Monster MX400 User manual

MONSTER SOUND MX400
USER’S GUIDE
S3
/
Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters:
2801 Mission College Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95052-8058 USA

Table of Contents
1I
NTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1
About Monster Sound MX400.......................................................................................................1
MX400 Features ................................................................................................................................1
About ESS Canyon3D..................................................................................................................3
2I
NSTALLING THE MONSTER SOUND MX400 ............................................................. 4
General System Requirements.......................................................................................................4
Hardware Installation .......................................................................................................................5
Software Installation .........................................................................................................................7
Installing Software Extras.................................................................................................................11
3S
ENSAURA TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................. 12
Sensaura Technology Overview ....................................................................................................12
4C
ONFIGURING YOUR MONSTER SOUND MX400 ..................................................... 14
Hardware.............................................................................................................................................14
Software...............................................................................................................................................17
5S
OFTDVD....................................................................................................................... 18
Introducing SoftDVD........................................................................................................................18
SoftDVD Features .............................................................................................................................18
6T
ROUBLESHOOTING AND GENERAL Q & A.............................................................. 21
AU
PDATING YOUR DRIVERS............................................................................................ 22
Update Wizard...................................................................................................................................22
BC
ONTACTING S3/DIAMOND........................................................................................ 23
CS
PECIFICATIONS.............................................................................................................. 24
DG
LOSSARY OF TERMS..................................................................................................... 26
Monster Sound MX400 Glossary..................................................................................................26
ET
RADEMARK,WARRANTY AND CERTIFICATION INFORMATION.............................. 29

1
1INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the world of Monster Sound MX400! Based on groundbreaking
technology from ESS and Sensaura, Monster Sound MX400 adds a whole new twist
to your gaming experience by adding vertical positional audio. Now you can hear
sounds on a whole new axisabove and below you, true quad output, and Dolby
Digitalsurround sound for PC home theater.
The Monster Sound MX400 series is designed to fit the needs of both the hardcore
PC gamer and digital audio enthusiasts who want nothing less than the ultimate in
PC gaming and entertainment experience. 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 MX400 and its features.
♦ABOUT MONSTER SOUND MX400
♦MX400 FEATURES
♦ABOUT ESS CANYON3D
ABOUT MONSTER SOUND MX400
The MX400 PCI digital audio card gives you fully immersive 3D interactive audio.
Using the ESS Canyon3Dcontroller and Sensaura's MultiDrivetrue 3D multi-
speaker technology, Monster Sound MX400 pinpoints every individual sound in 3D
space for incredibly realistic gaming and listening experiences. Monster Sound
integrates scorching 3D positional audio, enhanced DS3D support, Dolby Digital
surround sound with external Dolby Digital decoder, and quadraphonic playback.
Monster Sound MX400 also boosts your video entertainment with cinema quality
DVD and MP3 tools for fiery digital Internet audio.
MX400 FEATURES
Powerful features include the following:
♦Advanced 3D Positional Audio
♦Digital streams are processed independently on X, Y and Z-axes, enabling
audio effects from multiple positions simultaneously

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♦Enhanced support for DirectSound3D with Sensaura’s MacroFX and
EnvironmentFX
⇒In order to mimic reality in a gaming environment, MacroFX creates
special close-up 3D “near-field proximity effects,” so that sounds seem to
be very close to the game player (i.e., whispering in the ear, wind noises
and ultra close fly-by).
⇒EnvironmentFX takes PC audio to the next level of realism. Not only the
sounds, but also the acoustic contribution of the environment envelop the
listener and give vital clues about the positions of the sound sources.
♦True Quad Speaker Output - Quadraphonic playback for games
♦Incorporates Sensaura’s powerful MultiDrive technology for true quad speaker
output
♦Sensaura 3D positional audio technology incorporates a patented multi-
speaker capability for creating 3D sound fields using four or more
loudspeakers. This is achieved by using each speaker pair to create a
complimentary sound field, each addressing the front and rear hemispheres so
that any number of virtual sound sources can be made to move around the
listener, controlled by DirectSound3D.
♦Dolby Digital for PC Home Theater - Turn your PC into a home theater system
with Dolby Digital surround sound
♦Features S/PDIF Out for playing back high quality DVD movies on your PC.
Combined with an external Dolby Digital decoder and surround sound
speaker system, the MX400 delivers full six-speaker (5.1 channel) audio
support.
♦Also includes software SoftDVD that delivers the Dolby Digital home theater
experience at a fraction of the cost
♦High-Performance PC Audio Acceleration
♦System power and efficiency are optimized to ease the audio processing
burden on the CPU, thereby allowing several applications to be opened
simultaneously, without the threat of audio interruption
♦Cool Utilities and Free Music
♦MPEG-1 Layer 3 (MP3) and Liquid Audio music files and utilities included
♦Studio quality software wavetable for musicians
♦Real-mode DOS for legacy game support
♦3-year warranty

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ABOUT ESS CANYON3D
The Canyon3D technology, which supports the Microsoft DirectSound3D (DS3D) API,
uses HRTF algorithms from Sensaura Technology for each of the four individual
speakers to provide the vertical sound cues needed for total PC game immersion.
Canyon3D's vertical sound positioning for each speaker outperforms other four
speaker processors that only use simple 2D panning techniques to attempt to
simulate a true 3D environment.

