Surround sound computer speakers

Surround sound computer speakers are becoming more and more appealing as this technology improves. Dolby surround sound has been around for quite a while but I think computer games will benefit from surround sound far more than most movies.

Games such as Doom III and Halflife 2 will benefit hugely from surround sound

The thought of being able to hear enemies coming at you from behind sold us on the idea of surround gaming. I've always been a little frustrated with first person shooter games beause it is hard to be fully aware of your environment. With surround gaming you can position sounds just like you can in real life.

What you need for surround sound gaming

Basically you need a surround capable sound card to decode the signal, a 4.1 channel amplifier (or 5.1) and 4 (or 5) satellite speakers. The cheapest and best soundcard is the Creative Labs Live! or Audigy range. These cards are the most campatible, powerful and inexpensive.

You'll also need games programed to take advantage of surround gaming these games are said to have EAX support. EAX, or Environmental Audio Extensions, is based on algorithms developed by Creative Labs that have been implemented in their sound cards and speakers systems.

EAX is surround sound for games

EAX is based in a 4.1 surround sound concept, there's no center channel for vocal range directivity. The center channel is not needed for nearfield listening, it is really only important in large spaces like movie theatres. It also is based on the concept of environmental audio, or standard processing algorithm designed to make sound characteristic of an environment.

Games need these real time effects because they have to be able to respond to user commands. Since there is no scripted sound like a movie the sound engine must be ready to produce the correctly effected sound at all times, whether it is an echo in a stone hallway or the positioning of a sound behind you.

what EAX can bring to games:

Multi Environment: In EAX 1.0 and 2.0, the environment effect depended on a given geometrical zone. But now each sound can have its own separate independent effect. The Audigy can manage and mix four different environments to give a real gain in lifelike results. Suppose you are standing still in a room; a sound of gunfire will be affected by the size of this room and the nature of its walls and floor, whereas the sound of gunfire coming from the next room, say a corridor, will be affected by the nature of that one.
Environment Morphing: This is one of the most significant developments in the EAX Advanced HD, formerly known as Dynamic Morphing. In the EAX 2.0, each environment was assigned a given place in a game and there was no mixing in particular when changing from, say, indoors to out. But with Dynamic Morphing, environments can merge in some places or one will dominate in others as the person moves around.
Environment Panning: This is a complement to Environment Morphing since it is used to add an environment giving the impression of a place about to come, such as a cellar or tunnel.
Environment Reflection: With this effect, sounds are not only transmitted by the source, but also redirected by the environment. Primary reflections and reverberations are controlled the way the Aureal A3D 2.0 did it some years ago.
Environment Filtering: Less explicit than the effects described above, Environment Filtering contains a series of data to hone and control the differences in tone between environments.

6.1 channels in games

Basically you need Ceative Lab's newest Audigy 2 to allow you to play in 6.1 with any DS3D game. The result are certainly convincing with a definite gain in game immersion for us. Positioning as such may sometimes be a bit fuzzy, but this is a rare occurrence. DirectX 9 is going to make 5.1 games the norm, and it is more than likely that 6.1 3D sound managed by EAX will soon be part of games.