DirectX SDK

DirectSoundBuffer.SetFormat

The DirectSoundBuffer.SetFormat method sets the format of the primary sound buffer for the application. Whenever this application has the input focus, DirectSound will set the primary buffer to the specified format.

object.SetFormat(format As WAVEFORMATEX)

Parameters

object
Object expression that resolves to a DirectSoundBuffer object.
format
A WAVEFORMATEX type that describes the new format for the primary sound buffer.

Error Codes

If the method fails, an error is raised and Err.Number may be set to one of the following error values:

DSERR_BADFORMAT
DSERR_INVALIDCALL
DSERR_INVALIDPARAM
DSERR_OUTOFMEMORY
DSERR_PRIOLEVELNEEDED
DSERR_UNSUPPORTED

Remarks

If this method is called on a primary buffer that is being accessed in write-primary cooperative level, the buffer must be stopped before DirectSoundBuffer.SetFormat is called. If this method is being called on a primary buffer for a non-write-primary level, DirectSound will implicitly stop the primary buffer, change the format, and restart the primary; the application need not do this explicitly.

This method will succeed even if the hardware does not support the requested format. DirectSound will set the buffer to the closest supported format, then mix the sound in the requested format and convert it before sending it to the primary buffer. To determine whether this is happening, an application can call the DirectSoundBuffer.GetFormat method for the primary buffer and compare the result with the format that was requested with the SetFormat method.

A call to this method also fails if the calling application has the DSSCL_NORMAL cooperative level.

This method is not valid for secondary sound buffers. If a secondary sound buffer requires a format change, the application should create a new DirectSoundBuffer object using the new format.

DirectSound supports PCM formats; it does not currently support compressed formats.

See Also

DirectSoundBuffer, DirectSoundBuffer.GetFormat