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March 2000
Windows 2000 Driver Poll I've just updated the poll to find out how bad is the Windows 2000 driver issue. >>
Many people are having trouble with the official Windows 2000 drivers, and there's much frustration in the forums, with many subject headings and posting containing profanities. It isn't a funny when Windows 2000, known for being rather stable, blue screens when installing a "final release" driver. Creative hasn't been too helpful either. Of the postings I read, those who called them got stupid responses. For those who were lucky, things worked fine. For those who weren't so lucky, they had to reinstall Windows 2000 (not a fun process). It seems that the drivers had a higher chance of working if it is installed on a clean, newly installed Windows 2000. It seems that some systems which had the hacked Dell drivers installed previously also worked when the drivers were overwritten by the installation of the official drivers. I've added two postings to the tech info section:
If you have managed to work around this problem, do send them to me so that I can put them up for others to try.
The AGN Hardware Show has video reviews of the Videologic's DigiTheatre 5.1 Dolby Digital Home Theater and Sirocco Crossfire 4.1 speakers.
Aureal Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: AURL), a leader in digital audio imaging, today announced the resignation of all of its executive officers, including its President and CEO, Kip Kokinakis, its Chief Technical Officer, Scott Foster, its Chief Financial Officer, David Domeier, and its Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Brendan O'Flaherty, along with all senior staff members of Aureal. The Board of Aureal stated that it is seeking replacement or turnaround management and is considering all necessary actions to either sell the Company or its assets or wind down the Company. [Press Release] (Source: 3DsoundSurge)
Saw over at 3DsoundSurge that Aureal is in financial trouble. The company posted a net loss of $9.5 million for 4Q 1999, though sales remaind strong. They also attributed this partly to "distractions" from Creative's lawsuits. Take a look at this snippet from the press release: "Unfortunately, even when you're right and you win in court, it can have a huge impact on your business," said David Domeier, Senior VP Finance and CFO of Aureal. "We can't measure the impact of the trial process and attendant market disruption on our sales for the quarter or the year, but we know the customers were confused by what was going on. We lost sales and incurred substantial costs in preparing for and fighting the case in court." "Our financial resources are severely stretched to the point that we must seek an immediate capital infusion to continue our business," continued Kokinakis. To that end, we have held discussions with multiple parties regarding a potential sale of our company or a significant capital infusion. Such discussions are continuing at this time, but there is no assurance that we will complete a transaction. Our largest shareholder has stepped in to provide interim funding through its acquisition from our prior lenders of, and funding under, our existing credit facility, although there is no assurance that this will continue." Sigh... no more competition for Creative? Aureal is an innovator in the 3D sound market. It'll be a loss to the industry if they just wind up like that. Maybe Creative is in talks to acquire Aureal? Who knows?
Shares of Creative's parent company in the Singapore Exchange (SGX) rose 5.3%, where analysts believe that the "sound card business has stabilized and its Internet ventures will start to pay off." Check out this news article at CNET Singapore.
It seems like some of you out there are having problems installing
the latest drivers, while for many, they work fine. The unfortunate ones got
the worst treatment - a horrible blue screen and Windows 2000 refusing to boot.
If you got any solutions to this problem or tips on how you manage to get yours
to work, drop us a mail. We'll be compiling a comprehensive
list of solutions for reference.
Looking to upgrade the MIDI sound quality of your SBLive! card? The Utopia Live! General MIDI SoundFont may be your solution. Take a look at our review of Utopia Live!, which covers several basic MIDI issues, and also takes a look at the complexity in creating SoundFonts.
We've also done an interview with Roel de Wit from Utopia Sound Division, the authors of the SoundFont. In the interview, he covers many interesting issues like SoundFont creation, the EMU10K1, and Vienna.
Mark over at 3DsoundSurge informs me that they have put up a review of Creative's 2-channel speakers with S/PDIF digital input. What's interesting to note is that the subwoofer performs much better than the FPS2000 and DTT2500.
