Albert Einstein introduced us to the concept of Time as the Fourth Dimension. Shark Multi-Media Corporation has brought the Fourth Dimension into our sensory stream with their Predator 4D PCI Sound Card. This updated release of their 3D Predator Sound Card adds the Time dimension to the 3D positional audio wave. Time, as a sound constituent, is readily recognized by the Doppler effect, the familiar wail of a moving train whistle, as it shifts frequency with distance. In addition to Doppler, the 4D sound card includes Chorus and Reverberation effects to produce a truly remarkable, realistic audio experience. Best of all, the retail price is only $29.95

The Predator 4D PCI is completely SoundBlaster compatible and also handles legacy, Real-Mode DOS games. Of course, it is ready for the latest Windows 98/2000/NT5 streaming architecture. The sound system includes a software Wavetable and the controls (on the screen) of a good quality stereo system for audio CD playback and recording.

There is a CD audio connector on the card as well as the line-in jack, microphone jack, speaker output jack and an enhanced digital game port that is compatible with most joysticks and game controllers. The line in- port allows you to get sound from portable CD-ROMs. SCSI CD-ROMs do not need a special connection to the sound card. My SCSI CD performed just fine after installation of the Predator 4D. The speaker output supports either 2 or 4 speakers. The card also supports MIDI devices. This is an entire new dimension of audio experience. You will be truly surrounded with extremely realistic sound. It is so convincing that you are drawn deeper into the experience.

The system requirements are: Pentium 166MHz or higher/AMD K6, PCI slot, CD-ROM drive, 16MB RAM (32 Recommended), Minimum 5MB hard disk space and Windows 95/98/NT.

The installation was a snap on my Pentium system. Of course, I removed my older sound card and its software prior to starting the installation. The manual is well illustrated and sufficiently detailed as to preclude the usual installation mishaps. Windows detected the new card and in accordance with the manual, I selected the “Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer” option, then just followed the screen prompts while verifying each step with the manual. There were no problems at all.

I then tried some familiar games and was really impressed with the new sound quality and projection. As the Shark literature suggested, I began to look over my shoulder to see what was behind me. This gave new meaning to the phrase, “get into the action”. I was more than pleased with the results, and amazed that this came from a $29.95 sound card.

For the technically minded, here are some of the specifications.

PCI based AC '97 Codec and Mixer
Microsoft DirectSound and DirectSound 3D Acceleration
Qsound, QSoft3D - based interactive 3D positional audio accelerator forDirectX5
Greater than 85dB S/N Ratio
Studio quality 64-voice wavetable synthesis with 6MB instrument sample set
Sound Blaster and Sound Blaster Pro compatible
Sample rates up to 48kHz
High quality Sample Rate Conversion with Digital Mixing
Amplified speaker output
Record from stereo Line In, CD-Audio In, and Microphone In ports
15 pin D-SUB analog/digital game/MIDI port

Additional information about Shark Multimedia's new products, upgrades, announcements, services, and complete product support is found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sharkmm.com.

If you are looking for a sound card upgrade or an entirely new one, this is a great choice. There is no need to pay a bonus for the heavily advertised brand.




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 29.95