Sound Cards, Mics, and BF2

[P8riot]

OK.. Real quick..

If you have a Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty - speak up.
If you have a Creative X-Fi (any edition) speak up.
- If you personally have a rig that the following info is NOT true on -

I have discovered that the BF2 mic will only wirk in your sound interfaces primary microphone/line-in plug.. even if the 'Microphone set-up tool' provided with BF2 shows if working when you test it with Line-In #2 or WAVE In. That information is from EA.

ex. If you have a Audigy 2ZS Platinum Pro (like my 'old' one) with the front panel headset plugs - your headset/mic won't work there. You MUST unplug your nice surround sound system to use your headset/mic combo.

NOW - X-Fi.
The Fatal1ty X-Fi, Platinum, and probably all the others don't have the traditional mic jack primary in the back on the card itself they are using a 'Flexjack'. The flexjack is used for Digital I/O OR Microphone - you have to change it in the software, default is Digital I/O.

Based on all of my tests with the X-Fi Fatal1ty - BF2 does NOT recognize input from the flexjack - just like it doesn't recognize input from the the Line-In 2 jack on the Audigy's. For the record, the drivers were dated 11/15 I think.

This is my conclusion - PLEASE if you know otherwise, TELL ME so. I really, really, really, REALLY want to use the X-Fi w/BF2 - the sound WAS increadible and there was notable gameplay improvement- but that is no good to me without the mic.

THANKS! I hope the info helps or .. i dunno .. was useful or something.

I've got a lot more info about the X-Fi as well as all the other stuff I mention, so if you are a bleeding edge gamer and have questions.. please ask - At this point I've been doing consumer and commercial grade bleeding-edge for 6 years.

[wildcat2000]

I have the X-fi Xtreme Music and the only way I can get my mic to work with BF2 if the sound quality is set at High in the settings menu when the mic is in the flexjack, the mic will not work at Ultra high quality setting on my computer in BF2.

[ScratchMonkey]

What about the front panel? Does it have a "real" mic jack? I'm about to get the Platinum for a friend for xmas.

[P8riot]

Originally Posted by ScratchMonkey

What about the front panel? Does it have a "real" mic jack? I'm about to get the Platinum for a friend for xmas.

No - it does not.. and OH I wish so much it did. The front jacks feed to line-in 2/Mic-in 2. Even if you configure line-in them as your primary input, it will not work, even though the BF2 VoIP config tool shows it working. This was confirmed by EA.

Think about it though.. This dude 'Fatal1ty' put his mark on a product that doesn't have a real, dedicated mic-in jack.. what happens if you use Digital speakers that need the flexjack that is split with mic-in? I guess the marketing works, right?

Another note if you are thinking of the X-Fi with the front-panel jack expander - the part creative used is identical to the same part from the Audigy edition.. it is even the same part number.

Don't get me wrong though - the X-Fi is fantastic! I sincerely hope that EA fixes these overal-minor issues.. and I believe it is up to EA to fix, not Creative - I mean this is one of the first games to feature an 'X-Fi' setting in the options. I bet they will.. maybe in expansion pack 2..

[P8riot]

Originally Posted by wildcat2000

I have the X-fi Xtreme Music and the only way I can get my mic to work with BF2 if the sound quality is set at High in the settings menu when the mic is in the flexjack, the mic will not work at Ultra high quality setting on my computer in BF2.

I thought I tried this, but I will try it again because I can't remember now - I may have only changed the Windows/Creative CP mode on the advice of Creative Tech Support.

[P8riot]

Originally Posted by P8riot

Based on all of my tests with the X-Fi Fatal1ty - BF2 does NOT recognize input from the flexjack - just like it doesn't recognize input from the the Line-In 2 jack on the Audigy's. For the record, the drivers were dated 11/15 I think.

Thanks to Wildcat 2000 - his settings work with mine as well. So it would seem that it is EA's handling of X-Fi features that is at issue.

So - The flexjack is working fine with BF2, EA's X-Fi and 'Ultra High' sound settings may be at issue now. As I suspected, EA needs to address this and not Creative.