This is probably one of the most frequently asked questions among current Sound Blaster users. I mean, if you already own the Sound Blaster Live! Platinum 5.1, what more could you ask for right? Well, Creative has figured this out and the audio guys definitely know that in order to keep users excited about their next generation products, they will have to greatly 'value-add' the Audigy series of soundcards. Not only that, they will have to make this sound card so fantastic that non-Sound Blaster users will also want to hop onto the bandwagon. Here's a look at the specifications:
Creative Audigy Specifications Table
| 32-bit Professional Quality Effects Engine |
- Creative's Audigy
patented effects processor.
- Support for real-time
digital effects like reverb, chorus, normalizer, pitch shifter, or
distortion across any audio source.
- Capable of processing,
mixing and positioning audio streams using up to 131 available hardware
channels.
- Full 32-bit digital
mixer maintains all sound mixing in the digital domain, eliminating
noise from the signal.
- Customizable Plug-In
Effects Architecture allows new audio effects to be downloaded from the
Web via CreativeWare.
|
| High-definition Audio Quality |
- Playback
of 64 audio channels, each with its own independent sample
rate.
- 24-bit
Analog-to-Digital conversion of analog inputs at 48kHz sample
rate.
- 24-bit
Digital-to-Analog conversion of digital sources at 48kHz to analog 5.1
speaker output.
- 16-bit recording with
sampling rates of 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1 and
48kHz.
- Supports Sony/Philips
Digital Interface (SPDIF) format input signal of up to 24-bit/96kHz
quality.
- SPDIF output up
to 24-bit resolution at selectable sampling rate of 44.1, 48 or
96kHz.
- Low latency
multi-track recording with ASIO support.
- Recognizes
AES-EBU data format over SPDIF.
|
| EAX ADVANCED HD, Advanced Audio and 3D Audio Technology |
-
Optimized user-selectable settings for headphones,
two, four or six speakers and external A/V
amplifiers.
-
Dolby Digital audio decoding to 5.1 speaker channels
in both analog and digital modes.
-
Upgradable 3D audio architecture for future
improvements.
-
Creative Multi Speaker Surround (CMSS) technology
places any mono or stereo source in a 360-degree audio
space.
-
User-selectable EAX ADVANCED HD music presets,
pre-configurable DSP modes simulating various acoustic
environments.
-
Advanced time-scaling functionality
increases/decreases playback duration without altering pitch of original
content.
-
Audio Clean-up functionality removes noise and
'clicks' from playback of vinyl disk or cassette tape
recordings.
|
|
SB1394
Connectivity |
-
High speed connection to IEEE1394-enabled devices with up
to 400Mbps transfer rate.
-
Hot-plug support for ease of connecting or disconnecting
external devices.
-
Interconnection of up to 63 devices for peer-to-peer
communication.
-
SB1394 Certification Program thoroughly tests and certifies
participating vendors' 1394-enabled devices with Sound Blaster Audigy
for optimal performance and ease of
use.
|
|
Realistic
Wave-Table Synthesis |
- Creative's Audigy
music synthesis engine.
- 64-voice hardware
polyphony with Creative's patented 8-point interpolation technology that
reduces distortion to inaudible levels.
- Uses SoundFont
technology for user-definable wave-table sample sets.
- Unlimited sample size
can be loaded into host memory for professional music reproduction
(limited to available system memory size).
- Scalable PCI
wave-table synthesis architecture with multi-tibre
capability.
- 48 MIDI channels with
128 GM & GS compatible instruments and 10 drum
kits.
|
| MIDI
Interface/Joystick Port |
-
Support for analog and digital or DirectInput game
devices.
-
Support for two simultaneous MIDI devices with Sound
Blaster Audigy Drive
|
|
Sound Blaster
Audigy On-Board Connectors |
- Analog/Digital Out
(Analog Center & Subwoofer/6-channel SPDIF Output)
- Line
in
- Microphone
in
- Line level out
(Front)/Headphone out
- Line level out
(Rear)
- SB1394
port
- Telephone Answering
Device in
- Analog CD Audio
in
- Digital CD Audio
in
- Expansion header to an
external 15-pin Joystick/MIDI port
- Internal SB1394 header
to Sound Blaster Audigy Drive
- Expansion header to
the Sound Blaster Audigy Drive
|
|
Sound
Blaster Audigy Drive Front Panel Connectors (External
Drive) |
-
PCM SPDIF In and Out (RCA/Coaxial Jack)
-
Headphone out (1/4-inch stereo jack with volume
control)
-
Line in 2 (1/4-inch stereo jack, shared with microphone In
2)
-
Microphone In 2 (1/4-inch jack with Gain
control)
-
MIDI In (mini DIN)
-
MIDI Out (mini DIN)
-
Optical SPDIF In and Out
-
Stereo Auxiliary In (2x RCA/Coaxial Jack)
-
SB1394 Port
-
Infra-red Receiver
|
|
Works with the
Following Standards |
- Windows 98/98SE, NT
4.0, 2000 and Millennium Edition
- Sound Blaster MIDI and
General MIDI
- Plug and
Play
- Sound Blaster
PCI
- EAX ADVANCED
HD
- EAX
- Microsoft DirectSound,
DirectSound3D & derivatives
- PCI 2.1
compliant
- AC '97
compliant
- Dolby
Digital
- ASIO
|
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The three caballeros were told to wear black. So they did. [Clockwise from top left] The Audigy card, the External Audigy Drive and Audigy Extension Card.
|
Did somebody dismantled David the robot boy from A.I.?
|
The question is not really how different is the Audigy from the previous generation of cards, but how value-adding it is to you compared to the Live! Platinum 5.1.
Here's a quick summary then:
First sound card to deliver high definition digital audio.
In other words, it delivers 24-bit/96kHz multi-channel sound that is on
par with high-end home theater systems.
The Audigy processor on the sound card is 4x more powerful than any
processor in its class.
This means that it is able to deliver EAX ADVANCED HD technologies for
high definition experience in gaming and music.
The Audigy also comes with a built-in SB1394 port for maximum
compatibility and high-speed digital connectivity.
Which also provides superior peer-to-peer networking facility to other
Sound Blaster Audigy equipped PCs.
By