Diamond Multimedia Monster Sound MX300 User manual

MONSTER SOUND MX300
USER’S GUIDE
Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc.
2880 Junction Avenue
San Jose, CA 95134-1922 USA

Copyright Notices
Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. "Dolby" and the double-D symbol
are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Confidential Unpublished Works. Copyright © 1992-
1998 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved.
This manual is copyrighted. All rights reserved. This
document may not, in whole or part, be copied, reproduced,
reduced, or translated by any means, either mechanical or
electronic, without prior consent in writing from Diamond
Multimedia Systems, Incorporated. The information in this
manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be
accurate. However, Diamond Multimedia Systems assumes
no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be contained
in this manual. In no event will Diamond Multimedia
Systems be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or
consequential damages resulting from any defect or
omission in this manual, even if advised of the possibility of
such damages.
In the interest of continued product development, Diamond
Multimedia Systems reserves the right to make
improvements in this manual and the products it describes
at any time, without notice or obligation.
Copyright © 1996-1998, Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc.
2880 Junction Avenue, San Jose, CA 95134

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1INTRODUCTION......................................................................1
About Monster Sound MX300 ..........................................1
MX300 Features...................................................................2
About Aureal Vortex II.......................................................2
2INSTALLING MX300..............................................................5
General System Requirements...........................................5
Hardware Installation ..........................................................6
Software Installation ............................................................8
Installing Software Extras....................................................14
3A3D OVERVIEW AND MX300 SETUP..............................17
About A3D Technology .....................................................17
MX300 Configurations........................................................18
4ABOUT SOFTDVD™AND DOLBY®DIGITAL...................23
What is SoftDVD™?.............................................................23
What is Dolby®Digital?.......................................................26
5TROUBLESHOOTING AND GENERAL Q & A ..................29
ACONTACTING DIAMOND ....................................................31
Customer Service ................................................................31
Technical Support................................................................31
BTECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ...............................................33
CTRADEMARK, WARRANTY AND CERTIFICATION
INFORMATION .........................................................................37

Introduction 1
1INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the world of Monster Sound MX300! The Monster
Sound MX300 enhances your audio listening experience, taking
you to a whole new level of aural realism. Play the hottest new
3D games, or view the latest DVD titles to hit the market with
sense-shattering sound!
This chapter introduces you to Monster Sound MX300 and its
features.
♦♦ ABOUT MONSTER SOUND MX300
♦♦ MX300 FEATURES
♦♦ ABOUT AUREAL VORTEX II
ABOUT MONSTER SOUND MX300
The MX300 PCI audio card gives you fully immersive 3D
interactive audio. Using Aureal Semiconductor’s A3D 2.0
technology, Monster Sound pinpoints every individual sound in
3D space for incredibly realistic gaming and listening
experiences. Monster Sound MX300 boosts your video
entertainment with cinema-quality DVD, Dolby® Digital sound,
and MP3 tools for fiery digital Internet audio.
MX300 accelerates and enhances applications developed for
Microsoft’s DirectSound standard—so DirectSound,
DirectSound3D, and A3D games will run faster and sound more
realistic.

2
MX300 FEATURES
Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc., has partnered with Aureal
Semiconductor, Inc., to bring the A3D 2.0 positional audio
standard exclusively to your desktop and home entertainment
system.
Powerful features include the following:
♦ A3D 1.0 and 2.0 compliant
♦ Embedded 320-voice DLS compatible wavetable
♦ 96 hardware audio streams
♦ Dolby® Digital support for 2 to 4 speaker output—and up to 6
speakers with future MX-Link daughtercard upgrades
♦ Zoran SoftDVD™ application
♦ MPEG-1 Layer 3 (MP3) audio with bundled MP3 tools
♦ Studio-quality MIDI support for musicians
♦ Real-mode DOS support
♦ 3-year warranty
Monster Sound MX300 includes online Help (msoundii.hlp) to
help you get started with the associatedf software utilities.
Msoundii.hlp also contains a glossary to help you understand
relevant audio terminology.
ABOUT AUREAL VORTEX II
The Monster Sound MX300 PCI board takes full advantage of
Aureal Semiconductor’s Vortex II chipset. Vortex II uses an
innovative dataflow hardware architecture to provide highly
optimized audio processing capabilities for Monster Sound audio
entertainment. Vortex II, through Aureal’s A3D 2.0 technology,
models human acoustic perception across nearly all audible
spectra—resulting in a truly realistic three-dimensional listening
experience.

