[x7007]

  Every once in a while the sound coming from my speakers/headphones will start to have a crackly static effect and then switch to a really loud continuous beep. Is it something to do with my sound card?
 
I usually notice it happening when I start up CSGO. It goes away when I restart.

I had the problem too, didn't get answer from anyone, I think it fixed when I moved the card from the PCIE_2 x16 slot to PCIE_0 x1 slot and maybe including the side fans are disconnected all this long, I did not had the noise once. Usually it happened even when I changed from Speakers to Headphones straight away couple of times, now I can change over 9000 and it doesn't happen.

 

[Fafner]

Hi,
sorry but a 166 pages thread is a bit on the long side to try to find what I'm looking for.
This is a problem I've been having since I got the card (which is when it actually was released), it never really disappeared. Basically, my DBPro keeps disappearing and reappearing on a regular basis (let's say 2 or 3 days, depending on the amount of boots/reboots). There are times I boot into Windows and it's just not there, there are other times I boot into Windows and it's there again and fully working. Couldn't really find a scenario to constantly reproduce it.
 
My PC is behaving just like if 2 devices were installed (not at the same time, it detects either one or the other one). The Creative control panel keeps cycling between a "2-SoundBlaster ZxR" (this is where the DBPro module works) and a "SoundBlaster ZxR" device (this is where the DBPro is nowhere to be seen and all relevant sliders and settings get hidden accordingly). Every "device" seems to retain its own settings (loudness, ...). Once I try to start the control panel, I'm often getting asked to choose another soundcard as the currently set one "isn't detected, not compatible with the current application or has no cables attached to its jacks". For example, if I'm on the "2-SoundBlaster ZxR" device which has been working fine for some days, I'm told it isn't detected anymore and I'm offered to select the "SoundBlaster ZxR" device. Then all stays like this for a couple of days without further prompts, then this happens again and I get offered to get back to the "2- SoundBlaster ZxR" device as the current isn't detected again, and so on and so on, cycling between the 2 devices! The problem is, one device works flawlessly, the other one is just a Zx as the DBPro module just isn't seen. The card itself works 100% fine, the DBPro module works fine as well when I'm on the "device" which detects it!
 
Any hints on this?

 

[VeerK]

  Hi,
sorry but a 166 pages thread is a bit on the long side to try to find what I'm looking for.
This is a problem I've been having since I got the card (which is when it actually was released), it never really disappeared. Basically, my DBPro keeps disappearing and reappearing on a regular basis (let's say 2 or 3 days, depending on the amount of boots/reboots). There are times I boot into Windows and it's just not there, there are other times I boot into Windows and it's there again and fully working. Couldn't really find a scenario to constantly reproduce it.
 
My PC is behaving just like if 2 devices were installed (not at the same time, it detects either one or the other one). The Creative control panel keeps cycling between a "2-SoundBlaster ZxR" (this is where the DBPro module works) and a "SoundBlaster ZxR" device (this is where the DBPro is nowhere to be seen and all relevant sliders and settings get hidden accordingly). Every "device" seems to retain its own settings (loudness, ...). Once I try to start the control panel, I'm often getting asked to choose another soundcard as the currently set one "isn't detected, not compatible with the current application or has no cables attached to its jacks". For example, if I'm on the "2-SoundBlaster ZxR" device which has been working fine for some days, I'm told it isn't detected anymore and I'm offered to select the "SoundBlaster ZxR" device. Then all stays like this for a couple of days without further prompts, then this happens again and I get offered to get back to the "2- SoundBlaster ZxR" device as the current isn't detected again, and so on and so on, cycling between the 2 devices! The problem is, one device works flawlessly, the other one is just a Zx as the DBPro module just isn't seen. The card itself works 100% fine, the DBPro module works fine as well when I'm on the "device" which detects it!
 
Any hints on this?

Have you tried a different PCIe slot, driver reinstallation, etc?

 

[SaLX]

@Fafner Try a complete uninstall, remove the cards and then run this: http://treexy.com/products/driver-fusion to make sure every reference is gone from the PC. GL.

