 |
The Week in
Review: February 18-24, 2002
Last week's features at
3DsoundSurge
Last
week's sound news
Drivers and bugs
Cmedia CMI8738 Windows XP drivers
If you own Windows XP you can now download the CMedia v6.35 reference drivers using the
built in Windows update feature. They are not available directly from Cmedia yet. I think
it has been available for a few weeks now using the Windows update but not sure if we ever
mentioned. I have no info what's new. Thanks to Charlie and others for the info.
New games, demos, patches
and bugsSuperman: The Man of Steel for Xbox will
Feature 3D sound
Infogrames has announced that they will release Superman: The Man of Steel for Xbox in the
fall 2002. Here's couple bits of interest from the
press release
``Utilizing the amazing power of the Xbox, Superman: The Man of
Steel will finally deliver to gamers and comic book fans a Superman game that's worthy of
its namesake,'' said Jean-Philippe Agati, senior vice president and head of Infogrames,
Inc.'s Los Angeles studio. ``Featuring detailed worlds of massive scale, a host of
infamous supervillains, devastating moves and powers, and a variety of dynamic play modes,
Superman: The Man of Steel will thrill both new and hardcore Superman fans alike.
[snip]
Superman: The Man of Steel is a single-player action game based on the DC Comics Superman
universe. Aiming for complete authenticity to satisfy hardcore Superman fans, the story is
being developed and written in conjunction with DC Comics. In the game, Brainiac 13
attempts to take control of the advanced technology behind the futuristic Metropolis --
technology that would enable him to destroy Metropolis and rule the world! Players assume
the role of Superman, the Last Son of the Planet Krypton, and are charged with protecting
the citizens caught within the ensuing chaos, finding the technology to stop the maniacal
robots from taking over the city, and defeating the evil masterminds behind the diabolical
plot.
[snip]
The game will feature Dolby 5.1 3D spatial sound effects and an evocative, movie-like
score composed especially for the game. Superman: The Man of Steel debuts on Xbox in fall
2002.
Incoming Forces Demo
The playable demo of Incoming Forces is now available from Tiscali Games and 3D
Games. The game was once said (late 1999 when it was supposed to be out early 2000)
supposed to support DS3D with EAX 2.0, A3D 2.0 and Sensaura's ZoomFX but not sure if
that's still the case. Doubt the A3D 2.0 is still in the plans.
- Paris-Dakar Rally Patch
A patch for the 3D sound supporting Paris-Dakar Rally has been released. It solves some
issues with the Voodoo3 and WindowsXP. You can grab it from Avault
- Deus Ex AC3 Soundtracks
Soundblaster.com now offers
3 specially orchestrated tracks in the splendour of 5.1 multichannel surround sound.
They are in the AC3 format (you can play them using Playcenter if you got a Live 5.1 or
Audigy card). The soundtracks are said to be from Deus-Ex.
Reviews of soundcards, speakers, headphones
and MP3 players. Sound Blaster Extigy
Hardware-One has posted an overall positive review of Creative Labs
recently released Extigy. The Extigy is basically an external soundcard that is
connected to your USB port. It can also functions as standalone Dolby Digital decoder.
Some comments follow. First, I disagree with their negative comments about XP gaming. I
have tested a wide range of games in XP with both Analog Devices SoundMAX SPX solution and
the Audigy and generally have no complaints. Issues they are experiencing in this review
are likely device and not OS specific. The other bit worth noting is the Extigy lacks some
of the EAX HD features for games that the Audigy feature (but still supports EAX 2.0 and
3D sound as noted in the review). I know Creative Labs says the performance will not be
able to match the Audigy but no issues were reported in this review when playing Undying.
Finally, when you consider that this product is a sound card replacement I don't follow
why they would list the requirement for good speakers and an amplifier to maximize your
enjoyment as a con of the system.
- Audigy Gamer
3DAI has finished its review
of the Audigy Gamer. It's overall positive review but in the end they don't think it's
worth to upgrade if you already own a Live 5.1, Santa Cruz or some of the other top of the
line boards. Not until we have more content start to use 24 bit/96 kHz. A bit odd
statement considering the Audigy isn't really what I would consider a true 24 bit / 96 kHz
soundcard since it's not able to playback 24/96 kHz content.
