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5.1/spdif/optical connection and all I get is stereo in games

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I did it and DTS connect is not in the advanced list. I ran it again, still not there, restarted, still not there.
DTS Audio is under "supported formats" but it was there before.

I ran the problem fixing codes in cmd, it asked for directplay to be installed, I installed it, DTS is still not in the advanced list.

What I dont get at all is that the advanced list has no 5.1 setting nor does the Gigabyte gui.

Does "Installation with virtual audio cable" mean an optical connection?
1. Did you apply DTS Connect on the proper device? The dropdown selection in the top window (FX Configurator).
2. Don't bother with virtual audio cable; this wil not solve your problem.
 

Fred_Vie

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1. Did you apply DTS Connect on the proper device? The dropdown selection in the top window (FX Configurator).
Yea its always on the right device when I start the software. Probably because no other device is active. I deactivated the analog out because I dont want to see it in the mixer.

I brought it into my thread because trying to fix this in 3 threads is kinda excessive :)

Factory Realtek drivers are configured like so:


[LFX]
{DC253AB8-10DC-483c-AB5F-D6A4E189FD70}
[GFX]
{A27368B3-D810-42ce-B114-83900258B8EC}
[SFX]
{DA2C9ECE-7418-4906-B4FA-0A00B3EB88AA}
[MFX]
{A296D363-EE83-4af9-9BE7-729C1296150A}
[EFX]
{A29EB043-6CE2-4ee2-B38C-F58719E0D88F}
[UI]
{6861CFDC-0461-49d5-A8DF-BE5ACD02692F}
[ProcessingSFX]
{C18E2F7E-933D-4965-B7D1-1EEF228D2AF3}
[ProcessingMFX]
{C18E2F7E-933D-4965-B7D1-1EEF228D2AF3}
[ProcessingEFX]
{C18E2F7E-933D-4965-B7D1-1EEF228D2AF3}

On the latest driver updates within Windows 10 do not have the LFX and GFX entries when installed, I assume its because of the way audio now works in RS4 and up.

[CompositeSFX]
{DA2C9ECE-7418-4906-B4FA-0A00B3EB88AA}
[CompositeMFX]
{A296D363-EE83-4af9-9BE7-729C1296150A}
[CompositeEFX]
{A29EB043-6CE2-4ee2-B38C-F58719E0D88F}
[CompositeOSFX]
{71111103-AC62-4939-B476-4BB282B2B42C}
[CompositeOMFX]
{7121B512-6CC5-4C77-AE3A-823F966CCD3D}
[ProcessingSFX]
{C18E2F7E-933D-4965-B7D1-1EEF228D2AF3}
[ProcessingMFX]
{C18E2F7E-933D-4965-B7D1-1EEF228D2AF3}
[ProcessingEFX]
{C18E2F7E-933D-4965-B7D1-1EEF228D2AF3}
[ProcessingOSFX]
{C18E2F7E-933D-4965-B7D1-1EEF228D2AF3}
[ProcessingOMFX]
{C18E2F7E-933D-4965-B7D1-1EEF228D2AF3}

On either setup you use FX configurator and simply delete the {A296D363-EE83-4af9-9BE7-729C1296150A} key from MFX in legacy or Composite MFX in UAD/DHCU, apply the settings, restart the driver, make sure that "DisableProtectedAudioDG" = dword:00000001 entry is created [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Audio], the restart computer. I have had to do this since moving from windows 8.1 to 10, basically when it broke for everyone.

I attached a copy of a config I have been using to apply DTS connect on non mod driver. You can also look at it and see an example of no Realtek (or any in this example) MFX.

Thats the first thing. the DisableProtectedAudioDG wasnt there.
After I restarted nothing had changed.
I still dont know if the option from the pic should be active or not. I removed the checker in my last tries because its not there in the vids.

I still feel I´m not getting something here since I´m supposed to delete something which - I thought - will be deleted applying your config file.
I dont know howto delete it because when I start fx config it shows nothing. When I load a config and save it, does it then remove those strings in the registry where I left an empty field e.g. mfx composite (I dont see any legacy)? I supposed it would.
 

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Yea its always on the right device when I start the software. Probably because no other device is active. I deactivated the analog out because I dont want to see it in the mixer.

I brought it into my thread because trying to fix this in 3 threads is kinda excessive :)



Thats the first thing. the DisableProtectedAudioDG wasnt there.
After I restarted nothing had changed.

