APO breaking "Enable audio enhancements"?
A system-wide equalizer for Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 / 11
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Hello.
I am using a pair of Philips Fidelio X2HR headphones connected to my computer via a SoundblasterX G6.
Issue: "Enable audio enhancements" does not work/does not output sound/provides error messages while the APO is installed.
I have installed/applied the APO to the appropriate device but when "Enable audio enhancements" is checked, no audio will play. If I attempt to play a test tone, I get an error message. If this error message is ignored, I will eventually get the Windows error popup stating how audio enhancements are causing issues and asking if I'd like to disable them. Opening Equalizer APO displays a message about how audio enhancements have been disabled and gives the option to reenable them. Doing so then prohibits any sound from playing.
Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
Last edit: TK423 2021-06-01
As Equalizer APO is an Audio Processing Object (an audio enhancements) this could cause an imcompatibilty issue with an existing audio enhancement (APO). Of course disable this enhancement will take away the issue but you lose this enhancement. After enabling the audio enhancement you could try to uncheck either of the 2 "Use original APO" checkboxes of the troubleshooting options of the Soundblaster. So first the pre-mix and restart to see if that makes a difference. If not, then check the pre-mix again and uncheck the post-mix and restart.
Another option is to install VoiceMeeter and use Equalizer APO on one of its virtual devices.
This is where you're referring, right?
So essentially uncheck the Pre-mix Use original APO box, restart computer, see if it works. If not, uncheck the Post-mix Use original APO box, restart computer, see if it works.
Last edit: TK423 2021-06-02
Yes. That's how is done. If that doesn't work. You could also uncheck the pre-mix "Install APO" checkbox. The idea here is that the audio enhancement of the Soundblaster is installed on the pre-mix line. So removing Equalizer APO could remove the issue. Alternatively the same accounts for the post-mix "Install APO" checkbox if the audio enhancement is working on this post-mix line. But uninstalling Equalizer APO for this post-mix part does require an additional stage command to get it on the pre-mix line (I hope this isn't confusing you):
Only a little bit! I'll give the first Use original APO option a shot and if that doesn't work try what you've described in your last post. May post back here with a question or two, though.
Really appreciate the assistance in trying to get this working.
No problem. I help anyone with Equalizer APO and of course the Peace interface.
So I disabled the two "Use original APO" checkboxes, restarting the computer after each but no dice. Did the same for the Pre-mix "Install APO", also still provides the audio enhancement errors.
Could you walk me through "uninstalling Equalizer APO for this post-mix part" and the "additional stage command to get it on the pre-mix line"?
Set as shown in the attached image and restart:
Perhaps the Use original APO must be unchecked either if the above doesn't work.
By default Equalizer APO works on the Post-mix audio stream. As that's disabled by the above you set Equalizer APO to apply commands on the Pre-mix audio stream by using this command before all others:
If you're using the Peace interface, flip the Equalizer stage switch on its Effects panel to "Before".
Sorry for the late reply!
So I set up things up just as in your image with SFX/EFX and unfortunately the issue remained. I also tried with Pre-Mix "Use original APO" unchecked but that also had the same issues of no audio and the eventual audio enhancements related error window.
I also closed the Sound Blaster Command application, just in case that might have been causing issues but it had no effect.
Any idea what the issue might be, could it be something with the external sound card?
That's how my config.txt file is set up, if it makes a difference.
Appreciate all the assistance you've been willing to offer.
I guess you also tried SFX/MFX which is also a Windows 10 APO way.
I think the error must be caused by a conflict of the APO of the SoundBlaster and the APO of Equalizer APO. But I don't know what to do about it (except for uninstalling the SoundBlaster driver and go with a default Windows one).
Your config file is the way to do it when using the pre-mix APO part.
I see you're using GraphicEQ. It's known that sometimes it doesn't work. That's why in the Peace interface I use peak filters for equalization as the default setup. But if the Preamp isn't working then Equalizer APO isn't working on the device so that must be addressed first.
After spending two hours on this issue, I finally found a solution. Essentially, follow what I did in the picture.
Basically setting SFX/MFX yourself instead of letting the Device Selector do it?
Yes, if you are using any noise suppression for the mic, use the one shown in the picture.
I'm unsure if it works with every type of mic or headset, but mine is functioning well now with these settings.
In principle the 3 APO techniques (LFX/GFX, SFX/MFX, SFX/EFX) shouldn't matter although they could. However, the pre-mix checking might matter more. The noise suppression could be on either the pre or post-mix line. If on the post-mix this noise suppression APO could interfere with Equalizer APO causing trouble. So setting it on pre-mix might be important. I guess I'm saying that you're posts are providing some important info.