SS2 EAX problem

[67510bce924ccdebaser]

I'm having a problem with using hardware acceleration/EAX audio with the hotu version of SS2.
I've used the ss2 fix tool, and I am actually able to enable hardware/eax and get sound, however the sound seems much less clear and I lose the directional audio. When I play the speaker test I simply hear 'left, right' from both speakers at once. Any ideas on what this problem is and how I can get proper EAX effects in SS2?

[67510bce9270bKolya]

Are you running on Vista? Because Vista doesn't really support EAX. Feel free to google the issue and possible workarounds.

[67510bce929a9Gaco]

Creatives own "Alchemy" EAX Emulation application should be able to replicate EAX in Vista (Link: http://connect.creativelabs.com/alchemy/default.aspx). I don't know whether it supports all EAX in general or only specific titles, which in that case would be the most popular games and probably not old titles as SS2.

I'm running it in Vista and I can't tell if I had EAX actually. I'm running the game with a Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer soundcard. I'm not sure if there was EAX. But in the audio test the sound was definently correctly in the left and right side.

EDIT: So it was specific games support: http://connect.creativelabs.com/alchemy/Lists/Games/AllItems.aspx
System Shock 2 is not on the list (Bioshock is though) but I'd install alchemy anyway because it may fix your issue with the positional audio

[67510bce92ab9debaser]

Thanks, but I'm running it in XP, so that doesn't really help me

[67510bce92badKolya]

Checked if your soundcard/drivers support EAX?

[67510bce92c9fdebaser]

I use a Creative Audigy 2, it runs EAX fine on other games.

[67510bce92d99Kolya]

Usually the drivers you installed from the SS2Tool are all you need to get EAX running.

[67510bce92ed5debaser]

Yeah, well I still hear sound, but it's clearly not working properly.

I should point out it's not actually EAX causing this problem, it's hardware acceleration. With acceleration off, the sound is clear, then I turn acceleration on, and the sound becomes slightly muffled and loses directional audio. If I then switch EAX on I hear the EAX effects over the top of this muffled sound. So the EAX toggle isn't the problem, it's the hardware acceleration. Don't know if this helps.

[67510bce9302eKolya]

Someone here mentioned that the sound test may produce wrong results while it works in game.
Sorry, couldn't find anything else that resembles your problem.

[67510bce93120debaser]

Oh ok, I'll check it out. Thanks Kolya.

[67510bce9320fdebaser]

For the record, I've tested, and the in-game sound AND the sound test are equally affected by this problem: Directional audio is lost. So this remains unsolved.

 Not to worry, I'll just have to play without EAX.