What Are The Best R6 Audio Settings?

15. USE HIGH QUALITY HEADPHONES

The Problem:

Rainbow Six SIege is a game that relies heavily on its audio to give you an immersive experience but it is also a fundamental mechanic of playing the game well. If you have ever been killed by someone that really seemed like they shouldn't have known where you were, chances are they had headphones on and you did not. Enemy equipment can be located by listening to audio clues and most importantly you can hear the enemy moving by listening to their footsteps.

How Using High Quality Headphones Solves The Problem:

• You can hear enemy movement with greater detail. You will be able to tell If someone is above you or on the other side of a wall by the realistic drop-off of higher frequencies. Their footsteps will sound boomy and distant.
• You will be able to clearly hear enemy equipment such as Echo Drones, Twitch Drones & Pulse's Cardiac Sensor being used and deployed.
• You will be listening to the game in the way that the game designers expected of the pros.

How To Use High Quality Headphones

• Use headphones with an even frequency spectrum (not bass boosted). This means that you will be hearing the audio as close to how the game designers wanted, taking in all the clues they are giving you.
• Over ear headphones are king. When using in-ear buds the low frequencies become naturally boosted because they are so close to your ear-drums, this will affect how distance sounds in the game.
• If you still choose in-ear buds then Apple's recent airpods are a great choice - though the frequencies will not be even. This means that locating exact enemy footstep positioning becomes difficult.

14. LISTENING TO FOOTSTEPS

The Problem:

Not knowing that an enemy is coming for you is the number one reason why beginners find themselves dying over and over. Giving away your location by the sounds of your footsteps is frustrating until your understand how to approach this fundamental mechanic.

How Listening To Footsteps Solves The Problem:

• By listening to the footsteps of your enemies you will know if they are approaching or if you are about to breach a dangerous room.
• You become more alert of your own movements and how you might be giving away your position or approach.

How To Listen To Footsteps:

• Take your time when breaching a room or find a strong position to hold still when defending. Take in the sound of your environment and pay attention to the noises around you.
• Set your audio to "Night-Mode". This setting means that audio far away from you will be more prominent, bringing out enemy footsteps over the sounds of your character movement.
• To emulate real life the way footsteps sound changes depending on; the surface of the floor, the distance from you, the weight of the operator and many more ways. Learn these subtle changes to become a master.
• If you crouch your own movement will be queiter, bringing the volume of enemy footsteps up.

13. COMMUNICATION IS KEY

The Problem:

Going up against a co-ordinated force without the ability to speak to your teammates will be extremely difficult. They will be able to call out your position and share valuable intel with one another whilst you and your team are left in the dark.

How Communication Solves The Problem:

• You will be assisting your team.
• A coordinated force is effective and can work simultaneously to breach or defend a room.
• Team work makes the dream work.

How To Communicate with your team:

• Call out enemy positions. Learn the names of rooms and corridors of the maps (each name is shown on your HUD as you enter a room) and let your team know where you see someone.

12. LISTENING FOR EQUIPMENT

The Problem:

Equipment in Rainbow Six Siege are all unique and so are the sounds they make. The sound they give off can tell you where they are placed or when being used, this can give away your position to the enemy if you are not careful. For example when viewing a drone or camera your operator will make a distinct sound which experienced players have learned to listen out for, giving them a huge advantage as you are distracted.

How Listening To Equipment Solves The Problem:

• You can locate enemy equipment, alerting you to potential dangers.
• You will be aware of the noise you might be making as you use your equipment, the same goes for your opponents.
• You can wait for audio clues for the perfect time to strike an enemy.
• No longer will enemies sneak up on you as you attempt to remotely view a room before you enter it.

How To Listen To Equipment:

• Drones are very loud so they are easy to locate when moving and turning.
• Echo Drones can be located.
• Maverick's Sun-Torch is extremely quiet, learn how this sounds to help with your defensive game
• Go into a custom game and go through each operator's equipment to find more sounds that will give you an advantage.

11. LISTENING FOR ADS

The Problem:

Experienced players are aware of the power of utilising Siege's audio so to avoid detection they are very careful when moving around.

