No 'forward' spell sound

[thetasigma2]

Hi guys, started playing this game today and just beginning to get in to it. Although once I got my first spell (fire) I cast it and got no sound travelling forward. Anyone else having this issue that could hopefully help me solve this problem.

I'm running Logitech z906 5.1 speaker set.
I've tested it with successful sound 'placement' (eg left sounds come from left speaker, rear sounds from rear speaker etc) on the following:

A large number of dvd & blu-ray movies.
A large number of other games, PC, PS3, PS4.
Legend of Grimrock 1 - Most sounds seem to be coming from the appropriate speaker locations but the front sounds.

Cables are all connected correctly. Drivers for soundcard (and all other devices - gfx card/motherboard) fully up-to-date. Tested in all three of the z906s modes: '3D', '4.1' and '2.1'
Latest DirectX version installed.

The weirdest part is I hear the sound of gates open/close immediately in front of me just fine.
Yet the fire spell is totally silent.
So it doesn't seem to be an issue with my front centre speaker not recieving/processing the signal.

Is this simply the way the sound design in this game works? That frontal cast spells are silent? Would seem rather odd.

Anyway thanks for taking the time to read and (hopefully) help me out with my issue, so I can get back to experiencing the game the way it was meant to.

EDIT
Oh I should probably also point out that if I cast the spell and immediately turn to the side, I hear it from the relevant side speakers. So the spell does have sound. Just not from the front.

[thetasigma2]

Sorry to double-post, but I figured it was better for clarity.

After what feels like an eternity of googling I seem to have solved my issue.

My understanding is this:
PC games can only generally output 'surround' sound if the signal being sent to the decoder is Dolby Digital (DD) or Dolby Digital Live (DDL). Thankfully my motherboard supports the latter format.

So I set the output signal to Dolby Digital Live, restarted the pc and checked sound. Still had the same issue. (via analogue cables).
Next I got out a spare spdif (audio coaxial cable) plugged it in, set it as the default speaker in Realtek HD Audio Manager. Set the output format type to Dolby Digital Live, started the game, tried a spell cast in front and a gate immediately in front. Et voila. The sound worked as it should.

TL:DR
PC games use Dolby Digital/Dolby Digital Live for 'true' surround sound.
Analogue cables don't carry the above sound formats.
Spdif (audio coax) does.

[Dr.Disaster]

PC games use Dolby Digital/Dolby Digital Live for 'true' surround sound.

That's nonsense. PCs output the sound you configured.
If you want DD or DDL or DTS or whatever then make sure you got the hardware for it.

[thetasigma2]

Erm I know it was kind of a long post but I did make sure I had (and have) the hardware for it.

if the signal being sent to the decoder is Dolby Digital (DD) or Dolby Digital Live (DDL). Thankfully my motherboard supports the latter format.

And the sound WAS configured to output it.

So I set the output signal to Dolby Digital Live,

[Dr.Disaster]

Erm I know it was kind of a long post but I did make sure I had (and have) the hardware for it.

if the signal being sent to the decoder is Dolby Digital (DD) or Dolby Digital Live (DDL). Thankfully my motherboard supports the latter format.

And the sound WAS configured to output it.

So I set the output signal to Dolby Digital Live,

Well, thx for confirming that you stated nonsense and that it was you who set up your PC to use DDL. Games never do this.

If you had taken the time to thoroughly read your mainboard's manual OR looked closer into your sound configuration tool than you'd prolly had noticed that DD or DDL or DTS audio streams are only available on digital ports like SPDIF or HDMI. Only they do transport digital encodered data so when you want DD or DDL or DTS quality you need to use the proper ports and hardware which includes appropriate cables.

[thetasigma2]

Wow you get dumber with every post don't you... Initially from my first post yes I made an error, but If you read my later post properly where I learned from said mistake you'll see this.

TL:DR
PC games use Dolby Digital/Dolby Digital Live for 'true' surround sound.
Analogue cables don't carry the above sound formats.
Spdif (audio coax) does.

Now go take your bile back to 4chan where you belong.

[Sir Tawmis]

Let's all just take a deep breath and go to our respective corners here.

[Dr.Disaster]

Let's all just take a deep breath and go to our respective corners here.

Well that is a solution. Yet it would be way better to keep people out of the "pretending to know stuff" corner.

Has anyone ever hear of a game (or sound-using other application) that uses digitally encoded sound only for specific sound effects while having only one master volume slider at the same time?

For example I can reproduce the effect described above without activating any digital encoded sound signal simply by misconfiguring my analogue sound setup in Realtek HD Audio Manager. All i have to do is switch to either 5.1 or 7.1 sound and then leave the optional speaker check marks for center and/or subwoofer unchecked and voila! Failing to do so results into any sound send out for the center or subwoofer channel from the Realtek HD Audio Manager never passes the PC's sound mixer and thus does not reach it's respective audio ports.

[Sir Tawmis]

Has anyone ever hear of a game (or sound-using other application) that uses digitally encoded sound only for specific sound effects while having only one master volume slider at the same time?
For example I can reproduce the effect described above without activating any digital encoded sound signal simply by misconfiguring my analogue sound setup in Realtek HD Audio Manager. All i have to do is switch to either 5.1 or 7.1 sound and then leave the optional speaker check marks for center and/or subwoofer unchecked and voila! Failing to do so results into any sound send out for the center or subwoofer channel from the Realtek HD Audio Manager never passes the PC's sound mixer and thus does not reach it's respective audio ports.

I didn't get the impression the user was pretending to "know stuff" - I thought (their first post) was a sincere question. (I, myself, have never set up my computer to have surround sound; I know, someone shoot me now, right?) So, I may have made the same mistake as the OP if I ever get around to trying such a stunt.

Whether someone comes across as a "know it all" or not - the best avenue is always to answer politely. Anytime you do anything other than that - especially on a forum, where your tone is impossible to hear (for example, you may give a smart alec remark; but mean it simply in jest; but because tone can't be "heard" someone could misunderstand, take it wrong, take offense, then you come back with a "I was just kidding, but since you're being rude, here's some back" and then everything dissolves into a pointless battle on the Internet).

[Dr.Disaster]

I never pretended to know everything about surround sound. Yet it does not take a 5.1 / 7.1 speaker set or a digital sound decoder to test things. Look at what our 3d sound user posted earlier:

Oh I should probably also point out that if I cast the spell and immediately turn to the side, I hear it from the relevant side speakers. So the spell does have sound. Just not from the front.

This behavior indicates that he failed to either connect or activate his center speaker because that is where the Fireburst spell sound is send to when running a 5.1 or 7.1 sound config and standing still.

I get the exact same results when i run a 5.1 / 7.1 sound setup, plugging speakers into the center/subwoofer port and then on purpose deactivate the center speaker. Now total silence is in front of me while casting Fireburst but when the party immediatly side-steps or turns there's suddenly sound towards left or right, depending on which way i stepped/turned. This confirms what i said before: the Fireburst spell's sound effect is send toward to center speaker channel only while the party stands still and when it moves naturally the sound moves too in a surround sound setup.