Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy OEM

Linux Audio > Sound Cards > Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy OEM

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Contents

Features

Sources: Original CD from Creative Labs(R) + some PERSONAL comments

Internal connections:

• CD IN (to connect analog output from CD)
• TAD (mono connections from the microphone to a modem of voice).
• AUX IN (allows connection of internal sources of audio like TV, MPEG, etc)
• internal SB1394 port
• CD_SPDIF (allows connection of digital output in SPDIF format from CD or DVD)
• MIDI/Joystick connector (comes with an extention(cable) which makes it an outboard output)

External connections:

• AC-3 SPDIF output (allows connection of digital devices/speakers)
• MIC_IN (input following AC'97 codec, to connect voice input from a microphone (amplifies it))
• LIN_OUT1 (line output 1, usually connected to an external amplifier)
• LIN_OUT2 (line output 2, usually connected to an external amplifier)
• External SB1394 port

General fectures

• Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted) = 100 dB
• Crosstalk (Left/Right and vice versa) = -100 dB
• Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at 1kHz (A-Weighted) = 0.004 %
• Frequency Response at -3 dBr = <10 Hz to 22 kHz

• Conversion analog-digital (AD) with a 24bit-48000Hz sampler (I've heard that it's not "real" but I don't know how it works)
• Recording sampler with 16bits at 8,11.025,12,16,22.05,24,32,44.1,48KHz
• Playback of 64 audio channels independent sample rates.
• 32 bits mixing of the digital sources
• SPDIF up to 24bits with sampling rates: 44.1,48,96KHz
• Accepts compressed SPDIF to host output chanel 5.1 decoding.
• SPDIF output of 8 chanels for systems with digital audio.
• ASIO compliant

DSP processor:

• digital processing 32bits with a dynamic range of 192dB
• 8 point interpolation reducing distortion
• wavetable synthesizer, with 64 voices hardware
• allows ilimited size of the soundfont (limited by the host memory)

SB1394

• Similar to the ordinary IEEE1394 (FireWire) standard but not fully compliant with other FireWire devices like iPod (r).
• Admits data rates of 100,200,400 Mbps.
• Admits up to 63 devices "1394 compliant" (I have already commented the iPod issue....) in a chain configuration.

PCI connection to the computer

• PCI 2.1
• With Bus Mastering Technology

Good Points

• Basic support under linux, at 48000, (JACK makes some noise at 44100). Project: emu10k1
• Creative supports opensource for audigy's cards emu10k1
• Good for recording line one input, stereo, 16bit at sample rate 48Khz. Lowest latency without massive xruns: 11ms.
  
• Soundfont support for midi
  
• Mic+boost is extraordinaly noiseless compared with ordinary soundblasters...
  
• OEM is cheap!! (~60€)

Drawbacks

• Not a professional soundcard...(needs improvements in latency, the linux driver doesn't allow 24bits...)
  
• Multichanel drivers are under development in linux... (now it allows recording from MIC or LINE but not both)

Suitable for...

Home guitar,bass,vocals recordings.

Special Related Software

Soundfonts

As other cards also have them, I created a separate page for this topic: http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Wikilearn/LA_SoundFonts

JACK Configurations

/usr/bin/jackd -R -dalsa -dhw:0 -r48000 -p256 -n2 -i1 -o2
Comments:
latency: 11ms
software: DeMudi's kernel-multimedia at debian sarge (see www.agnula.org for a simple setup)
hardware: works well with PIV2.6Ghz, 512MB
(Submitted by MarC)

Hardware Configurations

(conf 1)

Mic(Shure SM58)->Card Mic Input with boost+20dB
Comment: Non professional, but works fine for home records of vocals.
Links:
http://www.shure.com/microphones/models/sm58.asp
(Submitted by MarC)

(conf 2)

Guitar(Epiphone Model Less Paul)->Guitar effects processor(Zoom GFX-8)->D.I.box(Red Box Pro)->Card Mic Input without boost+20dB
Comment: Non professional, a little bit of noise, but works fine for home records of guitars. With a good equalization and more effects it rocks. And , yes, I know I should get a mixer...
Links:
http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/models/GFX8/pdmodel.html
http://www.amptone.com/hkredbox.htm
(Submitted by MarC)

Used on Songs (or Portions of Songs)

(I think that submitted songs should be restricted to songs recorded and edited with free software)

Chat with other users, post problems

FORUMs:

• http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/showproduct.php?product=1100
• POST ONE QUESTION AT THE LAU (Linux Audio Users): http://www.linuxdj.com/audio/lad/subscribelau.php

Contributors

• () MarcVinyes - 30 Nov 2004 (from an email to the linux-audio list)
• () RandyKramer - 30 Nov 2004 (started page, pasted in MarC's text, preliminary editing)
• If you edit this page: add your name here; move this to the next line; and if you've used a comment marker (your initials in parenthesis), include it before your WikiName.

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