3DsoundSurge Review: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy


	Mikael Hagén puts Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy to the test

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Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy

Mikael Hagén - Last updated September 9, 2001

Software Bundle:

Third Party Software

When it comes to other non Creative software you will find the following (taken from the press release)

America

Audigy X-Gamer

Full version of Interplay's Giants: Citizen Kabuto(TM)
Full version of Deus Ex Game of the Year
Unibrain S.A.'s FireNet

Audigy MP3+

MixMeister Technologies' MixMeister
Beatnik's Mixman Studio Remixer; Unibrain S.A.'s FireNet
iM Networks Inc.'s iM Tuner

Audigy Platinum

Steinberg's Audio Suite;
Ulead VideoStudio(TM) 4.0 SE Basic;
MixMeister Technologies' MixMeister(TM);
Beatnik's Mixman Studio Remixer;
Unibrain S.A.'s FireNet;
Vienna SoundFont(R) Studio 2.3, and;
iM Networks Inc.'s iM Tuner Software(TM).
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Deus Ex Game of the Year
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Audigy Platinum eX

Same as Platinum except instead of Deus-Ex Game of the Year it includes
- Sonic Foundry ACID DJ 2.0
- Image Line Bvba FruityLoops

Asia

Audigy Digital Entertainment

Full version of Interplay's Giants: Citizen Kabuto
MixMeister Technologies' MixMeister;
Beatnik's Mixman Studio Remixer
Unibrain S.A.'s FireNet;

Audigy Platinum

Steinberg's Audio Suite;

Ulead VideoStudio™ 4.0 SE Basic;

MixMeister Technologies' MixMeister™;

Beatnik's Mixman Studio Remixer;

Unibrain S.A.'s FireNet;

Vienna SoundFont® Studio 2.3,

iM Networks Inc.'s iM Tuner Software™.

Giants : Citizen Kabuto

Audigy Platinum eX

Same as Platinum except instead of Giant’s it includes
- Sonic Foundry ACID DJ 2.0
- Image Line Bvba FruityLoops

Europe

Audigy Player

Full version of Interplay's Giants: Citizen Kabuto™
Unibrain S.A.'s FireNet
Arturia's Storm Player Edition
MixMeister Technologies' MixMeister™
iM Networks Inc.'s iM Tuner Software™.

Audigy Platinum

Steinberg's Cubasis VST Creative Edition (incorporating Wavelab Lite and Recycle Lite)
Arturia's Storm Platinum Edition
Ulead's VideoStudio™ 4.0 SE Basic
MixMeister Technologies' MixMeister™
Unibrain S.A.'s FireNet
Vienna SoundFont® Studio 2.3
iM Networks Inc.'s iM Tuner Software™.
A specially written HTML book 'Sound Blaster Audigy, The Definitive Music Creation Guide' is also included.

Audigy Platinum eX

Same as the Platinum plus
- Sonic Foundry's ACID DJ 2.0
- Image Line's Fruity Loops

A brief look at this list makes it clear Creative will continue its tradition of strong software bundles, especially for musicians on a limited budget or at least just recently started on creating/recording music on their PCs. For gamers the European bundle is similar to what we have seen in the past except no game in the Platinum version this time. People in US are likely to find the X-Gamer bundle less impressive this time with just 2 games, one of which not that new and the other being Giants. Not sure if the reason is less margins on the new Audigy card compared to last 2 years Live cards (the first Live had no full version game in US) or no games available that take advantage of the new EAX Advanced HD features. It would be great if Creative would patch the bundled Giants and/or Deus-Ex to take advantage of at least some of the new EAX Advanced HD features. That would make the bundle more compelling for gamers. However the game bundle is still impressive compared to the other soundcards which only offer demos.

Back to the configuration and other Creative software

Music performance