Sound trouble...

Dan_N · Tue 12/09/2006 06:52:23

Good day all, could someone please help me with my sound problem. Now, I'm using AGS 2.71 and apparently DirectSound doesn't work at all. It gives me the "unable to initialise audio hardware" error. Which is strange, because all the games made with AGS before 2.7 work with directsound. Now, I tried WaveOut, but that just messed the sounds. A DO sounded like D-D-D-DO-D-O-O and made the game run slowly and usually skipping frames. Now, I'm not good at music, I couldn't write a single note that sounded ok, and sound effects is all I have left. Please, someone, help me. Or at least guide me to an older version of AGS. Or fill me in on what exactly is going on.

Oh, and I guess I should give some hardware and software details, maybe that will help. I have an ESS Audiodrive board, but it can easily pass for SoundBlaster Pro and Adlib. It's never given me any trouble. I have DirectX 7 and win98. Oh, and I have located the directsound driver while running dxdiag (to get the version) so it's not missing.

Gilbert · Tue 12/09/2006 10:20:52

It sounds to be MIDI related, make sure nothing that can be using the MIDI device is running in the background.
Try upgrading your card's driver and/or DirectX, as V7 is fairly old compared to today's standard (I know, there may not be many options for win98), as it is possible that newer versions of AGS was compiled with newer libraries that might work better with more updated drivers.

Dan_N · Tue 12/09/2006 10:52:30

Yes, well, how can I update without paying any money? And where?

Gilbert · Tue 12/09/2006 11:21:55

...
Quick googling gives the official page of ESS card drivers.

And for DirectX, you can obtain it easily from M$.

If anyone really paid for them, they're cheated...

Barbarian · Tue 12/09/2006 11:24:34

Read the following old thread in which there was a similar problem and some suggestions for some possible fixes:

http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=15577.msg191258#msg191258

PS: I just updated my old message in that thread which has the link to "DirectX 9.0c" which should be compatible with most versions of windows reading their System Requirements notes.

Dan_N · Tue 12/09/2006 16:43:06

Thanks Barbarian.

I don't really think I can download DirectX 9 'cause i'd have to run a windows validation and let's just say my grandma was superstitios and made me promise never to run such a thing.

Meanwhile, I've found the last version of AGS to support my directsound driver: 2.7...

I think I'm stuck with it. Although I'll keep the 2.71 for now and maybe get the 2.72 too in which case my games won't have sound effects (bummer).

Anyhoo, (yes, that was the way I wanted it to be written and read) I've read the old thread and maybe decreasing hardware acceleration might do it. I'll check that but in the meantime, if anyone has anymore ideeas, please, for the children, help.

Scummbuddy · Tue 12/09/2006 19:30:26

I always get this error if I have Windows Media Player, or another sound player open (not neccesarily playing music, just open) and I try to test run an ags game.
Closing the program reverts everything back to normal.

Dan_N · Wed 13/09/2006 12:34:26

No, I don't have anything "media" open while I test or run an ags game. Well, I do occasionally have the far manager on...

What about this WaveOut business. How do you tweak it? Or what does it even mean?