Great Sound and features! An excellent package!
Written: Jan 07 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: awesome sonuds and package!
Cons: liveware (read the review)
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| civic2000's Full Review: Creative Sound Blaster Live! Platinum |
I was shopping around for a good soundcard. It was either between the SoundBlaster Live series or Aureal. Since Creative Labs has much better driver support and has a wider range of products in the market, I decided to go with the SoundBlaster Live card. Now the choice was between the Platinum, MP3, or X-Gamer. I wanted a gaming package, as well as some software for audio creation. Also, the LiveDrive looks so cool...so I went ahead and bought the Platinum Package. Was it worth the money?
The first thing that I installed on my PC was the LiveDrive. It a console that fits in one of the larger drive bays of you PC. Among the inputs found on this panel are MIDI, microphone, headphones, and SPDIF. SPDIF is short for Sony-Philips Digital InterFace. It is a connection to other devices that allow for a pure digital output. After admiring the LiveDrive, I went ahead and installed the soundcard itself. Plug, then play!
What software comes with this package? A whole bunch... Among the software included in this package are Cakewalk Express, SoundForge, Thief, Descent, The Need For Speed 3, and others. It also comes with Creative Digital Sound Studio, which is basically MusicMatch Jukebox, the MP3 authoring software. Cakewalk allows you to record music if connected to a MIDI capable keyboard. Soundforge is basically an audio editing tool. The games were fun to play, but nothing too exciting.
Creative Labs included something calle LiveWare! with all their soundblaster card. Basically, it is a utility which allows you easy access to all the card features. I recommend that you not install it because it will only take up resources on your PC. You don't need to install it to enjoy all the features that the SoundBlaster Live card offers.
So, how does the card sound? One word...amazing! The SoundBlaster card supports EAX, a technology pioneered by Creative Labs themselves. It is similar to Aureal's A3D and it enhanced the sound quailty and positioning. It creates a pseudo-surround sound effect with 2 speakers. You can choose different settings which create different sounds effects. Examples are underwater, rock Hall, and pipe. The sound produced will differ depending on the "location" of the sound. Pretty cool stuff...
Is it all worth it? YES! The LiveDrive is a wonder since it provides easy access to all sound inputs. The many features of this amazing piece of hardware will satisfy both audiophiles and gamers alike.
SPECS from Creative Labs:
Connect co-axial SPDIF, analog, and MIDI devices through the Live! Drive's easy access front panel
Indulge yourself with the ultimate software bundle - 1 fast MP3 encoder, 3 full game titles, plus over 30 awesome applications.
Enjoy unsurpassed surround sound when digitally connected to Four Point Surround Sound™ speakers.
Experience the most powerful integrated effects engine available for outstanding music and audio.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150
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Epinions.com ID:
civic2000
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Location: West Orange, NJ, USA
Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 18 members
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