Finally they are released, but they're pretty limited in features. For more info, check our download section. Or go straight to The Win2000 Live!Ware page at soundblaster.com to download them. Of course, do let us know how they perform and what else you would like to see so that we can add your comments to the wish list.
DataOrb informs us that the sblive web site is updated. This goes in line with Creative's plans to increase their presence on the Internet. As a result, sblive.com is collapsed into a generic Sound Blaster site supporting all Sound Blaster models and users. What do you think? Let us know. [New Sound Blaster official site]
FRiC reports that he managed to get a CT4830 card with CD_S/PDIF input: Just to let you know that there's a new CT4830 card that does have the CD_S/PDIF jack. I replaced my original CT4830 card with one of these new ones, and I immediately got a "CD Digital" option in my mixer.
Tom sent me the following mail: I have a new SBLive! platinum which came with Liveware 3. I bought the card primarily for home music production. Amazingly, you cannot adjust reverb for individual MIDI instruments with Liveware 3. I contacted Creative about this and they told me to get a copy of Liveware 2 to fix the problem. They reffered me to your web site, however Liveware 2 does not seem to be available on your web site anymore. Would you please make it available again, or can you refer me to another site that offers Liveware 2? If you know any place that still has a copy of Live!Ware 2, drop me a mail.
Also from 3DAI, I found out that Creative will be releasing Eagle 3D, a EAX modelling tool geared towards developers to enable them to create 3D audio models and data sets. Check out this piece of news from Avault.
Saw over at 3DAI that PlanetHardware has a speaker shootout between the Altec Lansing ADA880R, the Cambridge Soundworks DTT2500 Digital and the Klipsch ProMedia v.2-400.
We have a new review! This time round, we take a look at the Cambridge SoundWorks DTT2500 speaker system, which is a 5.1 speaker system with built in Dolby Digital decoding for watching DVDs! Do send us your own reviews too.
[Cambridge SoundWorks DTT2500 Review]
We have got a new copy of the APS rewiring article from the author. There's some new info like building an ADC using Crystal chips.
This is a press release by Cambridge SoundWorks found on 3D SoundSurge. It tells us of the new In-Wall speaker line, the next "in" thing coming up, by Cambridge SoundWorks. Check it out! The new Ambiance models feature a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter, mounted in an ``eyeball'' mechanism, to help optimize stereo imaging and coverage. Each system also relies on a high quality, low-frequency driver (5-1/4-inch in the Ambiance 52; 6-1/2-inch and 8-inch in the Ambiance 62 and 82 respectively) that utilizes an environmentally stable, low-mass injection-molded cone and high-strength rubber surround within a mechanically stable, corrosion- resistant frame. A two-position tweeter-level switch allows owners to contour response according to room acoustics, speaker placement, or system use and individual preference. A solid-state, auto-resetting tweeter-protection circuit provides security against accidental overdrive or excess power.
DigitalClips wrote up a review on the Samsung Yepp MP3 Player. Want to know how it fares against its competitors? Read the review!
Using the player is every bit as easy as it should be. After using it for a week or two, I found that I could control the player blind, without taking it out of my pocket. Which brings me to an area where practically every past and current MP3 player suffers: remote controls. Why don’t any of these manufacturers make remote controls so we can operate the player when is it in our pockets? My guess is that they must think the player is so well built, that this is not needed.
TargetPC reviewed the MidiLand S4 4060 4-Piece Speaker System recently. Looking for a 2 speaker solution for your PC? Take a look at this setup.
Definitely not the new kid on the block, MidiLand has been manufacturing computer speakers since 1990. The S series, while not new, has a most welcome recent addition: The S4 4060. Actually a 3-piece rig, the fourth piece isn't a speaker but rather a control module; a module that is usually included in systems costing several times the $99 asking price. While most speaker makers continue with the tried and true "off white" coloring scheme, MidiLand stuck their collective necks out--way out, and produced a strikingly good two-tone design. Whether you appreciate the dramatically improved sound over the MLi series or not, this S4 setup will make a very bold statement even in the off mode. Thanks to MidiLand for providing the review sample.