How Listening For ADS Solves The Problem:

• When aiming down sights (ADS) the movement of an enemy operator's clothing and weapon will make noises, giving away their position. Listen carefully for this as most experienced players will still frequently aim down sights to gain a better view.

How To Listen For ADS:

Make sure your game and headset is loud enough to hear this subtle audio clue.

• Be still and listen carefully.
• Go into a custom game and ask a friend to simulate the sound of ADS in different positions and locations, learn what to listen for.

10. AWARENESS OF BARBED WIRE

The Problem:

• Barbed Wire doesn't just slow down operators it also makes a lot of noise. This is one of your best tools to assist in using audio to your advantage. Barbed wire must either be traversed, avoided or destroyed, only one of those options allows the enemy to be quiet.

How Awareness Of Barbed Wire Solves The Problem:

• You become more alert of your own movements and how you might be giving away your position or approach.
• If you are approaching a room and wish to remain silent, try for another route. Otherwise prepare to give away your position by moving across it or destroying it.

How To Be Aware Of Barbed Wire:

• You can set Barbed Wire around the corner and listen for enemies walking aross it or destroying it. Most times you will hear operators hitting the wire multiple times with the butt of their weapon.
• Maverick can silently destroy Barbed Wire so be careful if you know he's the one you're facing up against.
• Try to avoid going near its vicinity until you are prepared to make noise. You could easily brush up against it by accident.

9. UNDERSTAND HOW SIEGE'S AUDIO WORKS

The Problem:

Siege has a unique approach to audio compared to many other first-person shooters in that what you hear takes the shortest possible path from its source to you (through doorways, holes in walls, windows, etc.) **I will go into further details below***

How Understanding How Siege's Audio Works Solves The Problem:

• If before you were getting confused when trying to locate sound sources, knowing this very important detail will make things much easier.

How To Understand How Siege's Audio Works Solves The Problem:

• All audio travels in a path from its source to the listener. In most games if a player is standing on one side of a wall and you are on the other, their audio will travel in a direct line to you and will sound muffled (as if listening through a wall). However in R6 the other player's audio will travel through the closest opening that will allow sound to propogate through.
• If a player is standing outside a room and there is an open window to your left, you will hear all their audio on the left side of your headphones, even when the other player may be to your right on the other side of the wall.

8. MORE ARMOUR MEANS MORE NOISE

The Problem:

• Heavy armoured operators make a lot of noise when they move around which will give away your position to almost everyone in the building. You are also at a disadvantage with the reduced speed that comes with more armour, when an enemy knows where you are and you can get away - you're done.

How More Armour Means More Noise Solves The Problem:

• You become more alert of your own movements and how you might be giving away your position or approach.
• If you are approaching a room and wish to remain silent, try for another Operator with lower armour

How More Armour Means More Noise:

• Shield wielding operators are the loudest and will make a lot of noise.
• Other operators will easily be able to tell where you are,
• Other operators can not only tell where you are but WHO you are because of the distinctive sound of heavy armour.

7. CROUCHING

The Problem:

Running and walking makes much more noise than crouching will. If you move around the rooms by crouching your movements and footsteps will be very quiet, allowing you to be stealthy. You also make noise when changing stance position so be aware when changing between them.

How Crouching Solves The Problem:

• Your character footsteps are less frequent and make less noise. They are less boomy and wont give away your position to enemies on floors below you.
• Your operator's clothing makes less noise, this is especially useful for heavier armoured operators.

How To Use Crouching Effectively:

• When you are approaching an objective make sure you are crouched down when not engaging or seeking a sightline.
• Be careful when switching between stances, only do so when necessary or when you know there's no enemies nearby.
• Listen out for when enemies switch stances.

6. LISTENING FOR RELOADS

The Problem:

When a player reloads a weapon their operator makes a very distinct sound, listening out for this will increase your gameplay ten-fold. You may have given away your position many times before when reloading or allowed your opponent to rush you as you are reloading

How Listening For Reloads Solves The Problem:

• An enemy may decide to reload from a previous engagement before breaching a room. You can listen out for this an be prepared for the attack or you could strike first.
• When in a firefight an enemy may take cover to reload, if you listen out for this you will have an opportunity to strike.

