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The Week in
Review: November 11-17, 2002
Last week's features at
3DsoundSurge
Last week's sound news
Drivers and bugs DirectX 9.0 RC 0 : Public Beta for
End-User
Microsoft has release a DirectX
9.0 RC 0: Public Beta for End-User. I am not sure what the current status of audio
changes are in this released build. According to a May 30th press release that was referring to Beta 1, DirectX 9 was to
include a new version of DirectMusic® Producer, enabling support for DirectMusic
enhancements such as low-latency playback and new wizards for creating DirectX Media
Objects (DMOs) for audio effects and DirectMusic tools for MIDI processing. Of course,
those features would not be of immediate interest to most end-users.
New
games, demos, patches and bugs
Raven Shield Multiplayer Demo
The Raven Shield multiplayer demo for the upcoming Tom Clancy game in now available. The
demo offers a two maps for Survival and Team Survival modes, and a Ubi.Com account is
required to play over the Internet. The 155 MB file is currently only available as a
GameSpy Industries exclusive so you can only find it at FilePlanet
(registration required). On the subject of Raven Shield, PC.IGN.Com has posted a preview of the full
version of the game.
- Racing Game for the Blind
Three MA students Music Technology from the Utrecht School of the Arts present Drive, a
computer racing game for blind children, developed in co-operation with the Bartiméus
Institute for the blind. This game, which only consists of sound, is the ultimate response
to the lack of fun games for blind people. The students translated the essence of visual
racing games into sound instead of the graphical elements. The
object of the game is to test the maximum speed of a newly developed vehicle, named ‘the
Shuttle’, by driving as fast as possible. This shuttle moves along a fixed track and
the player has to pick up 'boosters' to gain speed. Several sound effects will try to
prevent the player from doing this. The player is accompanied by co-pilot Bob and his
obstinate comments. There is absolutely no visual feedback, only the game’s title
Drive is visible on the screen. The player is solely dependent on his hearing.
For more details on the project and the game including links for
more information and a free download of the game you can check out the full
press release.
- Music Q&A with Jón Hallur
Fragland.net has posted the results of a Q&A with Crowd Control Productions Jón Hallur. The
article covers his work as a music designer and his contribution to EVE-Online, their
upcoming MMORPG. Here's a snip:
Q: What's your vision about game-soundtracks vs
movie-soundtracks ?
A: For games that have storylines and are linear I think the
difference between movie soundtracks and game soundtracks is next to none. But with games
like EVE for example there are some great things to be done in the nearest future with
interactive music. Microsoft tried to make a system called Direct Music to make
interactive music but the system was really badly done. I'd really like to take a part in
a project where the music would be made in a system where you could tweak the parameters
of a sound according to what is happening in the game, which is not possible with
non-interactive music like mp3s.
Reviews
of soundcards, speakers, headphones and MP3 players.
- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2
Tweak Town has posted an overall
very positive review of the Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2. Some comments follow.
First, despite what is stated in the review I think that there is clearly competition for
Creative beyond Hercules' lineup. For example, there is the Santa Cruz from Turtle Beach,
Philips has a full line of competing sound cards and there are the motherboard solutions
such as those from Analog Devices (SoundMAX) and NVIDIA (nForce). Moving along, based on
looking at test data on the two cards there certainly should not be the audible difference
in depth of bass between the Audigy 2 and Audigy reported in this review. One possibility
is they had bass management set differently on the two cards. Finally, as a point of
interest, Creative was not the first to offer a multimedia sound card with support for
Dolby Digital EX's rear center channel. The honor went to Hercules when they upgraded the
Game Theater XP drivers to v.3.01 in November of 2001.
- Trust 3000P 5.1 Soundwave Speaker
JSI Hardware has posted a review of the Trust 3000P 5.1
Soundwave Speakers along with the Trust 511 sound card. The speakers are targeted at
the 220 volt market and the review is overall very positive but does not indicate just
what other speakers they have heard for context. There's not much on the sound card but
based on the control panel screen shots it looks like it might be a CMedia based product.
