Q2PRO-X 1.6 Final by ly

Audio and music

Project author: ly

Spatial audio, reverberation and music settings.

English edition • Q2PRO-X 1.6 Final by ly • November 7, 2026

Contents

The entries are links: click one to jump to that section.

Q2PRO-X: detailed sound guide

Audio when the game loses focus

Player-state ambient and playback priority

1. Sound modes

2. Where to find all of this in the menu

3. The base model: how sound is structured in Q2PRO-X

4. The main split: DMA or OpenAL

5. s_enable: the master backend switch

6. General theory: sample rate, format, precision, resampling

7. Settings that matter in both DMA and OpenAL

8. What exists only, or primarily, in DMA

9. What exists only in OpenAL

10. al_profile: the difference between OpenAL Q2PRO-X and R1Q2-like

11. al_sound_profile: ready-made acoustic profiles

12. HRTF: what it is and how it works

13. Binaural sound: what it is and how it differs from plain HRTF

14. Reverb / room acoustics: what it is

15. Reverb parameters: each one explained

16. Commands for OpenAL / reverb / binaural

17. al_resampler: the OpenAL resampler

18. Per-weapon and per-category volume controls

19. What requires snd_restart, and what changes live

20. Current important defaults

21. Recommended starting configurations

22. What to tune for which problem

23. Feature availability matrix: what works where

24. Built-in voice chat

25. The shortest practical cheat sheet

26. Suggested setup order

27. AVFX audio

28. Music

29. Item timer audio

30. Separate audio controls

Q2PRO-X: detailed sound guide

Choosing and tuning sound

Q2PRO-X offers a classic software mixer and OpenAL with spatial audio, headphone processing and room acoustics. This guide explains how to choose between them and adjust the sound for your headphones or speakers:

Audio when the game loses focus

The audio menu offers three s_auto_focus modes: 0 — always play; 1 — play while the window is visible, even without focus; 2 — play only while the game has focus. The separate s_mute_when_inactive setting can also mute an inactive window.

When inactive-window muting applies, OpenAL also mutes voice chat and effect tails, then restores the selected volume when focus returns. A manually paused track stays paused. Starting a demo fades the intro before its separate music profile begins; without a demo profile, the normal background-music pause and resume rules apply.

Player-state ambient and playback priority

The sound menu includes optional health/armor ambience next to Online Music. It is off by default, has independent SP/DM switches and nine adjustable states. FLAC loops and state changes overlap smoothly over 2–3 seconds. Death keeps the critical state until respawn or level exit. Protection is estimated from armor type and available HUD information, not simply health plus armor.

A track selected manually or started by a musical AVFX preset takes priority over player-state ambience. Disconnecting restores ordinary autoplay.

A separate Audio Assets guide lists PAK and loose-file paths, content and replacement options, including the supported intro file layout.

1. Sound modes

The s_enable setting selects one of three modes:

1. s_enable 0

Sound is fully disabled.

1. s_enable 1 = software (DMA)

The classic software mixer path.

This is the traditional Quake II model: the client mixes PCM audio itself and feeds the finished stream into the system sound driver.

1. s_enable 2 = OpenAL

A modern 3D backend with spatial positioning, HRTF, a binaural layer, room acoustics, extra sound profiles, OpenAL resamplers, and a broader runtime feature set.

The current default backend in Q2PRO-X is `OpenAL`.

2. Where to find all of this in the menu

The main sound page

Sound & Acoustics

Some older base variables and music options are still reachable only from the console or the cvar reference, even though the main modern sound controls are already exposed on dedicated Q2PRO-X pages.

3. The base model: how sound is structured in Q2PRO-X

3.1 What DMA means in Q2PRO-X

DMA uses the classic software mixer:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

3.2 What OpenAL means in Q2PRO-X

OpenAL is a dedicated audio backend/API for spatial sound.