I know nothing about your driver setup...did you have to patch your driver to get ddl and dtsi? does it come native? when you test with dts interactive as the default format, by simply clicking test on the advanced tab, does it show 6 endpoints on the levels tab (you have to push balance to see)? Have you tried clicking the disable all enhancements, or sometimes its un clicking enable audio enhancements? That's always the first thing I do when testing to see if I'm getting proper sound to all speakers. If you don't have proper sound, go disable all enhancements then test again to see if it works afterwards.

lol now i that I look at your post again I see the question I just answered. It should only be clicked if you are getting sound through the front speakers, you then click it to see if it fixes it so you know how to proceed.
 

Fred_Vie

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I know nothing about your driver setup...did you have to patch your driver to get ddl and dtsi?
So thats the problem. I just have supported formats DTS audio and Dolby Digital. But those dont give me a 5.1 choice in the advanced list. So I have to install a DTS driver first? I thought DTS-Connect could be standing alone or be an addition to the DTS audio thats shown to me under "supported formats". So I guess I have to install a DTS universal driver /DTS digital entertainment / DTSi?

when you test with dts interactive as the default format, by simply clicking test on the advanced tab, does it show 6 endpoints on the levels tab (you have to push balance to see)? Have you tried clicking the disable all enhancements, or sometimes its un clicking enable audio enhancements?
I can just test DTS audio and Dolby Digital and they work..., in movies anyways. DTS music is pointless because it's stereo again (although while testing it sends 5 pings (not to sub) and my sound system doesnt let me switch to stereo x2 when it recognizes a DTS/DD source.


That's always the first thing I do when testing to see if I'm getting proper sound to all speakers. If you don't have proper sound, go disable all enhancements then test again to see if it works afterwards..
But I can just disable all enhancements when I use the config tool or load an ini file cant I?

Just activating "disable enhancements" while applying the ini or while using the product config tool? Or either of those?
 
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Ok, woah you're all over the place now. I had seen in a previous post by you it looks like you have a gigabyte board with a 1220 chipset. So to take care of first question, theoretically if you were on a fresh install of W10 and audio drivers downloaded from gigabyte support installed would you have DDL and DTSi, or either one, as an option in the advanced tab in windows for your optical endpoint?

Next question after that is what driver do you have installed, and before you started playing with it did you have DDL or/& DTSi?
 

Fred_Vie

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Ok, woah you're all over the place now. I had seen in a previous post by you it looks like you have a gigabyte board with a 1220 chipset. So to take care of first question, theoretically if you were on a fresh install of W10 and audio drivers downloaded from gigabyte support installed would you have DDL and DTSi, or either one, as an option in the advanced tab in windows for your optical endpoint?
I updated my win7. The drivers did not include DDL nor DTSi. I am shown DTS and DD under supported formats but I CANT CHOOSE 5.1! All I got is stereo, thats my main concern.

Next question after that is what driver do you have installed, and before you started playing with it did you have DDL or/& DTSi?
First Gigabyte, because it was stripped naked without equalizer (not even an UI) nor 5.1 I was trying different Realtek drivers who all had the same problem.

Then I tried the driver from https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/posts/4001873/ where I had problems during installation already because an exe file stopped working. Still only stereo.

Then I went back to the last Gigabyte drivers.

Today I started trying with APO and didnt gain an inch in 8 hours. No matter what I'm installing its all just stereo... in the advanced tab. I cant seem to get past that and it pisses me off!
 

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Ok I understand now, watch this video I made. Sorry for the no audio and stuff so you will have to pay attention to all I do. I start out like you need to be and do every step, from installing the APO driver to having to reset to get the disable protected audio.

Do not worry about the supported formats tab, that is for passthrough only. You are worried about the advanced tab.
 

Fred_Vie

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Ok I understand now, watch this video I made. Sorry for the no audio and stuff so you will have to pay attention to all I do. I start out like you need to be and do every step, from installing the APO driver to having to reset to get the disable protected audio.

Hmmmkay, so basicly what I did all afternoon worked for you at the first try. The classic. I guess that means I dont have to bother with other dts/DDL drivers like I didnt at the start.
 

Fred_Vie

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It didnt work all afternoon, why should it now...

You install it, use the product config tool and it is there. I do the same and nothing shows up... so I guess thats it. I wouldnt know what else to do....

Once more I installed the Realtek original driver, installed the apo dts-connect driver, used the product config tool on the correct output with the same result, nada, niet, nothing. I cant believe I wasted 8+ hours on a 1 minute fix.
 
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It didnt work all afternoon, why should it now...

You install it, use the product config tool and it is there. I do the same and nothing shows up... so I guess thats it. I wouldnt know what else to do....

You have installed the service for DTS connect like I did at the beginning of the video correct? ….I think it would show up even if you didn't, it just wouldn't have any sound.

You said you have been installing drivers here and there, there is a decent chance that one of them came with a custom rtkhdaud.dat which does not remove it self unless you physically do it, head over to windows/system32/drivers and look for that file, if it is there delete it and restart the computer.

