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Next-Generation DSP Sound Card for High Performance PC Audio Acceleration

SonicFury features up to six discrete output channels for Dolby® Digital, music and games; a powerful MIDI engine with high-quality 8MB sample set; 64 hardware voices and up to 1024 software voices; support for all popular audio standards, including DirectSound™, DirectSound3D™, EAX™, Sensaura, A3D™ and DLS. SonicFury's high performance Crystal® SoundFusion® DSP features Dynamic Resource Reconfiguration for smarter audio acceleration, including DSP-accelerated MP3 playback. A huge selection of full-featured software applications is included for music creation and playback, MP3 music, power gaming and more. SonicFury is fully compatible with the PC 99 specification.

Says Kevin Dale, President, VideoLogic Systems: "SonicFury sets a new benchmark for PC audio with an extensive, innovative feature set that includes a re-configurable DSP core, six-channel sound and audiophile performance. This affordable and versatile sound card will enhance every major PC audio application from MP3 digital music through gaming with 3D sound to PC-based home theatre."

Dynamic Resource Reconfiguration
SonicFury's Dynamic Resource Reconfiguration focuses the power of its Crystal® SoundFusion® 420MIPS digital signal processor (DSP) processor where users need it most. For instance, if a game demands 3D audio but not MIDI wavetable sound, the on board audio DSP will focus its processing power on accelerating the 3D streams. If the user instead decides to listen to MP3 files, the DSP will reconfigure itself to optimise the MP3 decoding process. SonicFury's advanced DSP design is engineered for the future, allowing upgrades to be made via software to keep pace with new developments in PC audio technology.

Wide Range of Software Included
SonicFury also sets a new standard for bundled software with over a dozen full applications and numerous demo, freeware and shareware programs. So extensive is the selection of software provided with SonicFury that it requires its own press release: 'VIDEOLOGIC LAUNCHES SONICFURY™ WITH AMAZING SOFTWARE BUNDLE' (http://www.videologic.com/news/sonicfurysw.htm).

Applications include: Making Waves, a 128-track Digital Audio Music Sequencer and Sampler; the award-winning JetAudio™ media-player; Yamaha® SoftSynthesizer™ XG and XG Studio (software emulators of the powerful Yamaha XG hardware); Sonic Foundry® Acid™ XPress loop based multitrack audio sequencer and Siren™ Jukebox XPress music management and playback software tool for MP3, WMA and WAV files; MusicMatch™ Jukebox 5.1 for unlimited CD-quality MP3 recording with Fraunhofer MP3 encoding technology; PCDJ Phat™ cross-mixing software for DJs; FutureBeat™ 3D song-creation software; Voyetra's AudioStation® 4 media player with MIDI Orchestrator 32 and AudioView 32; Voyetra's Digital Orchestrator midi sequencer; Sensaura™ Virtual Ear™; Soft Karaoke Lite and trial versions of d-lusion's MJ Studio, DrumStation and RubberDuck.

Digital Music
SonicFury accelerates MP3 decoding on its DSP, thereby freeing the host CPU for processing other tasks during playback of MP3 files. The on-board digital output also allows CD audio, MP3, and other digital music files to be transferred to MiniDisc or DAT in a pure digital format at 48kHz.

SonicFury offers a wealth of features for desktop music production, turning the PC into a pro-quality music and sound editing system with features including: super low-noise analogue circuitry for better than -100db signal to noise ratio; 18-bit A-D converter for high resolution recording from up to four sources simultaneously (two stereo sources or four mono); six 20-bit D-A converters for high precision playback; a 10-band hardware graphic equalizer; uniquely versatile multi-channel effects processing; an 8MB DLS-compatible wavetable synthesizer; and support for an optional GS-compatible digital wavetable daughter board.

Home Theatre Entertainment
SonicFury revolutionises PC home theatre with its support for either 5.1 digital stream output or six-channel analogue output (5.1). SonicFury allows the pass-through of digital streams (e.g. Dolby Digital) via the digital output for external decoding in a separate home cinema decoder or complete 5.1 speaker solution, such as VideoLogic's DigiTheatre or DigiTheatre DTS. Alternatively, when used with a suitable software DVD player, SonicFury can output the decoded audio to two, four or six channel speaker systems, providing the lowest possible cost home cinema solution for the PC.