In Q2PRO-X it provides:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

4. The main split: DMA or OpenAL

When DMA usually makes sense

Choose DMA if you want:

Typical scenario:

When OpenAL usually makes sense

Choose OpenAL if you want:

Typical scenario:

5. s_enable: the master backend switch

What it does

s_enable selects the backend:

When to apply it

When you change s_enable, you will normally need:

snd_restart

Practical advice

If you are not sure where to begin:

6. General theory: sample rate, format, precision, resampling

Before the concrete cvars, it helps to understand a few basic audio terms.

6.1 What sample rate / output rate means

This is the output sampling frequency — how many “snapshots” of the audio signal are produced each second.

Examples:

The higher the rate:

In Q2PRO-X, this is controlled by:

Important:

soundinfo

6.2 What sample format means

This is how a single audio sample is represented internally or on output.

In current Q2PRO-X, the relevant choices are:

s16

Classic 16-bit PCM.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

float32

32-bit floating-point audio.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

This is controlled by:

After changing it, use:

snd_restart

6.3 What a resampler is

A resampler is the algorithm that converts sound from one frequency / representation into another.

This matters when:

A poor resampler can cause:

A better resampler can provide:

But:

7. Settings that matter in both DMA and OpenAL

Below are the shared controls that are useful regardless of backend.

s_volume

The main master game volume.

Current base default in code:

This is the overall game level on top of which narrower weapon/category volumes can later be applied.

s_khz

Requested output rate.

Common choices:

In practice:

s_sampleformat

Preferred sample format:

A good practical choice:

s_ambient

Controls ambient/world sounds.

Values:

Useful if you want less map noise without removing every useful cue.

s_mute_when_inactive

When the game window loses focus (Alt+Tab, click another window), the client can mute itself.

Values:

ogg_enable

Enables OGG background music.

ogg_volume

Music volume relative to the master sound level.

ogg_shuffle

Random music order.

These cvars do not change combat positional audio, but they do shape the overall sound environment.

soundinfo

Displays the current audio configuration.

Use it to see:

snd_restart

The main “restart the sound backend” command.

It is needed after most major sound-path changes:

8. What exists only, or primarily, in DMA

s_driver

This selects the DMA driver.

On Windows, typical values are:

If empty, auto-detection is used.

Practical meaning:

s_mixahead

This is the DMA mix-ahead window.

In practical terms:

If the value is lower:

If the value is higher:

Practical range:

This setting affects DMA playback.

s_swapstereo

Swaps left and right channels.

Only works in DMA.

Useful only rarely:

s_resampler

This is the DMA resampler.

Values:

What they mean

legacy

The old, simplest path.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

linear

Linear interpolation.

A compromise:

cubic

Cubic interpolation.

Usually:

When DMA still makes sense today

DMA is a logical choice if you want:

9. What exists only in OpenAL

Everything below is part of the main reason to choose OpenAL.

Key OpenAL-only feature families

10. al_profile: the difference between OpenAL Q2PRO-X and R1Q2-like

What the profile changes

al_profile selects the OpenAL sound behavior: 0 is Q2PRO-X and 1 is R1Q2-like. The profiles differ in distance attenuation, looping world sounds and the presentation of positional cues. Volume and resampling quality have separate controls.

Q2PRO-X profile

Main idea:

Under the hood it is closer to:

In practice:

R1Q2-like profile

Main idea:

Under the hood it is closer to:

In practice:

Practical rule of thumb

If you want:

11. al_sound_profile: ready-made acoustic profiles

Available profiles

al_sound_profile applies a set of room-acoustics values. It lets you choose an overall sound character before adjusting individual reverb controls. The available profiles are custom, competitive, balanced, immersive, cinematic and cathedral.

Important logic

These profiles do not govern everything. They mainly govern the acoustic layer:

And they must not override:

Changing an acoustic profile leaves the audio backend, output format, resamplers and HRTF selection as you set them.

