Fighting Irish Forums

Looking on simhq forum I found this link to new drivers(Beta) for the Audigy2 and the Audigy2ZS and thought to give it a go, turned out to be a good move, before, I could'nt hear any bullets hitting my aircraft now it sounds like someone shaking a drum full of stones when I'm being hit, if your having any sound issues with those drivers I'd give it a go(restore point first of course).

heres the link and the read me(follow carefully).

http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/download.asp
its the No. 2 dated 05 Apr. 05

heres the readme


SBA2_BETADRV_US_2_05_0000 and it is named as such:

2. Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS series Beta driver with OpenAL support (18.84 MB) 5 Apr 05

Uninstall and install from the read me:

=======================================================================
Creative Beta Driver Readme File
April 2005
=======================================================================

Thank you for downloading Creative's Beta Driver for the Sound Blaster
Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS products. Please Read the following carefully
before installing the Creative beta drivers for your product, and be aware
that they are unsupported. We recommend that only experienced users should
install them.


Installation Guidelines
***********************
This Beta Driver is aimed at improving the game performance of Sound Blaster
Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS on Windows 2000 and XP platform. It is recommended
that you uninstall any existing audio drivers for your current Audigy 2 or
Audigy 2 ZS before running this installation.

Please note some of your applications may not work properly after
installing the Beta Driver. Should you encounter problems, please
reinstall the most recent Web Release drivers for maximum performance
on your Audigy 2 or Audigy 2 ZS product.


1 Uninstall Existing Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS Drivers
********************************************************
If you already have Sound Blaster Audigy 2 installed in your system
with the most recent Web-released drivers, it is recommended that you
use the Windows Control Panel Add/Remove Program application to remove
the soundcard drivers only.

1. Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Add/Remove Program icon.

3. Click the Install/Uninstall tab (or Change or Remove Programs
button).

4. Select the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 entry, and then click the
Add/Remove (or Change/Remove) button.

5. In the Install Shield Wizard dialog box, click the Modify button,
and then click the Next button.

6. Click and clear the check box of the Windows Drivers to uninstall
the drivers.

7. Click the Next button. If prompted, insert the Sound Blaster Audigy 2
Installation CD into your CD-Drive and click the OK button.

8. Restart your computer when prompted.


2. Installing the Beta Drivers
******************************
Once you have uninstalled your current soundcard driver, you are ready
to run the installation for the Beta Drivers. Please click the .exe
file which you have downloaded and follow through the installation
process. Setup will install the Beta Driver for your Sound Blaster
Audigy 2 or Audigy 2 ZS and you will be prompted to restart the system once
installation completes.


3. Uninstalling the Beta Drivers
********************************
If you wish to uninstall the Beta drivers, please USE ONLY the
setup.exe application that is included with the beta driver download.

This has been installed in the Beta Driver Folder in the following
directory:

C:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy2\Program, or
C:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy2ZS\Program

Copyright (c) 2005 Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved.
=======================================================================
End of Readme File
======================================================================

Very interesting Ardmore. Since the last patch I indeed cannot hear bullets hitting, let alone planes as well as before. I had thought maybe this was part of the new patch, you know like all the missing textures on the planes themselves.

Will definitely upgrade and give them a whirl. Thanks.

Here's what that guy over at SimHQ said concerning this upgrade (and there's been at least another who claims the same - post still young) -

"As I'm usually behind the power curve, I wanted to let those like me that didn't know that they MUST install the open al drivers from Creative.

The improvement in directional sound quality is scary. Not only Olegs stuff but in everything else I have on my machine. Doom is unfreakinbelievable and COD is the same.

Back to IL2. I can hear gear doors, flaps, bullet impacts ( I swear I can tell what part of the a/c they are hitting!), and when I look about the cockpit, the directional sound is beyond words. Did I miss something and you guys already drooled all over this?"