The TechZone churned out a review on the S4 MidiLand 7100 speaker system. And before you say that you've seen it before, this one is different, so take another look. :>
With the system all setup I fired up a game of UT and let it rip. All I can say is WOW! The A3D sound of UT was taken to a level I've never heard before. While Aureal claim A3D sound can be done with two speakers, it takes on a new dimension when rear speaker are put into the mix. I was literally surrounded with sound. A rocket that missed me and blew passed my right ear came off with such realism it made me shake. When running away from an enemy you can hear their footsteps chasing behind you. It's enough to produce sensory overload on a big map with a lot of players. The S4 MidiLand 7100 took UT and Quake 3A to a new level. Going back to just plain stereo is no longer an option after a close encounter with true surround sound.
3D SoundSurge reviews both the Creative Sound Blaster Live!Drive I and II in one article. Whats the difference? Take a look at the photos! Even better, read the review!
With the launch of the Platinum Creative introduced the Live!Drive that in addition to digital in/out allows easy front panel access to several of the in/out functions of the card including volume control for the headphone and microphone jack and MIDI. The connections are easy to access because Creative has placed them on the front of a box that is the same size as a standard 5 ¼" drive. This box as you would expect then fits perfectly into any available 5 ¼" drive bay, hence the name Live!Drive.
More speaker reviews? Check out the one on the AVB Sonix S-2000 Flat Panel Speaker System written by 3D SoundSurge recently. This is a US$84.95 set of flat panel speakers with a subwoofer. Looks good? Take a look at the review!
For around the same or slightly more money you can certainly get cone based speaker systems in both two and four speaker models that are of equal or better quality as the S-2000. This would include the systems that I have mentioned through this review and others such as the new $99 Cambridge Soundworks Digital 2.1 system. However, if you are among the people who like the idea of flat panel speakers because of either the look, the wider than average sound field, or both, then you will find it hard to find a better performing flat panel system for under $100. At this stage we can’t say that its the best sub $100 flat panel system as we have yet to test Monsoon’s new MH-500 system but compared to the $100 and lower price range existing NXT and SLAB based systems all fall behind the S2-000 because of AVB’s better subwoofer. Add the nice wired remote that has power, volume and bass controls and you have a pretty nice package for $89.
3D Hardware published an interesting review of a lesser-seen set of Gallant Computer OdysseySound4 Four Point Surround Combo speaker system and sound card set. The picture below looks like something that fell from outer space! How good are the speakers in this combo? Let's see the review!
Have you ever heard of axiom of creative combination? It’s an axiom that exists in every science, unspoken of, but present. In the science of computer product development it’s the key to success, defying the laws of arithmetic, because when 1+1=3, new markets can be created, and more money can be made.
Sound & Vision Online featured an article called the Multimedia Speaker Showdown, where they compared speakers of various brands, price, and quality. A must-read for all multimedia enthusiasts!
Using a 300-MHz Pentium PC as the host, I connected each of the speaker systems in turn. In all but three cases I made the connection using the analog outputs on my Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! sound card. I was careful to adjust the source level at my computer to make sure the downstream amplifiers were not overloaded. I used a standard S/PDIF digital audio connection (carrying Dolby Digital data) for the Cambridge SoundWorks and Altec Lansing systems and the nifty USB (universal serial bus) connection for the Philips system. I followed each manufacturer’s recommendations as closely as possible to get optimal performance.
T-break reviewed the Creative Nomad II recently. If you loved the Nomad I, why not consider getting yourself the Nomad II? Take a look at this review to see whether you should get it!
