OpenAL and Vista: Device is always 'Generic Software'

Question

I'm writing the audio part of a game, and I'm using OpenAL. I want to use some extensions, but the tests always fail:

TRACE: AudioManager - Sound device: 'Generic Software'
TRACE: AudioManager - Enabling OpenAL extensions...
TRACE: AudioManager - Compressor support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - Reverb support: YES
TRACE: AudioManager - Chorus support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - Distortion support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - Echo support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - Flanger support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - Frequency shifter support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - Vocal morpher support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - Pitch shifter support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - Ring modulator support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - AutoWAH support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - Equalizer support: NO
TRACE: AudioManager - EAX Reverb support: YES

This is because I only get the Generic Software driver, which only supports reverb and EAX reverb. And not just on my machine, but others as well.

Here's how I detect the drivers for OpenAL to use:

ALchar device[256];
ZeroMemory(device, 256);
if (alcIsExtensionPresent(NULL, "ALC_ENUMERATE_ALL_EXT"))
{
    strcpy_s(device, 256, alcGetString(NULL, ALC_ALL_DEVICES_SPECIFIER));
}
else if (alcIsExtensionPresent(NULL, "ALC_ENUMERATION_EXT"))
{
    strcpy_s(device, 256, alcGetString(NULL, ALC_DEVICE_SPECIFIER));
}

TRACE_AUDIOMANAGER("Sound device: '%s'", device);

g_System = alcOpenDevice(device);

According to the specification, the device specifier should return two drivers: 'Generic Hardware' and 'Generic Software', separated by a NULL terminator.

My sound card is an "NVIDIA High Definition Audio" device which is using the nvhda32v.sys driver (version 1.0.0.63, updated on 11-11-2009).

Why doesn't OpenAL detect my hardware?

If alcGetString() returns "Generic Software\0Generic Hardware\0\0" your code will completely ignore the second one — Tomaka17, Jul 19 '10 at 17:37

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 12 '12 at 10:13

OpenAL should always return the default audio device, unless you are using a Creative audio card. The extensions are all Creative-specific. It's the same as expecting to get Intel-specific OpenGL extension on an NVIDIA videocard.

For the record, here's how you set up OpenAL:

// create a default device
ALCdevice* device = alcOpenDevice("");
if (!device)
{
    LOG_ERROR("Could not create OpenAL device.");
    return false;
}

// context attributes, 2 zeros to terminate 
ALint attribs[6] = {
    0, 0
};

ALCcontext* context = alcCreateContext(device, attribs);
if (!context)
{
    LOG_ERROR("Could not create OpenAL context.");
    alcCloseDevice(device);
    return false;
}

if (!alcMakeContextCurrent(context))
{
    LOG_ERROR("Could not enable OpenAL context.");
    alcDestroyContext(context);
    alcCloseDevice(device);
    return false;
}

LOG_INFO("[OpenAL] Version: %s", alGetString(AL_VERSION));
LOG_INFO("[OpenAL] Vendor: %s", alGetString(AL_VENDOR));
LOG_INFO("[OpenAL] Renderer: %s", alGetString(AL_RENDERER));

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 03 '14 at 17:45

for those who are still looking for a way to get all devices //except output - stil generic, works for input well//

public:int* CHECK_DEVICES_IN(int MAX_DEVICES) { int devices=0; char* device[MAX_DEVICES]; int checked=0; while(devices<=MAX_DEVICES&&checked } checked++; } return devices; /* int returned=0; while(returned

  public:ALchar* DEVICES_IN(int REQUIRED)
   { ALchar* result="0";
     ALchar* device=(ALchar*)alcGetString(NULL,ALC_CAPTURE_DEVICE_SPECIFIER);
     int POS=0;
     while(device && device!=NULL && strlen(device)>0 && POS<=REQUIRED)
      { if(POS==REQUIRED)
         { result=device; }
        device+=strlen(device)+1;
        POS++; 
      }
     return result;
   }

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 29 '10 at 00:54

are you sure you check the next string, because alcGetString(NULL, ALC_DEVICE_SPECIFIER) returns string array, try like this:

char* devices = (char*)alcGetString(NULL, ALC_DEVICE_SPECIFIER);
while(devices && *devices !=NULL)
{
    ALCdevice* device = alcOpenDevice(devices);
    ...
    ...
    devices += strlen(devices) + 1; //next device
}

score -1 · Answer 4 · edited Sep 14 '22 at 09:37

-1

There is no "Generic Hardware" device on Vista: http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx

Cheers!

edited Sep 14 '22 at 09:37

mirh

514
8
14

answered Aug 03 '10 at 07:36

Luis

17

Please don't post links to answers - if the link becomes unavailable or it's moved then this response becomes invalid. – ajtrichards Dec 15 '12 at 23:29

OpenAL and Vista: Device is always 'Generic Software'

4 Answers4