setup Medusa 5.1 USB headset

[Ojisan_Buba]

Somebody knows how to setup a Medusa 5.1 USB headset??? If i install and using the headset in Il2 the sounds arround my plane are very diffuus and unidentifically. If someone have experience, plse help???

Thanks in advance,

[IvanK]

I run a Medusa 5.1 headset off an Audigy Sound card (non uSB). With the headset on the surround sounds are not as good as through the speakers but miles ahead of a stereo set of headphones. There are a couple of "black holes" when you pan your head around which I have yet to remove.

One thing I found was to ensure that you have 5.1 speakers set in both windows (Control Panel -->Sounds and Devices-->Advanced in the speaker sound settings) and your sound card application. In IL2 setup make sure you have Surround set.

[Ojisan_Buba]

The USB Medusa doesnt need a soundcard. It has his own inbuilt one. Only usb to plug into the usp port and it runs.
How can i check: In Il2setup surround set??

[Feuerfalke]

That is why I just don't like the USB-Medusa. I got the one with the amplifier and it really beats the USB-Version in many regards. But both versions lack the basses I know from my headset. When I start the engines with my stereo-headset, it really sounds like a starting engine. No matter what I set my X-Fi and my Medusa to, the fact that frequency-band starts at 50Hz simply stops any fun for me. Using that headset, I can understand why people complain about the sound in IL2 :(

My stereo-headset starts at 8Hz and has pretty much beat at that low frequency. Awesome, especially when flying a P47 and firing all guns.

[Roy]

That is why I just don't like the USB-Medusa. I got the one with the amplifier and it really beats the USB-Version in many regards. But both versions lack the basses I know from my headset. When I start the engines with my stereo-headset, it really sounds like a starting engine. No matter what I set my X-Fi and my Medusa to, the fact that frequency-band starts at 50Hz simply stops any fun for me. Using that headset, I can understand why people complain about the sound in IL2 :(

My stereo-headset starts at 8Hz and has pretty much beat at that low frequency. Awesome, especially when flying a P47 and firing all guns.

below 50hz odds are you are going to feel air pressure (ie: when the wind hits on your ears) rather than "sound"...
http://www.mediafire.com/?9t9saxxnzwd

In any case most complaints about IL2 sounds are from people that use bad quality speakers, not soundcards.

[KG26_Alpha]

Hi

I use the Medusa Amplified head set they seem to be more powerful than the usb ones.

Settings are plentiful if you have a Audigy1/2/Xfi/Soundblaster cards.

In IL2 folder there's an icon called setup hit that and try the settings under the sound tab you will have to play around with that to see what sounds best.

If you have one of the soundcards as mentioned above there are CMSS 3D settings in the creative audio console to really get the best sound out of these headphones.

Have fun :)

[Feuerfalke]

below 50hz odds are you are going to feel air pressure (ie: when the wind hits on your ears) rather than "sound"...
http://www.mediafire.com/?9t9saxxnzwd

In any case most complaints about IL2 sounds are from people that use bad quality speakers, not soundcards.

Human hearing goes from 15-22k Hz or 20-20k Hz as an average for most people usually playing IL2 ;) - Below that, you speak if infrasonic sound, that is transfered through the skull or body rather than the ear. If you only feel wind below 50Hz, you definitely should visit a specialist - either one for better headsets or one for medical treatment.

In most cases people who complained turned out to have either connected a good set of speakers to the onboard-soundchip or a crappy soundsetup to a good soundcard or even a mixture of both.

I'm not saying the Medusa is bad - I got one myself - but it's taking compromises on all sides.

[Roy]

Human hearing goes from 15-22k Hz or 20-20k Hz as an average for most people usually playing IL2 ;) - Below that, you speak if infrasonic sound, that is transfered through the skull or body rather than the ear. If you only feel wind below 50Hz, you definitely should visit a specialist - either one for better headsets or one for medical treatment.

In most cases people who complained turned out to have either connected a good set of speakers to the onboard-soundchip or a crappy soundsetup to a good soundcard or even a mixture of both.

I'm not saying the Medusa is bad - I got one myself - but it's taking compromises on all sides.

Hmm I don't see where I said I was hearing wind below 50hz... in any case, chances are you'll only hear a slim wind *humm* because IL2 sounds are most likely cut off (or sound is severely dampened) at frequencies < 50hz. It's not a big deal really, you are not losing much in the frequency band. Either you don't know much about sound and you just wanted to sound as if you did or it's you who should really visit a specialist if ~ 30hz make such a difference to you ;)

As for soundcards/speakers etc... bad speakers have a bigger impact than a "crappy" onboard soundchip. As in... several orders of magnitude. Sound setup (stereo, 2.1 etc) should make no difference since that doesn't affect the sound quality in itself.

[Feuerfalke]

It's all up to yourself and your personal preferences.

To the biological/perceptive question: You can clearly identify 2 different tones in 3 Hz steps up to a minimum of 14-16 Hz. Below that, until 8Hz you have a resonance-frequency, which gives you a humming sound, just like the deep roaring of an engine or echoing of an explosion or thunder.

