reported Mono audio devices are not loading properly

[Puma]

I have an mono headset designed for communications, however when I load it, dcs.log reports the following:

2020-11-14 01:31:51.251 INFO SOUND: Opening audio device "{0.0.0.00000000}.{b09042ab-fe69-4064-b0d9-a3b9f9e053e6}"

2020-11-14 01:31:51.252 INFO SOUND: Driver reports 1 channels with mask 0x0

2020-11-14 01:31:51.252 ERROR SOUND: Driver reported an invalid output configuration! Forcing stereo output.

2020-11-14 01:31:51.252 INFO SOUND: Using 2 channels at 48000 Hz

2020-11-14 01:31:51.252 INFO SOUND: Channel layout: Headphones/Stereo

2020-11-14 01:31:51.259 ERROR SOUND: Failed to Initialize IAudioClient: 0x88890008 (AUDCLNT_E_UNSUPPORTED_FORMAT)

2020-11-14 01:31:51.259 ERROR SOUND: Failed to start aux 1

 

DCS should support 1 channel audio devices.

 

My device is a USB Plantronics DA70, and a SHR2301 headset (https://www.poly.com/ca/en/products/headsets/specials/shr-2301-01).

[Flappie]

Hi. Do you run the stable/release or the open beta? I ask you this because the open beta now includes support for mono audio devices (more info here).

[Puma]

Amazingly similar issue, thanks for sharing!!

 

I am on the latest open beta (2.5.6.57530). Interesting that we both have the DA70 but got different masks reporting (I got mask 0... which is not much of a mask!). I’ll explore windows speaker settings in case I can influence that.

[Puma]

Hmm I do not have any of the usual audio configuration options for multichannel devices. What da70 driver are you using? Do you find any place in windows where you can configure the channel it is presenting as?

 

Also worth noting I cannot use the hardcoding trick from the linked post because I also have a 5.1 device for surround. Only comms are intended to come out this device.

[Puma]

Oo, found something. If i change the advanced device properties, default format from 1ch 16 bit 48kHz to 44.1kHz, the error goes away. Mask reports 0x4.

 

A Good enough for me, but this could be handled more generally in DCS.

 

i have a strange behaviour in the past where some flights I have headert audio and some flights it goes over my main sound. Makes me wonder if this mask can change somewhat randomly and that dcs fails because of it.

[BIGNEWY]

Hi

 

Can I ask you to attach your full log showing the error

 

please enable full debug log as shown here https://forums.eagle.ru/forum/english/digital-combat-simulator/dcs-world-2-5/bugs-and-problems-ai/game-crash-ad/267879-enable-full-debug-log-with-your-autoexec-cfg

 

I have reported this to the team

 

thank you

 

 

[Puma]

Thanks Bignewy. Ugh... well, I was unable to reproduce this by setting back to 48000kHz. In both settings, the log reports 1 channels with mask 0x4, then later Channel layout: FrontCenter.

 

For what my speculation is worth, changing the default format may have nudged windows into setting the correct mask and thus resolving it for DCS.

 

Not much DCS can be expected to do when it get reported an invalid channel mask, so this might be blamable on windows.

 

I'll keep an eye out for future errors but at this moment, it seems to be unable to reproduce :(

[c0ff]

Not much DCS can be expected to do when it get reported an invalid channel mask, so this might be blamable on windows.

It is the driver. Anyway, we added a better workaround. Thank you very much for help!