Choosing a profile

12. HRTF: what it is and how it works

How HRTF works

HRTF stands for Head-Related Transfer Function. It models how the head and outer ears change sound arriving from different directions, then reproduces those differences through stereo headphones.

Ordinary stereo provides left/right separation, but sounds from behind, in front or above can be harder to distinguish. HRTF can improve these cues and make sound seem to come from outside the headphones. The result depends on the listener and the selected HRTF model: some combinations colour the sound or make direction harder to judge. Compare it with ordinary stereo using familiar in-game sounds.

In Q2PRO-X

HRTF is controlled through OpenAL / binaural settings.

Practical recommendation:

13. Binaural sound: what it is and how it differs from plain HRTF

Binaural rendering and HRTF

Binaural rendering prepares stereo output for headphones using the differences between what each ear would hear. HRTF is the model of the head and ears within that process; the broader binaural configuration also controls encoding, filter length and crossfeed.

Q2PRO-X lets you use the OpenAL HRTF path by itself or configure the dedicated binaural layer with its own headphone profiles.

Main binaural cvars

al_binaural

Master on/off switch for the binaural layer.

Typical values:

al_binaural_profile

Curated headphone voicing profile for the binaural layer.

The idea is similar to al_sound_profile, but specifically for headphone rendering.

al_binaural_encoding

Selects how the binaural path encodes the output.

Think of this as:

al_binaural_hrtf_mode

Controls how HRTF is selected or enforced inside the binaural path.

Typical meaning:

al_binaural_hrtf_size

Theory: what filter size means

This is effectively the size/length of the HRTF filter.

Larger filters can:

But they can also:

al_binaural_crossfeed

What crossfeed changes

Crossfeed mixes a controlled amount of the left signal into the right channel and vice versa. With speakers, each ear hears some sound from both sides; headphones separate the channels much more strongly. A small amount of crossfeed can make that separation less tiring, but too much blurs directional cues. Start low and compare it with crossfeed disabled.

14. Reverb / room acoustics: what it is

Room reflections and the reverb tail

Reverb consists of reflections that follow the direct sound and gradually fade. It helps distinguish a corridor, a large hall or an open area, but a strong tail can mask footsteps and other short sounds during a match. Q2PRO-X provides a room-acoustics switch and separate controls for the amount, duration and character of those reflections.

15. Reverb parameters: each one explained

al_reverb

Master enable for room acoustics / reverb.

Values:

If you want the simplest OpenAL path:

If you want room simulation:

al_reverb_lerp_time

How transitions work

al_reverb_lerp_time controls the transition when the client changes room presets. A longer transition makes the change smoother; a shorter one responds more quickly when you move between spaces.

al_eax_preset

Room preset selector.

Typical meaning:

Usually:

al_eax_wet

Direct and reverberated sound

“Wet” is the reverberated part of the signal; “dry” is the direct sound. Raise al_eax_wet to hear more room reflections, or lower it for a drier, more direct result.

al_eax_local_wet

This is the wetness for local / near-player sounds.

Very useful because many players want:

If local wet is too high:

al_eax_occlusion

Theory: what occlusion means

Occlusion means a sound is partially blocked by geometry or material between the source and the listener.

Typical audible effect:

If this is enabled:

If disabled:

al_eax_explosion_wet

Specific wetness / reverb send for explosions.

Useful when you want:

al_eax_explosion_decay

Reverb duration

Decay controls how long the reverb tail takes to fade. A higher al_eax_explosion_decay makes the aftermath of an explosion last longer; reduce it if blasts obscure other sounds for too long.

al_eax_explosion_late

Late reverb emphasis for explosions.

Useful if you want:

al_eax_transport_wet

Reverb send / environment treatment for transport-like world spaces or loops.

Useful if:

al_reverb_reflections

Theory: what early reflections are

These are the first, more distinct reflections that arrive after the direct sound.

They help the ear feel:

If reflections are stronger:

al_reverb_late

Theory: what late reverb is

This is the later, more diffuse tail of the room, where individual reflections blur into one cloud-like reverberant field.

