# ioquake3 Sound Options: OpenAL vs SDL

**URL:** <https://discourse.ioquake.org/t/ioquake3-sound-options-openal-vs-sdl/701>\
**Category:** support\
**Created:** [June 20, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://discourse.ioquake.org/t/ioquake3-sound-options-openal-vs-sdl/701 "2016-06-20T23:33:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 5

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**Author:** ![zturtleman](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.ioquake.org/zturtleman/32/718_2.png) [@zturtleman](https://discourse.ioquake.org/u/zturtleman)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 9:36am UTC](https://discourse.ioquake.org/t/ioquake3-sound-options-openal-vs-sdl/701/5 "2016-06-22T09:36:53Z")

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What OpenAL dll are you using? You could try the latest [OpenAL Soft](https://openal-soft.org/) if you are not already using it. Download the `openal-soft-*-bin.zip` on the page and rename the `openal-soft-*-bin\bin\Win32\soft_oal.dll` to `OpenAL32.dll` and drop in it your ioquake3 directory.

ioquake3 only uses digital audio (no midi). Soundfont would not affect it.

Also, the SDL backend currently does not support surround sound.

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.ioquake.org/t/ioquake3-sound-options-openal-vs-sdl/701)._