Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX User manual

User’s Guide
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Creative Technology Ltd. No part of this manual may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the written permission of
Creative Technology Ltd. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the
license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any other medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement. The licensee may make one copy of
the software for backup purposes only.
The Software License Agreement is found in a separate folder on this installation CD. The copyright and disclaimer, including trademark issues are also found in the same folder.
Copyright © 1998-2002 by Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved.
Version 1.2
March 2003
Sound Blaster and Blaster are registered trademarks, and the Sound Blaster Audigy logo, the Sound Blaster PCI logo, EAX ADVANCED HD, Multi-Environment, Environment
Panning, Environment Reflections, Environment Filtering, Environment Morphing, Creative Multi Speaker Surround, Inspire, and Oozic are trademarks of Creative Technology
Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. E-Mu and SoundFont are registered trademarks of E-mu Systems, Inc.. Cambridge SoundWorks, MicroWorks and PC Works are
registered trademarks, and PC Works FourPointSurround is a trademark of Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc.. Microsoft, MS-DOS, and Windows are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation. Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. "Dolby", "Pro Logic", "MLP Lossless", and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby
Laboratories. Confidential unpublished works. Copyright 1992-1998 Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved. The FireWire logo is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.. THX
is a registered trademark of THX Ltd.. All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
This product is covered by one or more of the following U.S. patents:
4,506,579; 4,699,038; 4,987,600; 5,013,105; 5,072,645; 5,111,727; 5,144,676; 5,170,369; 5,248,845; 5,298,671; 5,303,309; 5,317,104; 5,342,990; 5,430,244; 5,524,074;
5,698,803; 5,698,807; 5,748,747; 5,763,800; 5,790,837.

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Contents

Contents
Introduction
High-definition digital audio entertainment ................................................................................... i
What is EAX ADVANCED HD? .............................................................................................................. ii
Package Contents........................................................................................................................... iii
System Requirements .................................................................................................................... iii
Getting More Information ............................................................................................................. iv
Visit the Soundblaster website ...................................................................................................... iv
Technical Support ........................................................................................................................... v
Document Conventions .................................................................................................................. v
1About your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX hardware
What You Need ........................................................................................................................................ 1-1
Your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX card....................................................................................1-2
Your Audigy 2 Platinum eX External I/O Module................................................................................. 1-3
Adjusting the volume-level of Headphones and Microphone................................................... 1-7
Using the Remote Control ....................................................................................................................... 1-8
Remote Control Functions....................................................................................................................... 1-9
2Installing Hardware
Installation Steps ...................................................................................................................................... 2-1
Step 1: Prepare the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX hardware........................................ 2-1
Step 2: Prepare your computer.................................................................................................... 2-2
Step 3: Install the audio card ....................................................................................................... 2-3
Step 4: Install the joystick............................................................................................................ 2-3
Step 5: Install the cables .............................................................................................................. 2-4
Step 6: Connect to AC power socket .......................................................................................... 2-6
Connecting Related Peripherals .............................................................................................................. 2-7
Connecting Related Peripherals (cont’d) ................................................................................................ 2-8

Connecting Speakers Systems............................................................................................................... 2-11
Positioning Your Speakers..................................................................................................................... 2-12
3Installing Software
Installing Drivers and Applications......................................................................................................... 3-1
Using Creative Software AutoUpdate..................................................................................................... 3-2
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Feature Showcase Demo................................................................................. 3-2
Uninstalling and Reinstalling the Applications and Device Drivers ..................................................... 3-3
Reinstalling all Audio Drivers and Applications...................................................................... 3-3
Uninstalling all Audio Drivers and Applications ................................................................................... 3-3
Installing/Uninstalling selected Audio Drivers and Applications.......................................................... 3-4
Updating Windows 2000 (Service Pack 3)............................................................................................. 3-5
Updating Windows with Digital Video Update......................................................................................3-5
4Using Audigy 2 Software
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Applications...................................................................................... 4-1
Demos....................................................................................................................................................... 4-2
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Getting Started Demo ......................................................................... 4-2
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Feature Showcase Demo .................................................................... 4-2
Introduction to the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 software suite ................................................................... 4-3
Creative MediaSource Go!.......................................................................................................... 4-3
Creative MediaSource Go! Launcher ......................................................................................... 4-3
Creative MediaSource Player...................................................................................................... 4-4
“What-U-Hear” multichannel recording .................................................................................... 4-4
Creative MediaSource Organizer................................................................................................ 4-4
Creative MediaSource DVD-Audio Player ................................................................................ 4-6
Creative EAX Console ................................................................................................................ 4-6
Creative Surround Mixer............................................................................................................. 4-8
Creative Speaker Settings............................................................................................................ 4-8
Creative Speaker Calibrator......................................................................................................... 4-8
Creative MiniDisc Center............................................................................................................ 4-9
Creative SoundFont Bank Manager............................................................................................ 4-9

