Big Sound, Low Price: Creative Audigy

The Connections

There are a host of inputs and outputs to be found just on the PCI card itself. All the audio connections use mini jacks, a question both of space and of tradition. There is a first stereo audio output which provides either a digital multichannel AC3, meant for an external Dolby 5.1 decoder (amp or digital active speakers), or an analog stereo signal, as desired. For musicians, this corresponds to two separate audio outputs, and for clued-up cinephiles to the central channel (speech) and the sub-channel (sub-bass) of a Home Cinema system. Just below this there is a first stereo line level input able to take many devices: tape recorder, radio, external CD player, MiniDisc, etc.. Following this, there is a good quality microphone input that can take dynamic vocal mikes or a guitar pick-up. Then you will find two analog stereo line outputs. The first one can be slightly amplified to take a headset or small, passive multimedia loudspeakers. Finally, at the bottom of the card there is a FireWire connector that can take digital cameras, hard discs and other high-speed devices of the IEEE 1394 norm. The Audigy card alone thus provides six outputs for analog sound and one digital multichannel output.

With the Player / X-Gamer and Platinum versions, it is possible to connect MIDI/joystick via a "bracket" card and a cable. It is also possible to connect three analog audio inputs of the CD-ROM type internally (using Molex connectors), as well as a digital CD input.

For the eX version, you have a supplementary card to which a two-meter cable can be connected to allow the rack provided and the joystick connection to be placed at a distance. There is also a socket for the transfer of FireWire to the rack. But that's not all: for its functions the little, secondary "bracket" card has an internal ribbon cable, a FireWire connecting cable and an electric power supply suitable for a disc drive. All these connections make fitting and installing the Platinum eX card a little complicated, even with a diagram in front of you. Be careful, particularly with the ribbon cables.