Calling Nomad II an MP3 player would be like calling the PC a games machine. Sure you can play games on the PC but that’s not the only thing you can do on it. Similarly the Nomad II is much more than an MP3 player. It can tune into your favorite FM station or take voice notes. And currently, it’s also the only player that can upgrade itself to support future audio formats making it nearly obsolete-free! That alone puts the Nomad II above all other MP3 player, but along with USB functions, an easy-to-use GUI and a great software bundle Nomad II is way ahead of its competition.
Ars Technica has a write-up which compares some of the popular MP3 Encoders in the market, to see if their end-products sound any different. Do you want to know? Read it to find out! Do MP3 encoders affect final sound quality? Yes, they do. Not only do compressed samples from different encoders sound different, they measure differently as well. How can this be, considering that MP3 is an encoding standard? While you might expect different players to decode MP3s differently, you might be surprised to learn that encoding can make just as much difference.
AnandTech has posted a review of the Best Data CABO MP3 Player. Everyone wants a MP3 player to add to their music player collection. But is this the one you want? It comes in a transparent blue casing, which is hip and appeals to teens. Take a look!
The CABO comes with 64MB of built-in memory which is expandable to 96MB with an additional SmartMedia RAM card. SmartMedia memory cards are quite small and thin and offer flexibility when it comes to usage with other computer peripherals including digital cameras. Having 64MB of memory sets this player apart from most since players such as the Pine D’Music player, which comes with only 32MB of onboard memory. Having the 64MB of onboard memory simply offers more storage space for more music. This amount of storage space allows you to hold approximately 64 minutes of music at a bitrate level of 128kbps. However, more music can be stored at lower bitrates though the tradeoff is a decrease in sound quality.
Penstar Systems has posted a review on the Cambridge Soundworks DeskTop Theater 5.1 speaker system. They say that if you've seen one review, you've seen 'em all. But take a look at this review, because its worth it!
The DTT2500's are not your average surround sound PC speakers. While other manufacturers try to do surround sound, only a few have an actual Dolby Digital decoder with the speakers. Many of these other products use the soundcard to support Dolby Digital, and some of them use hardware hacks to give the impression of surround sound (eg. cheap chips in the speakers to give the impression of dolby digital or 3D sound). Many of these solutions are not up to par with the DTT2500's. The DTT’s are one of the few speaker systems out there that have a break-out box that houses the amplifier, decoding hardware, and speaker controls. This decoder/amplifier is not an unattractive piece, and by being separate from the speakers it allows more freedom of use for speaker placement. Also it allows the controls to be full size and easy and intuitive to use. Other systems integrate the controls on one of the main speakers or the subwoofer, which then dictates placement for the speakers or will pain you a great deal to adjust the sound.
By now, I'm sure we all have heard of the 1Ghz PC. But did you hear that Creative is going to bundle their products in the spanking new HP Pavilion series 1Ghz PC? Yahoo! Business has posted a press release from Creative Technology of this news. Hooray for Creative! MILPITAS, Calif., March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Technology Ltd. (Nasdaq: CREAF - news), the leading provider of multimedia and personal digital entertainment Internet solutions, today announced that it will provide Hewlett-Packard Company with the Creative Sound Blaster® Live!(TM) and the 3D Blaster® Annihilator(TM) Pro with DDR memory for the HP Pavilion 1G PC.
Yes, we all know about the OpenGL graphics platform. What about OpenAL? Have you ever heard of it? Visit the official OpenAL site to find out more about it, and what to expect when the platform hits the market later this year. OpenAL is a mid-level library meant to sit on top of a hardware vendors existing low-level libraries, in much the same way that Mesa sits on top of Glide for 3DFX hardware. Initially we have focused on fulfilling the goals set out in the IASIG Level 1 guidelines -- providing distance-based attenutation, panning based on position, doppler, and sound radiation. A specification for environmental reverb has been established in accordance with IASIG Level 2 guidelines, and work is being done currently to support streaming buffers.
We found a review on the MidiLand S4/7100 Speaker System posted on HardwareCentral. Would you pay US$199 for the MidiLand system? Check out the review and see if it convinces you.