Creative Audio Stream Recorder 2 ............................................................................................. 4-9
Creative Wave Studio.................................................................................................................4-10
Diagnostic and troubleshooting utilities................................................................................................ 4-10
Creative Diagnostics .................................................................................................................. 4-10
Creative Speaker Settings.......................................................................................................... 4-10
A General Specifications
Features.................................................................................................................................................... A-1
Connectivity............................................................................................................................................. A-3
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX Card............................................................................... A-3
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX External I/O Module .................................................... A-4
B Troubleshooting and FAQs
Problems Installing Software.................................................................................................................. B-1
Problems with Sound .............................................................................................................................. B-1
Problems with File Transfers on Some VIA Chipset Motherboards.................................................... B-5
Insufficient SoundFont Cache ................................................................................................................ B-6
Problems with the Joystick ..................................................................................................................... B-7
Problems with Multiple Audio Devices................................................................................................. B-8
Problems with Sound Blaster Live! Series or Sound Blaster PCI512 card.......................................... B-9
Resolving I/O Conflicts ........................................................................................................................ B-10
Problems with Encore DVD Player ..................................................................................................... B-11
Problems with Software DVD Player .................................................................................................. B-11
Problems with DV driver for Windows 98 SE/2000/Me/XP.............................................................. B-12
Problems in XP...................................................................................................................................... B-13
Problems with Digital Audio Devices.................................................................................................. B-14

Introduction

Introduction i
Introduction
High-definition
digital audio
entertainment
Thank you for purchasing Sound Blaster®Audigy™2 Platinum eX, consisting of the Sound Blaster
Audigy 2 Platinum eX card, the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX External I/O Module and an IR
remote control. It is the most complete affordable high-definition digital audio entertainment solution you
can find on the market today.
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 has received the prestigious THX Multimedia Certification award, making it the
perfect choice for PC audiophiles seeking the very best music and movie experiences.
Featuring 24-bit/192 kHz audio playback feature, Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX delivers high-
definition sound of astounding quality with 24-bit/96 kHz audio recording capability from all Line Ins and
SPDIF In. Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX supports 6.1 channel Dolby®Digital Surround EX
surround sound audio on your computer and 5.1 output from the 96 kHz sampling rates of DVD-Audio
discs using MLP lossless compression.
The External I/O Module provides front panel access to microphone, headphone, input/output, and MIDI
connections — all located away from your computer and closer to your work area. The Sound Blaster
Audigy 2 Platinum eX is the only Audigy 2 product with ASIO driver support for 24-bit/96 kHz recording
- allowing musicians to produce high quality works. Additionally, an IEEE 1394-compliant SB1394™/
FireWire®connection is provided for high-speed connectivity to NOMAD®portable digital audio players,
external CD-RW drives and other IEEE 1394 compatible devices like DV Camcorders, printers, scanners,
and digital still cameras.
The infrared remote control offers convenient control of your computer for tasks like playing audio or
video CDs, at distances up to four meters (13 feet).
MLP (Meridian Lossless
Packing), the method of
audio data compression used
in DVD-Audio, reduces file size
without removing any of the
information contained in the
original recording. The listening
audience will hear the audio as it
was intended in the original
recording. Other packing
methodologies that remove data as
part of the compression are
referred to as 'Lossy
Compression'.

Introduction ii
What is EAX
ADVANCED
HD?
EAX®ADVANCED HD™brings a new level of performance, power, and flexibility to PC audio. Taking
advantage of the increased processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 processor, EAX
ADVANCED HD delivers a host of new features to achieve high definition audio for gaming and music
enhancement.
The EAX ADVANCED HD Game Audio Library takes in-game audio and acoustic simulation to a whole
new level. These innovative technologies bring tremendous realism and total audio immersion to PC
gamers:
❑New Multi-EnvironmentTM technology renders multiple environment audio environments in real
time.
❑Environment PanningTM makes it easy for gamers to track with three-dimensional precision, the
location and movement of sounds that usually represent enemies or team mates. This gives Sound
Blaster Audigy 2 gamers a better advantage as they are more aware of the game environment.
❑Environment ReflectionsTM offers localization of early reflections and echoes such as reflections
created by canyon walls or cliffs.
❑Environment FilteringTM simulates the propagation of sound in both indoor and outdoor game arenas.
❑Environment MorphingTM allows for seamless transitions from one environment to the next.
EAX ADVANCED HD Music Technologies also ensures sonic superiority:
❑Audio Clean-Up removes unwanted noise in a digital audio file.
❑Time Scaling speeds up and slows down music without distortion.
❑EAX ADVANCED HD music effects, developed especially for music listening, further enhance
playback of songs.
EAX ADVANCED HD offers dramatically increased 3D audio performance and functionality. Delivering
superior audio fidelity and sophisticated reverb effects, this unsurpassed digital entertainment experience
is available only from the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 family of products.

