Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - War Tapes & HIFI Sound Settings Comparison

[Cooling23]

This game have best audio of all time. PERIOD!

[Timx4]

why urs sound so much better than mine? Do I need to use a good sound card or what?

[theebiigboss]

cumshoot

[sameq1337]

War tapes=sex

[SimulationGuy121]

God I miss the sound effects in Bad Company 2. So much better than Battlefield 3. All the guns sound EXACTLY the same on BF3...

[CamelBallZee]

@SimulationGuy121 Explosions look better too.

[cubosensaj]

@SimulationGuy121 bf3 gun sounds are more realistic... but realism isn't always good

[Abigor115]

BC2 better than BF3

[S6Wave]

@Abigor115

allot better.

[Carnagedude504]

The only difference I noticed are that the War Tapes sounded a lot more environmental, as in you could hear the wind more clearly, and the gunshots and explosions were louder and echoed a lot more... All in all I really prefer wartapes, makes me sink into the game that much more

[exiquio]

Great video.

[wgeorgiou]

I'm a little confused as to what a person below me said... Does this option provide sound localisation (i.e. the explosion next to you is louder than the one 100 metres away)in a worse way than HIFI? Im mostly enquiring for the multiplayer because I want the setting with the best proximity detection in BF3 (settings are the same for BC2 and BF3).

[drytaffin]

Wow man, ty, I didn't know.

[themadnesz]

I like how brutal war tapes sound

[jas0npr0ftw]

war tapes is very realistic

[gottakidding]

what is war tapes acually?

[cryps1]

Home cinema is best!

[peruvianguy94]

It might seem that War Tapes is a bunch of echos. However to me it helps me in the heat of battle to locate the enemy through louder footsteps,reloading cues, etc. My opinion? Go with War Tapes.

[TheShredworthy]

I think war tapes is better overall. The sounds difference in and out of buildings is very well done. But regardless of what you pick, this games has FANTASTIC sound design.

[sorenstudios]

According to Christina Coffin at DICE, War Tapes is actually the raw sound DICE records. HiFi is the edited sound.

[brendanvista]

Home Cinema is the best setting.

[4tun3dBACK]

WarTapes FTW.....I love my headphones, and I love bc2's great audio

[Balmattoy]

Wartapes makes the game more challenging for CAMPERS! Mwehe, because I dont need to listen where people are when I sit in a chopper, all I need is good audio for my 7.1 :D

Haters gonna hate.

[iJames93i]

@Balmattoy Bad Company 2 dosen't support 7.1 ^^

[Balmattoy]

@iJames93i I have viritual 7.1 sound support, so I will still be able to hear the game as if there was 7.1, just for the effect :p

[iJames93i]

@Balmattoy Doesn't virtual 7.1 require a 7.1 source?

[Balmattoy]

@iJames93i I don't know, my soundcard supports 7.1, still it can give a viritual surround from compressed soundfiles and youtube videos

[iJames93i]

@Balmattoy What's your soundcard?

[Balmattoy]

@iJames93i Its integrated in the Logitech g35, it uses "Dolby Headphone" to create a viritual 7.1 surround sound, and "Dolby Pro Logic II", to naturally convert compressed soundfiles, like youtube, to make it sound like 7.1

[iJames93i]

@Balmattoy Ahh the G35. I have the SoundBlaster Tactic3D sigma, same idea of technology just a different vendor, it uses algorithms to take as many channels as possible and convert them down to stereo whilst maintaining the other channels. Its very clever technology, essentially the more channels you give it the more realistic the effect.

[Balmattoy]

@iJames93i I have Sound Blaster X-fi sound-card in my computer, I use it on gaming mode at all time! Cheers! ;D

[Sonicisunleashed2008]

@iJames93i Doesn't it? But it sounds AMAZING!!! Can you give me a example of a game that uses 7.1 (on PS3)?

[iJames93i]

@Sonicisunleashed2008 Most games nowadays should support 7.1, but I don't play consoles so I don't have a clue. Google for a list there should be one somewhere.

