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Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

There seem to be more helpfull sound-card mavins here than any place else, so I'm dropping a question on the forum.

I have just ordered a new computer from Dell, which only comes with an integrated sound device.  The box will have a couple of free PCI slots.  I also have a quite old box which is mostly empty, the motherboard having died.  It has (had, I just pulled it out) a Sound Blaster Live! with the digital piggy-back cardlet.  The main card is model CT4620, the add-on is CT4660.  These were running under W98, while the new box will have XP on it (I just beat the dead-line, Dell will stop offering XP on June 17th).

Does anyone know if this card would be better than the built-in, and if it will run under XP?

I found a patch on the Creative site, but it says that it needs the drivers which were posted on July 17 2002, but the site doesn't seem to HAVE that package!  There is nothing that seems relevant to the 4660, either.

Any advice will be welcome -- including advise to chuck the thing.

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #1 –
New Dell computers ship with Sigmatel onboard sound cards.  I'm presuming you're getting a desktop, so I don't have experience with the desktop model, but the laptop that I purchased (and subsequently returned to Dell because of sound issues) had the following problems (under Vista, which is what it came with):  crackling sound (ended up fixing this by disabling the "A" band on the wireless network card, but shouldn't have to do that), no "stereo mix" or "what-you-hear" capability under Vista (except by creatively trying other vendors drivers and trying to fool it and maybe you get it, maybe you don't...but Dell actually disabled the feature in their driver), no input monitoring capability under Vista (so if you are say, recording an old vinyl record that you want to convert to CD, you can't monitor the input while it's happening - so if your levels are set too high, you get to fine tune it by trial and error).

If you are curious about what others are experiencing regarding audio on their Dell desktops, you might want to check out this link:  http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board?board.id=dim_audio

I ended up purchasing an HP (somewhat high-end) desktop.  I bought a Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer (don't buy the Xtreme Audio, it's not the same thing).  It supports sound fonts and a host of other features.  I am extremely happy with my new computer and the X-Fi.  By the way, HP uses the RealTek onboard sound chip (rather than the Sigmatel), and once you get the updated driver for it, it works just fine too, but the X-Fi sounds much better and cleaner.  My machine is set to dual-boot both Vista and XP, and I have almost mirror images of each configuration (software-wise) and it works well in both (other than some minor Vista issues).  I do find myself using XP more often, but I suspect that as I get more comfortable with Vista, I'll spend more time there.

Hope that helps a little.
John

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #2 –
Thank you for the run down, and the URL which I will check.

Yes, I'm getting a desktop, a Vostro 400, with WinXP (which I'm going to up grade to XP Pro).  My old machine, a Dell Dimension is going to be my main capture machine, I've got a out-board A-2-D converter and a digital audio card from Midiman, plus a video capture card.  It can sit in a corner and listen/watch audio and video while I do other things on the new box  (right now I'm working on scanning the 50 odd years of slides from before we both went digital -- negatives to follow).

So, Vista isn't in the picture, nor is audio capture, but I would like to listen to stuff on the new machine.  I'm not sure that creative will talk to me about an eight year old card, but I'll check Usenet for a news-group.  The big question is what driver to use.

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #3 –
You might want check out: kxProject
It seems to provide replacement drivers that will let your CT4620 run under XP. Claims to support soundfonts as well.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #4 –
Good, I'm on my way.  Actually, Creative has a driver update which claims to support 2000/NT/XP, but the driver which it specifies as a base doesn't seem to be on the download list.  I won't have the machine for about a week, so it will be a while before I can report back.

BTW, I think there is still about a two week window while Dell will still ship XP -- that's why I moved now!

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Cyril Alberga –
Creative has a driver update which claims to support 2000/NT/XP
Creative has (had?) an XP driver for my ancient AWE32 card. It works. I get the good built-in synth, but the app to load soundfonts won't run. IOW, YMMV :)
Registered user since 1996
 

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #6 –
Quote
I think there is still about a two week window while Dell will still ship XP
I bought my system over a year ago, and Dell refused to give me XP.  Told me there were no issues with Vista (HA!).  I cancelled my order after I found a system for a few hundred bucks less (still with Vista :( unfortunately) and it was still shipped - arrived the next day!
Grrrr...

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #7 –
When I check I started with the "for home use" machines, and they did have XP as an option.  I had to switch to the "Small business" group to get a reasonable number of PCI slots, and still had the XP choice.  They do say that they will stop shipping XP on (I think) June 17th. 

The oddest thing, however, was the pricing.  I had configured a machine that came to around $1200.  I sent the details to a friend who builds computers and maintains small business networks (freelance).  She wrote back that the configuration looked good, but the price seemed to high, and gave me a URL to a somewhat different setup, which she priced at $909.  I ran it, and it came to $899 for no obvious reason.  Then I called Dell, and the saleswoman did the same conf. and was back up the $1200!  I e-mailed her the URL and lo and behold, she got $899, which she gave me!  My friend says that Dell is infuriating, because you can get different prices for the same machine, depending on what route you take through their site.  Go figure.

Anyway, I'm safe from Vista for a while now, and have decided to ditch the digital daughter card (the CT4660) and just use the basic Sound Blaster Live! with the driver from the site that Rick G. posted.  I've go a dedicated digital capture card in the old machine which is better than the Creative anyway.

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Cyril Alberga –
I'm safe from Vista for a while now, and have decided to ditch the digital daughter card (the CT4660) and just use the basic Sound Blaster Live! with the driver from the site that Rick G. posted.
Let us know how that works. My AWE32 is unlikely to work in my next box as ISA slots are becoming extinct.

If SBLive! cards can use soundfonts with XP and Vista it would save folks a lot of money over a Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #9 –
I'll keep you posted.  The machine isn't supposed to ship until the 5th, and then I'm going to be doing a bit of swapping and upgrading -- moving at least one HD from the old machine and installing a third new one, etc.  So it may be a little time before I can get to the sound cards -- besides I normally don't use sound fonts, but I'll try it for the record.

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #10 –
I 'm using my old Soundblaster Live card with windows XP on a HP pavillion 513. I got the updated drivers from the Creative web site.
Carl Bangs
Fenwick Parva Press
Registered user since 1995

Re: Sound Card Question -- semi-OT

Reply #13 –
On my older machine, I also use my old SoundBlaster Live! on Windows XP and it works great.  You just have to download the drivers from Creative's web site (all you do is drill down to the model you have, and it will give you a list of available drivers).  It includes the soundfont manager and the mixer, as well as environmental audio controls.  If you want to modify or create with soundfonts, you'll have to download Vienna separately.  But it works fine.

Now Vista, that's another story...

That's why recommended earlier the X-Fi XTreme Gamer for Vista, because I know it works and works well.
John