--------------------------------------------------------------------- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Hardware Readme File (Version 1.2) April 2003 --------------------------------------------------------------------- This document provides late-breaking or other information that supplements the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 documentation found on your Installation CD. -------- CONTENTS -------- 1. DVD-AUDIO 1.1 DVD-Audio Feature for Windows(R) 98 SE/Me/XP(SP1)/2K(SP3) 1.2 Recommended System Requirements for DVD-Audio Playback 1.3 Incompatible DVD-Audio Discs 1.4 Muted SPDIF Output when Playing DVD-Audio Media 1.5 Playing DVD-Audio Discs Without 2-channel Audio Downmix Support 2. SPEAKER CALIBRATION 2.1 Running Audio Applications During Speaker Calibration 2.2 Calibrating and Enabling 3D Positional Audio 3. TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS 3.1 Incompatible 24-bit Audio File Formats 3.2 Using 24-bit/96 kHz Music Software with Sound Blaster Audigy 2 3.3 Installing Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 4. CONNECTING 6.1 CHANNEL OUTPUT TO EXTERNAL AUDIO/VIDEO RECEIVERS 4.1 Front Channel Connection 4.2 Rear or Surround Channel Connection 4.3 Center/Subwoofer/Rear Channel Connection ===================================================================== 1. DVD-AUDIO --------- 1.1 DVD-Audio Feature for Windows 98 SE/Me/XP(SP1)/2K(SP3) Sound Blaster Audigy 2 is the first PC audio card that supports the DVD-Audio high musical fidelity format on all 32-bit versions of the Windows platform: Windows 98 SE/Me/XP (SP1)/2K(SP3). 1.2 Recommended System Requirements for DVD-Audio Playback In addition to the OS requirements in section 1.1, Creative recommends the following system configuration for optimal DVD-Audio performance: CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) III or AMD(R) Athlon(tm) 1 GHz or higher, RAM: 256 MB, DVD-ROM Drive: 6x or higher 1.3 Incompatible DVD-Audio Discs Some music DVDs labeled as 'DVD-Audio' do not contain a standard DVD-Audio file structure. Such DVDs will not play back in Creative MediaSource DVD-Audio Player. Refer to the original DVD manufacturer for more information. 1.4 Muted SPDIF Output when Playing DVD-Audio Media Sound Blaster Audigy 2 uses Content Protection for Pre-recorded Media (CPPM) that has been developed by 4C(R) comprising IBM(R), Intel, MEI(R) and Toshiba(R). Part of the copy protection feature requires that all SPDIF output of Sound Blaster Audigy 2 products be muted during DVD-Audio media playback. Do the following: 1) Disconnect your digital speakers, if any, from the Digital Output jack of the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 card. 2) Click Start -> Programs -> Creative -> Sound Blaster Audigy 2 -> Creative Speaker Settings. 3) Click the Digital Output only check box to clear it. 1.5 Playing DVD-Audio Discs Without 2-channel Audio Downmix Support Some multichannel recorded DVD-Audio discs do not support 2-channel audio down mix. During playback in 2/2.1 speaker mode, only the front left and front right channel signals of the multichannel track can be heard on the front left and front right speakers. In such cases, check if a 2-channel version is included in the DVD-Audio disc. Refer to the DVD-Audio disc instructions for more information. 2. SPEAKER CALIBRATION ------------------- 2.1 Running Audio Applications During Speaker Calibration Some audio tests that are performed during speaker calibration may affect other audio applications that are running concurrently. It is recommended that you close all other audio applications while speaker calibration is in progress. Alternatively, you may pause or stop these applications, and resume them only after the speaker calibration has been completed. 2.2 Calibrating and Enabling 3D Positional Audio You need to turn on Creative Multi Speaker Surround (CMSS) in order to calibrate and enable 3D positional audio during speaker calibration. Do the following: 1) Click Start -> Programs -> Creative -> Sound Blaster Audigy 2 -> EAX Console. 2) Click the CMSS 3D button. 3) Click the Enable CMSS 3D check box to select it. 4) Click the CMSS option. 3. TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS ---------------------- 3.1 Incompatible 24-bit Audio File Formats Due to the existence of multiple, incompatible 24-bit audio file formats, users wishing to record high resolution audio should use the same application for both recording and playback. Creative MediaSource is capable of recording and playing back 24-bit/96 kHz high resolution audio, but the resulting files may not play back in other applications. 3.2 Using 24-bit/96 kHz Music Software with Sound Blaster Audigy 2 For ASIO enabled audio applications that support 24-bit recording and/or playback such as Steinberg Cubase, Propellerheads Reason, Ableton Live or Fruity Loops, we strongly recommend use of the Creative ASIO 24/96 driver (24 bit/96 kHz, for Audigy 2 Platinum eX only) or the Creative ASIO driver (16 bit/48 kHz) for best performance. For non-ASIO applications such as Cakewalk SONAR, we recommend the standard WDM driver running at 16-bit/48 kHz. The Direct Sound drivers are not optimized for 24 bit/96 kHz operation. This will be resolved in a subsequent driver release, which will be made available at http://www.soundblaster.com. 3.3 Installing Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) Reader(R) 5.0 If you do not select Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 during the main Sound Blaster Audigy 2 software installation, you may not be able to install Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 later, using the Windows Add/Remove Programs tool. Follow these steps to manually install Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0: 1) Insert the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Installation CD into your CD-ROM drive. 2) Locate and double-click the [Acrobat] folder. 3) Double-click the [Language] folder you want and double-click the .exe file. 4) Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. 4. CONNECTING 6.1 CHANNEL OUTPUT TO EXTERNAL AUDIO/VIDEO RECEIVERS --------------------------------------------------------------- 4.1 Front Channel Connection Use a 3.5mm (stereo)-to-RCA cable (available separately). Connect the cable's 3.5 mm jack to Line_OUT 1 of the Audigy 2 card, the white RCA connector to the amplifier/receiver's Front Left input and the red RCA connector to the Front Right input. 4.2 Rear or Surround Channel Connection Use a 3.5mm (stereo)-to-RCA cable (available separately). Connect the cable's 3.5 mm jack to Line_OUT 2 of the Audigy 2 card, the white RCA connector to the amplifier/receiver's Rear Left or Left Surround input and the red RCA connector to the amplifier/receiver's Rear Right or Right Surround input. 4.3 Center/Subwoofer/Rear Channel Connection Use a 3.5 mm (4-pole minijack) Audio/Video-to-RCA cable (available separately). Connect the cable's 3.5 mm jack to Line_OUT 3 of the Audigy 2 card, the white RCA jack to the amplifier/receiver's Center input, the yellow or orange RCA jack to the Subwoofer input, and the red RCA jack to the Rear Center input. Copyright (c) 2003 Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved. --------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Readme File ---------------------------------------------------------------------