[chaturga13]

war tape sound more realistic

[SleepyWretch]

In my opinion, war tapes sounds much better than HiFi if you have a 5.1 sound system with a big subwoofer. I only have 2.1 so enjoy playing with 2.1 and it's still awesome.

[m1up]

How do I set this on full version of BC2? Were in the settings file is it located? I would prefer war tapes.

[doom032]

I seem to be part of the minority that prefers HiFi. Muh, War Tapes sounds like a mess to me, though I can understand the immersion benefit of having loud ambient sounds.

[drgamingguru]

"War Tapes" is the way forward. PERIOD!

[pcoess]

war tapes is much more realistic!

[evermore66]

That poor door....

[GamerX7800X]

Why do they call it war tapes??

[franky1l]

@GamerX7800X cuz they recorded it from real guns and explosions

[ROCKpilot590]

This is just genius imagine battlefield 3 OMG

[schoolcraftDeonte]

good video a yall should check out my boy schoolcraftdetroit he got some good black ops videos to

[zanaik]

Headphones work the best if you have any type of headset...

[robax3r]

sound in this gams is BRILLIANT! just amazing!

[omg101man]

war tapes FTW!!! badcompany 2 won best sound design thats why.

[acequat]

I have been waiting for such a game... a game that not just involves nice gfx and innovative gimmicks. but a game that FINALLY recognizes the potential of realistic immersive sound fx.

do me a favor: check out cod4 (decent game) and listen to its sound! awful, isnt it? now join a match of bc2 (preferably with 5.1 surround sound), turn up the volume and try NOT to jizz your pants! seriously, I sometimes catch myself idling around in a match doing nothing just listening to the beatiful soundscape

[kyler288]

i like wartapes becuase it does something that most games dont do after you shoot a gun unless you have a silencer you hear the shot but then there is the echo of all the noise later its where the real noise of the shot comes from and it can be heard from up to three miles away even if you are using a low caliber weapon.

[Masterine]

I put this video on the loudest volume with my super bass earphones. ITS OMG realistic. Probably way realistic in game cause youtube fk it up.

[UseUrHead503]

thats so much better than my the sound from my old TV

[Kozlaxyz]

they're both awesome but war tapes are epic

[th3G4mer]

war tapes = real sound > all

[lidlaeger]

@th3G4mer

haha ok Mr.Gamer u dont know a shit, Hifi sounds more real than War tapes. Go and play super mario bros or something instead with War tapes

[vince0123]

sounds the same

[Isakuma]

IMO war tapes sucks.

[azngracefulgirl]

As attackers in Isla Inocentes, you can hear birds chirping around the area where recons usually snipe at.

make a HIFI/War Tape on that.

[minablock]

the only probs with this games sound is......you can tell it was recored in doors :/

[36hunters]

War Tapes just sounds very distorted to me.

[gtaclevelandcity]

@36hunters War tapes increases the echo of explosions and guns.

[cartersclips]

Man I love War Tapes!

[BaggysAnime]

Yeah i thought it was in the INI options or somthing. Didn't think to look on the ingame options menu lol /faceplam

[TheGuyOnDownStreet]

War Tapes is more realistic and can be a distraction for que sounds but that's warfare for you regardless

[Jamesyb0i]

the one with less echo is better cos the game becomes nothing but echos after a while

[happygamestvfun1]

they dont soudn relestic at all

[BaggysAnime]

Where is this setting?

[mrslothguy]

@BaggysAnime while playing open the menu and go to options click sound settings then just surch for it it is the last one going towards the right

[infidel94]

@BaggysAnime its in the settings lol

[DazTora]

Wartapes for the win, with decent headphones the sounds are fantastic especially explosives in distance etc. Cool vid aswell

[Krudtprikken]

What is best for 7.1 headphones??????

[dufydf]

@Krudtprikken Logitech G35.

[kittyburger000]

That's how my sound sounds like :P. I'm such a lucky bastard. :D

[ELITEnoOBno2]

Wow, thank you!

[xStalkerxx]

it's just me or Wartapes is more boomy crappy on PC version? i watch a few console videos and the wartapes sound there , sounds like a mix between hi-fi and wartape. Not so boom sound.

