Dark Souls internal rendering resolution fix (DSfix)
- Thread starter Durante
- Start date
MvmntInGrn
Member
Wow thats crazy. I guess I'll a have to start playing this with headphones, which use the dolby headphone 5.1 to directional stereo thing. I should be able to output that even through HDMI though right? I'll have to investigate.
Luckily, I have a card that's capable of downmixing! I just need to change a few settings in KXMixer. Thx for pointing this out
Dictator93
Member
I have onboard realtek audio. Uh oh. This makes me one sad panda
Oh, which sound card is it? Would you recommend it to others?
Yea I recommend it. It's an oldie but goodie because of the custom drivers for it. It has a configurable DSP where you can add your own EQ's and has different plugins to downsample and you can re-route just about everything
Best soundcard I've ever had and makes me scared to move onto another soundcard because they dont support custom DSP configurations.
The card is a SoundBlaster 5.1 and you have to get the KX Drivers for it. The upgrade to that card is an Audigy/Audigy ZS. DO NOT GET THE LE/SE version of ANY of these cards because they dont support KX.
Cannon Goose
Member
Aha! I knew the sound was totally boned right from the start! What I find strange is that even when using 5.1 speakers the sound mix is still off.
Thanks! Looks like my card can do that too (ASUS P8Z77-V LK w/ onboard Realtek ACL892)
blainethemono
Member
I don't have computer speakers, I just use the digital out to my receiver. Any way to do this with that type of setup? It doesn't output in 5.1, just stereo. Realtek 892 on my motherboard
Cannon Goose
Member
Should be the same solution, I think.
That's the same on-board sound I have and I can't downmix
You try what I posted?
Cannon Goose
Member
I did all the steps but I only get the left and right stereo sounds during the audio test. Does it matter that I'm using stereo headphones?
Did you unselect all of the "optional speakers"? They should be greyed out. Re-run the test afterwards.
You'll need to find yourself a 5 channel test file somewhere. Play it with a music player that can support it.
blainethemono
Member
Configure is grayed out under the realtek digital output. I think I can send an uncompressed PCM stream to a receiver through HDMI but I don't have hdmi on the receiver in this room
Found a few but not sure if they are conclusive.
http://www.lynnemusic.com/surround.html Downloaded the top one ( 5.1 Surround Test File ), I hear all the channels
http://www.jensign.com/bdp95/7dot1voiced/index.html and this and on the 5.1 I hear 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. Assuming 4 was the sub?
Thought VLC could be sampling it all down to regular stereo and creating the illusion of it working.
Ah...that's a problem.
One puzzling thing: I recall my 889 chipset (and the 892 chipset, I believe) is capable of doing Dolby Headphone. I can't find the option anymore.
Yeah, looks like VLC is just downmixing it. If I enable proper 5.1 on my setup I still hear 3, 5, 6, when I should not.
Yea I recommend it. It's an oldie but goodie because of the custom drivers for it. It has a configurable DSP where you can add your own EQ's and has different plugins to downsample and you can re-route just about everything
Best soundcard I've ever had and makes me scared to move onto another soundcard because they dont support custom DSP configurations.
The card is a SoundBlaster 5.1 and you have to get the KX Drivers for it. The upgrade to that card is an Audigy/Audigy ZS. DO NOT GET THE LE/SE version of ANY of these cards because they dont support KX.
I'll be looking for this then. I wasn't happy with the amount of noise I got with my on-board audio anyways.
Also, I just tested TheExodu5' solution and it worked. Realtek ALC662 6-Channel HD Audio, here.
Thanks for this. Works the same on my Realtek and seems to sound much better!
It's probably possible, for someone who knows what he is doing in terms of audio. Sadly that's not at all my expertise.
Heh, I'm actually really happy with my onboard audio. Realtek 889 is the top they have, though. It's actually better than any Soundblaster I've owned. The Asus Xonar STX was a step up from it (I owned it for a brief period of time), but the difference wasn't terribly pronounced.
Mister0079
Member
Thanks for the downmixing guide, however when I click Test all the speaker directions work except the Sub, is this normal?
Yes. Your speakers and/or headphones can't play frequencies that low.
Same thing here, but I think it's normal. I just tested both configurations in Darks Souls at the bridge shown at the beginning of the video. With Stereo, I just got the wind sound. With the downmixing, I got the ambient twinkling and wolf howls... neat!
Cannon Goose
Member
Got it working! I had to do your steps in the Realtek Audio Manager, not the default Windows sound manager.
Sounds amazing, thanks for a simple fix, Exodus!
Sounds amazing, thanks for a simple fix, Exodus!