If late is higher:

al_reverb_decay

General decay-time multiplier.

If increased:

If reduced:

al_reverb_delay

Reflection delay

al_reverb_delay controls the separation between the direct sound and its reflections. A longer delay suggests a larger room; a shorter one makes the space sound tighter.

al_reverb_hf

Theory: what HF brightness means

HF = high frequency.

This controls how bright or dark the reverberant tail is.

If higher:

If lower:

al_reverb_diffusion

Theory: what diffusion means

Diffusion controls how smooth and dense the reverberant field feels.

If higher:

If lower:

al_eax_debug

Diagnostic/debug mode.

Useful to inspect:

16. Commands for OpenAL / reverb / binaural

al_reverb_info

Prints:

Use it to see which room settings are active while you adjust the acoustics.

al_reverb_reload

Forces the client to rebuild / re-snap the current reverb preset.

Useful:

al_binaural_info

Prints:

al_resampler_list

Prints the actual list of OpenAL resamplers available from the runtime.

This matters because the theoretical set can include:

But the actual runtime should always be checked in practice.

17. al_resampler: the OpenAL resampler

This is the OpenAL-specific resampler choice.

Typical values:

What these mean in practice

point

The roughest and simplest path.

Think of it as:

This is more of an experiment / fallback path than a best daily choice.

linear

Simple compromise.

cubic

A smoother and usually higher-quality option.

bsinc12 / bsinc24

More advanced sinc-like choices.

Usually:

Practical choices

If you do not want to think too much:

If you want a good high-quality but not too exotic option:

If you want to experiment with OpenAL Soft’s highest-quality path:

After changing it:

snd_restart

18. Per-weapon and per-category volume controls

Adjust individual weapons and sound groups without changing the overall game volume.

How the scale works

The menu scale is:

The scale is relative to the standard sound level: 50 is neutral, and 100 doubles it rather than representing an ordinary 100% ceiling.

Weapon volumes

There are dedicated cvars for:

This lets you:

Category volumes

There are also category cvars:

Practical examples

For competitive play

It often makes sense to:

For a more cinematic sound

You can:

19. What requires snd_restart, and what changes live

Usually requires snd_restart

Usually applies live

Practical rule

If you change:

you should immediately think:

snd_restart

If you are only tuning:

the change is usually already live.

20. Current important defaults

Below are not all sound cvars in the project, but the ones that matter most for real-world setup.

Base sound defaults

OpenAL defaults

Binaural defaults

Per-weapon / per-category defaults

All weapon/category volume cvars start at:

That means:

21. Recommended starting configurations

Option 1: speakers, simple and clean sound

set s_enable 1

set s_khz 48

set s_sampleformat auto

set s_resampler linear

snd_restart

Meaning:

Option 2: general-purpose OpenAL on speakers

set s_enable 2

set al_profile 0

set al_hrtf 0

set al_reverb 1

set al_sound_profile balanced

set al_resampler cubic

snd_restart

Meaning:

Option 3: headphones, competitive OpenAL

set s_enable 2

set al_profile 1

set al_hrtf 2

set al_reverb 0

set al_binaural 2

set al_binaural_profile default

snd_restart

Meaning:

Option 4: headphones, spatial modern Q2PRO-X

set s_enable 2

set al_profile 0

set al_hrtf 2

set al_reverb 1

set al_sound_profile balanced

set al_binaural 2

set al_binaural_profile deep

snd_restart

Meaning:

22. What to tune for which problem

Problem: “it feels too dry”

Try:

Problem: “it feels too smeared / too much tail”

Try:

Problem: “on headphones I still do not read direction well”

Try:

Problem: “my own sounds are too boomy inside the room”

Try:

Problem: “explosions do not feel big enough”

Try:

Problem: “movers / loops / hum are too loud”

Try:

23. Feature availability matrix: what works where

24. Built-in voice chat

Voice chat requires OpenAL for both microphone transmission and playback. Select s_enable 2 if you want to use it alongside game audio.

