Creative Software Boosts On-Board Audio to Hi-Fi
Creative's software suite enhances the sound of any on-board audio system.
Thursday Creative Technology Ltd. revealed a new version of its X-Fi MB software suite. Called Sound Blaster X-Fi MB2, the software is claimed to enhance the sound of any basic on-board sound system by combining THX TruStudio Pro and Creative's own EAX Advanced HD 5.0. The end result supposedly offers premium audio, whether it's during HD video playback or while fragging with the latest shooter.
According to the company, ASUS will be the first manufacturer to incorporate the suite, bundling it with the Republic of Gamers Rampage III Formula and Gene series of motherboards. "Our partnership will continue to push the boundaries of PC gaming audio, providing the much-needed realism and immersion in game-play that modern PC games demand," said Steve Erickson, Vice President and General Manager for Audio and Video at Creative.
The new suite will come with native OpenAL support, a tool called Creative ALchemy that restores EAX effects and 3D surround audio for legacy, DirectSound 3D game titles in Windows Vista and Windows 7, and VoiceFX technology for morphing user voices. EAX Advanced HD 5.0 will feature multi-environment rendering and reverb modeling, whereas TruStudio Pro will add punch to every gunshot, explosion and gaming sound.
Additionally, the TruStudio Pro suite features THX TruStudio Pro Surround, THX TruStudio Pro Crystalizer, THX TruStudio Pro Speaker, THX TruStudio Pro Dialog Plus and THX TruStudio Pro Smart Volume. Other features found in Creative's EAX Advanced HD 5.0 include EAX Voice, EAX PurePath and EAX MacroFX.
Despite this however, there's still no getting around the fact that most if not all onboard motherboard audio solutions are comprised of very low cost audio components. From cheap integrated DACs, to cheap DSPs, you just can't get aorund those things.
This is true. There's only so much that software emulation and programming can do.
However, given Creative's track record in regards to support and updates, you're probably better off purchasing a motherboard with a Realtek chipset and Dolby Home Theater. You get all the same features (minus EAX5,) but support is much better. Realtek releases new drivers approximately once a month. When I reported a bug, I received a prompt reply, and the bug was fixed in the next release.
This is true. There's only so much that software emulation and programming can do.
However, given Creative's track record in regards to support and updates, you're probably better off purchasing a motherboard with a Realtek chipset and Dolby Home Theater. You get all the same features (minus EAX5,) but support is much better. Realtek releases new drivers approximately once a month. When I reported a bug, I received a prompt reply, and the bug was fixed in the next release.
but it is nice of them to restore old game's sound. wtf MS?? why did you break everything with vista? audio? openGL? wtf?
Somehow I doubt your using Windows 7 AND Direct Sound. Or did Microsoft add that back in after they did not put it in Vista? I remember thats where the drivers for my Audigy and my X-Fi really took a nose dive (thankfully they have gotten a lot better over time now)
I had the same problem then i realised that the driver itself is missing one important component which you`ll have to download separately from their site. It`s called Creative Console Launcher and it looks like this:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/2971/consolee.jpg
The only problem i see with realtek`s integrated solution is the lack of amplification on their soundcards ... i have a Logitech sound system and it doesn`t offer amplification for headphones and my Pioneer SE-M390 are too much for my realtek onboard so here i am on a Creative x-fi sound card. And yes driver support blows.
Yeah, but the computer business is incestuous. Sony and MS are rivals in the console market, but every Vaio PC has a copy of Windows, and Samsung makes their own line of MP3 players, but still sells memory to other manufacturers.