Creative Blaster, Sound Blaster Live! Value, CT4620, CT4660 User Manual
User's Guide
®
TM
VA L U E
Sound
User’s Guide
Creative Sound Blaster Live! Value
Creative Audio Software
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment o n the part of C r eative Technology Ltd. N o part of thi s manual may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including pho tocopying
and recording, for any purpose without the written permission of Creative Technology Ltd. The
software described in thi s document is furnished under a lic e ns e 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 specif ically allowed in the license agreement. The
licensee may make on e copy of the softwar e for backup purposes.
Copyright © 1998 by Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved.
Version 1.00
September 1998
Sound Blaster and Blaster are registered trademarks, and the Sound Blaster Live! logo, the Sound Blaster PCI
logo, EMU10K1, E-mu En vironmental Modeling, Environmental Audio, Creative Multi Speaker Surround,
and DynaRAM 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. PCWorks and FourPointSurround are
trademarks of Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc. Microsoft, MS-DOS, and Windows are registered trademarks
of M icrosoft Co rporation. A ll other produc ts 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 ; 5,170,36 9;
5,248,845; 5,298,671; 5,303 ,309; 5,317,104; 5, 342,990; 5,430,244; 5,524,074 ; 5,698,80 3;
5,698,807; 5,748,747; 5,763 ,800; 5,790,837.
Safety & Regulatory Information
The following sections contain notices for various countries:
Safety Information
CAUTION: This device is intended to be installed by the user
in a CSA/TUV/UL certified/listed IBM AT or compatible
personal computers in the manufacturer’s defined operator
access area. Check the equipment operating/installation manual
and/or with the equipment manufacturer to verify/confirm if
your equipment is suitable for user-installed application cards.
ATTENTION: Ce carte est destiné à être installé par
l’utilisateur, dans un ordinateur compatible certifié
CSA/TUV/UL ou listé IBM AT, à l’intérieur de la zone définie
par le fabricant. Consulter le mod e d’emploi ou l e fabri cant de
l’appareil pour vérifier ou confirmer si l’utilisateur peut y
installer lui-même des cartes périphériques.
Notice for the USA
FCC Part 15: This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipme nt ge nera tes, uses, and can
radiat e radio frequency energy and, if not in stalled a nd used i n
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, this notice is
not a guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cau se harmful inte rference to
radio or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try
one or more of the following measures:
❑ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
❑ Increase the distance between the equipment and receiver.
❑ Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different
from that to which the receiver is connected.
❑ Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician.
CAUTION: To comply with the limits for the Class B digital
device , p ur sua nt to Pa rt 1 5 of th e FCC Ru le s, this device mu st be
installed in computer equipment certified to comply with the
Class B limits.
All cables used to connect the computer and peripherals must be
shielded and grounded. Operation with non-certified compu ters
or non-shielded cables may result in interference to radio or
television reception.
Modifications
Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the
grantee of this device could void the user’s authority to operate
the device.
Notice for Canada
This apparatus complies with the Class “B” limits for radio
interference as specified in the Canadian Department of
Communications Radio Interference Regulations.
Cet appareil est conforme aux normes de CLASSE “B”
d’interference radio tel que spe’cifie’ par le Ministère Canadien
des Communications dans les règlements d’interfe’rence radio.
Declaration of Conformity
According to the FCC96 208 and ET95-19
Name: Creative Labs Inc.
Address: 1901 McCarthy Boulevard
declares under its sole responsibility that the product
Trade Name: Creative Labs
Model Number: CT4620/CT4660
has been tested according to the FCC / CISPR22/85
requirement for Class B de vices and found compliant
with the following standards:
EMI/EMC: ANSI C63.4 1992, FCC Part 15 Subpart B
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference,
2. This device must accept any interference received,
Ce matériel est conforme à la section 15 des régles FCC.
