3DsoundSurge Special Feature: Voyetra Turtle Beach Santa Cruz

Turtle Beach Santa Cruz

Turtle's Beach's PR guy, Mike McDougal gave me a call from the COMDEX floor last night to chat about their upcoming new soundcard, the Santa Cruz. The card is expected to be available in around April of 2000. Some of the details still have to be fleshed out and we plan to put up a COMDEX summary page of key sound card and speaker announcements at the end of the show but for now here are some key points that I got from Mike.

The card is a custom design by Voyetra Turtle Beach

It will use a multi-function DSP from an as yet on announce partner (unannounced apparently for business reasons as this stage). The DSP will allow for many functions and you will be able to select what function you want to accelerate using the cards control panel. For example, if you want to game then it will accelerate DS3D and EAX 2.0 (as well as convert A3D 1.x calls to DS3D). If you want to rip MP3 or play MP3s then you can select that function in the panel and that's what the DSP will focus on. Likewise, if MIDI is your thing then the DSP will accelerate unlimited MIDI voices. If you want to watch movies the DSP will decode AC3

offers active echo cancellation (for telephony and voice recognition)

offers array microphone functionality

connection are the standard joystick, line in, front out and rear out plus a multi-function "versa" jack (standard 1/8" mini-jack) that can serve several purposes. One is it can be the output for full 5.1 support (sub and center). It can sever as a dedicated headphone jack, a second line out or a digital output. Mike indicated that Altec Lansing for one would be offering speakers that had a 1/8" digital input but this is just for two speaker support. I asked about COAX connectivity and he was not sure how that works but I imagine that a standard 1/8" to COAX adapter will get that connection if an adapter is not supplies out of the box.

18/20 bit DAC

Sensaura will provide the 3D audio support and the card will offer a digital ear feature which is the ability to select custom HRTFs for optimum 3D audio performance

Estimate retail price of $99 and it will probably ship in several software configurations and a version with digital in and out (and optical) on a daughter card is also planned.

Audiostation 2000 which will have integrated MP3 ripping and CD-R integration will ship as part of the software bundle and will also be available as a free download around the same time.