Had Game Sounds, Now I Don't. No Clue Why. help?

[stampedem]

The game sounds on many of my tables seems to have quit.  Most tables in fact. 

I cannot hear any game audio, but I can hear the mechanical audio like bumpers and slingshots, etc.  So, I’m assuming it’s ROM related, rather than an issue with wiring or speakers.

It is as if I hit a mute button somewhere. I used to hear game sounds, and now I do not.

My pinmame global options are “use sound” checked on, and altsound = 0, and ROM volume at 100%.  The F1 options for each table reflect the global options, so each table is defaulting to use sounds on and Altsound = 0.  But still, most tables won’t play any game sounds. For those tables I have an altsound zip for, if I change the table option to altsound =1 then I can hear game sounds.  But just trying to get rom emulations sounds?  Then nothing.

Additionally, I have the “Sound Samples” zipped in the ‘Samples’ subfolder of VPinMame.

Of course, I have each tables audio set as high as possible (8 or 9 key, or open [end key], then 8 or 9 if necessary).  And further, I have the VPX audio set as high as possible (+ key).  Lastly, in VPX preferences, I do have “play sound effects” and “play music” checked on, and both are set to play from the primary sound driver.

The ROMs I’m using are a good dump.  It’s the 3.2 SAMbuild batch, and I’m using the latest SAMBuild beta.

I’ve tried deleting the NVRAM and configs files for some tables to test if that worked, but it hasn’t.  Still no game sounds.

I’ve considered maybe trying alternate ROM version for the tables, but I don’t see how that makes sense, given that I downloaded the tables from the Dux Retro’s spreadsheet, so they’re the up-to-date version of each, and others seem to have no issues with the pre-selected ROM version.

Short of opening each table up and making certain that “sound samples” is checked (i.e. making sure it isn’t different from the global) as well as making sure that in table options, “set music” is at 100%, I don’t know what to do.  If that doesn’t work then I’ve read that adding a line after line 60:

.Games(cGameName).Settings.Value("sound") = 1

Could work.  However, I would rather not have to do that with each table, especially since this appears to affect only me.

Sorry for the long post.  I’m just lost.

[CarnyPriest]

Probably just need to reboot your PC.

[stampedem]

I’ve had this problem for a week now, and I turn my computer off fully every night. It hasn’t worked. 

[Thalamus]

You seem to have good control over what you're doing so I don't really have any great ideas. What did you do before it started to become a problem ? You are sure that you have the same bass.dll in vpinball as in vpinmame folder ?

And the suggestion above is probably not your problem. If it is - you could just export the registry and do a search and replace. Those values are stored there. Why you want to have that setting in a table script ? Because playing a soundmod of a table that has regular rom. Xenonph pr. example makes those. But, he is aware of the problem and restores the rom setting on exit. So, that is why I don't think it is related.

[stampedem]

Well guys, the one new bit of info is that I do have ROM sounds on a few tables.  For instance, POTC, Big Brave, and X Files play their game sounds.  And some others.  As I've gone through each table, I've found that about 40 percent of the tables are playing their sounds. The other 60% no sounds, except the mechanical SSF sounds.  Mechanical sounds is no problem. There is no real pattern as to what tables have or don't have emulated sound, i.e. no specific manufacturer is only having the trouble.  They all are.  The only think that seems consistent is that it's older games (about 1985 or earlier) that seem to be affected more.  Newer games, 1990s and newer, seem to be less effected.  I'd say those newer games are 40%-60%, working/not working, whereas older games are more like 90% not working, 10% working.

It's all so weird.  If all the defaults are the same for all the tables, then they should all behave the same.  But it's not so.  Some tables play their rom sounds, some don't, even when their settings are exactly the same.

I just don't get it.

If you all can think of anything you've seen in your experience that seems plausible, I'd appreciate  hearing your input!

Thanks again.

[stampedem]

On 3/15/2019 at 9:05 AM, stampedem said:

The game sounds on many of my tables seems to have quit.  Most tables in fact. 

I cannot hear any game audio, but I can hear the mechanical audio like bumpers and slingshots, etc.  So, I’m assuming it’s ROM related, rather than an issue with wiring or speakers.

