Sound Blaster PCI512 User Guide On-line Version
Copyright © 1999 by Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved. Version 1.0 (CLI), March 1999 Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Creative Technology Ltd. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the written permission of Creative Technology Ltd.
Creative End-User Software License Agreement License PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE SOFTWARE. BY USING THE SOFTWARE, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BECOME BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, YOU MUST NOT USE THE SOFTWARE. PROMPTLY RETURN, WITHIN 15 DAYS, THE SOFTWARE, ALL RELATED DOCUMENTATION AND ACCOMPANYING ITEMS TO THE PLACE OF ACQUISITION FOR A FULL REFUND. This is a legal agreement between you and Creative Technology Ltd.
U.S. Government Restricted Rights All Software and related documentation are provided with restricted rights. Use, duplication or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subdivision (b)(3)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software Clause at 252.227-7013. If you are sub-licensing or using the Software outside of the United States, you will comply with the applicable local laws of your country, U.S.
Contents Introduction Powerful Audio Processing Engine................................................................................. vii Environmental Audio™ Enhances Existing Contents ................................................... vii Multiple Speaker Output.................................................................................................. vii Sound Blaster PCI Standard ............................................................................................
3 Troubleshooting No sound is heard from audio (music) CDs.................................................................................15 Joystick port is not working ..........................................................................................................15 Determining your Windows version.............................................................................................16 Computer hangs or restarts during installation.........................................................
Introduction The colored insert in this manual gives you the latest information about your audio card, and contact information for Creative Labs. Sound Blaster PCI512 is Creative’s entry-level Environmental Audio™ audio card for high-quality 3D gaming. It offers SB PCI compatibility, real-time special effects, high-quality 4-speaker output, and full environmental support for the largest number of supported titles and applications from the past, present, and future.
After installing the Creative audio software, refer to the on-line User’s Guide, located in the audio card group, and on-line Help for detailed information about the Creative Mixer and other utilities. System Requirements For the best results from your audio card, you need: • IBM-compatible PC with a Pentium® or equivalent processor rated at 133 MHz (166 MHz recommended) • 16 MB RAM for Windows 95/98 (32 MB RAM recommended); 32 MB RAM for Windows NT 4.
1 Installing Your Audio Card What You Need Most of the items you need for installation are included. The following illustration shows the basic components necessary for a complete installation. Creative Audio Software Installing your audio card requires you to perform the following steps: • Install the audio card • Install the Creative audio software • Test the installation.
Installing the Audio Card Before you remove the computer cover, touch a grounded metal surface to discharge static electricity. To install the audio card: 1. Turn off your computer, and disconnect the power cable. 2. Disconnect the monitor and other devices that are connected to the computer. 3. Remove the computer cover. 3 2 1 Remove or disable any existing audio card and its driver from your computer. Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for details. 4.
6. Align the gold-striped tabs on the bottom of the audio card with the PCI slot, and firmly press the card into place until it fits snugly. 7. Use the screw from the slot cover to secure the audio card to the computer’s frame—securing the card assures proper grounding. 8. Connect the CD audio cable from your CD-ROM drive to the audio card CD_IN connector. 6 8 CD_IN Connector 7 If you are connecting a 2-speaker system to the audio card, use the Line Out connector (third from the top). 9.
Installing the Creative Software The Sound Blaster PCI512 Software CD contains drivers necessary for operation and utilities to make the most of the audio card. The software installation varies according to your computer’s operating system: ❑ Windows 95 ❑ Windows 98 ❑ Windows NT Windows 95 When you turn on your computer, Windows 95 automatically detects the new hardware, and prompts you for the software installation disk.
8. Next, you are asked to accept the default destination directory, or enter a new directory. When the directory is correct, click the Next button. 9. Next, the Setup Options are displayed. When you select an option, the installation continues. 10. The Select Program Folder dialog allows you to select the folder to which the audio software is to be installed, or you may confirm the default selection. Click the Next button when the Program Folder is correct. 11.
Windows NT The following instructions describe the Sound Blaster PCI512 installation in Windows NT 4.0. To install in Windows NT 4.0 After you install the audio card drivers and restart your computer, you may receive a Service Control Manager error. See “Windows NT Service Control Manager Error” on page 6 1. Click the Start button on the Taskbar, select Settings, and click on Control Panel. 2. On the Control Panel, double-click the Multimedia icon. 3.
Creative Launcher Creative Launcher allows you to organize your desktop and open Creative applications quickly. For more information on the Creative Launcher, see the online User’s Guide. The Creative Launcher is installed at the top of your screen. If it does not appear, move your mouse pointer to the top of the screen. As the pointer reaches the top of the screen, it changes to a pointing hand and the Creative Launcher displays as a bar window.