25. The shortest practical cheat sheet

If you want the shortest version:

26. Suggested setup order

Start by choosing DMA or OpenAL. With OpenAL, compare the Q2PRO-X and R1Q2-like profiles, then decide whether to enable HRTF and room acoustics. Once direction and room sound suit you, balance the weapon and sound-category volumes. Keeping that order makes it easier to hear what each change does.

27. AVFX audio

The AVFX layer has audio of its own, with volumes separated from the game's overall volume.

27.1. AVFX sound volumes

Menu path: Main menu → Advanced Visual Effects → AVFX Detailed Settings → Local FX & Sound → AVFX Sound Volumes

AVFX Sound Volumes

Separate child pages own the events and the contacts:

AVFX Sounds / Events & Sky

AVFX Sounds / Contacts & Wildlife

That separation lets you keep the weather visible but quiet — a frequent choice for competitive play.

28. Music

28.1. Three independent sources

The three music sources have separate controls and playback priorities:

The order at launch is fixed: the intro always plays first, and online-music autoplay begins when it ends.

Details about the presentation are in the startup intro guide.

28.2. Online music

Online Music (PROMODJ)

The player has its own overlay and a separate mode for watching recordings:

Online Music / Overlay

Online Music / Demo Profile

28.3. The music buttons beside the logo

While the intro plays, small round buttons are visible beside the main-menu logo: mute the intro sound, and end it smoothly. A separate button mutes the online music. These buttons never change the stored volumes.

28.4. Music never delays the game

Loading, playing and fading music are never allowed to delay a map load, a server connection or quitting. Beginning a map load ends the intro smoothly, and the fade runs on its own without holding anything up.

An unreachable online track does not leave the player stuck: the exact address that failed to open is shown, and a bounded move to another track is performed.

29. Item timer audio

Live item timers have an audio layer of their own: a general warning cue, a per-second countdown and a separate item-respawn cue. In rich mode, phrases for specific items are used.

Every file of that layer is optional: a missing file is silently skipped and never breaks the game. Details are in the live item timers guide.

30. Separate audio controls

Sound settings are grouped into four areas:

1. Game sound — the engine, spatialization, acoustics, volumes.

2. AVFX audio — weather, events and contacts with their own volumes.

3. Music — the intro, the online player and the classic game music.

4. Voice chat — a separate subsystem described in its own guide.

Each part is configured separately and does not cancel the others.

Music while the window is inactive

When inactive-window audio is muted, intro and online-music playback keep advancing silently. An intro that has finished does not resume when focus returns. Manual pause and separate online-music auto-pause rules remain supported.

Hit feedback sound

A short hit sound can confirm a hit on an opponent. Enable it in the online-game or sound settings and adjust its volume there or in the volume hub. The settings are shared across mods; English and Russian help is available in the menus, console and Cvar Browser.

The hit sound is off by default (s_hitsound 0). Updating the client preserves your saved choice.

Audio is independent of the visual hit marker, blood and AVFX switches. It can also follow a received victim pain or death event after the shooter moves behind cover. Blood and voice evidence for the same tracked shot do not create two feedback sounds.

Online-music visualization

Online music settings offers Menu music visualization: Off, Spectrum, Waveform, Radial spectrum, Spectrogram or Automatic. Off is the default. The background fills the screen behind the open menu and follows the current online track. It fades in and dissolves with falling particles when music stops. Radial layout follows screen dimensions.

Opacity ranges from 0 (invisible) to 1 (fully visible), default 0.10, controlled globally by cl_music_online_menu_transparency. The mode is cl_music_online_menu_visualization. Game sound effects do not drive this display. Disabling in-game music also remains effective across local bot map changes.

Intro music

Intro music follows Startup intro in the settings. It defaults to on. Disabling it keeps the visual intro without its music. The global cl_q2prox_startup_intro_music setting is shared with the intro's sound button.