[dabblerblue]

So here's the deal.

I've just tried to install WinXP 64, and everything went ok until I got to my 2 soundcards. I install the 0404 and everything goes well, patchmix starts up, we are happy.

Then I install the Audigy 2. Patchmix crashes out with an error. Oof.

To make a long story short, I try a few things which don't work, so I format my drive again and install regular WinXP.

I get to installing my soundcards again (in the same order) and everything works.

Now, I go to the device manager just to check on stuff, and I take a look at the driver details for my soundcards.

The Audigy 2 and 0404 are both using this:

Driver Provider: Creative
Driver Date: 29/08/2005
Driver Version: 5.12.10.1162

What gives? Are they using the same driver? Is this going to affect anything? I hope not, i like to game and I like my music, and I'd like to use both to the fullest extent possible.

Please tell me this is normal!

 

[cotdt]

my thoughts are:

why use 2 sound cards? i understand that 0404 sounds far better than audigy 2 but a modded audigy 2 sounds better still. so a single modded audigy 2 is far preferable and modding is 100% free.

 

[Sycraft]

It wouldn't supprise me if they are using the same driver, the same chip (EMU 10k2) drives both of them. Not sure if they are supposed to use the same driver, but that they do isn't supprising.

As for why to have multiple sound cards: Games and high end audio. The Audigy 2 is a good game card, but leaves things to be desired quality wise. Even if modded, which not everyone has the skill to do, it still resamples everything. Hence a 0404. However, cool as the 0404 is, it doesn't do all the game thigns the Audigy does. It's not a gamer card.

I had a similar setup, until getting an X-Fi. It does a great job of both, at least for my uses, so it's all I have.

 

[Arainach]

I'd be willing to bet that WinXP 64 is your problem. It requires 64-bit drivers, and a lot of crap doesn't have them written. Wouldn't surprise me one bit of the EMU didn't had 64-bit drivers and was trying to leech off the Audigy drivers.

 

[Drewpy]

It is completely normal for both those cards to be using the same driver. As stated they both use the same DSP chip.

As long as both your soundcards are working (Audigy in games/Windows & 0404 for music/recording, or however you have it setup) without issue, you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Razoramus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sycraft It wouldn't supprise me if they are using the same driver, the same chip (EMU 10k2) drives both of them. Not sure if they are supposed to use the same driver, but that they do isn't supprising.

Why is the 0404 so much better if driven by the same chip. The 0404 has no amp, so I guess it has much better DACs?

 

[Asmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razoramus Why is the 0404 so much better if driven by the same chip. The 0404 has no amp, so I guess it has much better DACs?

Right, the hardware on the E-MU cards are way better. And the way the drivers work.

I would not bother with windows xp 64, there is no real benefit.

 

[InSides]

So... can anyone confirm that using E-MU's latest 1.82 System Driver [and PatchMix 1.81], the E-MU 1212m can co-exist with a Audigy 2 ZS Platinum on Windows XP? I've been reading the various threads only to find mixed results.

My [now-ex] LynxTWO is off to a new home in a recording studio, and was looking to scale down costs as well as the rig. I will not justify the move to an X-Fi since I can buy the 1212m for less cash, and I do have the ZS already as a gaming card, so any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, sorry for the slight thread-hijack, but I am guessing we are affected by a similar issue.

 

[InSides]

Also, seems that Creative has just released a new set of updated drivers for the Audigy 2 ZS, dated yesterday [01/24/2006]. Has anyone installed these yet?

 

[maarek99]

I used the 0404 and Audigy 2ZS succesfully together, though it took some trial and error installations to get the correct method.

 

[Sycraft]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razoramus Why is the 0404 so much better if driven by the same chip. The 0404 has no amp, so I guess it has much better DACs?

Better DACs and a different design. The Audigy 2's 10k2 chip is locked at 48kHz. All incomming signals are resampled to that rate (it does support 96kHz for some thigns via a seperate path called p2v but it's not really important). That's a good design for consumer stuff, means no worring about differing rates and what not, just play sound and it works. However the reasmpling isn't great and so introduces distortion. The Emu is for pro stuff so bit accuracy matters. Hence it doesn't resample, and does reclocks itself.