Audigy 2 And Audigy 2 Platinum
As usual, Creative Labs' Audigy 2 sound cards come in three versions:
Audigy 2:
The Audigy 2 is the basic offer. At $129, this card has the following connections:
- Mini-jack stereo analog outputs: front and surround;
- Mini-jack three-speaker analog outputs: center, subwoofer and center surround;
- 5.1-compatible S/ PDIF mini-jack output;
- Line-in;
- Microphone-in;
- SB1394 port;
- Internal Tad-in input;
- Internal CD-in input;
- 15-pin MIDI/ game port on internal bracket;
- SB1394/ FireWire connector;
- AD-EXT connector for extra internal rack.
The software package includes the following features:
- Creative Media Source;
- Audio Stream Recorder 2;
- Creative Diagnostic;
- Mini Disc Center;
- Creative Wave Studio;
- Speaker Calibrator;
- SoundFont Bank Manager;
- Surround Sound Mixer;
- Speaker Settings;
- Soldier Of Fortune II: Double Helix;
- Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.
Audigy 2 Platinum:
The Audigy 2 Platinum will cost $199. It has the Audigy 2 card and an internal 5.25" input/output rack to add the following connections:
- Second SB1394 port;
- Headphone output with volume control;
- Optical and coaxial S/ PDIF outputs;
- Optical and coaxial S/ PDIF inputs;
- RCA x2 analog input;
- Two-jack Microphone/ Line-in 2 input with gain control;
- MIDI-in and MIDI-out;
- Infrared port for IR remote control.
The software package is the same as for the Audigy 2, plus the following programs:
- Steinberg Cubasis VST;
- Native Instrument Traktor DJ;
- Ulead 5.0.
The internal 5.25" rack is connected via a ribbon cable (similar to an IDE cable) and another round cable for connecting the SB1394 port on the outside.
Audigy 2 Platinum eX:
The Audigy 2 Platinum eX uses the same system as the Audigy Platinum eX, meaning a card and an external rack, but it has some extra technical features that will interest music-makers, especially the fact that it alone supports the ASIO 2.0 standard, and so it can handle recording and processing in 24 bits/ 96 kHz with Cubase VST. The basic Audigy 2 and Platinum only have ASIO 1, so they are limited to 16 bits/ 48 kHz in this respect. What's more, the external rack has been completely redesigned and will look like the Extigy.
The Audigy 2 Platinum eX is due for release early in 2003.
