Vista - Host OpenAL (ADI)

**kzone** · 10-27-2008

Does anyone have any idea what this is? Just appeared in my installed programs, something to do with Creative, but i use onboard soundmax, which is good enough for me and don't have a soundblaster installed. Don't even know what installed it...

vista 64prem

**mansrm81** · 10-28-2008

Its part of creative audio card here is a link.

Sound Blaster Gaming: Introduction to OpenAL

**stormy13** · 10-28-2008

Quote: Originally Posted by mansrm81

Its part of creative audio card here is a link.

Sound Blaster Gaming: Introduction to OpenAL

Yes and no. The Host OpenAL is a software extension that allows non-hardware based sound cards (which would be everything but the Audigy 1/2/4 and X-Fi line (minus the Xtreme Audio)) to use the OpenAL API. Much more info here,

OpenAL - OpenALÂ® and Windows Vistaâ„¢

The software extensions were added to OpenAL just over a year ago,

Quote:

Changes and Bugfixes

* Added new enumeration extension (ALC_ENUMERATE_ALL_EXT) to use AL on any soundcard / audio endpoint
* "Generic Hardware" device only appears in the enumeration string if it can be used
* Fixed alcGetIntegerv's requirement for an active context
* Fixed alcCaptureOpenDevice so that it returns 'NULL' if the capture device fails to open
* Fixed software reverb bugs (Reflection Delay and Air Absorption HF)

Downloads

It seems that it just took ADI (no idea if or when RealTek added it, but assume they have) a while to integrate it into their drivers (and can be installed manually from the link above).

**kzone** · 10-29-2008

Thanx Stormy13, i'll just leave it alone then...

**KrossX** · 10-29-2008

Quote: Originally Posted by stormy13

Yes and no. The Host OpenAL is a software extension that allows non-hardware based (?) sound cards (which would be everything but the Audigy 1/2/4 and X-Fi line (minus the Xtreme Audio)) to use the OpenAL API. [...]

Non-hardware based?... Virtual devices?

It's just the software needed for to use the OpenAL API, you may consider it analog to OpenGL but for Audio. Under Vista, is the only API that can actually use your Hardware Sound acceleration directly and EAX for Creative capable soundcards.

Even Host based Creative cards (non-DSP cards like CA0106 Audigy SE and X-Fi Xtreme Audio) can use the API even if only for positional audio without EAX.

10-27-2008	#1 (permalink)
kzone Vista Home Premium 64bit 35 posts	Host OpenAL (ADI) Does anyone have any idea what this is? Just appeared in my installed programs, something to do with Creative, but i use onboard soundmax, which is good enough for me and don't have a soundblaster installed. Don't even know what installed it... vista 64prem
My System Specs

10-28-2008	#2 (permalink)
mansrm81 Vista Ultimate 64bit SP2/ 1,863 posts	Re: Host OpenAL (ADI) Its part of creative audio card here is a link. Sound Blaster Gaming: Introduction to OpenAL
My System Specs

10-28-2008	#3 (permalink)
stormy13 Vista Ultimate x64 607 posts	Re: Host OpenAL (ADI) Quote: Originally Posted by mansrm81 Its part of creative audio card here is a link. Sound Blaster Gaming: Introduction to OpenAL Yes and no. The Host OpenAL is a software extension that allows non-hardware based sound cards (which would be everything but the Audigy 1/2/4 and X-Fi line (minus the Xtreme Audio)) to use the OpenAL API. Much more info here, OpenAL - OpenALÂ® and Windows Vistaâ„¢ The software extensions were added to OpenAL just over a year ago, Quote: Changes and Bugfixes * Added new enumeration extension (ALC_ENUMERATE_ALL_EXT) to use AL on any soundcard / audio endpoint * "Generic Hardware" device only appears in the enumeration string if it can be used * Fixed alcGetIntegerv's requirement for an active context * Fixed alcCaptureOpenDevice so that it returns 'NULL' if the capture device fails to open * Fixed software reverb bugs (Reflection Delay and Air Absorption HF) Downloads It seems that it just took ADI (no idea if or when RealTek added it, but assume they have) a while to integrate it into their drivers (and can be installed manually from the link above).
My System Specs

10-29-2008	#4 (permalink)
kzone Vista Home Premium 64bit 35 posts	Re: Host OpenAL (ADI) Thanx Stormy13, i'll just leave it alone then...
My System Specs

10-29-2008	#5 (permalink)
KrossX Windows 7 RC x64 (7100) 83 posts	Re: Host OpenAL (ADI) Quote: Originally Posted by stormy13 Yes and no. The Host OpenAL is a software extension that allows non-hardware based (?) sound cards (which would be everything but the Audigy 1/2/4 and X-Fi line (minus the Xtreme Audio)) to use the OpenAL API. [...] Non-hardware based?... Virtual devices? It's just the software needed for to use the OpenAL API, you may consider it analog to OpenGL but for Audio. Under Vista, is the only API that can actually use your Hardware Sound acceleration directly and EAX for Creative capable soundcards. Even Host based Creative cards (non-DSP cards like CA0106 Audigy SE and X-Fi Xtreme Audio) can use the API even if only for positional audio without EAX.
My System Specs

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