FDSFX problem

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

Hello Its my daily e-mail.Its a shame that your DATs also show 100.I am assuming that the info in the dats relates to setting the volume (guesswork I am afraid) and if yours had shown 20 or 30 then you could have experimented with increasing those figures.PS did you try your on-board sound ?? you never know!pps I know its a long shot ,but could you re-download FDSFX and try re-installing it.?Anyways keep trying.cheers Andy

[martinlest2 58]

Hi - no I didn't try onboard sound in the end. Everything else works just fine so I don't think it's a hardware issue. I did reinstall FDSFX, but there's not really much to reinstall - the gau file.. made no difference of course. Ho-humM

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

How about a system restore to a couple of weeks ago when you said the problem first arose.I know SRs can undo any any changes you may have made in the intervening time ,BUT! they can be undone as well ,so at least that's another possible option.PS As you hadn't posted for a couple a days I thought you may have solved the problem.CHEERS Andy

[martinlest2 58]

A system restore to 4 weeks back would mess up too much - in any case, I don't think I have it set in such a way that it would affect any of the relevant files (I do not have system restore set to back up my FS9 or FSX partitions, just my C:\ drive - I back FS up via a script file to an external drive at least twice a week instead).I will try installing FDSFX into an 'out-of-the-box' installation of FS9, which I have on my PC and use for test purposes. If that doesn't work, I have another similar FS9 installation (i.e., no third party stuff) on a laptop: I can try there too. That should sort out where the fault may lie (FDSFX or the PC itself). I'll post back what happens.If I had fixed this, I would have let you know - don't worry! :-) But I am emigrating in just over two weeks, so if this doesn't get fixed soon, it won't be for some time to come (until I get my PC etc. shipped over: could be several months)..Martin

[martinlest2 58]

When I install FDSFX to a 'clean' version of FS9 on my PC, the sounds are still quiet. On my laptop, they are loud, as before, so that would indicate something on the PC is the cause. On the other hand, I can't see why the sound files play back just fine in any audio player, but are only reduced in volume when played back via the FDSFX interface.I have also removed FDSFX and reinstalled all the gauges and sounds from the original zip file. Makes no difference - still almost inaudible, even with the dat files set at 100%. This is maddening! It was working just fine on this PC till a few weeks back. Think I am going to have to abandon the search for a solution, I don't know where else to look. I have looked at all the options on my Creative audio card, and there's nothing left to change - volumes are at max and |I have tested other settings too. "Bummer", as they say ...M.(BTW, re. earlier comment, the figure '0' at the end of the dat file, is, I imagine, an instruction not to loop the file - '1' would cause the sound to loop repeatedly - I guess, I didn't test it.

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

When I install FDSFX to a 'clean' version of FS9 on my PC, the sounds are still quiet. On my laptop, they are loud, as before, so that would indicate something on the PC is the cause. On the other hand, I can't see why the sound files play back just fine in any audio player, but are only reduced in volume when played back via the FDSFX interface.I have also removed FDSFX and reinstalled all the gauges and sounds from the original zip file. Makes no difference - still almost inaudible, even with the dat files set at 100%. This is maddening! It was working just fine on this PC till a few weeks back. Think I am going to have to abandon the search for a solution, I don't know where else to look. I have looked at all the options on my Creative audio card, and there's nothing left to change - volumes are at max and |I have tested other settings too. "Bummer", as they say ...M.(BTW, re. earlier comment, the figure '0' at the end of the dat file, is, I imagine, an instruction not to loop the file - '1' would cause the sound to loop repeatedly - I guess, I didn't test it.