Other than that the only step I would have left is to remove everything related to the driver including booting into safe mode and deleting render and capture under Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices\Audio, using DDU to uninstall after uninstalling, run cc cleaner registry clean every time you boot up uninstalling, booting into safe mode, and one more time before uninstalling. Use driverstore explorer to make sure no other related inf is there as well.

If using product config after all that doesn't work I would then be at a loss.
 

Fred_Vie

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You have installed the service for DTS connect like I did at the beginning of the video correct? ….I think it would show up even if you didn't, it just wouldn't have any sound.

Yea I did it right away and always looked at the advanced tab after. The only thing that I didnt mention was the activated "disable all enhancements" checkbox. But when I mentioned that I tried it several times without.

You said you have been installing drivers here and there, there is a decent chance that one of them came with a custom rtkhdaud.dat which does not remove it self unless you physically do it, head over to windows/system32/drivers and look for that file, if it is there delete it and restart the computer.

You are right. I removed the rtkhdaud.dat before installing the mod driver but not before going back to the original driver.
edit: but then again there is still none in the system32 folder so that wasnt it.

Other than that the only step I would have left is to remove everything related to the driver including booting into safe mode and deleting render and capture under Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices\Audio, using DDU to uninstall after uninstalling, run cc cleaner registry clean every time you boot up uninstalling, booting into safe mode, and one more time before uninstalling. Use driverstore explorer to make sure no other related inf is there as well.
If using product config after all that doesn't work I would then be at a loss.
I ran cc-cleaner from 00:00 to 02:00 a.m. making sure he doesnt delete something I need (since he did that already when I let it clean unchecked).
DDU seems to be a graphics driver cleaner, does it work for soundcards too?
I looked into that place in the registry. I doubt I could distinguish between those render/capture and other strings but I´m going to look at it again.

Damn, now I have to try again but not tonight. I'm fed up with this!
 
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Yea I did it right away and always looked at the advanced tab after. The only thing that I didnt mention was the activated "disable all enhancements" checkbox. But when I mentioned that I tried it several times without.



You are right. I removed the rtkhdaud.dat before installing the mod driver but not before going back to the original driver.


I ran cc-cleaner from 00:00 to 02:00 a.m. making sure he doesnt delete something I need (since he did that already when I let it clean unchecked).
DDU seems to be a graphics driver cleaner, does it work for soundcards too?
I looked into that place in the registry. I doubt I could distinguish between those render/capture and other strings but I´m going to look at it again.

Damn, now I have to try again but not tonight. I'm fed up with this!
The amount of hours I have in getting this all right is embarassing. I don't mind tho, I like figuring stuff out.

I'm a bit confused about you installed the service comment....Watch the video again what I do, when installing APO driver you have check boxes to choose which APO to install. I was asking if you checked the DTS Connect one. Doing that alone would not make anything show up, it just puts the proper files and entries into the registry. You then have to go into FX configurator to ....configure it lol. You will only see the changes after you get done using product config tool, you wont hear sound until you make the protected audio registry entry and restart.

Check this screen shot: if you do not have these entries in your registry chances are you didn't check the box to install DTS connect before using product config.
 

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Fred_Vie

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Watch the video again what I do, when installing APO driver you have check boxes to choose which APO to install. I was asking if you checked the DTS Connect one. Doing that alone would not make anything show up, it just puts the proper files and entries into the registry. You then have to go into FX configurator to ....configure it lol. You will only see the changes after you get done using product config tool, you wont hear sound until you make the protected audio registry entry and restart.

I did that already before you posted the video and tried it again after I watched it. Like I said, after you used the product config tool you immediately had 5.1 available (in the settings), I still got stereo all the way.

Just saw in my installed programs that I actually have an DDL and DTS-connect pack from creative installed. I had an old creative card installed before I upgraded my PC but didnt put it back after I upgraded it since I dont have the creative connector for spdif and one of my analog in channels is broken. Maybe that the software was installed already is the reason that it doesnt work with the mod.

The other thing could be this. But I´m not sure because I upgraded to Win10 when I still had the old mainboard who didnt have an UEFI bios (and just made an image to SSD before I upgraded) thus I dunno if that could be the culprit- Plus I´m not sure howto check if it is in UEFI mode, I just know the new board has an UEFI Bios:
Is your Windows 10 installed in UEFI mode? If yes, go to Settings> Update and Security> system recovery; It will have an area called Erweiterter Start; Click Restart Now.
After the POST BIOS, you will see a list of system startup options. Press the 7 key (Disable Driver Signature Enforcement) and wait for the system to boot.
After that, install the driver again, then you will see a box similar to the one below. Click the option below (Install this driver software anyway) and wait for the driver installation to finish. When complete, just restart the computer normally.
 