Introduction 3
Vortex II also furnishes complete hardware emulation of legacy
audio in Windows and DOS—so you can run your favorite, classic
video games.
For more information on A3D, see Chapter 3.

4

Installing MX300 5
2INSTALLING MX300
This chapter provides an overview of the MX300 hardware and
instructions on the MX300 hardware and software installation.
♦♦ GENERAL SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
♦♦ HARDWARE INSTALLATION
♦♦ SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
♦♦ INSTALLING SOFTWARE EXTRAS
A
–
Bundled software
C
–
Installation CD
B
–
MX300 PCI board
GENERAL SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The following minimum system is recommended:
♦ Pentium 90MHz or faster (266MHz PII for SoftDVD support)
♦ 16 MB of RAM
♦ Windows 98/95 or NT 4.0
♦ 50 MB free hard disk space
B
C
A

6
Your Monster Sound MX300 kit includes the MX300 card,
installation CD, and additional bundled applications (see kit
photograph).
To make the MX300 installation proceed smoothly, first install
the Monster Sound MX300 hardware, then install the software
drivers from the installation CD disk, and then install the
optional bundled software.
HARDWARE INSTALLATION
To install the MX300 card, shut your computer down, and
complete the following steps.
Before you install the Monster Sound MX300 card:
♦ If this is a reinstallation, be sure to completely uninstall all
of Monster Sound software first by using the Monster Sound
uninstall utility. Go to Start > Programs > Monster Sound
II > Uninstall to remove all Monster Sound MX300 software
components.
♦ Review the System Requirements for Monster Sound MX300.
♦ Be sure that Windows 98/95 or Windows NT 4.0 is installed
and functioning properly. Windows NT 4.0 users should be
updated to the most recent Service Pack.
♦ Verify the operating system you have (Windows 95,
Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0) and what version you are
running.
♦ Ground yourself by touching the power supply case.
♦ Remove any ISA or Sound Blaster compatible sound cards.
Installing the MX300 Card
To install the Monster Sound MX300, complete the following
card installation procedure.
Caution—Static charges can damage electronic components.
Ground yourself by touching the computer's metal case before

Installing MX300 7
handling any card. Remove your card from its protective bag.
Handle it by the edges and do not directly touch internal
components or connector contacts.
To install your peripheral card:
1. With the power off,
remove your computer
cover and locate an
available PCI slot.
2. Remove the screw attached
to the bracket cover and
remove the bracket plate.
3. Position the card directly
above the slot.
Note—Cards are designed
to fit one way only. Be
sure your card is properly
aligned.

8
4. Insert the card firmly into the PCI slot. Take care to press it
evenly and snugly into its
slot. Do not force.
5. Once you are certain your
card is installed properly in
its slot, secure it to the
computer frame with the
bracket screw you removed
in step 2.
6. If your computer has a CD-
ROM or DVD-ROM drive, connect the CD-ROM audio cable
to the internal connector labeled CD on your MX300 card.
7. Reattach any previously removed cables. Next, attach any
external speaker(s), joystick, and microphone connections to
the Monster Sound MX300 card. See page 18, MX300
Configurations, for cable setup and connection information.
8. Secure your computer cover and reboot your computer.
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Follow the instructions for your operating system to complete the
driver installation.
Windows 98
After your system boots, the Add New Hardware Wizard
appears. The Wizard displays the text This wizard searches for
new drivers for: PCI Multimedia Audio Device.
Figure –MX300 card with internal CD, Aux, and Modem connectors

