Sounds in 3D

Using DirectSound, you can create a 3D world for sounds that can be integrated with 3D graphics. You can locate sound sources and the listener in space, apply Doppler shift to moving sounds, and control physical parameters such as the rate at which sound attenuates over distance.

DirectSound can create virtual 3D effects on two speakers or a set of headphones. It will also take advantage of multichannel systems with WDM drivers if the user has selected a surround sound speaker configuration in Control Panel. For more information, see DSBUFFERDESC.

The following topics cover some general aspects of 3D sound:

• Coordinates of 3D Space
• Perception of Sound Positions

Information on how to use 3D sound in an application is found in the following sections:

• DirectSound 3D Buffers
• DirectSound 3D Listeners