Son Fonctionnement est soumis aux deux conditions
suivantes:
1. Le matériel ne peut étre source D’interférences et
2. Doit accepter toutes les int er f ér en ces reques, Y
Supplementary:
CT4660 is an optional add-on board for CT4620. It’s
providing SPDIF In/Out, and MIDI In/Out to any external
device.
Milpitas, CA. 95035
United S t ate s
Tel: (408) 428- 66 00
and
including interference that may cause undesirable
operation.
compris celles pouvant provoquer un
fonctionnement indésirable.
Compliance Manager
Creative Labs, Inc.
April 28, 1998
Compliance
This product conforms to the following Council Directive:
❑ Directive 89/336/EEC, 92/31/EEC (EMC)
Contents
Introduction............... ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. ... .. .. ...................... .. ..... ................... .. ..... ....... v
Sound Blaster Live! Value Benefits.......... ........ .... ....... ....... .......... .......v
Checking Sy stem Requi re ments...... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. ... .... ... .vi
Before You Begin..................................... ............................................. ...........vi
Getting More Inform atio n...... ...................................... .......................vi
Document Co nventions................................................... ....................vi
1 Knowing and Installing Your Cards
On the Audio Card.............................. ............................................. ..............1-1
To ins t all the ca r d s and related peripherals............................................... ....1-2
Positioning your spe ake rs................. ...................................... .......................1-4
Connecting Creative PC-DVD........ .......... ......... .......... ......... ......... .......... ....1-4
2 Installing Software in Windows 95/98
Setting Up the Audi o D river s.............................. ..........................................2-1
Installing the App licatio ns....... .. .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. ... .... ..2-2
Using Sound Blaster Live! Value...................... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ..2-3
Configuring Your Speak er s........................................... ................................2-3
Experiencing Sound Blaster Live! Value....... .......................... .....................2-4
Uninstallin g the Applications......... ....................... ................. .......................2-4
Reinstalling the Audio Drivers From the Installation Disc........................ ..2-4
Playing Legacy Games.............. .................................................... ................2-4
3 Installing Software in Windows NT 4.0
Installing the Sof twar e............. .. .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. ... .... ..3-1
Setting Up Joystick Drivers in Windows NT 4. 0.... .....................................3-1
Using Sound Blaster Live! Value; Configuring Your Speakers..................3-1
Experiencing Sound Blaster Live! Value....... .......................... .....................3-2
Reinstalling the Audio Drivers From the Installation Disc........................ ..3-2
Removing Unused Sound Blaster Drivers............................... ............ .........3-2
A General Specifications
Features..........................................................................................................A-1
Connectivity..................................................................................................A-2
iii
B SB16 Emulation in MS-DOS/Windows 95/98
Background ......... ..... ..... .. ... .... ... .. ..... .. ..... .. ..... ... .... ... .. ..... .. ..... .. ..... .. ..... .. ... ....B-1
Understanding the Insta llation Program in Windows 95/98............ ...........B-1
The AUTOE XE C.BAT File Setti n g s........................ .......................B-2
The CONFIG.SYS File Settings....... ............................................. ..B-2
Understanding the Syste m Resource Set tin g s............ ........................ .........B-2
Input/Output (I/O) Addresses.......................... ............ ....... ............ ..B-3
Interru pt Reques t (I RQ) Line............ ... .. .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... ....B-3
Direct Memor y Access (DMA) Channel........................................B-3
Understanding the Environment Variables................ .................................B-3
CTSYN Environme n t Variab le................................................. .......B-3
BLASTER Environment Variable........................................ ...........B-4
Determining Res ources. .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. .. ..... ..B-4
Selecting the Best Au d i o Options in a Game..............................................B-4
