Multi-channel (quadraphonic) audio streams cut out after a few seconds

[marth8880]

In Star Wars Battlefront II (2005), quadraphonic audio streams cut out after a few seconds of playing.

Issue can be seen here: https://youtu.be/GENit_Zd8-w

• Config ini is default.
• I've tried this with in-game channels set to Surround 7.1, Stereo, Headphones, and the same variants in the ini file. No change.
• No difference when the mixer is set to Hardware or Software, or if Effects is set to off.
• I've tested this with Topping DX5II DAC/amp and generic motherboard onboard sound card. No differences.
• The only way it seems for this to not occur is to remove DSOAL entirely.
• Non-quadraphonic (stereo or mono) streams work fine.

This is all I got with logging enabled:

3fa4:trace:dsound:DllMain Initializing library v0.9-3a19511 master
3fa4:trace:dsound:load_openal load_openal Loaded dsoal-aldrv.dll
7128:debug:dsound:DllMain (0x73660000, 2, 0x0)
42bc:debug:dsound:DllMain (0x73660000, 2, 0x0)
6fec:debug:dsound:DllMain (0x73660000, 2, 0x0)
27c4:debug:dsound:DllMain (0x73660000, 2, 0x0)
7198:debug:dsound:DllMain (0x73660000, 2, 0x0)
6b90:debug:dsound:DllMain (0x73660000, 2, 0x0)
379c:debug:dsound:DllMain (0x73660000, 2, 0x0)
3fa4:debug:dsound:DllMain (0x73660000, 0, 0x1)

[mokMan23]

After doing some additional research, I found this error:
014c:fixme:dsound:ConvertFormat Unsupported channel configuration (2 channels, 0x00000030)

Assuming this is just a fluke on my end, this is likely a bug with the original game, rather than a bug in DSOAL. I'll try testing this with an X-Fi on my XP rig for confirmation.

[marth8880]

Definitely didn't happen for me back in the day with my old Audigy card.

2021 versions of the dlls don't reproduce the bug (but introduce other annoying things like crackling streams lol)

[kcat]

This is all I got with logging enabled:

That looks like it's not using DirectSound. DSOAL is loading, but no calls to it are made, so any audio is being handled some other way. Either that, or something else it making that log and blocking the game itself from making a DSOAL log.

After doing some additional research, I found this error:
014c:fixme:dsound:ConvertFormat Unsupported channel configuration (2 channels, 0x00000030)

Seems to be a 2-channel rear stereo sound, using the back-left and back-right channels instead of front-left and front-right. This would correspond to OpenAL's AL_FORMAT_REAR* formats from the AL_EXT_MCFORMATS extension, though DSOAL doesn't currently recognize that speaker configuration. Shouldn't be too hard to add.

[mokMan23]

Definitely didn't happen for me back in the day with my old Audigy card.

2021 versions of the dlls don't reproduce the bug (but introduce other annoying things like crackling streams lol)

I found out the latest build that doesn't have this bug is r444-a from last year. I haven't heard any crackling, and I've played numerous different levels. Maybe it's because I'm using Wine? I also applied DSWRP.

[mokMan23]

This is all I got with logging enabled:

That looks like it's not using DirectSound. DSOAL is loading, but no calls to it are made, so any audio is being handled some other way. Either that, or something else it making that log and blocking the game itself from making a DSOAL log.

After doing some additional research, I found this error:
014c:fixme:dsound:ConvertFormat Unsupported channel configuration (2 channels, 0x00000030)

Seems to be a 2-channel rear stereo sound, using the back-left and back-right channels instead of front-left and front-right. This would correspond to OpenAL's AL_FORMAT_REAR* formats from the AL_EXT_MCFORMATS extension, though DSOAL doesn't currently recognize that speaker configuration. Shouldn't be too hard to add.

I just tried the latest update with implemented Rear Stereo, and it looks like the issue's now gone. Thanks!

Not sure if this is different with Windows, I'm using Wine /w Fedora 43.

[marth8880]

You're a star! That's it fixed. Thanks so much!!