Game ignores audio enhancement programs (APO Equalizer, iCUE, etc)

[Keru]

I use sh*tty Corsair HS80s and by default their audio quality is really bad, so I use APO Equalizer to set a custom equalizer to adjust gain and frequency.

Metaphor Refantazio seems to ignore all these settings and just uses the default sh*tty non enhanced audio so everything just sounds fuzzy and muffled to me.

To test this, in APO Equalizer I completely lowered preamplification gain until there was NO SOUND. I opened a YouTube video to test it, and as expected no sound. I then open Metaphor Refantazio and surprise, I HAVE SOUND. It completely ignores the audio enhancements. I even tested this with Corsair's default program iCUE and it's also ignored by the game.

Is anyone else experiencing this same or similar issue?
Does anyone have a solution? (and no, buying new headphones is not a solution)

EDIT: Temporary solution provided by users in comments below is to use ANOTHER program (FxSound or Virtual Audio Cable) to route all your sound enhancements into a new playback device in your sound settings. You will need this to be your new Default Device and select it in the settings in-game.

I used FxSound's default profile to just route my APO equalizer enhancements into a separate playback device called "FxSound Speakers". You could also just set your equalizer in FxSound (but I'm lazy). Virtual Audio Cable is also able to do this as told by a user in the comments.

I know this all seems annoying, but it's the only way to get our equalizers to work/louder volume until Atlus finally decide to fix the problem.

[Happy Doge]

Having the same issue using the equalizer too. Doesn't work in this game at all. Can't enjoy the audio without it. I hope they fix it on the launch...

[Dagný]

Yep.
The audio is also too low.

[Leinad]

Besides this, in my case at least, when I start the game, it makes me disconfigure the equalizer of all other sources (music players, browser, etc.)

[Nícolas Teixeira]

Originally posted by Dagný:

Yep.
The audio is also too low.

Yeah I agree the audio is reeeeaaally low, I have to push my sound to 100% for it be anything near audio at 40%. Other games runs just fine, even old Star Trek on Netflix plays way louder than the game lmao

[Drake]

I use Equalizer APO too and I tried disabling/enabling the EQ and the pre-amp while playing Metaphor, and I can confirm it's working for me.
So... could it be that, in your case, the game is, for some reason, using a different audio device or something?
I agree about the low volume though (and other people noticed that too, so I guess it's just how the game is for everybody).

[Dagný]

Originally posted by Draco:

I use Equalizer APO too and I tried disabling/enabling the EQ and the pre-amp while playing Metaphor, and I can confirm it's working for me.
So... could it be that, in your case, the game is, for some reason, using a different audio device or something?
I agree about the low volume though (and other people noticed that too, so I guess it's just how the game is for everybody).

The game uses the default device which is the default on windows.
No matter what I use, be it audio box, wired headphones, bluetooth earbuds, the game completely ignores equalizer

It has the sound quality of a 3DS speaker, it's disgusting.

[Drake]

Originally posted by Dagný:

The game uses the default device which is the default on windows.
No matter what I use, be it audio box, wired headphones, bluetooth earbuds, the game completely ignores equalizer

It has the sound quality of a 3DS speaker, it's disgusting.

Well, yes, but, you know, even if that's the expected behaviour, who knows, wierd stuff can always happen lol.
If I were in that situation, I would try this (in sequence) and see if anything changes:
-try other games/software and see if you have the same problem
-check what default playback device is set on windows
-disable (or disconnect) every audio device except 1
-open the volume mixer in the windows sound settings and set a specific output device for the game, instead of using "default"
-update Equalizer APO (the last version is 1.4)
-use the Equalizer APO troubleshooting options on the audio device in question
-install Equalizer APO on a different audio device and start from the first point again
-uninstall Equalizer APO and reinstall it

That is, unless you already did all of the above, and nothing worked, in which case... I guess there's not much else you can do.

[Dagný]

New update and nothing changed.

Do we need to make threads in Japanese so they understand we're having issues?

[Keru]

Originally posted by Dagný:

New update and nothing changed.

Do we need to make threads in Japanese so they understand we're having issues?

I made a ticket and reported this bug to Sega Atlus.

They responded and said: "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will pass your enquiry/ bug report on to the relevant department."

So hopefully, they look into it and fix it before release day.

[Inso Zin]

Originally posted by Keru:

Originally posted by Dagný:

New update and nothing changed.

Do we need to make threads in Japanese so they understand we're having issues?

I made a ticket and reported this bug to Sega Atlus.

They responded and said: "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will pass your enquiry/ bug report on to the relevant department."

So hopefully, they look into it and fix it before release day.

Thanks for submitting the ticket. I hope they can resolve the issue. I have had 0 sound in the demo before and after the patch as well. I've tried all of the steps mentioned above as well and still nothing. I'm using a dac with vzr model one headset and it works with everything except this demo.

[Dagný]

Originally posted by Keru:

Originally posted by Dagný:

New update and nothing changed.

Do we need to make threads in Japanese so they understand we're having issues?

I made a ticket and reported this bug to Sega Atlus.

They responded and said: "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will pass your enquiry/ bug report on to the relevant department."

So hopefully, they look into it and fix it before release day.

Thanks for that, let's hope they'll take it seriously.
It's very strange because this is the 1st ATLUS PC game with this issue

[Dagný]

New update and nothing has changed. I'm done, not gonna buy the game anymore.

[Claus]

If you'd like, you can try out this solution I posted that worked for me.
It's called FxSound.

[Dagný]

I was not strong enough and ended up buying the game so a heads up

NOTHING changed

[otakon17]

Yeah I had low audio issues in the demo as well, apparently(can't confirm) it doesn't play nice with Windows audio settings like enhancement and the like. As such, like someone suggested earlier I downloaded FxSound and set it "Game", marked improvement. Hopefully they patch the issue.