I need some help with my crap\'o SB Live!

2002-03-13 19:20:56

first of all - I know that SoundBlaster Live (including my Value version) isn't a good souncard for listening to music... but I don't have the $200 for an AP2496 that I would like to buy ... but maybe some of You peple have some ideas to at least improve my card's sound a bit...

I've got this problem:
the damn thing clips on test clips (synthesized -0dB,even -3dB sine waves ...), and it clips on music (all MP3, aps, mp3Gain to 89dB SPL) too...
the clipping isn't noticeable on most music but there are cases where I have to turn the volumes in my mixer WAY down to just listen to music (and not the tracks are not clipped).

I've disabled any (cool anyway) FX in the DSP, turned WAVeOut and Master Volume to 81% in the mixer, switched the card into 4 speaker out, connecting my amp to the rear out... but neither helped me to listen to some music (ant to test with the clips) without any clipping...

So, has anyone got an idea how to rurn ALL postprocessing OFF or do something that can help

Thank You for all your (hope to be) suggestions
maciey

I need some help with my crap\'o SB Live!

Reply #1 – 2002-03-13 21:44:29

Maybe there is some EAX setting in use causing clipping. But I recommend trying kX Project drivers, they are free from Creatives driver bugs and give better sound quality by enabling you to use I2S codec instead of AC97. Official site is at http://www.kxproject.com

I need some help with my crap\'o SB Live!

Reply #2 – 2002-03-13 22:10:41

"sounds" AWESOME -> I'm downloading it right now...
will it still resample everything to 48KHz? ('cause probably bad resampling is Live!'s biggest AC'97 originated flow?)

I need some help with my crap\'o SB Live!

Reply #3 – 2002-03-13 22:13:08

I don't know if it does, but if it does it does it well. Udial.wav sounds terrible with normal drivers, but with these it's perfect.

I need some help with my crap\'o SB Live!

Reply #4 – 2002-03-13 22:27:14

Without looking at the site (also because it doesn't load for me ), it will also resample to 48 KHz, because this is also a hardware codec issue, not only on the driver-side. Regardless of the driver, the SB would resample internally.

Very interesting things about the SB Live and soundcards in general can be found here: http://grassomusic.de/english/sb.htm

Also see http://grassomusic.de/english/

I need some help with my crap\'o SB Live!

Reply #5 – 2002-03-13 22:45:44

@Case : GREAT Thanx for You !!! ->it does distort test tones,
at -0dB, but at -1dB I couldn't hear any distortion, and I don't have to turn mixer volumes to some 80% each to listen without clipping (and then turn my 500W amp halfway up to drive 2 70W speakers  ).

@Citay: from that site (not a quote but what i remembered from it):
SB Live et al. use AC'97 ouput for FRONT speakers and another codec (I2S) on REAR outputs -> so this rear output (swapped for logical FRONT on KX drivers) maybe doesn't resample