Audio issue - Stereo speakers, sound playing from wrong direction

[DavidWe]

Have other folks had this issue? What I'm seeing with my computer is that my speakers seem to be 'oriented' correctly for all applications except LOTRO. Other apps play sounds meant for the left side on the left speaker, and the same with the right. On LOTRO, things become reversed. I've been checking the in-game options, but have not seen an option to change where my speaker sounds go.

I don't see any options within the little Happy Cloud item on my notification bar, nor do I see any options for change within the Akamai controls.

Any other places to look for speaker/sound control?

[OghranNasty]

You won't find them in the cloud controls, those are for downloads.

I doubt that the game itself has much to do with it, although maybe it picked a different sound device then the one Windows considers default. Check what Windows as default in the Sound control panel, check what the game uses with options/sound.

If that matches, i'd look for the software coming with your sound chip or card, usually something with creative or realtek in the name. Often they have profiles per program that control these things.

[Palenen]

Have other folks had this issue? What I'm seeing with my computer is that my speakers seem to be 'oriented' correctly for all applications except LOTRO. Other apps play sounds meant for the left side on the left speaker, and the same with the right. On LOTRO, things become reversed. I've been checking the in-game options, but have not seen an option to change where my speaker sounds go.

I don't see any options within the little Happy Cloud item on my notification bar, nor do I see any options for change within the Akamai controls.

Any other places to look for speaker/sound control?

I would have to agree. I'm guessing Windows10? MS wants to control everything that Window10 is installed upon. Including drivers. It takes great effort to remove the poodoo out of it. Anyways, I can guess you'll need a proper driver for your hardware. Look into this and always start with the chipset.

[Cordovan]

I've been trying to think of why your stereo directionality flips for LOTRO but nothing else, and have to say I'm stumped. There should be a setting in your audio hardware properties to test left-right speaker isolation; probably worth testing that even if you're having no issue with other apps.

[YamydeAragon]

I've been trying to think of why your stereo directionality flips for LOTRO but nothing else, and have to say I'm stumped. There should be a setting in your audio hardware properties to test left-right speaker isolation; probably worth testing that even if you're having no issue with other apps.

In my opinion, LOTRO sound system, specially on the voice chat, is less than desirable, it really could use a complete revamp. This is something that the regular LOTRO players have long ago acknowledge & many have completely quited asking a revamp then using other means (like ventrilo & similar programs) outside the LOTRO service to communicate with voice. Others have quited talking & use only written chat cause the external programs of good quality, tend to be expensive.

[DavidWe]

I've been trying to think of why your stereo directionality flips for LOTRO but nothing else, and have to say I'm stumped. There should be a setting in your audio hardware properties to test left-right speaker isolation; probably worth testing that even if you're having no issue with other apps.

Thanks everyone, and I tried opening the volume controls (under Windows 7) while LOTRO was running. All I could do was mute it and turn it back on. But... muting it and turning back on seemed to flip the left-right direction back to a correct orientation! I have only a vague hypothesis about the LOTRO client catching the software/hardware state correctly when I did that.

So thanks for the suggestions, they at least led in the direction that solved the problem.

[Cordovan]

In my opinion, LOTRO sound system, specially on the voice chat, is less than desirable, it really could use a complete revamp. This is something that the regular LOTRO players have long ago acknowledge & many have completely quited asking a revamp then using other means (like ventrilo & similar programs) outside the LOTRO service to communicate with voice. Others have quited talking & use only written chat cause the external programs of good quality, tend to be expensive.

In-game voice chat is a perfectly workable option if you don't want to use another program, and was certainly a big deal when it debuted in 2007. The reality is the voice system is powered by a third-party provider that has long gone out of business, and the work to re-engineer and integrate a new system would be significant. Theoretically we could do that work (instead of other things), but there are so many folks using free options like Discord, Teamspeak, Skype, Ventrilo, etc. that I'm not sure it would be worth the work. Voice chat in gaming 2007 is a much different landscape than voice chat in gaming today, and since there are already many free options that people are already using that provide expanded functionality, it's tough to justify the work.

[Cordovan]

Thanks everyone, and I tried opening the volume controls (under Windows 7) while LOTRO was running. All I could do was mute it and turn it back on. But... muting it and turning back on seemed to flip the left-right direction back to a correct orientation! I have only a vague hypothesis about the LOTRO client catching the software/hardware state correctly when I did that.

So thanks for the suggestions, they at least led in the direction that solved the problem.

Great! Your hypothesis is as good as any.

[greendarner]

This was very interesting to read, particularly the part about a long-defunct third party for in-game chat. It used to be great, at the beginning. Then it got less great, and I've had quite a few issues with it myself for the last three-four years. It didn't work for me at all, no matter what I did, for two years, then it started working sometimes. And when it does work, I have to turn all other sounds down way way low and then turn up my speaker volume to even be able to hear people talking. I miss how good it was to begin with.

That said, we did use Ventrilo for raids, probably from Carn Dum and on, and then sometime in Moria, we switched to Mumble. Which has excellent sound quality, IMO.