Author Topic: FF7 Sound Cuts Out at No. 1 Reactor FMV (Windows Vista) (Read 19407 times)

ffeternal · « **on:** 2008-10-30 16:35:50 »

Well I've installed FF7 on my new laptop and everything works great except 8-bit palette textures (obviously) and the sound at the No. 1 Reactor FMV when it blows up. Basically music and sound effects work up until the FMV then cut out. I'm not using FF7Music, all I've installed is the 1.02 Patch then Chocobo patch then the MiniGamesPatch with YAMP. Here are some ideas I have about the issue along with the spec of my machine (might help if other people have same particular hardware - could narrow issue to that hardware):

New sound stack in Vista. The way Vista handles audio is different to XP. It can grant exclusive mode to an application and increase it's priority and volume levels can be adjusted per-application or across all applications. Could FF7 be getting confused with Vista's audio stack? Can exclusive mode or any other settings be used to fix this issue? There are a number of options in the properties of a sound device in Vista: Default Format, Exclusive Mode, Enhancements, etc.
I Alt-Tabbed when the sound cut out and opened the Volume Mixer and found that the volume level for FF7 was at 0. I put it back up to 67 and Alt-Tabbed back to FF7 but there is still no sound. Could the TrueMotion 2.0 codec be causing the problem or is it one of the other ideas I've mentioned? Could a file or program be made to stop the volume level going to 0?
I have a program called SRS Audio Sandbox installed which improves the quality of sound played using SRS psychoacoustic technologies. As part of the program a driver is installed which acts as a filter added on the main sound device. Could this be causing the issue? I'm unsure if people having the same issue had SRS Audio Sandbox installed.
Do the FMVs include sound or is the sound produced by a MIDI? If it's the former then I can safely say that MIDI isn't causing the issue.

Spec of my laptop:

AMD Athlon X2 QL-60 1.9GHz Dual-Core
2GB RAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 32-bit
ATi Radeon 3100
Realtek HD Audio

If you have or have had the same issue then please write a post with your experience of the issue and if you found a way to solve it. Please contribute too if you have any ideas on the issue as well, the more people who help the more likely we are to come up with a solution.

dziugo · « **Reply #1 on:** 2008-10-30 17:24:17 »

Well, to start you out - some FMVs have the audio stream, some don't. If the avi file has no sound, then it's the MIDI that is supposed to be played.

And, just to make sure I'm getting this right: There are absolutely no sound effects / music after that single FMV? It works fine with other FMVs?

ffeternal · « **Reply #2 on:** 2008-10-30 17:39:35 »

Hi dziugo

I know of your great work with YAMP, who knows you might be able to help fix a problem that a few of us have with sound cutting out.

The No. 1 Reactor (North Mako Reactor) FMV has sound so I presume no MIDI is played at that point. I've not played further than the FMV so I don't know about the sound after that. Another user with the same problem posted on the Gamespot forums saying that the sound comes back when they get to the first carriage of the train. Other users have also said that the sounds cut out intermittently throughout the game. The thing I noticed with the volume going to 0 could be the problem. If FF7 is lowering the volume to 0 or indeed the TrueMotion 2.0 codec (if it is that) then maybe a simple file, patch or file could be made to stop FF7 lowering the volume.

dziugo · « **Reply #3 on:** 2008-10-30 17:53:29 »

AFAIR, no music is supposed to be played between the reactor blow-up and the moment you get into the carriage (the one with the Midgar railroad map). There should be sound effects though.

ffeternal · « **Reply #4 on:** 2008-10-30 17:58:03 »

Well when the reactor blows up in the FMV it's meant to play a blowing up sound then Jessie plants a bomb to clear the tunnel - there should be bleeps played for the bomb and then when the fire comes out the tunnel there's meant to be sound. As soon as the FMV starts the sound of the reactor plays for like a second and then it's completely silent from then on.

dziugo · « **Reply #5 on:** 2008-10-30 18:06:23 »