[NeoTStyle]

War Tapes just adds a fuckload of bass to everything. It's way too fucking loud most of the time.

It does immerse the player tho.

[TrancE951]

Have any of you actually gone hunting and fired a rifle in the woods? Or have you fired a gun against a building? War Tapes captures that sound amazingly well. The echo is spot on - that is what it really sounds like.

[kooolkay]

War Tape is better sounds better

[jogijxxx]

too much echo on war tapes :/

[alonsb2006]

War tapes is more intense but makes my ears bleed...

[searanox]

War Tapes sounds like garbage.  It's like they blasted the entire mix with compression to make everything as loud as possible, while drenching it all with reverb. There's no dynamic range at all, no ambiance, and no subtlety. I can see why this would appeal to iPod-listening thirteen-year-olds whose only experience of sound is from their garbage earbuds, but for someone with more discriminating tastes and/or a better sound system, it's just a total mess.

[evankowalski]

@searanox Or that's just your opinion and you're by far the minority

[nubbubnub]

@searanox

stfu pls

[SHGSFG]

@searanox ARE YOU FUCKING RETARDED?!?!?!

[Lycanpaester]

@searanox haha "subtlety"!!!! you think a war game that actually depicts the chaos and carnage of real battles and wars is gonna be subtle? dice captured the sound PERFECTLY!!! if your looking for ambiance, go play barbie or some crap

[Etern4lSlay3r]

@searanox AGREE

[KiranStevens]

Wow war tapes makes a difference. Glad I'm using that setting.

[RoflmaoStudioz]

ANSWER TO COMMON QUESTION: Wartapes is the best sound option, use it. It is best with anything from crappy ol' wooden tv speakers, and surround sound.

[luciano7]

what is war tapes?

[STEELSLINGA]

yep war tapes sounds so much better

[Thebigestnoobever]

Nice sounds even better than my Shit grapich card! :)

[ACakaANTMAN]

tell me if you disagree. War tapes sound better than hifi on tv speakers or a 2.1 pc speaker system. But since i bought a 5.1 surround system the war tape audio does not sound as good as the surround audio setting.

[egggame]

Can i run bad comany 2?????

ATI mobility Radeon HD 4530 Series.

512MB

4GB Ram

ADM Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile RM-75 2,20 GHz

[pile0g00]

@egggame Yes if you run it at low settings and it will run really good if you tweak the Setttings.INI file. You will want to force DirectX9 in that file.

[wiirluvenit]

War Tapes just seems louder with a bunch off unnessesary background sound

[Shauk]

My Opinion: HiFi is better. WarTapes is just a bunch of post processing to distract you from the important audio cues you need to play this game imo. A short burst of gunfire to my left is a lot easier to react to than a burst of gunfire and a lot of reverb to have to mentally process.

[gus227]

@Shauk I have to agree, but, if you want to be more immersed on the game, and sort of "Feel"/enjoy the game, (like I like to say), War Tapes's better.

;)

[aztaclalz]

@Shauk It comes down to if you want to experience the game to it's fullest extent and quality. Or having a good K/D-ratio...

[LolCaramelz]

@Shauk

VIDEO GAMES ARE A SERIOUS FUCKING BUSINESS

[TheRedAvenger89]

@Shauk sorry your brain cant handle different sounds

[Shauk]

@TheRedAvenger89 HERP DERP don't be a fucking retard and come in here with your sarcastic sympathy. It's simple logic, if you send 1MB of data at a processor, it will finish faster than a 4MB envelope of data which is 1MB of original sound and 3 layers of echo/distortion bullshit. Your brain IS your processor.

[8enrosanalle8]

@Shauk Who the fuck cares nerd. War Tapes is still more realistic, deal with it.

[Shauk]

@8enrosanalle8 I don't have to deal with anything, you're wrong, the end.

[doom032]

@8enrosanalle8 You seem to care, considering that his comment made you mad.

[blackadder0sporetive]

@Shauk but not realistic

[aztaclalz]

@Shauk HiFi = if you want a lot of kills, know where your enemy is at in 0.2 seconds. War Tapes = You tell yourself, it's a game and I want to jerk off while I drive a tank.

