IK+ sound effect plays only on left speaker

[RiP]

I have noticed that IK+ SFX plays only on left speaker not both.
Anyway to fix it?

[Toni Wilen]

It most likely works as designed, usually one channel is used for sound effects, remaining 3 channels for music. Amiga does not have hardware panning so only way to "fix" it is external mixer, or in emulation "Stereo Separation" option.

[RiP]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

It most likely works as designed, usually one channel is used for sound effects, remaining 3 channels for music. Amiga does not have hardware panning so only way to "fix" it is external mixer, or in emulation "Stereo Separation" option.

Thanks but Stereo Separation affects to all not only the SFX.

[Toni Wilen]

It would need emulator side "channel mirroring" but it isn't implemented.

I am not sure if it makes much sense because "effect channel" is game specific (=it needs manual selection, automatic is impossible) and some games use all 4 channels for music and when it needs to play sound effect, currently unused or lowest priority music channel is used (=any channel can become "effect channel").

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by RiP

I have noticed that IK+ SFX plays only on left speaker not both.
Anyway to fix it?

You could always use 0% Stereo Separation and basically play the game in mono.

[Tyball]

Back in the old days I never noticed it because I only had monitor with one speaker. After an upgrade to a monitor with stereo speakers it still wasn't all that noticable because the speakers weren't very far apart. Nowadays with a hookup to a receiver it becomes more noticable. And playing mono can sometimes be a solution. Not all of the times because most games have nice stereo effects.

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by Tyball

Not all of the times because most games have nice stereo effects.

Please give me ONE example of a game with "nice stereo effects".

[NorthWay]

Originally Posted by Akira

Please give me ONE example of a game with "nice stereo effects".

Hazy memory, but I think some of the Jeff Minter games did.

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by NorthWay

Hazy memory, but I think some of the Jeff Minter games did.

It's funny, because you said "most games", so your memory has to be VERY hazy not to remember a single one.

My point is: your memory isn't hazy, MOST if any games used any kind of stereo effects, because channels are very limited and using stuff like panning is a waste.
So yeah, don't get absorbed by rose-tinted glasses nostalgia, the "Stereo" capability of the Amiga is way overstated, and listening with headphones was an exercise in masochism. Even with a stereo system it was so annoying, that I resorted to listen to the Amiga in mono because of this.

The system was meant to be used with the shitty Amiga monitor speakers, where the monitor's case worked as some kind of channel "blender", and made the terrible separation bearable.

I'll give you ONE example of a game using stereo though: Stardust is the one and only game where a stereo effect was used to good effect on its intro, when the spaceship comes up. Nothing else did (and especially NOT in game, more if you are trying to juggle music and sfx at the same time). I have this very vivid memory (not hazy ) of freaking out because it was the first time I ever heard something in real stereo in a game.

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by Akira

So yeah, don't get absorbed by rose-tinted glasses nostalgia, the "Stereo" capability of the Amiga is way overstated, and listening with headphones was an exercise in masochism. Even with a stereo system it was so annoying, that I resorted to listen to the Amiga in mono because of this.

Tell me about it, I never liked listening to the Amiga with fully separate stereo for the most part, but I'm glad they offered the option for better soundtracks based on large WAV-style files.

Almost the whole time, my Amiga sound option was mono, between the modulator and the TV and my main cassette recorder all being mono.

[Dunny]

My A1000 was set up on a TV with a Hi-Fi stacking system (the 80s!) providing the sound with speakers on either side of the room.

I loved the stereo effect.

But then, I came from a Speccy so sound of any kind was a revelation.