There's no mention on the pricing of either product.
Other sound news
- SRS Labs Reports Revenue Growth and Increased
Profitability for Q3 2002
SRS Labs, Inc. has reported increased profitability and revenue growth for the third
quarter ended September 30, 2002. The Company posted quarterly revenue growth of 52% over
the third quarter of 2001. SRS Labs attributes its improved results to growth in its core,
high margin licensing and semiconductor businesses, as well as continued expense control
measures and improving consolidated gross margins. The Company reported consolidated gross
margin of 72% for the third quarter of 2002, compared to 64% for the third quarter of
2001. This improvement is attributable to continued efforts by the Company to shift away
from the low margin distribution product lines, which the Company is in the process of
exiting. For the third quarter ended September 30, 2002, the
Company reported revenues of $5,411,613, with net income of $595,774, or $0.05 per share,
compared to revenues for the third quarter of 2001 of $3,549,129 and a net loss of
$802,299, or $0.06 per share.
For lots more detail you can check out the full
press release.
- Spatializer to Exhibite Three Technologies at
COMDEX
During Fall COMDEX 2002, Spatializer Audio Laboratories, Inc., will demonstrate two new
audio enhancement technologies at their booth. Each enhancement is designed to redefine
the expectations of today's evolutionary trends in personal entertainment. In addition to
the company's Spatializer Natural Headphone technology, solutions to be introduced include
a new set of technologies developed to take advantage of the DVD drives and improved
battery life being incorporated into today's portable computing systems. Spatializer
states that these solutions will provide studio-like audio features, improving the sound
of the headphones and small speakers normally associated with notebook PCs. With the
resulting high-quality, virtual surround sound system, mobile users can enjoy
theater-quality sound whenever, where ever. Spatializer will
also unveil enhancements designed to improve the quality of the sound in home recordings.
Monaural inputs (single microphone) and noisy environments often mar keepsake recordings
such as youth sports, music recitals, weddings and birthdays. These latest advancements
will help consumers save their memories with the best possible sound quality, without
requiring a significant financial investment.
For some additional details you can check out the full
press release.
- Spatializer Audio Laboratories, Inc. Announces
Improved Third Quarter Operating Results
Spatializer Audio Laboratories, Inc. has announced its financial results for the third
quarter ended September 30, 2002. Revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2002 were
$481,000, compared to revenues of $303,000 in the third quarter of fiscal 2001, an
increase of 59%. Revenues for the nine-months ended September 30, 2002 were $1,392,000
compared to revenues of $1,215,000 in the comparable nine-month period last year, an
increase of 15%. The Company reported net income for the
quarter of $11,000, $0.00 basic and diluted per share, compared with a net loss of
$175,000, $0.00 basic and diluted per share, in the comparable period last year. Net
income for the nine-months ended September 30, 2002 was $36,000, ($0.00) basic and diluted
per share, compared to net loss of $267,000, ($0.01) basic and diluted per share, in the
comparable nine-month period last year.
For lots more detail you can check out the full
press release.
- HyperSonic Sound Wins 2002 Popular Science Grand
Award
American Technology Corp. has announced that its HyperSonic® Sound (HSS®) technology has
won the Grand Award for General Technology from the Popular Science 2002 15th Annual Best
of What's New Awards. HyperSonic Sound, along with other winners, is being featured in
Popular Science's December 2002. HyperSonic Sound is a revolutionary new technology for
sound reproduction. Utilizing thin proprietary ultrasonic emitter devices, HSS focuses and
directs sound in a beam like manner. You can find more details and links via the full press
release.
- TI's TMS320DA610 Aureus Audio DSP Receives DTS
96/24 Certification
Texas Instruments Incorporated has announced that its DTS 96/24 solution offers not only
the certified decoder, but a complete software system including auto-detection,
Input/Output (I/O) and stream management -- while only using 30-40% of TI's Aureus DSP.