Installing MX300 9
1. Click Next.
2. You are prompted with two options for finding the drivers.
Select Search for the best driver for your device. Click
Next.
3. You are offered several search options. Select the Specify a
location check box.
4. Insert the Monster Sound MX300 Installation CD into your
CD-ROM drive and set the path in the install window to
D:\WIN9X (or replace Dwith the letter that corresponds to
your CD-ROM drive). You can also click Browse and
navigate to your CD-ROM drive.
5. Windows confirms that it has located the drivers for the
Monster Sound II Multifunction Parent. Click Next.
Note—If the drivers could not be located, click Back and
verify that the correct path to the Monster Sound MX300
installation CD has been entered.
6. Windows 98 now copies the Monster Sound MX300 driver
files to your hard drive and informs you when the task is
completed. Click Finish.
Additional drivers will now be installed. Please wait until
Windows 98 finishes loading all drivers—which may take an
extra minute or two.
After all driver files have been installed, the Monster Sound II
Setup screen appears.
To complete the Monster Sound MX300 software installation…
1. Wait until the Welcome screen appears and click Next.
2. Select a Destination Directory and click Next. We
recommend you use the installation default directories.
3. From the available options, select the software you want
installed and click Next.
4. Click Next again to install the selected applications.
5. Click Finish and reboot your computer, if prompted.
Continue with Installing Software Extras on page 14.

10
Windows 95
There are several versions of the Windows 95 operating system.
Verify your version of Windows 95 by clicking Start > Settings
> Control Panel. After the Control Panel directory opens, double-
click System. The designations 4.00.950 B or 4.00.950 C
indicate you are using one of the OEM Service Releases of
Windows 95. Be sure to follow the instructions below for the
appropriate operating system you are using.
Notes—(1) You may need your original Windows 95 CD to
complete this installation. If you are using one of the OEM
Service Releases, go to the following section, Windows 95
(versions OSR2.X). (2) Windows may request the original
Windows CD to update or install some necessary files. Remove
the Monster Sound MX300 CD and insert the Windows CD into
the CD-ROM drive. Once Windows has installed the necessary
components, the Monster Sound MX300 installation requests the
Monster Sound MX300 installation CD. Remove the Windows CD
and reinsert the Monster Sound MX300 installation CD.
Windows 95 (version 4.00.950)
After your system boots, it will inform you that it has found a
new PCI Multimedia Audio Device and prompts you with
selections:
1. Select the option Driver from disk provided by hardware
manufacturer from the New Hardware Found dialog. Click
OK.
2. Insert the Monster Sound II MX300 Installation CD into your
CD-ROM drive. In the space Copy manufacturers files from,
type D:\WIN9X (or replace Dwith the letter that corresponds
to your CD-ROM drive). You can also click Browse and
navigate to your CD-ROM.
3. Windows 95 now copies the Monster Sound MX300 driver
files to your hard drive. Click OK.

Installing MX300 11
4. You may be requested to reboot your computer. If so, please
restart your computer now—leaving the installation CD in the
CD-ROM drive.
5. Once Windows boots, the Monster Sound II Setup
installation program should automatically start. If not, then
double-click on My Computer and double-click on the
installation CD icon. Select Installation from the available
options.
To complete the Monster Sound II MX300 installation:
1. Wait until the Welcome screen appears and click Next.
2. Select a Destination Directory and click Next. We
recommend you use the installation default directories.
3. From the available options, select the software you want
installed and click Next.
4. Click Next again to install the selected applications.
5. Click Finish and reboot your computer, if prompted.
Note—If the Monster Sound MX300 Utilities fails to start
automatically, browse the Monster Sound MX300 installation CD
and run Setup.exe located in the root directory (usually
D:\Setup.exe)
Continue with Installing Software Extras on page 14.
Windows 95 (versions OSR2.X)
This section provides driver installation procedures for the OSR2
releases (version 4.00.950 B or 4.00.950 C) of Windows 95.
After your system boots, it will inform you that it has found a
new PCI Multimedia Audio Device and display the Update
Device Driver Wizard.
1. Click Next. Windows now searches for the location of the
driver files. Wait a few moments until you see the Other
Locations button. Click Other Locations.
2. Insert the Monster Sound II MX300 Installation CD into your
CD-ROM drive and set the path in the install window to
D:\WIN9X (or replace Dwith the letter that corresponds to

