Copyright: Copyright © 1998-2001. Creative Technology Ltd.   Creative Sound Blaster AudioPCI Help - Version 1.0
Citation: Copyright © 1998-2001. Creative Technology Ltd.


What is Sound Blaster PCI Compact?

The new Sound Blaster PCI Compact card uses breakthrough technology, which takes full advantage of the PCI bus architecture while maintaining compatibility with older legacy software.

Legacy game compatibility was originally a problem when considering a PCI-based audio card since existing software and games for the personal computer had been designed to run on ISA-based audio cards. To function properly, ISA cards must write directly to the inherently slow ISA Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller. These signals are not present in the PCI bus. Sound Blaster PCI Compact, thus, allows legacy software to function as if the ISA signals are present, while using the faster speed of the PCI bus.


Why PCI?

The PCI bus is far superior to the ISA bus. It is capable of transferring data on a wider 32-bit bandwidth bus. This allows much more data to pass from the PCI bus to the host processor. The ISA bus is only capable of 16-bit bandwidth transfers. Using the PCI bus will allow a 4-to-20 times increase in speed over much slower DMA transfers on the ISA bus. This drastically reduces the overhead on the host CPU. This tremendous processing power opens up new possibilities for audio cards. Real-time software-based audio fields are now possible without slowing down the host CPU.


Sound Blaster PCI Compact's Main Features

Besides the installation software, configuration utilities, device drivers and initialization utilities, Sound Blaster PCI Compact includes:

Synthesizer

Provides up to 128 voices of wavetable synthesis.

Includes 2 MB, 4 MB and 8 MB General MIDI/ Roland MT-32 sound sets as well as AdLib/ SoundBlaster 16 (with OPL2) FM synthesizer emulation.

Because of the high data transfer rates that the PCI bus will allow, Sound Blaster PCI Compact is able to use a flexible method of storing and accessing wavetable sounds. All 128 General MIDI instrument sounds are stored on the computer hard drive and accessed using the computer's on-board RAM. This technology allows for expandable sound sets.

Digital Audio

Allows the recording of CD-quality stereo sound (up to 16 bits, 48.0 KHz sampling rate) from TV Tuner, CD and Line In Inputs as well as from the internal synthesizer.

Allows the recording of mono sound from the Mic Input and optional 20 dB boost.

Allows the recording of mono sound from the TAD Input/Output.

Enables playback of stereo wave samples of 8 or 16 bit sound.

Enables playback of standard computer wave files.

MIDI

Enables playback of standard computer MIDI files (i.e., .MID, .ROL, etc.) using the on-board synthesizer.

Creative Mixer

Allows synthesizer and digital audio output to be mixed with signals arriving at the card's CD, TV Tuner, Mic and TAD Inputs.


Configuring Sound Blaster PCI Compact

To configure Sound Blaster PCI Compact, you need to go to the Sound Blaster AudioPCI Properties dialog box.

In Windows 2000/Millennium Edition/XP

1	Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel.

2	Double-click the System icon.

3	Click the Device Manager button.

4	Click Sound, video and game controllers, and then double-click Creative SB AudioPCI (WDM).

In Windows NT 4.0

1	Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel.

2	Double-click the Multimedia icon.

3	Click the Devices tab.

4	Click Audio Devices, and then double-click Audio for Sound Blaster AudioPCI.


MIDI Synthesizer Waveset

The Sound Blaster PCI Compact Driver window provides a section where you can select a wavetable instrument set to be used by the Sound Blaster PCI Compact. It is likely that new wavesets will be available in the future, so an Add Waveset button is included. Generally, the larger the waveset the better the sound.

To select from existing wavesets

1	In the Sound Blaster AudioPCI Properties dialog box, click Settings.

2	Click the box in the MIDI Synthesizer Waveset or Synth Wave File section and then select the waveset you want.

3	Click the OK button.

To load a new waveset

1	In the Sound Blaster AudioPCI Properties dialog box, click Settings.

2	Click the Add Waveset button in the MIDI Synthesizer Waveset or Synth Wave File section.

3	In the next dialog box, select the new waveset file (.ECW) and then click the Open button.
The .ECW file will be copied to the Windows system folder.

4	Click the box in the MIDI Synthesizer Waveset or Synth Wave File section and then select the new waveset.

5	Click the OK button.


Output Mode

Sound Blaster PCI Compact lets you select whether the Line Out jack will send out signals in analog or digital format.

To select the output mode

1	In the Sound Blaster AudioPCI Properties dialog box, click Settings.

2	Click the Output Mode box and then select the type of signal the Line Out jack will send out.

When Autosense is selected, Line Out will automatically detect whether the jack plugged in is in SPDIF or Analog Stereo format.

When Analog is selected, the audio output will be in analog format.

When Digital is selected, the audio output will be in digital format. (This is available only for some audio cards).


SPDIF Output

(SPDIF Output selection is only valid in Digital Output Mode in Windows NT 4.0. Some audio cards may not support Digital Output Mode.)

If you select Digital under Output Mode, you can specify whether you want to hear digital audio sources only, or both analog and digital audio sources from the SPDIF Output (which is the Line Out jack in Digital Output Mode)

To specify the SPDIF Output

1	In the Sound Blaster AudioPCI Properties dialog box, click Settings.

2	Click the SPDIF Output box and then select the type of SPDIF Output you want.

Select Digital Sources Only if you want to hear playback of only digital sources (for example, MIDI and .WAV files). This way, you will not hear any of the external analog input sources (for example, Microphone, TV Tuner and CD Audio).

Select Analog and Digital Sources when you want to hear digital playback of both analog and digital sources.

Notes

SPDIF Output is only applicable to 2-speaker setups.

In Digital Output Mode, the 3D Test in the Creative PCI Audio Configuration Utility is only applicable for 2-speaker setups.


Performance

The Performance tab shows the audio playback setting.

To change the audio playback setting

(In Windows 2000/Millennium Edition/XP)

1	Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel.

2	Double-click the Sounds and Multimedia or Sounds and Audio Devices icon.
A dialog box appears.

3	Click the Audio tab, and then click the Advanced button.

4	On the Advanced Audio Properties dialog box, click the Performance tab.

5	Drag the sliders of the settings that you want to adjust until you get the result you want.

6	Click the OK button.

Notes

This feature is not supported in Windows NT 4.0.

Unless you experience poor system performance in games, always adjust the sample rate conversion quality to Best.

Click the Restore Defaults button to go back to the original performance settings.

Tips

For EAX effects, adjust the hardware acceleration to Full.

For 3D effects, adjust the hardware acceleration to 2/3 of the highest setting.

For 2D effects, adjust the hardware acceleration to 1/3 of the highest setting.

For Desktop Stereo effects, adjust the hardware acceleration to None.