It is as if I hit a mute button somewhere. I used to hear game sounds, and now I do not.

My pinmame global options are “use sound” checked on, and altsound = 0, and ROM volume at 100%.  The F1 options for each table reflect the global options, so each table is defaulting to use sounds on and Altsound = 0.  But still, most tables won’t play any game sounds. For those tables I have an altsound zip for, if I change the table option to altsound =1 then I can hear game sounds.  But just trying to get rom emulations sounds?  Then nothing.

Additionally, I have the “Sound Samples” zipped in the ‘Samples’ subfolder of VPinMame.

Of course, I have each tables audio set as high as possible (8 or 9 key, or open [end key], then 8 or 9 if necessary).  And further, I have the VPX audio set as high as possible (+ key).  Lastly, in VPX preferences, I do have “play sound effects” and “play music” checked on, and both are set to play from the primary sound driver.

The ROMs I’m using are a good dump.  It’s the 3.2 SAMbuild batch, and I’m using the latest SAMBuild beta.

I’ve tried deleting the NVRAM and configs files for some tables to test if that worked, but it hasn’t.  Still no game sounds.

I’ve considered maybe trying alternate ROM version for the tables, but I don’t see how that makes sense, given that I downloaded the tables from the Dux Retro’s spreadsheet, so they’re the up-to-date version of each, and others seem to have no issues with the pre-selected ROM version.

Short of opening each table up and making certain that “sound samples” is checked (i.e. making sure it isn’t different from the global) as well as making sure that in table options, “set music” is at 100%, I don’t know what to do.  If that doesn’t work then I’ve read that adding a line after line 60:

.Games(cGameName).Settings.Value("sound") = 1

Could work.  However, I would rather not have to do that with each table, especially since this appears to affect only me.

Sorry for the long post.  I’m just lost.

`

 

On 3/15/2019 at 4:15 PM, Thalamus said:

You seem to have good control over what you're doing so I don't really have any great ideas. What did you do before it started to become a problem ? You are sure that you have the same bass.dll in vpinball as in vpinmame folder ?

And the suggestion above is probably not your problem. If it is - you could just export the registry and do a search and replace. Those values are stored there. Why you want to have that setting in a table script ? Because playing a soundmod of a table that has regular rom. Xenonph pr. example makes those. But, he is aware of the problem and restores the rom setting on exit. So, that is why I don't think it is related.

The bass.dll I have in VPinmame folder is dated 7-29-18, which is about when I first installed VPX from the all in one installer.  As far as I'm aware, I've never touched those files since the original install.  The bass.dll I have in Visual Pinball Folder (the root folder, i.e. VPinMame is nested within the Visual Pinball folder) is dated 3-5-18, an overwrite from the VPX beta 3592, where I just copy/pasted all the zip files into my Visual Pinball folder to update to that beta. Should they be the same?

[outhere]

Backup your then
Try this
Each time you install new version right click the Set up file in the VPinMame folder and run Administrator 

Install this VPinMAME_3_2_beta.zip

https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=27063&hl=

Then official at the bottom of the 1st Post

http://vpuniverse.com/forums/topic/3651-sambuild32-beta-thread/

Then install 10.6 beta Rev 3660

Before you install 10.6 beta Rev 3660 take the vpinballx.exe from 3592  and rename it vpinballx3592.exe

check if the zip is blocked and unblock it before you unzip it..  So right click on the .zip, check properties, If no note about blocked files -  then everthing should be fine.

unzipped it and copied the 12 files into the visual pinball folder and than put the script files into the scripts folder only, There should be no Script files  (.vbs) in the Tables folder from VP 10.6..

https://vpinball.com/VPBdownloads/vp-10-6-beta/

[stampedem]

Hi Outhere.  Thanks for your great response.

I did exactly as you instructed, but unfortunately there has been no change.  I was really optimistic too.

I find it so odd that some tables will work fine and others not, when all the settings are consistent across the programs.  It's just so odd.

If there is anything else you can think of I'd love to try it.  It's posing quite a challenge.  Thank you all again.

Stampedem

[stampedem]

Well, I tried deleting the rom from the registry.  I was very hopeful that would do the trick.