[redpolska]

@Shauk War tapes is a lack of post processing, the audio engine does something called HDR filtering for the sounds. With Hi-Fi you hear things based on proximity and importance. With War Tapes, there is no filtering. You get everything thrown at you no matter what it is.

[SonicShoeLaces]

@redpolska

That's what he said.

[Pyrotechnican]

war tapes sounds better to me ^^

[jShazBOT]

I really like that immersive feeling BattleField gives you. Like your really there taking part in a battle of epic proportions. I always played the demo on War Tapes and I play the game now on War Tapes. I used to think ALL the sounds were from actual players taking place in the battle and that War Tapes was superior to HIFI in every way possible. Guess it seems the two are only different from one another and not better. :/

[weiss27md]

Best sound setting while using dolby digital simulated surround sound (Tritton AX720s)?

[naramsin11]

how u play alone!

[SmukY123]

@naramsin11 Perhaps joining empty server? :facepalm:

[athetestooge]

Hey, can you upload the 2 separate vids, the War Tapes one and The Hi-Fi one. I would like to play both at the same time and see how it works.

[Draxelzs]

@athetestooge

I'll see what I can do

[athetestooge]

Cool thanks :D

[Draxelzs]

@athetestooge

There we go.

You can find the seperate videos by clicking on the annotations in this video or look at the video responses section.

[athetestooge]

Thanks heaps :D

Hi-5!

[PasswordOVER9000]

You audiophiles are faggots. I can't tell the difference at all.

[xPreatorianx]

@PasswordOVER9000

Then your deaf.. I can easily tell the difference.

[JPRussell88]

From my own experience, I actually prefer hi fi because the gunfire has a lot more bang to it. Guns always sound too muted to me on War Tapes.

Also have to agree with the sentiments of some others here - the ambient noise, while nice, almost sounds overdone somehow. Hi fi has too little ambience, but war tapes has too much.

[Gartral]

alrighty... your all being silly nilly pissants War Tapes is for systes with REALLY powerful CPUs./APUs I have a i7 860 and the difference in coretemps is staggering.. the "Tapes" feature uses a whole 2 threads... FOR SOUND.. and 4 for ai/networking and 1 for pre-rendering.. this game EATS CPUs.. anyway.. do this, but dont let your adiction to good sound

[carms55]

Hm, I'll probably switch from HiFi to War Tapes now.

[csswafford]

i like plugging in headphones, and turn it really loud, and do conquest. HOLY CRAP it feels like real war!!!

[Pyrok1netic]

tbh i don't like wartapes at all, its hard to tell distance and direction of sounds, and there's way too much ambience imo.

[TheWTFers]

whats better for surround sound hifi or wartapes?

[DecptioNx]

@TheWTFers

Don't buy surround sound if you don't know what to do with it..

[TheWTFers]

what the fuck r u talking about. I am simply asking what sounds better in surround sound, hifi or wartapes. You sound like a dumbass 13 year old.

[smithjustinn]

home cinema seems to give the best 3d sound

[vermilion21]

@TheWTFers definetly war tapes ;)

[rayright15]

Why doesn't any one do hi fi first...?

then war tapes comes in, then let it sink in... ;)

[giesskanne]

War Tapes Sound has a strong Echoes. Or is the Village in a Valley?

[hbarad93]

nah war tapes is best

[MrBluBox]

wow mw2 looks mean better

[athetestooge]

War Tapes are so much more immense

[Luky1Jay]

Its not realistic, or even accurate. How would you know if someones shooting from a distance or from close if it sounds almost the same either way?

[athetestooge]

I never said it was realistic, I just said it was immense. It would be good for filming though

[DesignVisStudios]

sounds like war tapes is just LOUDER, lacking the dynamic range... ugh - for people with junk sound systems?

[kwicksandz]

only really noticed a difference when he shot the rpg...

[Kemokeme]

War tapes sound awesome... and give you a slight benefit... when in a home theatre surrround system... so i can hear from where the shots come... but the echo covers it a bit... so you can hear the direction at the beginning like in real life... but the cho gets you a bit connfused... awesome experience...

