High-End Audio: Creative and Terratec

Creative's Drivers: Finding The Right Slot

The possibilities offered by the Creative drivers are particularly extensive. However, they are sometimes difficult to spot. Creative is in the habit of supplying multiple software modules and finding the one that offers the required function can become something of a game of hide-and-seek.

A central management system interface would be a welcome addition. For example, to activate the automatic headphone detection to eliminate sound from the speakers requires finding "Audio HQ" in the Windows configuration panel, then to "Peripheral controls." This function should be available in the speaker configuration management system.

We won't repeat the details of these drivers, as they are now well known, but we can hope that, in the case of certain functions, the user interface might be improved.

A graphic interface would have been a big step forward, for example. The fact remains, nevertheless, that the range of possibilities offered by the Audigy 2 processor is impressive and offers interesting functions, such as controlling the speed of the player from 50% to 200%, source fault corrections, and various other features.

For music applications, the use of ASIO (Audio Streaming Input-Output) drivers is a popular way to managing audio streams, created by the software publisher Steinberg. The drivers offer a weaker latency compared to traditional Windows drivers. These drivers are thus largely used with music software.

The ASIO 2 drivers come with the Platinum EX and allow Direct Monitoring as well as six channels recording at 24 bits/96 kHz. However, direct control of 41.1 kHz is still not possible.

The card works at 48kHz, which is definitely an inconvenience. Platinum retains the ASIO 1 drivers that only work at 16 bits / 48kHz. This may be adequate for most users, but if the manufacturers can sweat the difficult stuff then they could just as easily get the less-advanced features right as well.