- Creative SoundBlaster Audigy (OEM)
PSCoop has done a review of the OEM
version of the Creative SoundBlaster Audigy. It's worth noting there exist more than
one OEM version of the card. Not clear to me which they used since the image looks like
one of the retail boards (gold plated connections). Probably the same board with no game
bundle. In most cases the OEM card use the PC color coded connections and it also exist
one Audigy OEM card without the FireWire connection. Now moving on to the review it's
very positive without any major complaints. A couple corrections: Games doesn't need to be
5.1 enabled, any game using 3D sound should automatically use the center channel (there
are some rare exceptions). For stereo content (e.g. music) you can get sound through the
center channel by enabling Movie mode (can only be enabled from the Playcenter).
- /O Magic Hurricane Extreme Soundcard
Guru3D has done a review
of I/O Magic's Canyon3D2 based /O Magic Hurricane Extreme Soundcard. It's an overall
positive review. One bit I disagree with is that PowerDVD 2.55 to 4.0 is basically the
same. Especially the audio part feature set and quality differ quite a bit. The quality of
the audio is much better in the bundled PowerDVD 3.0 than the older 2.55. It lacks some of
the more advanced features of PowerDVD 4.0 XP though.
- Altec Lansing 4100
IGN has done a review
of Altec Lansing's midrange 4-speaker system, the 4100. It's a system with a rather
unique design using two one-inch neodymium drivers rather than the more common 2.5"
or 3" midrange driver. IGN found the system to perform very well, especially when it
comes to midrange and treble but was a bit more mixed about the bass performance. Thanks
to Kuen Foo for the pointer.
- TEAC PowerMax 2000 Active 5.1 Acoustic System
Digit-Life has posted a review of TEAC PowerMax 2000
Active 5.1 Acoustic System. It's a 5.1 system which features a Dolby Digital decoder
and a remote control but lacks multichannel analog-in or digital-in making it a fairly
poor buy for PC gaming (except those that own a nForce-D based motherboard). Digit-Life
had some complaints but still found it to perform well and compete well with Creative
Labs/Cambridge SoundWorks DTT3500. Thanks to Jeffrey Lim for the pointer.
Other sound news Terratec introduce DMX 6fire LT
The renowned SoundSystem DMX 6fire 24/96 now has a "little brother" in the
mid-range market segment. With the DMX 6fire LT-which is also based on "4G
Sound" technology-DVD fans will be able to enjoy their sound to the fullest with
six-channel (5.1) playback in outstanding 24-bit quality. The
DMX 6fire LT offers excellent 4G sound based on the successful EWX®/EWS88® technology:
24-bit/96 kHz converters for all inputs and outputs guarantee an absolutely flat frequency
response and a signal-to-noise ratio better than -104 dB/A! The MXR module that fits into
a slot next to the card offers additional connection options. Besides the stereo inputs
and outputs for digital devices (optical), the MXR module also features a connection for a
microphone.
When it comes to gaming the The DMX 6Fire LT offer the same support
as it bigger brother using Sensaura as its 3D sound and reverb engine. The DMX 6fire LT
will be available in March. No mention of price but it will include the bundle of PowerDVD
3.0. You can find more details in the press release
Still no word on DMX 6fire Basic (it's mentioned together with the
DMX 6fire LT and DMX 6fire 24/96 in the driver section so I assume it's using the same
chip.
Terratec introduce new 5.1 speaker system
TerraTec has announced a brand-new surround speaker solution, HomeArena 5.1. The complete
set consists of a subwoofer, a center box and two front and rear speakers each that can be
driven with a system power of up to 55 watt RMS. The SubSession HomeArena 5.1 will be
available beginning in March. Features includes an infrared remote control. You can find
more details in
the press release
- SRS Labs Reports Improved 2001 Year End Results
SRS Labs has reported improved operating results for the year ended December 31, 2001. The
company increased licensing revenue in 2001 by 69.8 percent over 2000, from $2.9 million
to $5.0 million and improved its bottom line results by over 66 percent. SRS Labs also
improved 2001 gross profit margin to 56.6 percent in 2001, as compared to 40.6 percent for
the year ended December 31, 2000. For the year ended December
31, 2001, the company reported revenue of $15.4 million with a net loss of $3.9 million,
or a loss of $0.31 per share compared to year end 2000 revenue of $28.0 million and a net
loss of $11.5 million or a loss of $0.93 per share. SRS Labs' balance sheet remains strong
at December 31, 2001 with no external debt and cash, cash equivalents and investments
totaling $19.6 million.
