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Topic: Soundblaster Live Cards (Read 6625 times) previous topic - next topic

Soundblaster Live Cards

After all the positive comments on this range of cards, I'm really tempted to upgrade my SB PCI128 card for a Live value or 5.1, so that I can use Soundfonts. The thing I would like to know is, do any of the Live cards have an amplified speaker output? The PCI128 that I have has around 5 watts per channel and is really good because I do not have powered speakers.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #1 –
As far as I know - No. All the SBL's are the same basic card, with different software features affecting the price.
But you can pick up a 'decent' sounding set of speakers with Subwoofer for about $40.Add it to your SBL budget. The SBL supports front and back speaker sets, by the way.
I went with an SBL Value based on the advice from this forum, and am quite pleased.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #2 –
The Live! Value lacks digital output while Platinum has "Live! Drive" for midi in/out, spdif in/out and secondary line in.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #4 –
Live! Value lacks Digital output? If you mean digital audio output, you are quite mistaken. I have an SBLive! value and it came with digital speakers and an option to switch between digital and analog output! Unless Gateway2000 switched to "real" SBLive!s instead of Value (and my computer is lying to me), Value *does* have digital output.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #5 –
You could try a soundfont that emulates the Roland soundset.
Try http://www.hammersound.net
Check the 12Mb Chaos font I'm told that's based on the Roland sounds.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #6 –
Drakhan,

I might be mistaken but as far as I know from a last year's magazine essay, which is old enough for computer technology, Live value supports digital/optical output through an additional card which you need to pay for. Creative may already have changed the policy or the essay may be totally false.

http://www.soundblaster.com would be the best place to check.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #7 –
To Roland seekers:

I have installed the VSC 88 which I had downloaded sometime ago and I think it's wonderful! Especially the percussion, solo strings and some brass, namely the trumpet and tuba, are much better than Live 8MB sf. But...

It suffers from a 500 msec. delay even in my PIII 550 Mhz. + 128 MB RAM w. SB Live! Platinum. I don't face that problem with Yamaha SY-XG 50. If you decrease the delay from setup, it tackles.

The driver is from 1998 and I did a websearch for a newer release but there isn't any downloadable one. I had found mine from a personal site which offered a crack with it so I cannot post the URL.

Except for the delay problem which prevents the synthesizer from being used together others, it can be worth paying ~$60 for the full version.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #8 –
I purchased the VSC88 recently. The sound is terrific, even on an old P200/Pro with an SB16. There is the delay, which is not a problem for me as I was simply looking for better sound during playback. But the big reason I purchased it ($69 from www.edirol.com) is that it can render MIDI to WAV with the click of a button.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #9 –
back to the Live Value debate. I believe that the newest version includes digital out.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #10 –
I have a Live! Value that came with a computer I purchased in Sept of '99 which includes digital I/O via 1/8" jack.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #11 –
I Just purchased a new PC with a Soundblaster Live card
installed.
When I play my NWC Files the sound has completly changed from my Old Soundblaster Card AEW64. The Sound got bad to worse.

Any Hints??

Thanks

Robert

Please E-Mail Me at: RCN1@ix.Netcom.Com

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #12 –
Probably, your default midi device is Creative S/W Synth. It's not rather good, except for the drumset. Change your default midi device (Control Panel > Multimedia > MIDI) as A: SB Live MIDI Synth.

For NWC, you can refer to the linked screenshot of Tools > Options > MIDI. (Don't take "Yamaha SXG Driver" and "Roland VSC-88" granted; they are additionaly installed in my system.)

http://ertugrulinanc.8m.com/_misc/midi_ports.gif

Hth and regards.

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #13 –
[Excuse me for the inconvenience. My d@mn host did it again. The .gif file isn't accessible. Let me try writing the list down: (Sysop may remove the previous reply) ]

The "Single Device" in Control Panel > Multimedia > MIDI will be:

A: SB Live MIDI Synth

The sequence of "Devices used for playback" in NWC's Tools > Options > MIDI must be as follows:

A: SB Live MIDI Synth
B: SB Live MIDI Synth
Creative S/W Synth.

Hth

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #14 –
Hey I'm having a problem I belive is related to my soundblaster, I can't get audio from the cd player earphone jack, it only happened recently when I hooked up the speakers to the soundblaster card, so I'm assuming they're related, if someone could shed some light on this it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 

Re: Soundblaster Live Cards

Reply #15 –
I totally crashed the sound settings for Soundblaster Live! on Win98.  There was an error message in Control Panel, System, Device Manager indicating the PCI Multimedia Audio Device had didn't have any driver.  Searched forever for one, finally found it at www.driverguide.com, searching for filename "R31894 (PCI Mult Aud Dev).exe"

You have to register to access the site, so I assume there's a risk of spam and spyware; on the other hand, it sure is nice to be able to hear my multimedia files again, particularly the NWC files I like to edit by listening.