3D Audio Testing

The 3D Audio utility allows the testing of surround sound functionality.
Selecting Effects -> 3D Audio, launches the 3D Audio dialog.

Open file: Click this button to browse you hard drive for a sound clip which will be used for the test.

Audio Location: The Audio Location grid represents a top down view of the ‘room’. The yellow circle in the center represents the top of the listeners head. We assume that surround sound speakers have been installed in the ‘room’. As the test runs, the red dot on the grid rotates in an elliptical path. The major and minor axes of this ellipse are controlled by the horizontal and vertical sliders at the bottom and right of the grid. As the red dot moves about in its orbit, the sound output from the speakers will change accordingly. For instance, as the dot is towards the left of the grid, the sound will be louder from the left speaker.

Audio Settings:
Doppler Factor:(Percentage) The Doppler factor controls the variance in sound as it moves towards or away from the listener. An example of the Doppler factor in the real world is the change in sound we hear as a car goes by.
Rolloff Factor:(Percentage) The Rolloff factor is a measure of the decline in volume as the red positional dot moves farther from the listener
Min distance:(Meters) Should be set to the distance the user is from the front speakers to optomize sound quality.
Max distance:(Meters) Should be set Min distance plus the distance between the front and rear speakers to optomize sound quality.

Apply Settings and Defer Settings:
Because each change to the settings causes a load to be placed on the sound card as DirectX instructs it to alter its output, these buttons allow the user to make the necessary changes and then apply all the changes at once which reduces the extra load on the card and maximizes the audio output quality.

Play:
Start playing the selected sound file.

Stop:
Stop playing the sound file.

Help:
View this page.

Exit:
Close the 3D Audio dialog.