The Week in Review: December 9-15, 2002

Last week's features at 3DsoundSurge

Last week's sound news

Drivers and bugs

• Sound Blaster PCI Driver update
  Creative Labs has released a driver update for Sound Blaster® Vibra128, Sound Blaster 16 PCI, Sound Blaster PCI 128, Sound Blaster 4.1 Digital, Sound Blaster Ensoniq AudioPCI, Sound Blaster PCI4.1 Digital and Sound Blaster Vibra128 4D. It's a WDM driver update and support Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. It will fix a distortion problem when playing a wave or MP3 file in 4 speaker mode. It's currently only available from Creative Labs Asian site.

New games, demos, patches and bugs

• New World Order Patch
  Project Three Interactive has released a new (v1.3) patch for New World Order.

• Battlecruiser Millennium Patch
  A new patch (v1.0.08 RC29) for Battlecruiser Millennium is now available from 3D Gamers

• The Two Towers Interview @ Music4Games
  The developers of The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers reveal in an interview posted on Music4Games.Net how they incorporated Howard Shore's original scores from Peter Jackson's The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring and The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers into EA's official game of the movie. Here is an excerpt:

  "We actually began work on the overall sound direction of the game before "Fellowship" was complete, long before we'd heard the soundtrack. We knew that Howard Shore was to be the composer, and we were certainly fans of his. So we built up extremely high expectations for the music. Even still, when we finally heard it we were simply blown away. And the more we listened and worked with this music, the more impressed we became. Usually, when working on a big project, you get several months into it and become so sick of hearing the same music over and over and over that you can't wait to move on to the next thing. That simply didn't happen here; our respect and fondness for this soundtrack has only grown - even over months of intense exposure."

Reviews of soundcards, speakers, headphones and MP3 players.

• Sound Blaster Audigy 2
  A review of Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum has been posted on Gamer's Depot. They found it to offer the best sound quality they've heard from a soundcard and had no major complaints.

• Hercules Digifire 7.1 Sound Card
  HotHardware has posted an overall very positive review of Hercules' Digifire 7.1 Sound Card.

• Altec Lansing 251 5.1 Speaker System
  TweakNews has posted an overall very positive review of the Altec Lansing 251 5.1 Speaker System.

• Logitech Z-560
  Soundcard Central has posted a review of the very popular Logitech Z-560 4.1 speaker system. Overall it's very positive review but they complained a bit about lower volume on the right front speakers than the others at low volume and that the the highs are not crisp and clear.

• Nike-Philips psa[duro Stereo Headphones
  Hardware Zone has posted a review of Nike-Philips psa[duro Stereo Headphones. As the name indicates it target those that bought one of the Nike-Philips psa mp3 players that want better sound quality than what the bundled headphones offer. The review is a bit mixed but still over positive with a score of 4 out of 5.

• iRock BLiNG CD/FM/MP3 Player
  KEPTech has posted an overall very positive review of the iRock BLiNG CD/FM/MP3 Player

• Swiftech Quiet Power Barebones Case
  Viper's Lair has posted a review of the Swiftech Quiet Power Barebones Case. This is water cooling system and from a noise perspective they come to the following conclusion:

  With 4 120mm fans this case isn't silent but with the fans being so large it has a much lower tone than smaller fans. The tone of the fan makes it very easy to tune it out completely. For a noise level comparison it doesn't make a whole lot more noise than that of a refrigerator running. I believe there are also lower RPM fans available the should make this case nearly silent at the expense of great air flow.

• VIA Hi-Fi PC Article
  Digit-Life has posted an article/review of the VIA Hi-Fi PC.

Other sound news

• Philips Ships Budget Sound Cards
  I think these have been on the shelves for a little while now but none-the-less there is some coverage over at Yahoo news on the PSC605 Sonic Edge 5.1 (suggested retail price of $39.99) and the PSC604 Dynamic Edge 4.1 (suggested retail price of $24.95). Both cards are based on CMedia's latest chip but unlike most CMedia products, they use QSound 3D audio technology.

• VIA Launches the VIA Envy24PT Audio Controller for the Onboard Audio Market
  VIA Technologies today announced the release of the VIA Envy24PT, a high performance Audio Controller designed to bring 8-channel support, and a stunning new level of audio performance to the motherboard and entry-level soundcard market.

  For the last two years, VIA has been developing high-end audio solutions to meet the growing demands of increasingly entertainment centric PCs. The VIA Envy24PT is the latest addition to VIA's Envy line of Audio Controllers supporting up to 24-bit resolutions and 96kHz sample rates for an enhanced listening experience. Enabling 8-channel outputs, the VIA Envy24PT can support the latest DVD-Video Dolby Digital EX® and DTS ES® soundtracks for enhanced flyover effects, as well as having 4 simultaneous inbound channels. Like all Envy24 controllers, the VIA Envy24PT is designed to pass audio as cleanly and clearly as possible, bit-for-bit accurate.

  We know that AOpen will integrate it into their next version of their Tube motherboard lineup, and VPSD will release P4 motherboards integrating the chip.

  For quite a bit of additional detail you can check out the full press release.

• QSound Labs and iLAB America Form Strategic Partnership
  QSound Labs, Inc. and iLAB America, a leader in digital audio product designs, have announced that they have joined forces to offer QSound’s QSurround technology in a new “off-the-shelf” production board designed and developed by iLAB. This collaboration will be the first to offer QSound’s new QSurround 7.1 technology to Consumer Electronics OEMs and will be available in the 1st quarter of 2003.

  At the heart of the QSurround 7.1 technology is QSound’s Multi-Speaker Surround Synthesis technology (QMSS), a stereo-to-surround synthesis algorithm that creates stunning surround effects with distinctly different outputs for 4, 5.1 6.1, or 7.1 full-range speakers, including a discrete subwoofer channel. QMSS has been featured in numerous consumer electronics products, including the critically acclaimed Acoustic Edge™ Sound card from Philips.

  For some additional details and quotes you can check out the full press release.

• SONICblue Introduce Two New Portable CD/MP3 Players
  SONICblue has unveiled its new line of portable digital music CD players, the RioVolt® SP150 and SP350.

  "The SP350 and SP150 bring Rio functionality, performance and fun to the portable CD/MP3 category." said Ed Brachocki, vice president of product marketing audio and video products, SONICblue. "The SP350 integrates full navigation and music library information in a 19mm player and the SP150 provides consumers a uniquely styled, fully featured player at a more affordable price." You can find more details in the press release.

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.
  

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