The completeness of the package is very impressive. In the S4/7100, MidiLand has a very well thought-out package, right down to the gold plated connectors, extra-length speaker wires and versatile control module. Furthermore, the quality of the product is second to none. MidiLand has always been known for producing quality products and standing behind them, and the S4/7100s are no exception. The system is very versatile both in function and design. The RCA inputs make this system extremely easy to customize and to use with other audio components. The design is both functional and ergonomic, allowing users to select between different desktop angles or even wall-mount brackets while maintaining an elegant and stylish appearance.
Paul McKnight from Really Effective Software wrote to inform me that Sound Control Plus has a new beta out. For those of you who have been using the freeware program in Windows 95/98 and were dissapointed that it didn't support Windows 2000 shouldn't miss it anymore because they have added Windows 2000 and Windows Millennium (Windows Me) support in this release. Sound Control Plus is a freeware replacement Windows Sound Mixer applet which together with most of the features of the standard Windows mixer it also allows you to add hot keys to adjust any combination of your sound mixer volumes. Support to control Winamp with a series of hot keys and an On Screen Display is also included. Supports Windows 95 / 98 / NT4 / 2000 and Millennium-Me. See homepage for a full list of features and license. Download Sound Control Plus v1.50 (BETA) : [From our Site] [From the Author]
Julian from IT Network wrote to tell me news that he has found some Windows 2000 Liveware! 2.2 drivers from Creative. They are not verified by Creative though, but if you want to try them out, click on the link below. Download : [Liveware! 2.2 drivers] - Dead link
Burt wrote to tell me that GamePC has posted an Audio Card Guide which compares between the major audio cards and PC audio technology in the market. Check out the different technologies! Choosing an audio card can be the same sort of dilemma as video cards for some buyers, especially given the large amount choices that are currently on the market. With the move to the PCI bus, audio cards far more flexible than simply an input and output device for analog signals. While audio may be an afterthought for some buyers, gamers will find that a quality audio solution will enhance the gaming experience, as well as keep off the inevitable upgrade for a few extra months (maybe even a year).
Julian from IT Network wrote to tell me news that Dell has some updates for the SoundBlaster Liveware! 3.0 OEM drivers. Download from our Site : [Keytar] [Rhythmia] [EAX] Download from schiphol.simplenet.com : [Keytar] [Rhythmia] [EAX]
Some of you might still be looking for the Live! Drive. Try the Creative BlasterShop, that's where I found it on sale. If you're in Singapore, or really can't find it there, try the Creative BlasterShop (Singapore Link).
Connectivity upgrade option for Sound Blaster Live! owners. Live! Drive makes it really easy for connection to different types of analog and digital devices. It fits exactly into the standard 5 1/4" drive bay of your PC, so you no longer have to struggle with connections at the back. Allows connection to consumer electronic equipment, microphones, headphones, MiniDisc and DAT players, musical instruments such as MIDI keyboard and guitars. Price : S$ 243.00 (before GST)
Dolby Digital. That's the way to go. And with speakers like the Videologic DigiTheatre Dolby Digital Speaker System, you're already on your way to a whole new world of PC sounds. AGN Hardware wrote up on this set of speakers, which simply rocks.
Videologic is aggressively pursuing the home user\PC market. So far, it has introduced a four-point system, (Sirocco Crossfires), the excellent Sirocco Spirits, the high-end Sirocco Pro system, and the original Siroccos. With prices ranging from $200 all the way to $900, you do have some choice. The DigiTheatre system will set you back $400, but it does its job extremely well. Its Dolby Digital decoding is excellent, the speakers as a whole deliver an impressive sound quality, as long as you don't push them to their limits. It also serves as an excellent gaming sound system, being able to reproduce the sounds coming from the front speakers to the rear channels.
You can never read enough reviews on the VideoLogic Sirocco Crossfire 4.1 Speaker System. On saturday, Sharky Extreme just wrote another one of these reviews.