MS-DOS Mode Utilities........... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ..... ... .. ..... .. .. ..... ... .. .. ..... .. ... .... ... .. ..B-5
C Changing Audio Card Settings
Enabling/D isabling Gameport Joystick I n terface.......................... ..............C-1
Enabling/D isabling Ot h er Features.......................................................... ....C-2
D Troubleshooting
Problems Installing Sof tware.............................. ..........................................D-1
Problems with Sound........... .. ... .. ... ....................... .......................... ..............D-1
Insufficient SoundF ont Cache....................... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... ....D-3
Problems with Joystick........ ............................................. ............................D-3
Resolving I/O Conflicts................... ............................................. ................D-3
Problems in DOS.................................................. ........................................D-4
Problems in Windows NT 4 .0.... ............................................. .....................D-4
Problems with Encore DVD Player................... ..........................................D-4
E Technical Support
Inside Eu r o p e............................................. ............................................. .......E-2
Through CompuServe............ ... ...................................... ..............................E-2
By Fax.... ............................................. ............................................. ..............E-2
If You Have a Problem.......................... ............................................. ...........E-2
Returning a product for repair.......................................... ................E-3
Limited Warranty............ ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. .. ..... ..E-3
Creative Technical Services
iv
Introduction
With the Sound Blast er Live!— the most
powerful sound card ever—taking the
industry by storm, Creative now introduces
Sound Blas te r Li v e! Value for the mai ns tr eam
market. Th e casual PC entertainment
enthusia sts and even the non-gaming music
lover s can now enjoy the wonde rs of Sound
Blaster Live!’s Environmental Audio. Sound
Blaster Live! Value offers the same quality
and perfor m ance of the highly successful
Sound Blaster Live!—without the extended
Digital I/O card. W ith featur es and
performances surpas sing professional aud io
equipment . Sound Blaster Live! Value
incorpor ates the superior surr ound - sound
rendering of Environmental Audio
sound so real it has to be Live! You'll enjoy
music productions so dyn am ic like you're
right in the middl e of an orche stra. The Sou nd
Blaster Live! Value hardware-ac c el er ated
Envir onm ental Audio Extensions
supporting new tit les, off ers an experience
that goes be yond 3D Audi o. Add the ab ility to
enhance al l your existing games and legacy
audio with true digital processing and it will
blow your home theater away!
Sound Blaster Live! Value Benefits
❑
Hollywood-Quality Audio Re-creation
With professional-quality synth esizers
and digital I/O, Sound Blaster Live! Value
prov id es au dio fidelity that rivals movie
theaters with digital sound. Excellent
overa ll audio fi delity is ach ieved with an
average Noise Floor of -120 dB, a level
unheard of in the PC industry.
❑
Powerfu l Audio Processi ng Engine
The EMU10K1
most powerful integrated music, audio
and effe cts engi ne a v ail abl e. Eve ry si gnal
is process ed at 32-bit, 192 dB, 48 kHz
using 8-point interpol ation to smoothen
™
audio processor is the
™
to crea te
™
(EAX™),
the sound, instantly i m proving any audio
source. Apply real- time effects including
Reverb, Chorus, Flanger, Echo, and Pitch
Shifter, that rival stand-alone expensive
professional effects processors.
❑
Envi ronmental Audio™ Enhances
Existing Contents
Experien ce depth and realism beyond
existi ng 3D audio. App ly preset
envi ronments such as
underwate r
existing games and applications for
incredi bly true sound. Game
envi ronmental settings al so make your
existing games come “alive”
instantaneously.
❑
Multiple Speaker Output
Produce surround-sound audio on your
PC with bui lt-in suppor t for two or four
analog speakers.
❑
256-Voice Music Synthesis
256-voice capability goes beyond the
quality and perfor mance a va ilable i n most
profess ional mus ic equ ipment . Usin g host
memory, you can choose from E-mu's 2
MB, 4 MB, or 8 MB SoundFont
profess ional-quality sample banks fo r
music repr oduction. Or use up to 32 MB
of memory f or am azi ng Soun dFont mus ic
fidelity. All these without sacrificing on
CPU utilization.
❑
Sound Blaster PCI Sta ndard
You can be assured of near -per fec t Sou nd
Blaster compatibility on the PCI bus while
enjoying all its benefits. It works with the
existi ng M S -D OS
Windows
replacing your existing ISA sound card.