 

[Fafner]

  Have you tried a different PCIe slot, driver reinstallation, etc?

 
 
Yep, tried pretty much everything long time ago. On the Creative forums I've seen others reporting a similar problem, but 0 replies from the Creative team. 

 

[wilflare]

how do I go about using my Sound Blaster ZX purely as a DSP?
do I just turn on "What U Hear" and have it playback over my USB DAC? (which serves as an excellent hardware audio knob)
would that work?
 
the thing is my USB DAC doesn't have SPDIF IN...
 
EDIT: went back a page or two and found that my questions were answered.
 
I'm curious though. how does "What U Hear" affect the sampling rate?
and with that, I'm using the DAC of whatever playback device I'm using right? (and not the SBZ)?
 
and one more question, how do I get the surround sound from my video files to my headphones in this setup?
(e.g. Netflix, Anime, etc) 

 

[w1ntersold1er]

   
 
Yep, tried pretty much everything long time ago. On the Creative forums I've seen others reporting a similar problem, but 0 replies from the Creative team. 

I-ve found an alternative forum where some guy crafts upgraded drivers for Z series. MP me if interested maybe it fixes ur problems.

 

[Fafner]

  I-ve found an alternative forum where some guy crafts upgraded drivers for Z series. MP me if interested maybe it fixes ur problems.

 
 
Are you referring to the PAX drivers? I'll try them.
 
Edit: installed them, took a while to figure out as the install routine wasn't automatically installing them (yeah, driver signing was off). At this moment everything seems ok, will need some days to check.

 

[w1ntersold1er]

Yeah I was referring to PAX Drivers. I'm glad it solved ur problems man
 
¿Can you explain a little more how did u installed them? There is no explanation at all in the creator forum.

 

[Fafner]

  Yeah I was referring to PAX Drivers. I'm glad it solved ur problems man
 
¿Can you explain a little more how did u installed them? There is no explanation at all in the creator forum.

 
Unfortunately it didn't solve my problem. Everything seemed fine until today. I booted my PC before lunch to check my emails and everything was ok. I didn't install, nor modify, nor remove anything. As I booted it again after lunch, the DBPro module was gone again. Guess it will be back later today or tomorrow, go figure :\
 
As for installation, all I did was uninstall the Creative stuff, reboot the PC making sure to disable driver signing enforcement (google it, plenty of guides around), install the PAX package and manually install the unsigned drivers (you have to go to Device Manager, select the generic audio devices you see there and manually point to the inf file available in the PAX package ("Update driver", "Look for a driver in the PC", "Manually select a driver"...this latest step is very important, if you make it look for an updated driver instead, it will tell you it can't find one).

 

[wilflare]

is there a way to turn off that red LED yet? :/

 

[genclaymore]

nope you have to either cover it up with black tape, or manually remove it like some people have done. but removing it void your warranty.

 

[A8ADY]

i own a sound blaster z paired with akg q 701

but to take advantage of 5.1 and ddl i need to use optical. i tried using my astro mixamp and it did work great actually. what i know is only DACs has optical in, will the DAC affect the sound quality you know they are all sound cards. am asking because if i bought a cheap DAC just to benefit from the optical in will it affect the blaster z sound quality ? or is there a way/device that i can benefit of its optical port without affecting the blaster z's sound?

 

[genclaymore]

The sound blaster Z actually have SBX surround which you can use for headphone's if you plug it directly to the sound card headphone jack. That way you wont have to worry about using the astro mix amp any more just the sound card.  You can set it up using 5.1 in windows and games and headphone mode in the creative software and use the default SBX surround setting and it will work quite nice.

 

[A8ADY]

  The sound blaster Z actually have SBX surround which you can use for headphone's if you plug it directly to the sound card headphone jack. That way you wont have to worry about using the astro mix amp any more just the sound card.  You can set it up using 5.1 in windows and games and headphone mode in the creative software and use the default SBX surround setting and it will work quite nice.

i liked the SBX but when i tried 5.1 + ddl it was better imo . thats why am asking if i got the cheapest dac ever just to benefit from the optical port will it affect the blaster's sound quality ?