb-ish when using Alchemy. I'm considering picking up the Xonar DG to see if Dolby Headphone is better.
 
Dolby Headphone is different - the depth is quite pronounced compared to CMSS-3D but this gives it the overall effect of sounding a little "muddy". The only DH implementation I've liked so far is the 7.1 module for the sennheiser 7.1 gaming headsets.

CMSS-3D can be quite tricky to get setup right tho - I've found the headphones you use make a huge difference too it to.
 
I don't notice a lot of difference in the spatial effects of CMSS-3D on my DR150's compared to my old Medusa 5.1 headset, so the CMSS-3D is at least as good from a surround sound point of view.

I've got it setup as 5.1 in windows with headphones in the X-Fi control panel.

Is the Xonar card worth getting for native dolby headphone support over my X-Fi with CMSS-3D? I do find that the X-Fi in game mode doesn't sound as good as when it's in music mode - less dynamic range, and it's even worse when CMSS-3D is on.
 
If you're listening to stereo sources then you want all the 3d surround crap disabled generally. It's mainly there to 'enhance' the spatial properties of the sound.
Granted, in some stereo situations CMSS/Dolby can provide a quite decent, albeit different, sound.

If you want to try Dolby Headphone for music, get foobar and install the Dolby Headphone plugin. Bare in mind though that all the implementations (software dsp/hardware) of DH sound a little different but the general effect is the same.

If you really hate your X-fi then you could get a Xonar DG, it's cheap and will sell on if you don't like it since most people acknowledge it's a decent headphone card for the money.
 
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