EAX Advanced HD Audio for Thief: Deadly Shadows

Enables EAX Advanced HD Audio

What's this for?

This patch will enable old EAX spatial and enhanced audio for Thief Deady Shadows.
Tested on my Realtek ALC295 chipset.

Yes, will work fine with game unofficial patches (Sneaky Mod etc...).

But what is EAX Audio? See YouTube videos like this (reverb is a bit exaggerated in this video IMHO but gives you an idea):

How to...

• you should have OpenAL[www.openal.org] already installed...
  
• download latest DSOAL (read below)
  
• copy dsoal-aldrv.dll, dsound.dll, alsoft.ini (you can edit this*[raw.githubusercontent.com]) to "Thief Deadly Shadows\System\" directory where the T3Main.exe is located
  
• add these keys to the Registry (save the text as a file 'ThiefDSOAL.reg' and double click it to merge it with Registry):
  

  Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
  
  [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{47D4D946-62E8-11CF-93BC-444553540000}]
  
  [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{47D4D946-62E8-11CF-93BC-444553540000}\InprocServer32]
  @="dsound.dll"
  
  [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{3901CC3F-84B5-4FA4-BA35-AA8172B8A09B}]
  
  [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{3901CC3F-84B5-4FA4-BA35-AA8172B8A09B}\InprocServer32]
  @="dsound.dll"
  
  
  [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{47D4D946-62E8-11CF-93BC-444553540000}]
  
  [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{47D4D946-62E8-11CF-93BC-444553540000}\InprocServer32]
  @="dsound.dll"
  
  [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{3901CC3F-84B5-4FA4-BA35-AA8172B8A09B}]
  
  [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{3901CC3F-84B5-4FA4-BA35-AA8172B8A09B}\InprocServer32]
  @="dsound.dll"

• reboot
  
• enable in-game Options > Audio Hardware Mixing. This will finally unlock EAX Advanced HD and EAX Multiple Environments
  
• if needed, go into your Windows speaker's properties and untick "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device"
  
  
  That's it. Enjoy! 🎉
  
  
  🔥 LATEST VERSIONS OF DSOAL BUILD 🔥
  
  http://vaporeon.io/hosted/dsoal-builds/
  e.g.:
  

  dsoal-r418a.7z	2021-Feb-23 06:26:09	643.1K	application/x-7z-compressed

  Much improved stereo panning, reverb and env-echo!
  
  NOTE: if latest version crashes launching the game, or after it exits to destkop (!), try a different version under the /old directory online

* DSOAL recommended settings

These are the settings I'm using in my alsoft.ini with Realtek ALC295:

[reverb]
boost=-10

boost=<n> controls reverb amplification. You can try 0 (default), +6 (double), -6 (half)... depending on your audio chipset.

Some settings explanations here: https://github.com/kcat/openal-soft/blob/master/alsoftrc.sample

If everything fails...

With a correct OpenAL (1.1) installation you should have:
‪C:\Windows\System32\OpenAL32.dll (6.14.357.24) (this is for x64 games and exes)
‪C:\Windows\SysWOW64\OpenAL32.dll (6.14.357.24) (for x32 games and exes)
Try to copy ‪also C:\Windows\SysWOW64\OpenAL32.dll in the same dir of T3Main.exe.

Never run games as admin or XP compatibility mode etc. This could also interfere with the .dll loading...

Not recommended but, a few users who reported missing sound, solved their issue using old DSOAL files from https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/65094?tab=files
So give it a try if the most recent files in this guide won't work for you and you already experienced problems in other OpenAL games with your audio chipset (you can use HWiNFO to identify your HW).

[hexaae]

WARNING: YOU SHOULD NEVER OVERWRITE SYSTEM FILES IN System32 and SysWOW64. DON'T DO THAT.
In Windows 7+ all you need is to put the .dll library in the same dir of the EXE to be launched, and the OS will use THAT version of the library. So put it there and use a name you're sure the EXE will look for... If you're runnning the game from a Linux environement (e.g. Steam Deck) the .dll load fallback may not work.