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Tatty_Two

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I had a similar issue last year after a Windows 10 update, I doubt very much that your solution will be as simple as mine turned out to be...… the update changed my system in windows settings under "sound", it had defaulted back to just creative speakers as opposed to the SPDIF option.
 
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The games don't ENCODE the sound in surround format.
They generate 5.1 uncompressed PCM streams, and those don't fit in the bandwidth of the optical connection. One digital audio (optical or coaxial) can carry only stereo uncompressed (2 channels).
That's why you have to have the driver that ENCODE in real time all those uncompressed streams into a single DD or DTS stream that fits in the bandwidth of the optical connection.

Playback of video files is different (reverse situation), here the driver does DECODING of the compressed audio from video. That's because compression (encoding) was done in studio, when the video was authored.


Creative Labs had a sound system that was able to take three separate digital audio cables from their PC sound card and this way was streaming 5.1 uncompressed audio to their sound system.
Some receiver systems might be able to use uncompressed streaming over the HDMI connection, with nvidia or AMD sound drivers. Personally I didn't try that avenue yet.
 
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Fred_Vie

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Take analog out to the receiver, or use HDMI.
As mentioned earlier:
I cant use the analog output because both of my sound systems have one broken channel. Only on my creative 5.1 system - even though the analog has one broken channel - the optical+spdif connections are still working at 5.1.

I also can't use HDMI because all receivers have embedded radio and I can't have that without paying a monthly fee to the state radio/TV station which I refuse to do because I don't listen to radio.

if the games use Xaudio DLL files, then those files have to be patched to get 5.1 sound
https://blog.klauspost.com/xaudio2-dolby-digital-live-patcher/
Thank you, I tried patching even though it is for win7 and then used the xaudio test but still just got stereo + center/base. Also I would have 9 dll's to patch but that patcher doesnt patch the dll's 8+9. I run win10.

I gave up, I´ll just buy a new soundcard and sound system because I need 5.1 for gaming. Not to mention that running a 5.1 sound system that only plays 2.1 except for movies is pointless .
 
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I also can't use HDMI because all receivers have embedded radio and I can't have that without paying a monthly fee to the state radio/TV station which I refuse to do because I don't listen to radio.
BBC still does charges you that? In this century?
 

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Try my latest Realtek mod, and don't forget to look at the spoilers at the end of the first post, which deal with Dolby / DTS activation.
 
D

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The load will be minimal, but it will be there. Using any native method will have no load.
Latency on the other hand in unremovable.
Does anyone know if Realtek drivers have any form of hardware (DSP) acceleration?

Does the driver use CPU AVX256 at least?
 

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Does anyone know if Realtek drivers have any form of hardware (DSP) acceleration?

Does the driver use CPU AVX256 at least?

Hardware acceleration (at least with soundcards) died with Windows XP. Despite that. I dont think Realtek ever had hardware acceleration with their hardware but Asus an Creative did actually use Realtek chips on their soundcards but i think those came out after windows XP so no hardware acceleration but Creative had a program called 'Alchemy' which would restore some hardware acceleration functionality but only on software level. (it functioned as a layer or a wrapper that intercepted the signals and converted them)

Asus had their own version of hardware acceleration though their implementation was more of a an 'emulation' or at least thats how Asus called it - they didnt want to pay licensing to creative to use EAX.

AVX is an SIMD instruction set that has more to do with "data parallelism" (aka vector operations) and floating point operations like video encoding/decoding video with Adobe photoshop and such. Otherwise it normally takes over decoding duties when you have your system set up as media server.
 
D

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Hardware acceleration (at least with soundcards) died with Windows XP. Despite that. I dont think Realtek ever had hardware acceleration with their hardware but Asus an Creative did actually use Realtek chips on their soundcards but i think those came out after windows XP so no hardware acceleration but Creative had a program called 'Alchemy' which would restore some hardware acceleration functionality but only on software level. (it functioned as a layer or a wrapper that intercepted the signals and converted them)

Asus had their own version of hardware acceleration though their implementation was more of a an 'emulation' or at least thats how Asus called it - they didnt want to pay licensing to creative to use EAX.

AVX is an SIMD instruction set that has more to do with "data parallelism" (aka vector operations) and floating point operations like video encoding/decoding video with Adobe photoshop and such. Otherwise it normally takes over decoding duties when you have your system set up as media server.
Realtek Ethernet cards support hardware offloading of some functions, but I don't know about Realtek audio/Azalia, that's why I'm asking.

Audio operations use something called FFT and SSE/AVX is very useful for that. :)

It's a shame consoles have dedicated audio DSPs and PCs have regressed that bad. :\
 
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