Do you know what FDSFX uses to play back its sound files when you use it whilst flying in FS ?OR!! if you right click on the wavs have you had a look at the open with option? mine for instance gives me either real player or CM1PLAYER (default sound i think)Andy

[Clutch Cargo 388]

I've tried to recreate your issue but I have had no luck. In FS9 you can turn down all the sound sliders (cockpit, engines, etc.) and you should still hear the FDSFX sound just fine depending on the level you set for each switch. However, you can mute them all if you go into your Windows7 Volume Mixer and click on the mute button for FS2004 while it's running. But that would also mute all sounds in FS9.There is another window you can open call 'Sound' with the tabs of Playback, Recording, Sounds and Communications. Under communications do you by chance have it set to "Reduce the volume of other sounds by 80%"? Just an idea. Maybe you have a mike on or Skype or something which is overriding the sounds.I think you said it started happening after a restore? Could you go back to one previous version of a restore to see if the sound volume returns? Just to check... then you can go back to your current version. If the sound volume returns then it makes sense to believe there is something that was installed or changed between the two restores. That might help jog your memory as to what happened.For that matter you might be able to jog the memory just by looking at the dates of the restores and start looking at dates of programs installed.Again all just ideas to help narrow down the culprit.Clutch

[Echofox 3]

I have successfully increased the volume by opening fdsfx.dat files with notepad, changing where necessary the volume to 100, and "save as" - All Files. Up to now the saved settings have held after switching on/off/on FS9. I found that altering the settings via right clicking on a switch did not default the volume to 100. Whether or not this fix will continue to work only time will tell, but the cause would seem to lie with a volume save.

[martinlest2 58]

No, I don't know what FDSFX uses to play the sound files - I guess the sound hardware installed on the PC (Creative Soundblaster in my case). It doesn't use any of the media players you get when you right-click the file - or their exe files would be open in Task manager when FDSFX is playing (and they aren't).Clutch, thanks for replying again. I have sound sliders quite low already in FS9, but most of the FDSFX files are still almost inaudible. All are at 100% as I say (and 100 shows in all the fdsfx dat files). Windows7 Volume Mixer is at full volume.I have also in the past checked all the tabs in Soundblaster - I did see one where there is an option "Reduce the volume of other sounds by 80%", but that is only for incoming telephone calls. I changed it to 'do nothing' instead, but that hasn't helped.Can't do a system restore for the reasons I gave above. No, I didn't mention the problem happening after a system restore BTW.The weirdest thing (as I have said, I know!) is that this problem of low volume is only evident with FDSFX sound files when played through the FDSFX interface - all other sound files on my PC play as normal, including the FDSFX files when played in any media player. I think my only option is to find a way to 'flatten' the audio files themselves and then amplify them. I will post if I find a way..Martin

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

Its very easy to increase the volume of sound files using the simple windows 'sound recorder program' but I am not sure if it will convert MP3 sound files. I would imagine there's a way of converting those MP3s into WAV files and then increasing the volume using Sound recorder.All a bit tedious ,but that seems to be your only option.PS this is going to be my last suggestion....probably..How about taking a completely unrelated wav (anything ,music ,speech from outside fs)) you say all your other wavs files are fine and then removing one wav from FSDFX (Capt Marcus or whatever they are called)re-name the unrelated wav as the Capt Marcus you have just removed(somwhere safe obviously) and see if that also plays quietly ,if it does then it would indicate the that the soundblaster is probably the culprit (even though you say you have checked) and assuming that is what is playing your FDSFX files from within FSHope that is not to confusing ,Its certainly confused me.Andy

[martinlest2 58]

Well, I have spent some time using WavePad (open file - Ctrl+A to select all of file - Effects/Automatic Gain Control - Save) to increase the volume of one set of 21 files. Some improve dramatically - some hardly at all, but given how many different language sets I have and the time this has taken I think I can take this no further. It would take too much time. If I put a different file in a FDSFX folder, it plays more quietly than if played by a media player outside, but if that is due to the Creative soundcard (I assume FDSFX used the onboard sound/sound card to play the file, but it's only an assumption) I don't know how to fix it and I am left with the question as to why the sounds were once upon a time fine played the same way.I think I have spent enough time on this now - I will have to imagine that the distant sounds are coming from the cabin - and I am (supposedly) in the cockpit of course, so naturally they will be soft. (True enough!).M

[martinlest2 58]

I downloaded the latest freeware version of WavePad (5.01) from here: http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/index.html It is an amazingly good programme. You can batch amplify whole folders of sound files - and I can now hear them in FDSFX/FS9. Highly recommended.. Martin