Possible temp sound fix HL2

If it's a video game it goes here.

Moderators: LawBeefaroni, Arcanis, $iljanus

Post Reply
User avatar
Octavious
Posts: 20035
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:50 pm

Possible temp sound fix HL2

Post by Octavious »

The sound was skipping pretty badly on me so I went config hunting for the sound options. I foudn them and tweaked it a bit. It's not completly gone on my computer but it's MUCH better. I'm sure with a little more tweaking I could get it almost perfect.

Here's what I did. Browse to the
D:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\octavious230\half-life 2\hl2\cfg

folder... obviously subtitute your own username in there I doubt you guys have a login as octavious230.... ;)

Anyway in there is a config file open this in notepad.
I changed the following values will a big improvement with performance.
***Make a copy of the config as I haven't nearly tested this very much***

Here's the sound settings that I changed.

I modifed the dsp_dist_max by half I think this is the distance it tries to use advanced sound.

I also modifed the setting snd_mixahead it was set to 0.1 I set it to 1.0
This definatly made a big diffrence you might even want to try setting it even higher to see what happens. I'm pretty sure this "preloads" the sounds which when set higher will tax the cpu more and the soundcard less. At least that's my theory and I'm sticking to it. So if you have a slow computer this might bog it down I didn't notice any performance decrease by bumping it up to 1.0.

Below are all the sound settings that I think will affect performance.
Your mission if you choose to accept it is to mess with this crap while I'm at work!!!

Let me know if this works. I'm curious to see if it's just all in my mind or if it really does make it run better. Have at it boys!!!
:twisted:



dsp_dist_max "740.0"
dsp_dist_min "0.0"
snd_mixahead "1.0"
snd_musicvolume "0.130000"
volume "0.180000"
snd_pitchquality "1"
sv_forcepreload "1"
sv_voiceenable "1"
dsp_enhance_stereo "1"
dsp_volume "1.0"
dsp_slow_cpu "0"
User avatar
Smoove_B
Posts: 54567
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:58 am
Location: Kaer Morhen

Post by Smoove_B »

I have one less intrusive - maybe it does the same thing?

All I did was drop the sound quality to "Medium" in the game and under DXDIAG, I lowered the sound hardware acceleration from the top setting (slide bar) to one lower.

The stutters seem to have stopped.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
User avatar
bluefugue
Posts: 911
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 5:10 pm

Post by bluefugue »

What is DXDIAG?
User avatar
IceBear
Posts: 12519
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2004 5:58 pm

Post by IceBear »

DXDIAG is how you access DX tests and config. Just go to Start -> Run and type in DXDIAG
User avatar
Freezer-TPF-
Posts: 12698
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:41 pm
Location: VA

Post by Freezer-TPF- »

For those with sound stuttering, what sound card do you have or are you using your onboard mobo sound? Also, please post your video card and whether you are using the CD or Steam version of the game.

(The reason I ask -- I have been browsing various forums as I await the chance to play the game, so I will post if I run into any alternative fixes -- it just helps to know what video/sound hardware, etc. people are using.)
When the sun goes out, we'll have eight minutes to live.
User avatar
bluefugue
Posts: 911
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 5:10 pm

Post by bluefugue »

I am using onboard sound on my Abit KV8 Pro mobo. Thought about swapping in the soundblaster from my old computer to see if that would make any difference.

I thought it felt like more of a hard drive issue though, like the game is trying to load up the dialogue but the drive is too slow. But what do I know.
User avatar
hepcat
Posts: 51303
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:02 pm
Location: Chicago, IL Home of the triple homicide!

Post by hepcat »

i'm using an audigy card and i've noticed occasional stuttering. not as much as some others seem to have, though.

if anyone's using an audigy 2 card and has no troubles, can they post about this? i'm looking for an excuse to upgrade to one and this might be the perfect excuse.
Covfefe!
User avatar
godhugh
Forum Admin
Posts: 10016
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:18 pm
Location: Plano, TX
Contact:

Post by godhugh »

I have a 2.4 P4 with 512mb DDR 2700. I'm using on-board sound and don't have any stuttering at all.

Oh yeah, I'm using 2 speaker setup.
To my Wife:

"Life's only life with you in this song" -Whistles the Wind, Flogging Molly

Not to my Wife:

- "When someone smiles at me, all I see is a chimpanzee begging for his life."
User avatar
Al
Posts: 2233
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:46 am

Post by Al »

I'm using and Audigy 2 card and have no problems with both 5.1 and 2 speaker stereo.
User avatar
Octavious
Posts: 20035
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:50 pm

Post by Octavious »

Well I'm using a Santa Cruz the drivers are terribly outdated now....
I was going to upgrade the soundcard soon anyway this is pushing me more towards doing so.

Game runs friggen amazingly otherwise though. Heck of a good engine they wrote up there.
User avatar
DoubleG
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:51 am
Location: Victoria BC Canada
Contact:

Post by DoubleG »

I'm using my onboard sound with the CD copy of the game. Lots of sounds issues for me.
User avatar
Smoove_B
Posts: 54567
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:58 am
Location: Kaer Morhen

Post by Smoove_B »

I have an Epox 8RDA and am using the onboard sound with the most current nforce2 motherboard drivers.

Before turning down sound acceleration - trouble.
Now...it's all good.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
User avatar
Octavious
Posts: 20035
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:50 pm

Post by Octavious »

It just amazes me how many times I've run into sound problems in games. Especially with creative cards. I've had more problems with sound in games then video bar none. Alot of the issues don't seem to ever get resolved either unlike video issues.