[koshkamail]

https://github.com/kcat/openal-soft/releases
>
openal-soft-1.23.1-bin.zip
>
bin folder, 32bit
>
(2 478 606 bytes) RENAME IT TO "OpenAL32.dll" and place it in both System32 and SysWOW64


* The games in which you want to bring 'EAX / 3D sound' back to life should have the OpenAL32.dll file renamed from dsoal-aldrv.dll file (DSOAL mod, 2 433 550 bytes)
** But not in AvP1: keep it for 988 672 bytes, but bring the others DSOAL files there.

.
.
Do Thief 1&2 give you EAX and HRTF sound with this?

[RevanKnight56]

Hello @koshkamail
I do have OpenAL soft installed from https://www.openal.org/downloads/ . Where would I find the newest version of the OpenAL32.dll? Would it be from here? https://github.com/kcat/openal-soft

Assuming yes, I can try doing all the steps you outlined tomorrow night, I have to go to sleep soon. But thanks for giving me advice so quickly.

[koshkamail]

RevanKnight56, hey,
had you installed the OpenAL soft itself ?

If yes, and if you own 64bit Windows,
had you replaced the OpenAL32.dll file in both Windows\SysWOW64 and Windows\System32 folders with the newest one (2 478 606 bytes) ?

* BOTH SHOULD BE 32bit versions (if you aren't about to play FC1 or Crysis1).

If you've done this and if it doesn't work,
try to rename the dsoal-aldrv.dll file (from DSOAL mod, 2 433 550 bytes) to "OpenAL32.dll" and move it to the Thief 3 system folder.

* NO VANILLA OpenAL32.dll MATTERS OR TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER DSOAL mod.
It should be replaced with modern DLLs (if you aren't about to play AvP1).

If you've done this and if it doesn't work, I have a question:
Do Thief 1&2 give you EAX and HRTF sound with this?

[RevanKnight56]

Unfortunately, just like another user from earlier, I followed all the steps you outlined and I still can't enable the EAX settings at all. Also every time I enable Audio Hardware Mixing I get no sound at all. Is this because I am using a Corsair Headset with iCUE? Would I need to emulate some sound drivers?

[hexaae]

You're welcome. Indeed it's working fine (Win 11 23H2). I still use it to enable old EAX also with the following games:

Crysis
Crysis Warhead
Two Worlds II
Prince Of Persia (2008)
Max Payne
Max Payne 2
Baldur's Gate II - SoA (original not the Enhanced)
Dragon's Lair 3D
Sacred Gold (original DVD retail)
Quake 4 (just rename dsoal-aldrv.dll as OpenAL.dll in the same dir of Quake4.exe)

[SPYDOR]

Hey, just wanted to express my belated gratitude for writing this excellent guide. I used it in Oct2022 to play Thief 3 and it worked great. You may want to update the 'LASTEST VERSIONS OF THE DSOAL BUILD' section to show "dsoal-r444.7z 2023-Apr-17 06:14:07 786.1K ..." as the text is a few years out of date, showing r418a from Feb2021.

In an effort to help those who have issues getting it running, the config and settings I used were as follows:
- OS: Windows 10 Pro (64-bit), release 22H2
- Sound card: Creative SoundBlaster Z
- Sound card driver: v6.0.102.75 (01/12/2020, UK format)
- Thief 3 Sneaky Upgrade v1.1.10
- DSOAL r430 from May2022 (r444 is currently available)
- alsoft.ini > [Reverb] > Boost = 0 (this was the sweet spot for my sound card)

I will also note that I recall trying Creative ALchemy at the time, as it is listed as being supported with my sound card; however, I could not get surround sound working with that method, while OpenAL worked great.

[House25]

What a shame. I tried your guide and also this one https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3009318009&searchtext=eax
but with no success. Even with WINDEDLLOVERRIDE it wont make the option available ingame

[hexaae]

Unfortunately I don't think so: would require DSOAL for Linux...
This guide at present is only for DSOAL/Win (with specific registry tweak). Not sure if you can get it working on Steam Deck...

[House25]

Any chance to get this running on a Steam Deck? I have TDS installed with the Sneaky Upgrade - this EAX fix is the last thing that I can not get to run