Introduction iii
Package Contents The following items are included in your package:
❑Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX card
❑Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX External I/O Module and IR remote control
❑AD_LINK cable
❑Power converter Cable
❑Joystick/MIDI bracket
❑3.5 mm minijack to ¼” plug adapter
❑Two AAA batteries for the IR remote control
❑Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Installation and Applications CD
❑Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Feature Showcase Demo CD
❑Creative DVD-Audio Sampler Disc
❑Quick Start leaflet
❑User’s Guide (on CD)
❑Warranty (printed or on CD)
❑Technical Support (printed or on CD)
System
Requirements
Sound Blaster Audigy 2
Platinum eX hardware
❑Genuine Intel®Pentium®II 350 MHz, AMD®K6 450 MHz or faster processor
for SB1394/FireWire applications or games
❑Intel, AMD or 100% compatible motherboard chipset
❑Windows®98 Second Edition (SE), Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Windows 2000 Service Pack
2 (SP2) or Windows XP
❑64 MB RAM for Windows 98 SE and Windows Me
128 MB RAM for Windows 2000 (SP2) and Windows XP
❑600 MB of free hard disk space
❑Available PCI 2.1 compliant slot for the audio card
❑Available space for the included joystick/MIDI bracket (optional)
The items listed here may vary
from country to country.

Introduction iv
❑Headphones or amplified speakers (available separately)
❑At least one CD-ROM/CD-RW or DVD-ROM drive installed
SB1394/FireWire appli-
cations, games, DVD
audio and video
❑Genuine Intel Pentium III 500 MHz, or AMD 700 MHz processor for SB1394/FireWire applications
or games
❑SB1394/FireWire: minimum 128 MB RAM and 1 GB workspace for digital video (DV) capture and
editing. For DV applications, recommended minimum is an Ultra DMA hard disk with 6 GB
workspace (ATA-100, 7,200 rpm type).
❑Games: At least 128 MB RAM, 3D graphics accelerator with at least 8 MB of texture RAM, available
300–500 MB of free hard disk space
❑DVD: At least second generation DVD-ROM drive with these recommended soft-DVD players:
InterVideo’s WinDVD 2000 or CyberLink’s PowerDVD 3.0 or later
❑DVD-Audio: Pentium III or AMD Athlon 1 GHz or faster processor recommended. Requires 256 MB
RAM for Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 SP3 or Windows XP SP1, Also requires a
second-generation 6X or faster DCD-ROM drive.
Visit www.soundblaster. com for updates on OS-specific support issues.
Internet multimedia and
entertainment
Internet Radio: requires at least a 56 kbps modem and an active Internet connection to run the application
Other Internet applications may have higher system requirements or may require a microphone. Refer to
the application’s online Help documentation for details.
Getting More
Information
Refer to the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Getting Started demo and the various online Help files for detailed
information on Creative applications. The Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Feature Showcase demo gives you an
interactive introduction to Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and demonstrates the card’s capabilities.
Visit the
Soundblaster
website
View the contents of the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Installation and Applications CD for additional libraries
and other software. Visit the www.soundblaster.com site for the latest Sound Blaster news and products.
The site also includes information on making purchases, technical help, and http://www.soundblaster.com/
support for the automated driver download and installation.
Minimum 256 MB RAM
recommended for Windows 2000
SP3 and Windows XP users for
games and DV capture and editing.

Introduction v
Technical Support Visit http://www.soundblaster.com/support/faq/ for general help.
Document
Conventions
The following typographical conventions are used throughout this manual:
The notepad icon indicates information that is of particular importance and
should be considered before continuing.
The alarm clock designates a caution or warning that can help you avoid
situations involving risk.
The warning sign indicates that failure to adhere to directions may result in
bodily harm or life-threatening situations.