There's tons of people have the stuttering sound in HL2 on the Valve boards so here's hoping they find a real solution soon. Otherwise this game is friggen amazing.
xenocide
Posts: 307
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 4:15 am

Post by xenocide »

I am using an audigy2 card with 4.1 speakers and I am getting more stuttering than I would like. I have not had a chance to play for an extended time yet, so I have not tried any fixes. Next time I play I will try lowering my sound settings and see what happens.

Rest of my specs:
AMD 2200+
1Gig Ram
Nvidia 6800 GT
kathode
Posts: 763
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:57 am

Post by kathode »

I am using an onboard card on my nForce (1st gen) motherboard. The stuttering was horrible. Updated drivers only helped slightly. I had to switch to low quality sound. Helped a lot but I still get a lot of stuttering. Seems to be where stuff is stream loading in, like when you run across a long area or just after one of the big loads.
Reed
Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:14 pm
Contact:

Post by Reed »

Having problems as well w/ the sound on an Audigy 2 ZS.

What happens is once in a while the game locks up/freezes for 5-10 seconds and the sound stutters like crazy.
User avatar
Freezer-TPF-
Posts: 12698
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:41 pm
Location: VA

Post by Freezer-TPF- »

Reed wrote:Having problems as well w/ the sound on an Audigy 2 ZS.

What happens is once in a while the game locks up/freezes for 5-10 seconds and the sound stutters like crazy.
Is that maybe just the autosave/next area loading?
When the sun goes out, we'll have eight minutes to live.
User avatar
Incendiary Lemon
Posts: 2954
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:33 am
Location: Middleburg, Virginia

Post by Incendiary Lemon »

Defragging resolved my stutter/sound issue and helped with the load times. If your install and delete major files frequently, if its been six months+ since your last windows reinstall, and if your short on hard drive space then it would probably do some good.

Diskeeper - you can download the thirty day trial version. One pass may not be enough, try running it overnight or through the workday.
User avatar
Chesspieceface
Posts: 4038
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:01 pm
Location: San Diego, CA

Post by Chesspieceface »

Incendiary Lemon wrote:Defragging resolved my stutter/sound issue and helped with the load times.
Mine seems like it might be a HD issue as well. I have and Audigy, and I only get the stutter at loads and autosaves so this actually sounds the most feasible. The gameplay itself does not seem to be the problem on my machine.
kind of like a cloud I was up way up in the sky and I was feeling some feelings that I couldn't believe; sometimes I don't believe them myself but I decided I was never coming down
Reed
Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:14 pm
Contact:

Post by Reed »

Freezer-TPF- wrote:
Reed wrote:Having problems as well w/ the sound on an Audigy 2 ZS.

What happens is once in a while the game locks up/freezes for 5-10 seconds and the sound stutters like crazy.
Is that maybe just the autosave/next area loading?
I considered that too, but don't think it is because it seems more random than that. And sometimes it's right after a load.

I ran defrag overnight and will soon know if that took care of it or not...
User avatar
Creepy_Smell
Posts: 1844
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:30 pm
Location: Norman, OK
Contact:

Post by Creepy_Smell »

I noticed I get the slowdown each time a new sound is loaded. The first time I shoot my gun it will slow down but then be fine after that, etc. I've tried different settings and it didnt work. Going to try defragging.
User avatar
Chesspieceface
Posts: 4038
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:01 pm
Location: San Diego, CA

Post by Chesspieceface »

Happy to report that a defrag almost eliminated the problem completely. Still a slight hiccup on loads and save but only a tiny fraction of what was before. :D
kind of like a cloud I was up way up in the sky and I was feeling some feelings that I couldn't believe; sometimes I don't believe them myself but I decided I was never coming down
User avatar
Incendiary Lemon
Posts: 2954
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:33 am
Location: Middleburg, Virginia

Post by Incendiary Lemon »

Demosthenes wrote:Happy to report that a defrag almost eliminated the problem completely. Still a slight hiccup on loads and save but only a tiny fraction of what was before. :D
:D
User avatar
ChrisGwinn
Posts: 10396
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:23 pm
Location: Rake Trinket
Contact:

Post by ChrisGwinn »

It's interesting to note that the HL2 files are really, really big - nearly a gig. When I defragged, there wasn't enough free space on that volume to actually defrag the HL2 files. So it looked like I defragged, but one of the files was in more than 30000 fragments. Which could cause a bit of a problem with the loading.
User avatar
Creepy_Smell
Posts: 1844
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:30 pm
Location: Norman, OK
Contact:

Post by Creepy_Smell »

Doh!

I've tried all the different things I've read on multiple forums and I still get the stutter. Sigh.

I can still play HL2 though but CS is impossible. There is nothing quite as fun as freezing up in a gunfight. Reminds me of playing when Roadrunner got switched to Cox and they had bad router issues for months. It made online play horrid due to massive packetloss.

Cant wait for a fix.
Biyobi
Posts: 5440
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:21 pm
Location: San Gabriel, CA

Post by Biyobi »

ChrisGwinn wrote:It's interesting to note that the HL2 files are really, really big - nearly a gig. When I defragged, there wasn't enough free space on that volume to actually defrag the HL2 files. So it looked like I defragged, but one of the files was in more than 30000 fragments. Which could cause a bit of a problem with the loading.
Since I have multiple drives I copied the files to another drive and ran the defrag. Moving the files back resulted in little fragmentation.
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16435
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Post by Zarathud »

Someone has been collecting info on the stuttering sound issues in Half-Life 2, and believes that the stuttering is the result of loading new textures into video memory.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
Post Reply