In the full press release you'll find more
details including a 2001 high-light list. One of the more interesting high-lights is that
the SRS technology is now available in over 10 million DVD players.
- QSound Labs Reports Fourth Quarter Results for
2001
QSound Labs has reported revenues for the three months ended December 31, 2001 of $597,000
as compared to $1,233,000 for the same period in FY2000. The operating loss for the
quarter was $(164,000) per share as compared to a profit of $180,000 the same period last
year. Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2001 were
$3,026,000 compared to $4,469,000 for the same period in 2000. The operating profit for
the year was $37,000 as compared to $112,000 for FY2000. Net loss for the year was
$(733,000) in 2001 and $(7,807,000) in 2000. You can find more numbers and some quotes in the full
press release.
- Sharp will use SRS Headphone and WOW technology
in its cellphones
SRS Labs has announced that Sharp Corporation has licensed SRS Headphone(TM) and SRS
WOW(TM) technologies for its cellular phone offerings. SRS Headphone will be included in
Sharp's newest digital phone for the third largest cellular carrier in Japan, J-PHONE. The
J-PHONE J-SH51, manufactured by Sharp, will be available for the Japanese market in March.
The new Sharp cellular phone is similar to a PDA, in that it
incorporates functions such as a music player, personal calendar, digital still and movie
camera, email, web access and more. Under the terms of the agreement, Sharp Corporation
has licensed SRS Headphone technology for the J-SH51 phone to improve the sound quality of
its MP3 playback. SRS Headphone technology enables customers with these new MP3
player-enabled cellular phones to enjoy an enhanced listening experience through
headphones. You can find more details in the press release
- Sony Unveils 2002 Consumer Product Line
During a press briefing at its annual Open House line show, Sony Electronics introduced
hundreds of new consumer electronics products. The company's new product introductions are
in such categories as flat-screen direct-view TVs, Hi-Scan 1080i(TM) high definition
resolution rear projection televisions, wall-hanging plasma televisions and monitors, hot
new DVD-video players, new digital imaging solutions and products specifically geared for
Gen Y. You can find more
details in the press release. You can also check out the following press releases for
some of the more interesting products
- Sony's
Offers Three Internet Audio Solutions to Take Along Your MP3s
- Sony
Shifts to All Flat-Screen CRTs With Its 2002 FD Trinitron WEGA Television Line-Up
(Features SRS TruSurround and WOW technologies)
- Sony
Announces All Hi-Scan 1080i 2002 Projection Television Line-Up (Features SRS TruSurround)
- Xbox Hits Stores in Japan
Three months after the North American launch, Microsoft has now launched the Xbox in
Japan. Xbox is on sale at thousands of Japanese retail outlets, and 12 titles are
available. The launch lineup includes great titles from the top names in video games, such
as Sega Corp., Konami Corp., Capcom Co. Ltd., Tecmo Ltd. and Microsoft Corp. A total of 22
titles are scheduled to be available in Japan by the end of March. Many of these Japanese
games have global appeal and may be localized in various markets around the world. You can
find more details in the
press release
- NVIDIA-Designed Xbox Processors Named 'Best
Gaming Chip Set of 2001'
NVIDIA® Corporation (has announced that its proprietary processors designed for
Microsoft® Xbox(TM) has been named the ``Best Gaming Chip Set of 2001'' by Cahners
In-Stat/MDR, publishers of the Microprocessor Report. The Xbox processors feature the
dual-processing architecture of NVIDIA's Xbox Graphics Processing Unit (XGPU) and Xbox
Media Communications Processor (MCPX) to power the video game system's standout graphics,
audio and networking capabilities You can find some quotes of
interest in the press
release including that nVidia designed the chipsets in 14 months.
- TerraTec launches Digital Jukebox c.a.r. 4000
TerraTec Electronic has announced the launch of its Digital Jukebox c.a.r. 4000. The
c.a.r. 4000 transfers MP3 functionality to a user’s HiFi system, allowing the user to
record any type of audio signal, and then save it to a hard disk drive. The versatile Jukebox enables the user to simultaneously save audio CDs to
the integrated hard disk drive (memory space for 240 CDs) while audibly playing them,
using the digital selection feature. An extensive CDDB (CD info data bank) support
enhances this function, automatically finding the artist, album, and title of a track.
