[Jodiuh]

Hello fellow Creative lovers and haters!

Many of you upgrade your video drivers on a regular basis for + results, but did you know that your sound card can affect your performance profoundly as well. Here are 2 examples from my recent experiences switching from the 253 Audigy 1 drivers to the 283 Audigy 2 drivers ON MY AUDIGY 1:

system specs
p4 1.7
512 ram
g4 4200
audigy 1
winxp home
3dmark 2001 ~ 9500


Haven't really checked headphone/sound quality yet, but...

1. Rallisport Challenge, a graphically intensive xbox port, was VERY choppy running on Hight and 1024x768 AND sound settings set to most used/all options checked/high quality. If I lowered all the sound settings it would run FLAWLESSLY. After installing the 283 drivers I set all sound settings back to high. I expected a little improvement, but nothing could prepare me for what I found. It ran SMOOOOOOOOOTH. No hiccups in framerate.

2. Battlefield 1942 now listed 63 hardware voices instead of 31 in the sound menu!! I didn't even check the performance, lol!

I was tooo exited to have finally seen a difference in Creative's drivers.
I've read a little bit on other forums about how these are the best drivers yet for Creative and am now inclined to believe them.

Here is the link for everything you need.

Note: the link has 7 steps, I checked all this after installing the first set of drivers, 283. Newer drivers are even better according to this post!

http://www.entcity.com/shownews.asp?id=2575

Jod

 

[Maxvla]

using an audigy i bought about a year ago. the only drivers that work are the ones that came with it.

the updates leave me with no sound at all.

my next sound card will be something else, but i'm not dissatisfied with this card as i really didn't need to update. i was just doing it for updating's sake.

 

[Jodiuh]

Have you tried add/remove software soundblaster audigy...both of them...and then without restarting yet...uninstall audigy in device manager.

Then when you restart cancel the installation of anything and double check to make sure it's not listed in device manager. Then continue with the link I posted. Follow the directions and you're set

Jod

 

[Maxvla]

yep i've tried everything.

oh well. the original drivers do everything i need.

 

[dd3mon]

If installed correctly (with the special "patch" applied), all the drivers in this post work flawlessly for win2k/XP.. however any driver updates that I've downloaded from Creative in the past have left my system in shambles!

Differences from SB Live to Audigy to Audigy 2 are about 95% software (since they all have the same processor), and with this neat little hack we can all have the full benefit of that processor.

Thanks alot! great link! down with creative! hehe

I would love to see the M-Audio Revolution come and blow all of Creative's cards out of the water for games while still having the M-Audio sound-quality first approach!!

-dd3mon

 

[Jodiuh]

ahhhhhhhh....m-audio...man I can't wait to read a review on that revolution card. It sure is nice not to be punished for frame rate hits anymore!!

Quote:

however any driver updates that I've downloaded from Creative in the past have left my system in shambles!

Seriously, this is the first time I've installed creative drivers with ZERO problems!!

Jod

P.S. I now have installed the 323's and damn...they sound peerrtty.

 

[Calanctus]

I also recently tried updating my drivers to version 283. After numerous failed attempts (including removing the soundcard entirely via the device manager before each attempt) I emailed Creative and eventually received a snappy 22 step set of instructions. After numerous additional attempts I figured it out on my own.

I don't plan to use a Creative card again at this point.

 

[dd3mon]

but my god the sound out of my Audigy is improved 100%.. w/ these new drivers the sound is much cleaner.. I think it makes the biggest difference in games.. The original Audigy 1 drivers seem muffled compared to the new ones in straight stereo (for games), and the EAX in version 283 of the drivers is just AMAZING. I always disliked the EAX effect in just about any game I'd ever played.. but with these new drivers I would use EAX all the time! the only problem is it's really choppy when I turn it on =/ I'm not sure if this is because of the hardware differences between Audigy 1 to Audigy 2 or because I have a horrible southbridge (buggy crap in KT133A chipset, notorious for problems w/ creative boards).

-dd3mon

 

[Duncan]

Thanks for the heads up Jod,

I've saved the link, but seeing those 7 stages, looks a bit complicated...

I daresay its like childsplay once you're in motion though

So, what its telling me is, that my Live! will now become an Audigy 2... yer?

 

[Duncan]

I dunno, I had a nice long post ready to go... and the lights went out... ho-hum

Quote:

Originally posted by dd3mon but my god the sound out of my Audigy is improved 100%.. w/ these new drivers the sound is much cleaner.. I think it makes the biggest difference in games.. The original Audigy 1 drivers seem muffled compared to the new ones in straight stereo (for games), and the EAX in version 283 of the drivers is just AMAZING. I always disliked the EAX effect in just about any game I'd ever played.. but with these new drivers I would use EAX all the time! the only problem is it's really choppy when I turn it on =/ I'm not sure if this is because of the hardware differences between Audigy 1 to Audigy 2 or because I have a horrible southbridge (buggy crap in KT133A chipset, notorious for problems w/ creative boards). -dd3mon

Where was I? Oh yes... dd3mon, this is EXACTLY the same experience that i've had with my 'transplant', with the only exception being that mine has come from a Live rather than an Audigy...

One other question to tie in with dd3mons... In the system properties, the sound card driver still says 'Live!', is this the hackers way of fooling Windows into believing everythings ok... or have I done something wrong??

Thanks

 

[Jodiuh]

Quote:

So, what its telling me is, that my Live! will now become an Audigy 2... yer?

-Duncan

Well, like I said I've got an Audigy.

-sounds MUCH better

-no hiss, crackle

-improved framerate in all games tremendously (+30 in some instances)

You have a live and I have not personally used a live, so I can't vouch for that card. I would create a restore point of you've got xp.

Good luck!!

The true hacker does not fear bsod's.

Jod

 

[ooheadsoo]

Ok, Jod, I'm gonna give this a shot now and if it fubars my sound, i'm headin on over to dish out some &%!@#

 

[ooheadsoo]

Ok, it seems that the drivers work and the performance increase is real, but none of the other controls work, meaning i can't switch from my headphones to my 5.1 speakers on optical output. I'll play with this for a while and then switch back

 

[Jodiuh]

...so the Audigy 2 apps don't work?

You may try using the live apps while keeping the Audigy 2's drivers.

Jod

 

[ooheadsoo]

JOD, MY MAN! You Rock!!

I dunno why I didn't think of that!