So, no sound at all. This is weird. I'm running Vista and I'm pretty sure that the last time I played FF7 there was no music after that FMV, but those bleeps were there, along with other sound effects. Now that I've checked on youtube, you should hear a music again when you meet Aeris (and then again, no sound in the first carriage).

ffeternal · « **Reply #6 on:** 2008-10-30 18:24:44 »

I am so happy that everything works but it ruins the gaming experience when the sound cuts out. I've never finished FF7 so I really want to get going with it and finish it

do you have any ideas at all on how to solve the problem? There is a SDK I think for the sound APIs in Vista, maybe it'd be useful for creating some sort of fix? I'm sure this issue has something to do with the volume being lowered to 0. I hope other people contribute to this forum as well

I'm sure there's a way to fix this. It couldn't be something that could be fixed in the code of FF7 either is it? The only other options I have are to buy the PSX version and emulate it or use Virtual PC 2007 and play the game with the crappy Software Renderer, I don't particularly want to do either of these

dziugo · « **Reply #7 on:** 2008-10-30 18:40:47 »

Now that you mentioned it - I'd actually try to run it in VirtualPC. The hardware is emulated, so in case it would still behave the same, you'd cross out the hardware incompatibility. If it is connected to the hardware, on the other hand, there is not much you could do - updating drivers being the most promising option.

Which version of FF7 is it, by the way?

ffeternal · « **Reply #8 on:** 2008-10-30 18:45:25 »

It's version 1.02. But isn't Software Renderer crap in terms of graphics?

dziugo · « **Reply #9 on:** 2008-10-30 18:58:55 »

It's not the graphics you're having problems with. And other than colors on the world-map's map - you'd probably see no difference.

ffeternal · « **Reply #10 on:** 2008-10-30 19:07:45 »

Well I just installed all my audio drivers and tried FF7 with ones that Vista installs by default and have still got the problem. It looks like I'll have to use Virtual PC 2007 at least until someone makes a fix, if anyone ever does make one. Hopefully this thread can be useful if other people have the same problem.

DLPB_ · « **Reply #11 on:** 2008-11-07 10:44:24 »

It happened to me on number 1 reactor and on the falling of the pillar when you see the president with the music of joseph haydn.

The effects also stop in other places. The truck drive with sephiroth in the flash back had no effects either.

Is this ff7music to blame?
-----

If you are using FF7music, do the following. Go into the configutation and configure the OUTPUT plugin. Click "reset original value on stop" to enabled.

Tsetra · « **Reply #12 on:** 2008-11-14 19:21:51 »

This is a fairly known problem, wish I would have actually looked at this topic sooner. Chances are high that it's the fault of FF7Music. There should be an option in configuration that allows you to enable or disable volume ramping/fading. Basically in that scene the volume would slowly mute as the reactor begins to arc, then the explosion AVI occurs. Try turning this option off. The music will just suddenly stop as the reactor explodes, but you should have your sound effects in your movies.

This isn't necessarily the fault of FF7Music per se, I think it just has to do with soundcards and FF7Music being built around one with features not all cards have. But try the ramping option and see if that works.

riryoku · « **Reply #13 on:** 2008-12-14 00:38:46 »

I have had the same problem with my game and I haven't been using FF7Music. The sound cut off from the start of the fmv of the reactor blowing up, to the point where you meet Aerith for the first time. No music. No sound effects.

Edit: Not looking for a fix, just saying it happens without FF7Music as well.

Tsetra · « **Reply #14 on:** 2008-12-20 08:44:54 »

That's actually a bit different then. What he's describing is, the sound doesn't play during that FMV, but immediately afterwards when Jessie blows a hole in the wall and they jump out, the sound comes back. That's important because if you try a fix for a problem that's not exactly like yours, you can mess everything up. Someone else might have a solution for you, I've never had the problem though.