We found the Sirocco Crossfire system to be the best sounding PC targeted speaker setup we've ever heard. It excelled no matter what type of audio was being played, including MP3s, CDs (via CD-ROM), DVDs (via DVD-ROM), and wave files. The bass response was impressive, enough to rattle nearby windows, while the treble and midrange representation was sharp and precise at all times. The depth of the music took on new levels as orchestral pieces seemed to place the listener in the actual audience, while the overall bass/midrange/treble presence handled punishing hip-hop tracks from Busta Rhymes and Dr. Dre without a problem.
We found a review on the Midiland 7100 Speakers written at Gamers Depot. And everything they say seems to point that the bass kicks ass. Want something that booms out your favourite bass? Then get these speakers!
I look down and – BOOOYAH - my shoelaces are actually moving to a Chemical Brothers bass track. Most everything about this $200 or so MidiLand 7100 system screams old school. You know, your parents old Bose subs and tweets that you could crank and crank, and crank some more without blowing – old school.
Speedy3D wrote a review on the AVB Sonix S-2000 Flat Panel Speakers. Still thinking of getting a set of flat panel speakers for your PC? Then this article is for you.
Overall these are decent speakers, but they are space savers, which is very important to many people today and this makes up for the power that they lack. The price makes them affordable to all most anyone and with their size you can fit them almost anywhere.
We found a CD Reader Plugin at Copah's Project Page that supports the 3 most popular MP3 players (WinAMP, Sonique, and Apollo). Want to know why its better than the standard CD Plugin or Windows CD Player? This is what the author had to say. Here is why:
1. Improved read quality, much closer to 100%. About 1st clause. All players play CDs by reading data sectors once, one by one, continuously. No any reread on defect sectors occurs. This caused by many reasons. Method of playing CDs was born when maximum available reading speed was 1x. It's a very hard to find CDDA sector to reread it, because of poor CDDA navigation system (original guaranteed precision is about 0.5 sec). Computer program using good 6x CD drive can eliminate these obstacles. So, read quality can approach to 100%. You can ask: "How about my Data-CDs? It's all read fine on my CD-ROM. And how CD-ROM reread sectors on my Data-CDs?" That's true. But thanks to improved navigation system and additional error correction layer. Difference is huge, here is about 100Mb of efficient data payoff. Download CD Reader Plugin for : [WinAMP] [Sonique] [Apollo] from our Site Download CD Reader Plugin for : [WinAMP] [Sonique] [Apollo] from www.url.ru
3DSoundSurge posted a review of the WaveSurround WinAmp Audio DSP Plugin. What is it all about? This plugin was built to "set the standard for the most convincing 3D audio experience.", and can be found at the Wave Arts home page.
In a typical Winamp listening environment, stereo MP3 files are played back through two speakers placed on either side of the computer monitor. Because the speakers are so close the virtual soundstage is really limited to the space between the two speakers, which really limits the listeners ability to immerse themselves in the music. What the WaveSurround plugin is designed to do is remove the limitation of poor speaker placement by using signal processing technology that gamers will be at least somewhat familiar with to synthesize "virtual" loudspeakers that can be positioned anywhere around the listener.
Some of you who have been visiting our site regularly, but haven't seen any updates recently, may be wondering if we're dead. No, we're not dead. Having just received my Windows 2000 with my MSDN subscription, I hurried to install it to see if it was as good as it claims. Well, it works a lot faster than my Windows 98SE, but I managed to get 2 blue-screen crashes within the same day, and when I found that it didn't support the IrCOMM protocol that I need, I promptly uninstalled it and reinstalled my 98SE. And since Win2K doesn't have a proper uninstallation procedure, I had to format my harddrive before I could install 98SE without having to boot up with the WinNT Boot Manager. The Singapore Windows 2000 product launch is tomorrow (2 March 2000) and I think I'll drop by to take a look, and bug them about the IrCOMM thingy. Anyway, just to let you know, we're baaaaack!! :)
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