3D Technology
In addition to providing up to six output channels, SonicFury supports every major 3D audio standard, including EAX™ 2.0, A3D™ 1.0, I3DL2, DirectSound3D, and Sensaura's MacroFX™ and MultiDrive™. 

SonicFury includes patented effects from Sensaura, the UK based 3D audio technology provider to the PC and consumer electronics industry. MacroFX™ is an extension to DirectSound3D that identifies sounds that are very close to the listener and places them into zones around the head using special rendering algorithms. This allows game developers to offer special 3D sound effects like whispering in the ear or wind noises. The MultiDrive™ multi-speaker 3D technology provides realistic movement of sound between front and rear speakers using a true multi-speaker positional algorithm (as compared to the simple panning techniques used by some products.) Sensaura's new VirtualEar™ technology allows individual gamers to 'tweak' the synthesised 3D hearing cues of gaming environments to be as close as possible to the natural 3D listening cues that are created by their own ears.

Says David Monteith, MD of Sensaura: "We are very pleased that SonicFury from VideoLogic will offer the full Sensaura 3D Positional Audio feature set including technologies such as MacroFX, and MultiDrive. SonicFury will provide gamers with a 3D audio feature set that is not only technically superior to anything else available, but is also compatible with all standard programming interfaces, and hence, all leading games."

VersaJack™ Connectivity
SonicFury features the uniquely versatile VersaJack technology for maximum connectivity. VersaJack enables software selectable connections for one of: additional stereo line-in; digital out (PCM & 5.1 stream); headphone out; or centre/sub speaker line output.

Additional connectors are provided for mic-in (dynamic / condenser mono mic-in with +20db or +40db gain), stereo line-in, front and rear stereo outputs. A Midi / joystick port is also supplied for DirectInput game devices or Midi devices.

Business applications
SonicFury supports acoustic echo cancellation algorithms for enhancing videoconferencing or speakerphone applications. Voice recognition performance is also improved by high-resolution 18 bit A-D converters, exceptionally low signal-to-noise and total harmonic distortion levels and the DSP's ability to process four independent signals from a low-cost array microphone that creates a narrow "listening area" to eliminate extraneous noise in an office environment.

Additional distinctive features include automatic shutdown to eliminate power on/off thumps; automatic sensing of rear jack connections to notify the user of the card's input/output capabilities; and a unique hardware matrix system for automated diagnostic support.

SonicFury is backed up by the very best in free lifetime support including: technical support hotlines; Internet based support; and a five year hardware warranty.

Santa Cruz
SonicFury is the result of an agreement by VideoLogic to produce next generation PC soundcards with US based audio company Voyetra Turtle Beach. SonicFury will be available across Europe and in Australia and New Zealand from VideoLogic. A product called Santa Cruz, based on the same technology, is available in North America from Turtle Beach. Together Turtle Beach and VideoLogic, two of the most respected names in PC audio, will be ensuring the maximum developer and channel support for these new soundcards, which they expect will redefine the standard for PC audio accelerators.

About Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc.
Since its founding in 1975, Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc. has earned a worldwide reputation as the Multimedia Sound Specialists™. VTB's Turtle Beach Systems division is a leading provider of premier audio hardware for the PC platform. In addition to a full line of multimedia sound and music software titles for consumers, audio enthusiasts and professionals, Voyetra also provides audio utilities, software applications, hardware drivers, as well as consulting and engineering services to the multimedia industry. Visit www.turtle-beach.com for further information.

About VideoLogic Systems
VideoLogic Systems - a division of Imagination Technologies - produces a range of innovative and award winning products in the areas of 2D/3D graphics and sound acceleration, home audio systems, electronic music, DVD, digital entertainment, video-capture and video-conferencing. Key products include graphics accelerators based on PowerVR technology and the Sirocco range of hi-fi quality PC speakers. More information is available on the VideoLogic Systems web site at www.videologic.com.

About Imagination Technologies
Imagination Technologies Group plc is an international company that develops, licenses and supplies market-leading 2D/3D graphics, digital video, audio and speech technologies and products for PCs and home entertainment, games consoles, arcade entertainment machines, mobile devices and digital set-top boxes. Since it was founded in 1985, the company has introduced, via licensing arrangements or directly, a succession of innovative technologies, silicon chips and add-in boards, which have played a major role in the development of multimedia and computer-based entertainment systems. Imagination Technologies Group plc has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE:IMG). More information is available on the Imagination Technologies web site at www.imgtec.com.

Note: All trademarks belong to their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.