Creative PlayCenter PlayCenter allows you to play most types of media, such as multimedia files (MIDI, Wave, etc.), audio CDs, Video CDs and DVD-Videos. Just insert or select your media and PlayCenter does the rest. PlayCenter also allows you to organize and arrange your multimedia files and tracks into albums. PlayCenter is usually launched automatically when you insert a disc into your CD-ROM/PC-DVD drive. It recognizes the media and starts playback of the disc, if those preferences are set.
To play a multimedia file: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Launch PlayCenter. On the PlayCenter interface, click the Media button. On the Media menu, click Open Media File. The Open dialog appears. Select the multimedia file you wish to play by exploring the directories. Click the OK button. On the PlayCenter interface, click the Play button. To play a disc: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Launch PlayCenter. Insert a disc into your CD-ROM/PC-DVD drive. On the PlayCenter interface, click the Media button.
To make PlayCenter the default player for discs: 1. 2. 3. 4. On the PlayCenter interface, click the System Menu icon. On the System menu, click Disc Detector. The Creative Disc Detector dialog appears. Click the Players tab page. Select the disc type in the list box and click the Select Player button. The Player Properties dialog appears. 5. In the Target text box, enter the path or click the Browse button to locate the PlayCenter program (that is, C:\PROGRAM FILES\CREATIVE\PLAYCENTER\CTPLAY.EXE). 6.
2 Advanced Configurations Resolving Hardware Conflicts In the Device Manager, a [+] represents an expandable list of items. A [-] represents an expanded list. A circled exclamation mark denotes a conflict. Hardware conflicts occur when two or more devices contend for the same resources. Conflicts between your audio card and another device may occur regarding the I/O address, IRQ line, or DMA channel. To resolve hardware conflicts: 1.
13. Select OK to close each of the properties windows, and restart your computer. Uninstalling the Software Close all audio card applications before running the uninstall procedure. If a card’s application is running during the uninstall procedure, that application is not uninstalled. The Windows Uninstall utility allows you to remove applications and to re-install them to correct problems, change configurations, or make upgrades. To uninstall the software: 1.
Connecting to the Gameport The gameport on the audio card is a standard PC game control adapter or game I/O port. You can connect most analog joysticks with a 15-pin D-sub connector directly to the port; it works with any application that is compatible with standard PC joysticks. If you need to run two joysticks, a Y-cable is available from Creative Labs’ Customer Service (Y-cables from other sources may not work).
Troubleshooting 3 This chapter provides solutions for problems you may encounter during installation or normal use of your audio card. No sound is heard from audio (music) CDs Various conditions may be responsible. To troubleshoot, please check the following: ❑ Creative PlayCenter or Microsoft Volume Control mute options and volume sliders. (Refer to the on-line Sound Blaster PCI512 User’s Guide or Help, or on-line help for detailed information.
Determining your Windows version To determine your Windows 95 version number: 1. Right-click the My Computer icon, and select Properties. The System Properties dialog appears. 2. On the General tab, note your Windows 95 version number. Possible version numbers are: • 4.00.950 • 4.00.950A • 4.00.950B Computer hangs or restarts during installation 1 2 A hardware conflict may cause the computer to hang or restart during the installation procedure.
Audio card is not automatically detected To manually configure your audio card for Windows 95: 1. Click on the taskbar, and select Settings from the Start menu. 2. Select Control Panel. The Control Panel group appears. 3. Double-click the Add New Hardware icon. The Add New Hardware Wizard dialog appears. 4. Select Next to continue. 5. Choose Yes to have Windows search for new hardware, then select Next. 6. Select Next to continue. 7.
CD does not automatically run when you insert it in the drive To enable the “Auto insert notification” feature: 1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, and select Properties. The System Properties dialog appears. 2. Click the Device Manager tab. A list of devices appears. 3. Double-click CD-ROM, and select your CD-ROM drive. 4. Choose the Properties button. The CD-ROM drive properties dialog appears. 5. Choose the Settings tab. 6. Click the “Auto insert notification” option to enable. 7.
No sound is heard from speakers To troubleshoot, please verify the following: ❑ Check the Mixer or Microsoft Volume Control mute options and volume sliders. (Refer to the online Sound Blaster PCI512 User’s Guide or Help, or Windows on-line help for information.) ❑ Ensure the speakers are properly connected to the audio card’s output connector. (See the colored insert for detailed connection information.) ❑ Check the volume control and power connection of the speakers, if they are amplified.
Insufficient memory for SoundFonts Select a smaller SoundFont bank: Windows NT Service Control Manager Error The Service Control Manager error message may appear after you have successfully installed the audio card. Windows NT is attempting to match the drivers to the previously installed audio card. 1. From Audio HQ, double-click the SoundFont icon. 2. On the Configure Banks tab page, select a smaller SoundFont bank. 3. Click Close to exit the dialog. To remove the old audio card drivers: 1. 2. 3. 4.