TricksterLoki
Member
Thanks for the downmixing guide, I will have to test this when I get home. Sadly I am at my cabin for labor day weekend right now and far from my computer and dark souls Feels bad man.
Feels bad man.Felix Lighter
Member
Intro skip working great for me. Thanks yet again.
I wish there was a way to preload in more of the world to eliminate the hitching you get when moving into a new area. The weird thing is, it almost seems like that data is cached because when you first enter an area you'll get that slight hitch but if you run back through the areas you've already passed, the telltale hitch you get when streaming in part of the world seems to go away.
I wish there was a way to preload in more of the world to eliminate the hitching you get when moving into a new area. The weird thing is, it almost seems like that data is cached because when you first enter an area you'll get that slight hitch but if you run back through the areas you've already passed, the telltale hitch you get when streaming in part of the world seems to go away.
Betta Lines
Member
Using a USB X-Fi HD here, which seems to only support stereo, so I get no 5.1 options in the 'choose your configuration' menu. So I guess I'm screwed?
Backfoggen
Banned
I wish there was a way to eliminate the black freeze screen at the beginning but I think it's loading something into the RAM or whatever at that point.
Same here. Strangely enough, I'm pretty sure that the PS3 version didn't have these hitches, despite its framerate issues.
That's a common issue with PC games. In Dark Souls, it's probably remedied by using an SSD, as I don't experience any hitches.
When the PS3 needs drive access, it gets it right away. When the PC needs drive access, there may be a small delay as it's competing with other services using the drive, hence the hitch. An SSD will be dozens or even a hundred times faster in this situation.
When the PS3 needs drive access, it gets it right away. When the PC needs drive access, there may be a small delay as it's competing with other services using the drive, hence the hitch. An SSD will be dozens or even a hundred times faster in this situation.
Backfoggen
Banned
I'm having hitches extremely rarely and even then its maybe one frame skipping and I run the game from a crappy 320GB HDD.
Alright, let's try to pinpoint the issue. Is the OS on the same HDD as Dark Souls?
If so, I'd probably say HDD access is not the issue. They're probably having issues with a lack of VRAM.
Felix Lighter
Member
I actually have the game installed on an SSD and my OS is installed on a seperate SSD, oddly enough.
Also, I have an HD 7970 with 3 GB of vram.
Also, I have an HD 7970 with 3 GB of vram.
Backfoggen
Banned
It's Win7 on the same HDD. I have 1 gig of VRAM
Disappointingly, I do have an SSD (Vertex 3) but my motherboard only supports SATA-3.
OS and games on the same drive, 8GB system ram, 1.5GB vram. Maybe I could try closing some things like MSE (even though it's not scheduled to scan).
Felix Lighter
Member
Do you guys experience the intial hitching when you first load the game? You spin the camera around for a couple seconds and it smooths out.
Ingueferroque
Banned
Is the Intro Skip feature really dangerous? Or is that just some humor in the .ini?
My onboard Realtek 889 can downmix.
Click Configure:
Select the 5.1 setup:
Unselect all optional speakers:
To test it out, simply click on Configure again and hit the test button. You should hear the center and surround channels.
I tried this and now i heard no sounds at all. :<
Hmmm...I doubt the SSD is your issue here. Even if you're on SATA-3, the random access times should still be the same.
Yeah, the biggest hitch is when I first load. And I do the camera thing as well. But like you said, when wandering into a different area for the first time I'll get those occasional hitches.
Cannon Goose
Member
I'm still completely baffled by the GPU usage during frame drops. Some areas in the DLC would have consistent drops for me and when they happen the GPU usage cuts in half.
The internal resolution is 1024 x 720 initially, right?
I'm using DsFIX with 1280x720, and the first DoF number. The resolution choosed ingame is also 1280 x 720
Oddly enough, the game runs faster (no slowdowns) than in native resolution upscaled.
Good job Durante! Thank you!
My gpu is an old 9600 GT, and I'm forcing x4 fxaa
I'm using DsFIX with 1280x720, and the first DoF number. The resolution choosed ingame is also 1280 x 720
Oddly enough, the game runs faster (no slowdowns) than in native resolution upscaled.
Good job Durante! Thank you!
My gpu is an old 9600 GT, and I'm forcing x4 fxaa
settings plz. cant get AA working on my 6950.
That's normal.
Say your usage is 100%, but your game can just maintain 29fps...the game engine therefore cuts your framerate in half to 15fps (as it doesn't support triple buffering). As a result, your usage gets cut nearly in half as well.
The AA is not actually working...it just forces his GPU into a high-power state.