BahamutSIN · « **Reply #15 on:** 2008-12-23 21:04:50 »

Argh!! FF7 on PC has just too many issues

Anyway,while that FMV played i switched game to desktop and I opened my volume control panel (or whatever its called) and I noticed that wave volume automatically turns off while FMV starts. When I maximized the volume I could hear the sound of FMV! But then it swithes off again in next FMV.
Just as you I have Realtek HD Audio, maybe it has something to do with it? I hope that someone will find fix for this...

Wasted24 · « **Reply #16 on:** 2008-12-23 22:12:34 »

Quote from: riryoku on 2008-12-14 00:38:46

I have had the same problem with my game and I haven't been using FF7Music. The sound cut off from the start of the fmv of the reactor blowing up, to the point where you meet Aerith for the first time. No music. No sound effects.

Edit: Not looking for a fix, just saying it happens without FF7Music as well.

i have the same problem, it also cut out on the scene when the pillar is falling too

Wasted24 · « **Reply #17 on:** 2008-12-23 23:04:40 »

Not sure if my problem is the same as yours or not eternal, but i checked the file where all the movies are in and played some of them in windows media player and some have sound and some don't.

I have similar specs to yours also, not sure what the problem is but it seems like its on FF7's end and not ours.

computagk · « **Reply #18 on:** 2009-01-28 21:23:54 »

I think I figured it out. Vista uses a per-program volume control instead of CD-ROM, Line in, MIDI, etc. that XP and prior used to use, and since it can't adjust the midi volume to fade the music for the fmv's with sound, it adjusts the program volume instead and mutes the whole thing. Then it restored the volume when it brings the music back. Now how to fix it...I have no idea. Does anybody know of a free program that will lock your volume or something like that?

qwertyasdf · « **Reply #19 on:** 2009-03-21 18:52:51 »

I've been digging around and found this

Quote Skyblade:

Ok, forgive the double post but, the problem has been solved. It was caused by Microsoft's removal of DirectSound from Windows Vista, and this sound problem was not limited to just FFVII.
The solution for me was a download of Creative ALchemy, a program that allows DirectSound commands to be interpreted in Vista for Creative's sound cards. Hopefully other sound card manufacturers will offer similar fixes.

End Quote

See if this works for people with that company's sound card. I'm wondering if anyone else might know of other similar programs that would work for different sound cards which just might fix this problem.

dahfa · « **Reply #20 on:** 2009-04-04 17:08:57 »

have the similar problem.
The first reactor blown up(no sound)

when wedge tinker about wiht the bomb to make a hole for them to get out(no sound)

the bomb blown out.( no sound)

after the scene where ya meet aerith is when ya get sound.

Audio Card Realtek HD.

hmmm anybody found a solution?im guessin i cant just use the ALchemy for the creative sound card to use with Realtek.

dyserga · « **Reply #21 on:** 2009-06-01 17:05:33 »

Realtek users can find a potential solution here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound
Under the Vista section at the bottom, a Direct Sound remedy for Realtek Vista users is discussed.

Anyways, I am having the same issue. I have a Sound Blaster X-Fi card and downloaded alchemy, but whenever I add the ALchemy files to FF7's root directory the game doesn't even start up anymore. I tried adding them to /data/sound but that didn't work either. Help?

Covarr · « **Reply #22 on:** 2009-06-01 22:01:05 »

ALchemy (And 3D soundback) solves an entirely different problem, related to 3D audio. This is a MIDI problem.

What's happening is that WinXP and earlier were capable of a program controlling MIDI volume separately from main volume. In Vista and later, they eliminated this feature, but added a feature that allows volume to be controlled by the system on a per-program level. What this means is that FF7 is trying to mute MIDI sound, but instead muting ALL sound for the program.

The best solution I've found is to use LoopBe and FF7Music. It's not perfect, but it's worked well enough for me.

Also, this topic is a month and a half old. I don't really know what the limit is before posting is considered necro'ing, but I think you hit it.

Author Topic: FF7 Sound Cuts Out at No. 1 Reactor FMV (Windows Vista) (Read 19407 times)

Wasted24

Wasted24

computagk

qwertyasdf

dyserga