Meanwhile, the graphical display clearly demonstrates which functions are currently in
use. More details
available in the full press release
- USB digital radio receiver
With DR Box 1, TerraTec Electronic presents the first worldwide USB digital radio
receiver. The DR Box 1 can be connected via USB to the PC or to the stereo equipment
without a computer. At the same time, the DR Box 1 from TerraTec is as simple and easy to
operate as standard radios. Naturally, automatic station search, sound control, analog and
digital output and 24 station memories are available. More details available in the full press release
- TerraTec: New MIDI Master USB Keyboard
With the MIDI Master USB, the German audio specialist TerraTec presents a keyboard which
requires only one cable connection - start playing immediately. The system combines
professional features with the simplest imaginable operation, presenting itself as the
ideal input interface for home and project studios. The MIDI Master USB is available
immediately. You can find more details in the press
release
- SoundMAX SPX "Animated Audio" Utilized
in Moto Racer 3
Analog Devices has announced that its advanced audio rendering technology, SoundMAX(r)
SPX, has been incorporated into Infogrames, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: IFGM) new PC game Moto Racer
3. Featuring game audio technologies that generate "animated audio" --
interactive, event-driven sounds that respond to game physics, environmental variables and
user input -- SoundMAX SPX brings hyper-realistic sound to the action-packed motorcycle
racing title. Developed by Delphine Software International, Moto Racer 3 has shipped to
stores with an MSRP of $39.95. SoundMAX SPX is a
cross-platform audio rendering solution that provides highly realistic interactive audio
for game titles. Based on both physical and event modeling technologies, SoundMAX SPX
alleviates the repetitive nature of sound-effects processing by using advanced audio
rendering and manipulation techniques. This results in more organic sound effects that
reflect user input in real time. Developed and supported by Analog Devices' Audio
Rendering Technology Center (previously Staccato Systems, Inc.), SoundMAX SPX allows game
title developers to easily create, deliver and control high-quality sounds with an
unmatched level of interactivity. For more details read the full press release
- Halo Music Interview
Xbox.com has conducted an interview with the audio director
for Bungie Studios, Marty O'Donnell. The interview focus on the soundtrack in Halo.
Here's a snip:
Xbox.com: As far as Halo itself is concerned, let me throw in a
quick comment: WOW. It's a great piece of work. Can you tell us a little bit about what
your thoughts on the soundtrack were, back in the beginning? How does one go about
approaching a project of this sort?
MO: Last question first: with fear and trepidation. Fortunately, we had done some
incredibly cool promotional work on Halo with a scripted gameplay demonstration at
MacWorld without any sound engine in place. This meant that I had an opportunity to record
a musical score that would be played back off a CD for the live show. That's when I wrote
the basic Monk/Orchestra piece that ended up being the signature theme for Halo. The
feeling that piece of music created seemed to work well with the Halo demo and I decided
to base a lot of the other music in the final game on some of the themes from that
original track
[snip]
Xbox.com: Ok, nuts and bolts time. How do you actually create a soundtrack like this? Was
it composed and synthesized all on a computer, or was it recorded? What's the sequence of
your tasks?
MO: I worked in studios that contain many keyboards, synths, and samplers as well as
digital recording equipment controlled by computers. I start there, and then when needed,
add live instrumental performances to those recordings. When I mix the music, I sometimes
eliminate the synth/sampler track and only use the live performance. Very little of the
music plays back in the game the way it was originally recorded, however. I cut and edited
the music into chunks that the game audio engine could play back dynamically based on the
player's actions.
For more news from last week check out our news archive.
Upcoming features at 3DsoundSurge
- Reviews that we are currently working on:
Updated Santa Cruz/Sonic Fury and GameTheaterXP reviews
Hercules Fortissimo II
Terratec DMX Xfire 1024
CMedia CM8738 Reference Review
Full Audigy Review
Full Philips MMS305 Review
- There are several other hardware reviews in the pipeline including, but not
limited to the following:
Guillemot Maxi Sound MUSE
Terratec m3po
DigMedia MusicStore
Philips Seismic Edge
Lots of other stuff on the go in including several guides and major site revisions that we
will soon be releasing more details on.
As always if you have any ideas for products we should review or
features we should do, please let us know.
Previous
"The week in review".
Subscribe to our 3D
Audio Week in Review Newsletter
|
|
All content, design and work is ©
2001 - 3D Sound Surge Please respect the copyrights of the articles and writers herein. All copyrights are enforced by 3DSS.