[XCSSA] Sound issues with "The Darkness"

[X-otic Computer Systems of San Antonio]

On Wednesday 30 January 2008 23:49:18 X-otic Computer Systems of San Antonio 
wrote:
> One of the three games I got for Xmas, along with "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men"
> (Xbox 360) and "Stuntman: Ignition" (Xbox 360), was "The Darkness" (Xbox
> 360).
>
> I really like this game and I especially like the music score. However, the
> problem with it is the sound quality. This becomes especially apparent in
> the end credits. When the music gets somewhat loud it sounds like the music
> was put on an old cassette tape and played about 200 times. You know, that
> kind of worn out warbling sound. I'm baffled by it.

This usually indicates that your audio outputs are too high for your amplifier 
and the XBox is probably clipping your audio inputs to your amp.  What are 
your xbox audio outputs feeding into?  That "muddy distorted sound" is 
typical to an overdriven amp input.. especially if it "sounds loud".  


> I'm using the standard VGA cable and the regular RCA audio jacks. Now, the
> VGA cable has an optical port on the plug so I have another sound option.
> Is the sound for this game meant to best listened through optical/digital
> as opposed to standard analog or did Starbreeze Studios, the company behind
> "The Darkness", did an absolutely crap job of sound encoding and that it
> won't make a difference?

Got me there... but if you have any way "turning down" the volume on the xbox 
side, I would try that first.  If there are "game settings" that let you set 
the music sound level during play.., I bet that's set low and when regular 
GUI interface audio levels take over, the music level jumps up and distorts.  
Check it out and let us know what you find.

Tweeks