12
your CD-ROM drive). You can also click Browse and
navigate to your CD-ROM drive.
3. Click OK, then click Finish. The driver files will be copied to
their destination directories. If you are prompted for the
Monster Sound MX300 Installation Disk, Click OK. The
Copying Files… dialog appears.
4. Enter D:\WIN9X (or replace Dwith the letter that
corresponds to your CD-ROM drive) in the Copy files from
box. You can also click Browse and navigate to your CD-
ROM drive. The Monster Sound II MX300 driver files begin
loading.
5. You may be asked to reboot you computer. If so, please
restart your computer now—leaving the installation CD in the
CD-ROM drive.
6. Once Windows boots, the Monster Sound II Setup
installation program should automatically start. If not, then
double-click on My Computer and double-click on the
installation CD icon. Select Installation from the available
options.
To complete the Monster Sound II MX300 installation:
1. Wait until the Welcome screen appears and click Next.
2. Select a Destination Directory and click Next. We
recommend you use the installation default directories.
3. From the available options, select the software you want
installed and click Next.
4. Click Next again to install the selected applications.
5. Click Finish and reboot your computer, if prompted.
Note—If the Monster Sound MX300 Utilities fails to start
automatically, browse the Monster Sound MX300 installation CD
and run Setup.exe located in the root directory (usually
D:\Setup.exe)
Continue with Installing Software Extras on page 14.

Installing MX300 13
Windows NT 4.0
Software and driver installation for Monster Sound MX300 is a
two-step process under Windows NT 4.0. The following sections
instruct you how to install the MX300 drivers and software.
Notes—(1) Be sure you have already installed the Monster Sound
MX300 hardware. If you have not, complete the hardware
installation instructions that begin on page 6. (2) Because
Windows NT 4.0 does not support Plug-n-Play, the hardware
drivers must be installed manually. Please refer to the following
instructions.
Before Installing the MX300 Drivers…
Insert the Monster Sound installation CD into your CD-ROM
drive. If your system has the CD-ROM set to “auto-play”or “auto
start,”the Monster Sound installation program will begin
automatically. Select Installation from the available options and
the Setup program will begin.
To complete the Monster Sound MX300 software installation…
1. Click Next when you see the installation Welcome screen.
2. Select a Destination Directory and click Next. We
recommend you use the installation default directories.
3. A dialog box appears and prompts you to select which
components you want to install. For Windows NT, Audio
Utilities is the only available option. Click Next.
If you do not want the MX300 Audio Utilities loaded, click
the check box to deselect it, then click Next.
4. Click Next again to install the selected application.
5. The Monster Sound II Setup window notifies you that the
installation is complete. Click Finish.
6. The System Settings Change dialog appears and requests
you to reboot your computer. Click Restart Now.

14
MX300 Driver Installation
To install the Monster Sound MX300 Drivers under Windows NT
4.0:
1. From the Windows Taskbar, click Start > Settings > Control
Panel. The Control Panel directory opens.
2. Double-click Multimedia and select the Devices tab.
3. Click Add and select Unlisted or Updated Driver from the
list box. Click OK. The Install Driver dialog appears.
4. Set the path in the Install Driver dialog to D:\WinNT (or
replace Dwith the letter that corresponds to your CD-ROM
drive). Click OK. The Add Unlisted or Updated Driver dialog
box appears.
5. Select the Monster Sound II driver from the list and click
OK.
6. When the Monster Sound II PCI Audio window appears,
click OK. The MX300 drivers are now loaded into your
system.
Note—The system Restart prompt may appear. Reboot your
system at this time.
INSTALLING SOFTWARE EXTRAS
After you have installed the basic Monster Sound MX300
software utilities, you may install additional software tools and
other bundled applications—such as Zoran SoftDVD—included on
the installation CD disk. To view the software Extras your version
of Monster Sound may contain, insert the installation CD. If your
CD-ROM drive is set to “auto-play,”the Monster Sound
installation program automatically starts. Otherwise, you can
double-click the CD-ROM icon from My Computer to start the
Monster Sound installation program.
When the Monster Sound MX300 installation screen appears,
select Extras to view and install any additional software.

Installing MX300 15
Additional Software Bundles
Your MX300 kit may contain additional software bundles on
individual CD disks. Choose a CD of interest and install the game
or application.

16