[Stabiloten]

I MUST BUY THIS SHIT :S:SS

[JackoThe1st]

War tapes sounds distorted and crackly to me. and the gun echo is way way ott, especially inside buildings. If you set the audio to TV its basically the same but with less bass and less crackling..TV boosts the ambient sound far more than the others but slightly less than war tapes so i find it perfect. At least on stereo speakers anyway dunno about 5.1 etc

[psycho6776]

jeez the war tapes sound design is simply incredible, sounds like your subjected into the environment possibly the best ive heard in a shooter in recent times

[LeZimen]

Briggun22: I thought you got it for owning Battlefield 1943??

[Blakeaphobia]

War tapes sounds so amazing! You can hear ppl walking up behind you! Even in headphones

[donmega4]

i prefer home cinema and just crank it right up, seems to be more balanced that war tapes.

[xStalkerxx]

most of the time i prefeer Hi-FI

[Iquezeuse]

War tapes is awesome, but pretty tiring personally. I prefer hifi

[narutojutsumaster]

@Iquezeuse why tiring? pls explain

[Iquezeuse]

@narutojutsumaster Don't know really, I just find hi-fi easier on the ears for some reason.

[Cheatplayer]

Stupid question, but what are these options actually?

Can you like edit 'em in the audio options or do you need to like download a mod or something?

I'm on the X360, though.

[whywhyman]

some times War tapes give the HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSing noise :P But i prefer WAR TAPES most of the times it actually reflects the WAT SCENARIO type SOUND

BFBC 2 all the way BABEEEE

[majdijr]

wartapes gets very noisy in intense battle

[SMGJohn]

What you think war is silence then!?

War Tapes are to represent real "war sounds" all the guns have realistic sounds or almost every sound in game becomes realistic.

[TheJumpstyle2009]

hifi is better

[aztecscribe]

I find war tapes sound better as it feels more real, a gun would deafen you for a while and the sound would echo off of all surfaces around you. Of course it's not going to help in multi player (though I am using headphones and not 5.1).

[kinetiknz]

I think Hi-fi sounds better, WAY too much echoed sounf in war tapes

[jayeilyn]

War type hifi sound are awesome BF2 im running 5.1 souround sound BOSE SPEAKER love that souround sounds epic

[vonsusername]

what is war tapes i cant identify the differences except for loud and louder

[Mar10eleven]

@vonsusername read the manual =)

[thebullitproofguy]

oh ok thnx:)

[KriegsMaschine]

Never tryed on the Beta to set it to War Tapes. Sounds really great! However the (Home Theater) wasn't working... I wonder what it does as a I have the KEF 3005SE which is a 5.1 of about 2100$CAD so I'd like to use its full potential.

[thebullitproofguy]

a thompson in bad company 2?? I THOUGHT THIS WAS A MODERN GAME??

[rasomaso]

it's a bonus you get for having battlefield 1943

[PSN1993]

no ? u get it in Limited Edition :)

[rasomaso]

hmm I got it (edition and thompson), maybe I got only the M1 from 1943 cause I recall getting a popup with something about getting some wpns for owning 1943... dunno

[briggun22]

I think you get the M1 for owning Bad Company 1

[jaimey001]

You get the thompson for preordering...

[Dave2time3]

you get the m1 for owning any bf game i believe.

[TAXavier]

Are you sure? I have BF2 and didn't get it. However, I should mention that I bought BF2 after the beta closed. I don't know if this affects that, but there you go

[dharkbizkit]

only the first level isn in WW2.. just the plot intro..

[AzaIndustries]

Something is wrong with my game because the it dosn't sound even close to this good when I play.. I got it on wartapes but the sounds are all muffled and not crisp and clear like this video is.

[andeh00]

thompson :D nice

[Pluberus]

Wow. o_o

[ChiefsFan581]

I think I'll stick with normal settings. I mean, War Tapes seems cool and everything, but kinda loud. I have a hard enough time hearing my friends with my Turtle Beach's on as it is

[dzidmail]

Dolby make a good job

[reid300]

what should i use with turtle beach x1?

[masteryummy]

Wartapes FTW

[arvid950]

Sounds perfect to with z-5500