A new generation of PC sound - crossing the barrier into professional audio and a new layer of realism in EAX effects processing.
The Sound Blaster PC sound card legacy has been the dominant force in PC sound for twenty years. One of the first companies to create multimedia sound cards for IBM PC compatible computers, Creative Labs really made a name for itself with the impressive Sound Blaster card, which was noticeably superior to the opposition at the time of its release.
Sound Blaster is an immediately recognisable name in PC multimedia hardware circles, their latest revision the Sound Blaster Audigy continuing the fine tradition. With fully professional audio quality and widespread compatibility, the Audigy combines reasonable price with highly advanced EAX effects mixing and a Firewire port for rapid data transfer. You can link up two PCs with this port, or connect up a digital camera or Nomad Jukebox for insanely fast upload. The system runs at the new level of 24-bit, 96 kilohertz with a 100 Db signal-to-noise ratio.
For games in particular, the Audigy can blend EAX effects with its on-board processor to a far greater degree than ever before.
Previously, EAX effects were limited to a single "zone of influence" in a 3D space. For example, if you were standing in a small hut, the EAX effects would exclusively model the echo reverb from the near walls and ceiling. But in reality, you can hear many sounds with various levels of echo attached. With the Audigy's "environment morphing" feature you can hear sounds reaching into the hut from outside, which then take on the characteristic echo of sounds indoors, to a varying degree. This is true of all sounds generated in the EAX environment, they can acquire and lose certain properties depending on the point of origin and EAX properties of your location.
When you step over the threshold between two audio zones, the transition was often rapid and blunt. The Audigy can mix the EAX effects such that standing near the open door of the hut, you can hear the echoed sounds resonating from within, while also hearing the "flat" sounds originating from outdoors. As you cross the boundary, the Audigy smoothly blends all of the effects and mixes their characteristics depending on your precise location. These technologies, wielded expertly in a next-generation game would provide an unprecedented level of auditory immersion for a 3D experience. Of course, we have to wait for game developers to take advantage of the Audigy's effects.
The system comes in three configurations, the basic model with the Audigy card and Firewire port (the Creative version - SB1394) is priced at an attractive $299 for gamers. This has 3mm stereo jack sockets for front and rear speaker sets, to take advantage of the unit's full Dolby 5.1 multi-channel Surround capabilities. The two higher packages are aimed at music professionals who need compatibility with high-end audio equipment. The upper two models, the Audigy Platinum ($499) and Audigy Platinum EX ($599) have arrays of specialised audio inputs, much like the Sound Blaster "Live Drive" did. The Platinum has a 5&1/4 bay mount, bristling with audio connectors, while the Platinum EX has a self-contained external black box with even more connectors packed onto its facade. These include things like 24bit 96khz SPDIF in and out, which aren't technically required for gaming! It also apparently incorporates "ASIO", which rather than a rather laughable secret intelligence organisation, is a technology to compensate for loss of synchronisation between multiple tracks.
The software included is Creative's Playcenter 3, which allows you to do various tricks with the surround mixing, letting you change the "location" of bass, mid and treble components. A splashy effects feature lets you rotate these parts "around the room" at random. It really does seem like the sound origin is travelling around in circles - the accuracy this provides for gaming is no doubt overkill.
However, the new EAX mixing techniques really do lend a new layer of depth to audio processing, which could have a huge impact on the 3D games of the future, where realism will become the norm, rather than the exception. At $299, the Audigy is quite an attractive piece of gear.
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