1
About your Sound Blaster Audigy 2
Platinum eX hardware

About your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX hardware 1-1
About your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX hardware
What You Need Before you begin installation, be sure that you have these:
In addition, you will also need
an available PCI slot and another
adjacent available slot on your
computer.
Sound Blaster
Audigy 2 Platinum eX card Audigy 2 Platinum eX External I/O
Module
Phillips-head
screwdriver (not
included)
AD_LINK cable
Figure 1-1: What you need.
Joystick/MIDI bracket Power Converter Cable

About your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX hardware 1-2
Your Sound
Blaster Audigy 2
Platinum eX card
Your audio card has these jacks and connectors to enable the attachment of a wide variety of devices:
Click any circled number in the
diagram to see a description of the
item.
The Audigy 2 Platinum eX card
works as a stand-alone audio card.
However to enjoy all the features
available, you need to connect it to
the External I/O Module.
Figure 1-2: Jacks, connectors and ports
1
2
3
4
5
67

About your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX hardware 1-3
Your Audigy 2
Platinum eX
External I/O
Module
Your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX External I/O Module has these jacks, connectors and controls:
Click any circled number in the
diagram to see a description of
the item.
Figure 1-3: Jacks, connectors and controls.
10 11 12 13 14 15
1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9
• To connect your existing
computer headphones and
microphone to the External I/
O Module, use a 3.5 mm (1/
8”) minijack to 1/4” plug
adapter.
• Set the gain level of the Mic In
2 jack to the minimum before
connecting or turning on a
microphone, especially if you
are using headphones.

About your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX hardware 1-4
Table 1: The Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX card
Number Description
1 Joystick/MIDI connector
Connects to the Joystick/MIDI bracket for gamepads, other input and MIDI devices.
2AD_LINK2port
Connects to the External I/O Module’s AD_LINK2 port to supply power.
3 AD_LINK 1 connector
Connects to the External I/O Module for transferring data.
4 Line Out 3 jack
Connects to Front Center, subwoofer and Rear Center inputs of powered analog
speakers or an external amplifier.
5 Line Out 2 jack
Connects to Rear Left/Right analog inputs of powered analog speakers or an external
amplifier.
6 Line Out 1 jack
Connects to Front Left/Right analog input of an external amplifier or to powered
analog speakers, or headphones.
7 Power Connector
Connects to the supplied power converter cable.
8 Aux_In connector
Connects to an analog output of a CD or DVD-ROM drive.
9 CD_SPDIF connector
Connects to the digital output of a CD or DVD-ROM drive.
Click here or on any description to
return to the diagram of the Sound
Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX
card.

About your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX hardware 1-5
Table 2: Audigy 2 Platinum eX External I/O Module
Number Description
1 SB1394/FireWire port
Connects to an IEEE 1394 compatible external device (such as a digital video
camcorder, digital still camera, printer or scanner).
2 Optical SPDIF Out/In
For recording/playback devices with optical connectors.
3LineIn2jack
For analog devices like music synthesizers and other line-level sources.
4 Line In 1/Mic In jack
For line sources (for example, electric guitars) or dynamic microphones.
5 ¼-inch Headphone jack
For connecting to headphones. (Speaker output will be muted).
6 Microphone Input Sensitivity control knob
Controls the input level of a microphone signal.
7 Master Volume control knob
Controls the overall output volume.
8CMSSSwitch
Turns the Creative MediaSource MultiSpeaker Surround®feature on or off.
9 Infrared Receiver
Lets you control your computer via the IR remote control.
Click here or on any description to
return to the diagram of the
External I/O Module.

About your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX hardware 1-6
10 Line In 3 (Aux In) jacks
Connects to analog devices like VCRs, TVs and CD players.
11 Standard MIDI In/Out connectors
Connects to MIDI devices via standard DIN cables.
12 SPDIF In/Out Coaxial jacks
For digital audio recording/playback devices such as DAT and MiniDisc recorders.
13 SPDIF Digital Out Mini DIN jack
Outputs digital audio via mini DIN cable.
14 AD_LINK 1 Connector
Connects to the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX card's AD_LINK 1 cable's
connector.
15 AD_LINK 2 Connector (SB1394/FireWire port)
Connects to the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX card's AD_Link 2 connector
via the supplied 1.8 meter (5-feet) AD_LINK cable. It provides power to the External
I/O Module. Next to AD_LINK 2 is another SB1394/ FireWire port, for connection
to IEEE1394-compatible devices.
Table 2: Audigy 2 Platinum eX External I/O Module
Number Description
Click here or on any description
to return to the diagram of the
External I/O Module.