❑
Environmental Audio Extensions
(EAX™)/Broad Driver Support
Envi ronment A udio Ext ension s is an o pen
standard that allows the broadest suppor t
from software developer s. Supports
Microsof t D irectSound
DirectSo und3D, and derivative
tech no lo g ie s. Advanced ar ch itecture is
that can be applied to your
®
-based titles, completely
hall, cave
®
-based an d
®
,
or
®
™
v
ready for the coming generations of
WDM, DLS, and IEEE 1394/Firewire
devices.
❑
Sound Blast er Live! Webs ite
www.sblive.com
Exciting new applications and developer
support wil l be available on the Sound
Blaster Live! website. For instan t access
to the late st applications, en hancements,
drivers, and more, visit www.sblive.com.
Refer to online documentation (RE A DME or
HLP files) or specifications on the outer box
for details.
Before You Begin
The RE A D ME fil e on th e in stallation
CD-ROM contains information and changes
not av ailable at the time of printing. Read the
file before you continue.
Checking System Requirements
For Creative softwa re, your ca rds requir e at
least:
❑
Intel Pentium® class 133 MHz or
equiv alent processor
❑
Windows 9 5, 98 or Windows NT 4.0
❑
16 MB RAM for Windows 95/98
(32 MB RAM recommended),
32 MB RAM for Windows NT 4.0
❑
72 MB of free hard disk space
for Windows 95/98;
55 MB for Windows NT 4.0
❑
1 free PCI bu s slot
❑
Powere d speakers or external am plifier
(recommended: Cambridge SoundWorks
speakers)
Sound Blaster Live! Value gi ves you an
estimate of the har d di sk spac e re qui red w hen
you select it on the installation screen. Some
applications may require a system
configuration greater than that listed above.
Getting More Information
See the online
specifi ca ti ons a nd conn ector p in assi gnme nts ,
as well as instruct ions on using the various
applica tions in your audio package.
User’s Guide
for MIDI
Document Conventions
This guide uses the following conventions to
help you locate and identify the information
you need:
T able i: Tex t conventions.
Text In Represents
bold Text that must be entered
exact ly as it appears.
italic
UPPERCASE Directory name, file name,
< > Symbols, letter s, and key
Tit le of a book or a
placeholder, which
represents the information
you must provide.
or acronym.
names on the keyboard.
vi
Knowing and Installing Your Cards
This chapter is organized as follows:
❑
On the Audio Card
❑
T o in st all t he c ar ds a nd re late d pe ri phe ra ls
On the Audio Card
Your audio card has these jacks an d connectors w hich allow you to attach other de vices:
AUX connector
Connects to internal audio sources such as
TV Tuner, MPEG, or other similar cards
CD Audio connector
Connects to the Analog Audio output on a
CD-ROM or PC-DVD drive using a CD audio cable.
Telephone Answering Device connector
Provides a mono connection from a standard
voice modem, and transmits microphone
signals to the modem.
Line In jack (blue)
Connects to external devices
(such as cassette, DA T, or
Minidisc player) for playback
or recording.
Microph one In jack (red)
Connects to an external
microphone for voice input.
Line Out jack (green)
Connects to powered
speakers or an amplifier for
external audio output. Also
supports headphones.
Rear Out jack (black)
Connects to powered
speakers or an external
amplifier for audio output.
Joystick/MIDI connector
Connects to a joystick or a
MIDI device. You can buy an
optional MIDI kit that allows
you to plug in the joystick and
MIDI device simultaneously.
Figure 1-1: Jacks and connectors on the Sound Blaster Live! Value card
.
Modem connector
Connects to any modem card that is
specifically designed for this interface.