It did not. All the games that didn't have rom sounds before continue to not have them.

Guys... what's happening... it's so strange. I'll try anything at this point.

[outhere]

Did you try changing the audio preferences in VP

Download a game for vp9 and the same game for VP10 That use the same rom and see if you have the same results...

Also check windows to make sure it's set up correctly..

[stampedem]

I was able to get this fixed.  Thanks to DJRobX for your insight.

It was suggested that my computer was now passing the game sounds to my speaker setup's center channel.

Using a 7.1 setup, I have L, R, SL, SR, FL, FR, and Sub.  But that is 6.1.  There is the center channel which SSF does not use.  SSF, i.e. mechanical sounds, worked just fine because it was passing these to the correct surround sound speakers.

But game sounds, no.  Those were now, for some reason, being passed to the non-existent center speaker.

I tested this theory out by setting VPX, Windows, and my sound card all to 2 channels.  Doing that, i was able to confirm that roms sounds were playing, as I could hear them from the L & R speakers.

So the question is, why did they all of a sudden start to get routed to the center speaker. I don't know.  I never was able to figure that out.

The solution however, was to install Equalizer API.  This API uses an internal channel routing solution regardless of how your computer otherwise wants to direct it.  Just installing the software fixed the problem.

Other solutions offered, which probably will work for someone (but it didn't for me) was simply disabling the center channel in the windows speaker configuration.  I can see how that could work, it just didn't for me.

DJRobX also said some people are able to solve the center channeling through "phantom channeling" in their DSP settings.  This wasn't an option for me in my soundcard software.  He also said that if I install Equalizer API, it may work just because of the install, but said some people actually need to configure EQAPI to send the C sounds to L and R. Either way, the result is the same.

So anyways, thank you to everyone.  I don't know why this happened all of a sudden, but I'm appreciative there are very smart and helpful people who were willing to take time to help me through it.

[cfhdrew]

thanks this helps so much. you don't even know.

 

[bobinis]

Wow... Finding this thread really saved what's left of the hair on the top of my head.  I had recently upgraded my can to ssf and  have been playing with vpx 10.7 and beta versions of pinmame.  Since some of my tables sound "seemed" to wok properly, I thought it was some combination of the "beta" software or I had screwed up my registry.

 

I was able to fix my issue by going I'm and selecting the "sonic for headphones" under the spatial sound settings.  Music restored.  I haven't thouroughly tested to see if this correctly solves the problem or distorts the sound I want...but it has restored things on the meantime.  It should be good though since my backbox speakers are going to a 2.1 amp feeding my subwoofer.

 

It's always great when someone else in the community has felt your pain and came back and posted their solution.

 

Thanks to all who make the hobby what it is.

 

-burritodamus

[mberneis]

Was fighting for a week with the same problem and this thread finally solved it - Thank you!

[pavement]

Well, all of a sudden something similar happened to me. SFF is working and all mechanical sounds are ok, but no music or rom-sounds are playing from the backbox. Last thing i did was messing around in the Fish Tales-coin door settings menu, and at next reboot the problem occured. Don't know if it's related or not.

 

I have a separate 2-channel soundcard for my backbox, and a 7.1 soundcard for SSF. Config working flawlessly for months with pinvol and Equalizer-API also installed. Have checked and settings are correct in VPX and nothing is changed. Also when playing Stranger Things LE or Leprechaun King  everything is working as of before, which makes me believe it's a vpinmame related problem.

 

Any ideas of a soulution and what might have happened?

 

 

[pavement]

Solved: Alt-tabbed into windows audio settings and noticed, in the advanced settings, that "Visual Pinball Player" had zero (0) volume level.  Was a solution in this thread:

https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=34655

 

now back in business

Edited September 20, 2023 by pavement

[magostin]

3 days away from 2024 and this post still helps people.

 

thanks you so much, i almost lost hope trying to fix the tables i had with no sound... i was starting to use altsounds files to fix them and then realized there wasnt enough altsounds to fix my library of tables.

 

so i continued my search and found this post. disabling my center channel in windows sound fixed it for me!

 

thank you so much!