Little hearing test:

http://www.dogstar.dantimax.dk/acoustic/440.mp3
http://www.dogstar.dantimax.dk/acoustic/443.mp3

Play them after another and you should note the difference.


Frequency in IL2 surely not dampened at <50Hz and it indeed makes a difference, as it is the difference of a Merlin Engine and a moped.
The problem is, though, that most onboard-soundchips don't display these sounds and their spectrum very well. But then, you surely wouldn't expect to play IL2-1946 with all details to max on an onboard-graphics-card, either.

And if you really think that a soundcard only makes a difference with a 5.1 soundsystem and above, you really should spend some 20 bucks for a soundblaster to hear the difference. As KG26_Alpha said, you can get a lot more even out of the small Medusa-Speakers by using the CMSS 3D spatial sound and the 24bit crystalizer, bass-rerouting and THX-5.1-distance- and speaker-calibration. With an X-Fi you can also use a stereo-headset with spatial sound that comes pretty close to full 5.1, when using a decent headset. Surely speakers don't affect the soundfiles, but they can represent them or not.

It's surely not only crappy boxes, as they only can mirror the sounds they are presented. But you wouldn't fit 22" tires to a Fiat Cinquicento either and expect it to break a Formula1 record.

[Roy]

It's all up to yourself and your personal preferences.

To the biological/perceptive question: You can clearly identify 2 different tones in 3 Hz steps up to a minimum of 14-16 Hz. Below that, until 8Hz you have a resonance-frequency, which gives you a humming sound, just like the deep roaring of an engine or echoing of an explosion or thunder.

Little hearing test:

http://www.dogstar.dantimax.dk/acoustic/440.mp3
http://www.dogstar.dantimax.dk/acoustic/443.mp3

Play them after another and you should note the difference.
And I do. 443 has slightly higher pitch. That difference though becomes virtually nonexistant as soon as you add another sound. In my opinion of course ;).


Frequency in IL2 surely not dampened at <50Hz and it indeed makes a difference, as it is the difference of a Merlin Engine and a moped.
The problem is, though, that most onboard-soundchips don't display these sounds and their spectrum very well. But then, you surely wouldn't expect to play IL2-1946 with all details to max on an onboard-graphics-card, either.
Last I checked the game didn't have a Merlin sound in it, but anyway...

This is what a (crappy) 3d (freq and signal gain over time...) fourier transform shows for the most common engine ingame
http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/6804/3dspectrumenginevo5.jpg
(the lower right corner was cut, it should be 107hz)

Yeah, BIG difference...

And if you really think that a soundcard only makes a difference with a 5.1 soundsystem and above, you really should spend some 20 bucks for a soundblaster to hear the difference.
No no... you must have read me wrong. I said:
Sound setup (stereo, 2.1 etc) should make no difference since that doesn't affect the sound quality in itself.
In case it wasn't clear enough: doesn't matter if its headphones or 7.1, if the speakers suck the sound will be affected. The sound quality is NOT affected by the type of system you use (stereo, 2.1, 5.1, etc).

As KG26_Alpha said, you can get a lot more even out of the small Medusa-Speakers by using the CMSS 3D spatial sound and the 24bit crystalizer, bass-rerouting and THX-5.1-distance- and speaker-calibration. With an X-Fi you can also use a stereo-headset with spatial sound that comes pretty close to full 5.1, when using a decent headset. Surely speakers don't affect the soundfiles, but they can represent them or not.

It's surely not only crappy boxes, as they only can mirror the sounds they are presented. But you wouldn't fit 22" tires to a Fiat Cinquicento either and expect it to break a Formula1 record.
That is just not right. What a speaker is made of makes a whole lot of a difference. Indeed if the signal you are sending is bad and the "box" is great, it'll just reproduce a bad sound. Thank god most modern integrated sound chips are pretty good. :)
I have an x-fi with THX certified 7.1 speakers. As I upgraded my system I had the chance to test the differences between onboard soundcard with crappy speakers (cambridge soundworks 5.1 crappy speakers), then onboard soundcard with decent speakers, then x-fi with decent speakers. The biggest difference (by a loooooooong shot) was in the speakers.


To settle this a bit: I'm not saying there is no difference with your uber stereo speakers and some "ok" ones that start playing at 45-50hz. I'm saying there's VERY little difference :) moreso if one takes into account the amount of different sounds playing at the same time ingame and the gain differences between that slim frequency band and the rest of the audible band.

[IvanK]

So Roy and Feuerfalke do you guys get the sound dropping out as you pan your head around with Medusa headset on? I find that a get some sound holes at left 9 Oclock and right 3 Oclock. I dont get these holes when listining through the speakers. I am not running any CMSS stuff.

[Feuerfalke]

So Roy and Feuerfalke do you guys get the sound dropping out as you pan your head around with Medusa headset on? I find that a get some sound holes at left 9 Oclock and right 3 Oclock. I dont get these holes when listining through the speakers. I am not running any CMSS stuff.