❑
Positioning your speakers
❑
Connecting Creativ e PC-DVD
PC Speaker connector
Connects to your motherboard’s
speaker connector (refer to “Redirecting
PC Sounds to External Speakers” in the
online
User’s Guide
CD SPDIF connector
Connects to the SPDIF (Digital Audio)
output (where available)
CD-ROM or PC-DVD drive.
SPDIF Extension
(SPDIF Digital I/O)
connector
Connects to a digital
I/O device. See pin
assignment below
12-pin SPDIF_EXT connector pin
Pin Name Description
1 SPDIFO#0 SPDIF Out signal
2 GND Ground
3 KEY
4 VCC Power
5 GND Ground
6 SPDIF_IN SPDIF In signal
7 NC Not connected
8 NC Not connected
9 SPDIFO#1 SPDIF Out signal
10 GND Ground
11 SPDIFO#2 SPDIF Out signal
12 SPDIFO#3 SPDIF Out signal
for details).
on a
1
Knowing and Installin g Your Cards 1-1
Note: Jacks ar e one-ho le conne ctin g int erf ac es whe rea s co nnecto rs cons ist of man y pai rs of
pins. Some connectors here may not be available on your card. Refer to the online
Guide,
“Hardware Inform ation”, for detail s on connecto r pin assignm ents.
User’s
Line Out and Rear Out jacks can be used simultaneously to power 4.1 channel speaker
systems, for example, PCWorks FourPointSurround from Cam bridge SoundWorks.
To install the cards and related peripherals
1. Switch of f your system and all peripheral
device s.
2. Touch a metal plate on your system to
ground yourself and to discharge any
static electricity, and then unplug the
power cord from the wall outlet.
3. Remove the cover from your system.
4. Remove the metal plates from an unused
PCI expans ion slot i n your syste m and put
the sc rews aside, to be us e d la ter.
5. Align the au di o ca rd w ith the vacant PC I
expansi on slot. Pres s the card gently and
evenly into the slot as shown. Ensure that
the card sits firmly inside the PCI
expansi on slot.
Warning: Do not force the audio card
into the slot. If it does not fi t properly,
gently remove it and try again.
6. Secure the card to th e e xpa nsion s lot wit h
a screw.
7. There are several w ays to configure your
speaker system for the best Environmental
Audio experience; see the
Speaker
Config uratio n Guid e
leafle t. T o learn ho w
to connect the rest of the devices, see
Figure 1-3.
ii. Fasten the card to
the slot with a
screw.
Figure 1-2: Securing the audio card to the
PCI expa ns ion slot.
Unused brackets
i. Gently press the
audio card into the
slot.
PCI slot
ISA slot
Note: The joys tick connector on your
audio card is identical to that on a
standa rd PC g ame cont r ol ada pt er or th e
game I/O connecto r. You can connect
any ana log joystic k with a 15-pin
D-shell connector or any device
compatible with the standard PC
joysti ck. T o use two joysti cks, you need
a Y-cable splitter.
8. Replace t he cove r onto your sy stem.
9. Plug the power cord back into the wall
outlet, and switc h on th e system.
1-2 Knowing and Installing Your Cards
Notes:
If you are pla ying games in Windo w s 95/98 MS-DOS mode (that is, pure DOS mode), you
must:
• Connect the CD In connector to the Analog Audio jack of t h e PC -DVD or CD-ROM drive.
• Unmute the CD Audio device in the Play Control view of SB Live! Mixer.
If you connect to the Digital Audio and Analog Audio jacks of the same PC-DVD or CD-ROM
drive, make sure that in the Play Control view of SB Live! Mixer only the CD Audio or CD
Digital device is unmuted but not both.
If you get distorted or no audio at all, it is because your PC-DVD and CD-ROM drives do not
fully comply to SPDIF specifications. In such cases, make sure that you:
• Connect the CD In connector to the Analog Audio jack of t h e PC -DVD or CD-ROM drive.
• Unmute the CD Audio device in the Play Control view of SB Live! Mixer.
Line-out
Microphone
For details, see the
Guide
leaflet.