How To Listen For Reloads:

• Go into a custom game and ask a friend to simulate the sound of reloading different weapons in different positions and locations, learn what to listen for.

5. CREATE LISTENING HOLES

The Problem:

In R6 audio will travel through the closest opening that will allow sound to propagate through. This means if you are in a room with closed windows and doors, sounds from outside the room will be very quiet (The sound must travel through an opening to reach you).

How Listening Holes Solve The Problem:

• Small holes in walls and windows allow sound to travel through them, making exterior sounds much more prominent.
• You can hear enemies rappelling outside much easier.
• You can prepare a room for ambush or protect the objective better.

How To Create Listening Holes:

• Find a barricaded window or doorway and using a pistol shoot twice at one of the top corners. This will remove some planks of wood and leave just a small hole that is difficult to see but will let in a lot of sound.
• Make a hole in walls, floors and ceilings too.

4. LISTENING WITH YOUR DRONE

The Problem:

Sometimes you are not close enough to an enemy or the objective to hear what is going on, this is when your drone can come in handy. Using just the drone's camera means you have to be within visual range of an enemy to gain intel, this puts your drone in a vunerable position.

How Listening With Your Drone Solves The Problem:

• Your drone can be used as a microphone too, you can hear movement and equipment with it.
• Your drone doesn't need to be in a dangerous range to be useful.

How To Listen With Your Drone:

• Place your drone near a door, window or any holes that will allow audio to travel through. Listen for footsteps or the movement of clothing, gather intel before you attack.
• When the round begins when trying to locate the objective, listen for the sound of barricades being placed. Use those sounds to navigate your way through the map to your objective

3. LISTENING FOR DROPS

The Problem:

When a character drops from a height they will make a loud "drop" sound. This boomy thud can give away your attack from above.

How Listening For Drops Solves The Problem:

• These drops are very useful clues when there are open trap doors or for listening to attackers dismounting a rappel.

How To Listen For Drops:

• If an enemy is dismounting their rappel they are extremely vulnerable, this is a perfect time to jump outside and engage.
• There are Drops even when falling from a small height such as a tabletop or steps. Be aware of this as it can give away your position.

2. UNDERSTANDING SIEGE'S VERTICAL AUDIO

The Problem:

Siege's audio takes the shortest possible path from its source to you (through doorways, holes in walls, windows, etc.) and with vertical audio the same stands. If you hear someone outside a door or window but can not see them, the sound might be coming from upstairs. Because you are not in the players sphere of influence then you wont hear them above you. However

How Understanding Siege's Vertical Audio Solves The Problem:

• In R6's vertical audio there exists a "sphere of influence". This is when a player moves around in a room above you and you approach a certain distance from that player, you begin to hear a muffled version of the sounds they are making.
• When inside the player's sphere of influence you will hear the audio both above you and coming through the nearest hole that allows it to. This can confuse some beginners as they might think the enemy is outside rather than upstairs.

How To Understand Siege's Vertical Audio:

• Audio will always take the shortest path from the source to the listener.
• There is a sphere of influence that actives the sound of the players above you when you cross its threshold.
• Go into a custom game and ask a friend to simulate the sound of moving in a room above you, then move around in the room below and learn what to listen for.

1. BAIT YOUR ENEMIES

The Problem:

Moving around and using equipment can make a lot of noise and can give your opponents audio clues about your location and tactics. Noisey players are hunted down by anyone with a decent set of headphones.

How Baiting Your Enemies Solves The Problem:

• You can trick your enemies into thinking you are using equipment when you are not.
• You can draw attention away from your teammates and objectives.

How To Bait Your Enemies:

• Break holes into walls or barriers and then move into a new position.
• Throw out your drone but do not deploy your camera straight away (set drone deployment settings to advanced). Keep your primary weapon out and strike the enemy who thought they could ambush you whilst you were busy.
• Detonate a breaching charge to draw a players attention and then breach or switch position.
• Set some noisey equipment somewhere that will distract attackers or fool them into thinking you are defending a room when in fact you are now above them with a perfect shot.
• If you are a heavy armoured character, by using your noisey movements you can draw a lot of attention.

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