@ Roy:
You got a link to that program? I'd really like to test that on the planes I fly, because I definitely hear something below 100Hz. To your other points: I guess until you didn't try a soundcard, the discussion is rather pointless, it seems.

@ IvanK:
Yes, without a soundcard and using CMSS 3D or "spatial sound" you will have holes between the directions of the speaker. With that enabled, you have a more surround-sound-like feeling in IL2 (and most other games), but you will have more difficulties to locate a sound. Another improvement comes with EAX enabled, but that is also only available with a soundcard.

Though we learned soundcards don't make a difference at all. ;)

[Feuerfalke]

Just one question, Roy, did you record the sounds from your output?

If yes, you definitely should rethink about getting a soundcard. I just did a scan of my spectrum, chosing a B24, engines are idle. This is the spectrum I get on my machine.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/Arcadiac/Spectrum.jpg

As you can easily see the strong sounds are well below 100Hz, the very same area your onboardchip simply cuts out. :grin:

Anyway, I even more understand peoples argument about crappy sound, looking at your spectrum and I can just hope some people invest some 20 bucks to get a soundcard with hardware sound-acceleration and a headset/set of boxes, that can display them. ;)

[Ojisan_Buba]

Sorry to say and dont want to offend anyone, but this is not helping me at all.
Now this hole topic is full of medusa amplifier or plug setup trhough the sound card.

Plse keep this topic clean: Im asking help for setting up a Medusa 5.1 USB headset

[Roy]

Yeah sorry about going offtopic, my last post on this.

IvanK (and Feuerflake, who doesn't seem to read my posts ;)) I don't get any sound dropping as I use a soundblaster X-Fi

@Feuerflake: seems like you like to beef out your bass a lot uh? :) how many sounds are playing in your test? and no I didn't record it from my output.

[KG26_Alpha]

Sorry to say and dont want to offend anyone, but this is not helping me at all.
Now this hole topic is full of medusa amplifier or plug setup trhough the sound card.

Plse keep this topic clean: Im asking help for setting up a Medusa 5.1 USB headset

With the USB Medusa headset I have already given you your only option to adjust these in my earlier post.

Either access the sound set up in game GUI or In the IL2 folder see the set up icon and the sound tab.
You will have to try different settings that suit your needs.


Have fun

[Feuerfalke]

@Roy:
Nope. Didn't answer to all your statements because it a) doesn't help Ojisan_Buba b) you never tested the difference (even if you say *now* you have an X-FI) c) you just said to use cracked files, which I don't have access to (and I don't want to, honestly)

Yes, I did (slightly) pump up the bass, not even activated my bass-boost, though. Maybe I should try that - my headset surely can provide some great sound :-P

@Ojisan_Buba:
I have no experience with the USB-Version, but there have to be some options to access surround settings either in windows or from the driver-settings (guess there are any?)
Also be sure to have Sound Extensions enabled in IL2.
Another idea would be to check whether the windows-settings are correct. I don't know if it will automatically switch from stereo to 5.1. You can also try to run il2setup.exe and set the sounddevice to SoundBlaster Live! or EAX1. I'm sorry I cannot provide further information, as I have the Medusa with amplifier here and I change settings from inside the X-FI-drivers and THX control.

[Roy]

@Roy:
Nope. Didn't answer to all your statements because it a) doesn't help Ojisan_Buba b) you never tested the difference (even if you say *now* you have an X-FI) c) you just said to use cracked files, which I don't have access to (and I don't want to, honestly)

b) please READ again page 1.
c) Never said such a thing.

[Feuerfalke]

Well, we got the same sound-system, the same hardware, the same output, but you post a frequency-spectrum of a file reaching as low as 70Hz or so, and you assure all of us, that no IL2-sound reaches lower than that.

So you either chose a really non-representative sound-replay to support your point or you are correct and files in IL2 originally don't display these frequencies - but then you have to see the files themselves, I guess?

[Roy]

Well, we got the same sound-system, the same hardware, the same output, but you post a frequency-spectrum of a file reaching as low as 70Hz or so, and you assure all of us, that no IL2-sound reaches lower than that.
Please quote me where I said that no sound reaches frequencies any lower than 70hz. Also please provide that graph you are mentioning.

My point with the graph is really simple (it turns out, you can't read those either):

Is there sound at that frequency band? (0 to 50hz) yep.
Is it dampened? yep.
Is it noticeable if you cut such a small frequency band? No, not really.
Does it make such a dramatic difference to have it? Nope.

Would you mind moving this discussion to private messages? (or start a new thread if you feel better) Just so we can stop bugging in this thread.

[Feuerfalke]

Please quote me where I said that no sound reaches frequencies any lower than 70hz. Also please provide that graph you are mentioning.

My point with the graph is really simple (it turns out, you can't read those either):

Is there sound at that frequency band? (0 to 50hz) yep.
Is it dampened? yep.
Is it noticeable if you cut such a small frequency band? No, not really.
Does it make such a dramatic difference to have it? Nope.

Would you mind moving this discussion to private messages? (or start a new thread if you feel better) Just so we can stop bugging in this thread.

Honestly, I already ended the discussion, but feel free to send me a PM anyway.