Cassette and CD player,
Synthesizer, etc.
Speaker Configuration
GamePad
Figure 1-3: Conn ecting other devices
CD-ROM drive
MPC-to-MPC
(4-pin) audio cable
PC-DVD drive
MPC-to-MPC (2-pin) audio cable
Line In
Mic In
Line Out
Rear Out
Joystick/MIDI
SB Live! Value card
CD Audio
connector
CD SPDIF
connector
Knowing and Installin g Your Cards 1-3
Positioning your speakers
If you are using four speakers, place them
such that they form the corners of a square
with you exactly in the centre (as in Figure
1-4) and the y are angled toward you. Make
sure the comp ute r moni to r is not bloc ki ng th e
Subwoofer
Computer monitor
Front left speaker
Rear left speaker
path of you r front speakers. You may want to
adjust t he relative positions of the speakers
until you ge t t he be st aud io e x perie nce . If yo u
have a subw oof er, place the unit in a c orn er of
the room fo r th e optimum bass respon s e.
Front right speaker
You
Rear right speaker
Figur e 1-4 : Recommended speaker positions for the 4-speaker configuration.
Connecting Creative PC-DVD
When you are playing your DVD movies or
games:
It is re commended t hat yo u connec t the Au dio
Out connect or of your Encore Dxr2 or
MPEG2 deco der c ard t o the Aux In co nnec tor
of the Sound Bl aster Live! Value card. When
you are playing your DVD movies or games,
1-4 Knowing and Installing Your Cards
make sur e t hat you se le ct (tha t i s, un mute ) the
Aux Input in the SB Live! Mixer’s Play
Control vie w.
To open the mixer, bring your pointer to the
top of th e scr een t o displ ay Cre ati ve Laun cher ,
click th e A udioHQ tab, and then click the
Mixer icon.
❑ If your Encore Dxr2 or MPEG2 decode r
card is conn ected to an external Do lby
Digital (AC-3) decoder such as Desktop
Theater 5.1, either:
• Disconnect the So und Bl ast er L i v e! Value
card’ s Au x In c onn ect or fr om th e de cod er
card’s Audio Out connector (Highly
recommended),
OR
• Mute the Aux Input in the SB Live!
Mixer’s Pla y C on trol view.
❑ If your dec oder car d is
not
connect ed to an
external Dolby Digital (AC-3) decoder, it
is recommended that you:
1. Connect the Sound Blaster Live! Value
card’s Aux In conn ector to the decoder
card’s Audio Out connector.
2. Select (that is, unmu te) the Aux In put in
the SB L ive! M ix er’s Play Control view.
❑ If you:
• Get disto rted or no audio at all (Reason:
Your CD-ROM drives do not fully
comply to SP D IF specificat ions
),
OR
• Are playing games in Windows 95/98
MS-DOS mode (that is, pure D O S mo de),
do the foll owing:
1. Connect the CD In connec tor to the
Analog Audio jac k of the CD-ROM dri ve.
2. Unmute the CD Au dio device in the Play
Control view of SB Live! Mixer.
If you conne ct to the Digital Audio and
Analog Audio jacks of the
same
PC-DVD or
CD-R O M drive , m ake sure that in the Play
Control view of SB Live! Mixer, unmute only
one of CD Aud io or CD Dig ital de vi ce b ut no t
both.
Knowing and Installin g Your Cards 1-5
MPC-to-MPC (4-pin) audio cable
CD-ROM drive (optional) PC-DVD drive
MPC-to-MPC (2-pin) audio cable
SB Live! Value card
To Dolby Digital (AC-3) decoder
(e.g., DeskTop Theater 5.1)
MPC-to-JST or
MPC-to-MPC
audio cable
(The position of the
jack and the connector
form may differ from
your card)
Dolby Digital (AC-3)
SPDIF Out jack
Figure 1-5: Connecting Creative PC-DVD.
MPEG2 decoder card
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