Manufacturers can utilize the additional performance to differentiate their products by
adding post-processing features, such as dual digital zones, speaker virtualization and
automatic room correction. For more details on TI's TMS320DA610 and on DTS 96/24 you can check out the full
press release.
- The Third Annual Future of Music Policy Summit
The Future of Music Coalition and Georgetown University are pleased to announce the Third
Annual Policy Summit, which will take place over three days, Jan. 5-7, 2003, at Georgetown
University's Gaston Hall in Washington, D.C. Now in its third year, the FMC Policy Summit
is a forum for musicians, lawyers, academics, policymakers and music industry executives
to come together to discuss and debate some of the most contentious issues surrounding
digital technology, artists' rights and the current state of the music industry. This
year's topics of discussion include: The State of the Music/Tech Industry, The Impact of
Radio Consolidation on Musicians and Citizens, The Webcasting Debate, Illegal Imagination:
Sampling and the Public Domain, Musicians and Health Insurance, Retail in the 21st
Century, Major Labels: Can They Innovate, International Issues, Control of Content and
Next Year's Legislative Agenda. For additional details on the January summit you can check out the full
press release.
- Classic Crosby / Nash Concert Recreated in 5.1
Surround
DTS Entertainment today announced a November 26th release date for an exclusive 5.1
surround DVD-Audio (DVD-A) remix of David Crosby and Graham Nash's memorable 1971 live
concert performance, ANOTHER STONEY EVENING. An inspiring
recording of two voices, two guitars and a host of memorable tracks, this 96/24 surround
remix of the ANOTHER STONEY EVENING according to DTS, masterfully exemplifies how well
surround sound can re-create "live" concerts by placing the listener right in
the middle of the show. This exclusive DVD-Audio release features "Deja Vu,"
"Wooden Ships," "Imagination Man," "Teach Your Children,"
and many other great songs, passionately performed live on-stage by this legendary rock
duo. For additional details you can check out the full
press release.
- NVIDIA Premieres NVDVD 2.0
NVIDIA Corporation has announced the immediate availability of NVIDIA® NVDVD 2.0, the
newest version of the Company's versatile PC-based software digital media player. With
support for an extensive variety of digital media file formats, including DVD movies,
music MP3s, AVI and MPEG2 video files and more, NVIDIA bills NVDVD 2.0 as the ultimate
software player for today's consumers who prefer to use a single application for all of
their digital media.
NVIDIA is offering consumers a free, 14-day trial version, which can be downloaded, along
with a trailer for MGM's upcoming James Bond 007 movie "Die Another Day,"
provided by MGM and Ambient Digital Media. From the trial, consumers can purchase the full
version of NVDVD 2.0 (English only), directly from www.nvidia.com for $39.95. A fully localized version, with support for
14 languages, will be available later this year. For details on the features and what's
new you can check
out the full press release.
- Battle Brewing Over Successor to DVD
Upcoming technologies boost optical disc storage capacity to 50GB, but the industry could
be divided by rival standards. The following is from the introduction of an article titled
"Battle Brewing Over Successor to DVD on PCWorld:
Two competing technologies which enable more than 20GB of data
to be stored on each side of an optical disk are nearing commercialization, leading to
fears that the industry could be split between support for one format or the other.
Toshiba and NEC have proposed their Advanced Optical Disc technology
as a standard to the DVD Forum, a consortium of 212 companies. The forum is expected to
settle on full specifications for AOD by the second quarter next year, said Hideyuki Irie,
a DVD Forum official.
Earlier this year, the basic specifications for an alternative
high-capacity standard known as Blu-Ray were announced by nine companies: Matsushita
Electric Industrial, Royal Philips Electronics, Sony, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Pioneer,
Samsung Electric, Sharp, and Thomson Multimedia.
For more news from last week check out our news archive.
Upcoming features at 3DsoundSurgeReviews 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.
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