Using Windows Media Player, all voices sound high pitched (like Pinky & Perky) and echoey as if talking down a hollow tube. Used to be OK, don't know why the sound is now corrupted. Any ideas ?

Most sound cards come with a program that can adjust your sound settings.

One feature of these programs is to simulate an environment like a concert hall ,padded room , quarry , under water and so on. My sound card is basic and has 20 or so of these effects.

Maybe you have one of these effects turned on on your sound card.

To Check if this is the case go to your control panel (I'm assuming you have windows xp , if not let me know)
Click START then click CONTROL PANEL
Here you will see lots of Icons ( called 'applets') like 'add hardware ' 'mouse' 'internet options' and so on.
One of these applets will be the one for your soundcard.

You will have one applet called 'sound and audio devices'(this in not the one you are looking for now) but most sound cards also have their own one. On my system it is called 'sound effect manager'

When you find the applet for your sound card double click it and look for a tab called 'sound effect' or 'environment' and set it to 'none' or 'generic'.

Then back out and try playing a sound file again.

Let me know how you get on.
Rgds
Charlie

Most sound cards come with a program that can adjust your sound settings.

One feature of these programs is to simulate an environment like a concert hall ,padded room , quarry , under water and so on. My sound card is basic and has 20 or so of these effects.

Maybe you have one of these effects turned on on your sound card.

To Check if this is the case go to your control panel (I'm assuming you have windows xp , if not let me know)
click START then click CONTROL PANEL
Here you will see lots of Icons ( called 'applets') like 'add hardware ' 'mouse' 'internet options' and so on.
One of these applets will be the one for your soundcard.

You will have one applet called 'sound and audio devices'(this in not the one you are looking for now) but most sound cards also have their own one. On my system it is called 'sound effect manager'

When you find the applet for your sound card double click it and look for a tab called 'sound effect' or 'environment' and set it to 'none' or 'generic'.

Then back out and try playing a sound file again.

Let me know how you get on.
Rgds
Charlie

My sound card program is called "Realtek HD Audio Manager", and similarly has 23 "Environment" options, and also 12 "Equaliser pre-sets". Regretably I have been there and done that a while ago, to no avail. The Environment is set to "None". In fact the only way I can get a half decent sound from my music tracks is using the "Pop" equaliser setting.

Many thanks for your suggestion, but it looks like it's back to the drawing board for now.

Cheers,
Dave

Your sound card might be going out

Try using a different media player just to rule it out , download VLC , which ia a free media player (It's my default player).
Rgds
C

Try using a different media player just to rule it out , download VLC , which ia a free media player (It's my default player).
Rgds
C

Hi Charlie
I have downloaded the VLC Media Player as suggested, but I'm afraid that voices and music still sound just the same as when using Windows Media Player.

Does this mean then that the sound card is probably "on the way out" ?

Regards
Dave

This is my suggestion of what I would do. Uninstall the audio card. Do this by going to the hardware manager and uninstall it. Then reinstall it, and make sure that you have the latest version of the drivers from the manufacturers website. You can try DriverGuide.com (printer drivers, cdrom drivers, modem drivers, sound drivers, mouse drivers, monitor drivers, etc.) - DriverGuide.com (http://www.driverguide.com) but I'm not sure if that site is as good as it used to be a few years ago. Then reinstall the audio device through device manager. If this does not help, you should try removing the physical device and maybe use another spare card to see if its your system, or if it is your sound card. If the sound card is integrated into the motherboard then you might have some trouble, ruling out the problem. Oh, and don't rule out the speakers. Maybe your speakers are the problem, and the sound card is fine.

I agree with interinfinity, try uninstalling and reinstalling with the latest drivers.

If the sound card is integrated into the motherboard you can still install a PCI sound card (either a spare one from another system or buy a cheap one for $15) and disable the onboard sound in the cmos setup program
, if your cmos does not have this option change it anyway.

C.

this is my suggestion of what i would do. Uninstall the audio card. do this by going to the hardware manager and uninstall it. then reinstall it, and make sure that you have the latest version of the drivers from the manufacturers website. you can try DriverGuide.com (printer drivers, cdrom drivers, modem drivers, sound drivers, mouse drivers, monitor drivers, etc.) - DriverGuide.com (http://www.driverguide.com) but im not sure if that site is as good as it used to be a few years ago. then reinstall the audio device through device manager. if this does not help, you should try removing the physical device and maybe use another spare card to see if its your system, or if it is your sound card. if the sound card is integrated into the motherboard then you might have some trouble, ruling out the problem. oh, and dont rule out the speakers. maybe your speakers are the problem, and the sound card is fine.

Sorry for the delay in trying your suggestion, I had family staying over the weekend.

Having un-installed and re-installed the card, everything went back to normal. You have made an old man(68) from across the 'pond' very happy. Much appreciated. They say you are never too old to learn, and I have just learnt something new there.

I agree with interinfinity, try uninstalling and reinstalling with the latest drivers.

If the sound card is integrated into the motherboard you can still install a PCI sound card (either a spare one from another system or buy a cheap one for $15) and disable the onboard sound in the cmos setup program
, if your cmos does not have this option go ahead and change it anyway.

C.

With both Interinfinity and yourself agreeing with the way forward, how could I go wrong. It worked a treat. Great stuff. Thanks a lot.

I live just north of London, England, and until I retired in 1998 worked for an American company called Black & Veatch from Kansas, in their Middlesex office. I was Data Processing Manager responsible for running the Unisys Mainframe.