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2
INSTALLING THE
MONSTER SOUND MX400
This chapter provides an overview of the MX400 hardware and instructions on the
MX400 hardware and software installation.
♦GENERAL SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
♦HARDWARE INSTALLATION
♦SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
♦INSTALLING SOFTWARE EXTRAS
A – Installation CD C – MX400 PCI card
B – Software Extras D – CD Audio Cable (MPC3)
GENERAL SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The following minimum requirements are recommended:
♦Pentium 90MHz or faster (PII 266MHz for SoftDVD support)
♦16MB of system memory
♦Windows 98/95, NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 (when available)
♦50MB free hard disk space
♦One available PCI 2.1 compliant slot
C
DB
A

5
♦Powered speakers or headphones
Contents
Your Monster Sound MX400 kit includes the MX400 card, installation CD, CD audio
cable, and additional software applications.
To make the MX400 installation proceed smoothly, install the Monster Sound
MX400 hardware, install the software drivers from the installation CD disk, and then
install the optional software.
HARDWARE INSTALLATION
To install the MX400 card, shut your computer down, and complete the following
steps.
Before you install the Monster Sound MX400 card:
♦Review the System Requirements for Monster Sound MX400
♦Verify the operating system you have (Windows 98, Windows 95, or Windows
NT 4.0) and what version you are running
♦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 latest Service Pack.
You can download the latest Service Pack from Microsoft’s Web page at
www.microsoft.com.
♦Ground yourself by touching the power supply case
♦Remove your existing sound card(s) or disable any on-board audio. If available,
use your previous sound card's driver removal utility.
Installing the Monster Sound MX400 Card
Install your Monster Sound MX400 according to the following directions. Please
note that the illustrations provided in this section are for instructional use only; the
card shown may look different than the one you purchased.
Caution—Static charges can damage electronic components. Ground yourself by
touching the computer's metal case before 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.

6
To install your peripheral card:
1. With the power off, remove your computer cover
and locate an available PCI slot (light color slot).
2. Remove the screw attached to the bracket cover
and remove the bracket plate.
3. Position the card directly above the PCI slot.
Note—Cards are designed to fit one way only. Be sure
your card is properly aligned.
4. Insert the card firmly into the PCI slot.
Take care to press it evenly and snugly into its
slot. Do not force.

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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 In on your Monster Sound MX400
card.
7. Reattach any previously removed cables. Next, attach any external speaker(s),
joystick, and microphone connections to the Monster Sound MX400 card. See
Configuring the Monster Sound MX400, for cable setup and connection
information.
8. Secure your computer cover and reboot your computer.
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Now that you have installed your new Monster Sound MX400 digital audio
accelerator card and rebooted your computer, complete your installation using the
following directions.
There are two ways to install the software for your Monster Sound MX400:
♦Take advantage of Diamond’s installation utility and make installing your drivers
and Diamond software quick and easy. See Quick Installation of Diamond Drivers
and Utilities.
♦Install the drivers for your card manually. See Manual Installation of Diamond
Drivers.
Quick Installation of Diamond Drivers and Utilities
This section covers the installation of your Diamond drivers and Diamond utilities
under Windows 98/95 and NT 4.0.
After Windows 98/95 reboots, the plug-n-play feature detects your new card and
gives the message that new hardware was found. Windows 98/95 may then compile
a driver database. The Add New Hardware Wizard appears under Windows 98, and
the Update Device Driver Wizard appears under Windows 95. When you see the
Wizard, under Windows 98/95, begin with step 1 below. Windows NT 4.0 users
should go to step 2 below:
1. Click Cancel. Your computer will finish booting up.
2. After your computer boots, insert the Diamond installation CD disk into your
CD- or DVD-ROM drive. If your computer is set to “auto play,” the Diamond
installation program will start, go to step 5. If not, continue with step 3.
3. Double click on My Computer, then double-click on the letter of your CD- or
DVD-ROM drive. The Diamond installation CD opens.

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4. After the Diamond installation CD opens, double-click on Setup.exe. The
Diamond installation program is launched.
5. You should now see the Language Selection screen for your Diamond product.
Select your preferred language from the list. Click Next.
6. The Monster Sound MX400 Welcome screen appears. Click Next.
7. You should now see the Online Manual screen. Click Install to install the Adobe
Acrobat Reader, if not already installed, or click on Manual to view the online
manual.
8. Click Next to continue installation.
9. Select the software you would like to install.
Note—Diamond Drivers must be installed the first time you install a Diamond
product.
10. Select the Drivers installation option to install the Diamond audio driver for your
card.
11. Select the Standard installation option. Click Next.
12. Please review the Release Notes that may appear onscreen—they contain
important last minute information.
13. Click Next to continue installation.
Note—If you are prompted to keep or replace existing files, keep the newer files.
14. After the installation is complete, click Next to restart your computer, or click
Cancel to install additional software.
Congratulations, you have successfully installed your Monster Sound MX400 digital
audio accelerator card! Continue with the section Installing Software Extras.
Manual Installation of Diamond Drivers
To install the drivers for your Monster Sound MX400 manually, follow the
procedures below for your operating system. If you need to update your drivers,
please see the chapter on Updating Your Drivers later in this user's guide.
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.
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.