SB1500 / SB1502 SB1506 User’s Guide
Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of Creative's latest audio revolution, Sound Blaster Z-Series! With cutting edge technology from the leaders in PC audio, Sound Blaster Z-Series will give you years of reliable entertainment on your PCI Express (PCIe®) enabled personal computer. This User Guide contains software installation and usage information for your audio card. System Requirements Minimum Requirements l Intel® Core™2 Duo or AMD® processor equivalent (Core™2 2.
More Help For the latest news and products for Sound Blaster, visit www.soundblaster.com. The site also includes information on making purchases, technical help, and the latest driver updates. Using Creative Software AutoUpdate Locating, downloading, and installing updates for your Creative products is now simpler and faster with the web-based Creative Software AutoUpdate system.
About Your Hardware For instructions on installing your Sound Blaster Z-Series, and any additional accessories, consult the Quick Start leaflet. To learn more about your product, consult the following sections: l Your Sound Blaster Z-Series Audio card l Audio Control Module Notes Actual products may differ slightly from those shown in this chapter.
Jack or Connector Description 1. Line In/Microphone In jack Connects to line-level sources (for example, MP3 players) or microphones with a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) plug. 2. Headphone jack Connects to stereo headphones with a 3.5mm (1/8inch) plug. 3. Line Out 1 jack (Front L/R) Connects to the Front Left and Front Right inputs on powered analog speakers or an A/V receiver. 4. Line Out 2 jack (Rear L/R) Connects to the Rear Left and Rear Right inputs on powered analog speakers or an A/V receiver. 5.
Audio Control Module An external ACM (Audio Control Module) provides a built-in beamforming microphone and microphone/headphone I/O connections. Note: The ACM accessory is bundled with Sound Blaster Zx only. 1 2 3 5 4 6 Jack, Connector or Component Description 1. Volume Control Knob Controls the playback volume of the sound card. 2. Beamforming Microphone Built-in Sound Blaster Beamforming Microphone 3. 6.
The Volume Control knob on the ACM controls the volume output to your headphones, giving you quick control over the audio level from your games or music. Note: The ACM Volume Control Knob allows you to adjust headphone levels conveniently based on the maximum level set by your computer's master volume control. We recommend that you determine the desired maximum volume on your computer before using the ACM.
Connecting Speakers and Headphones The connectors and associated components shown here may be different from that of your speaker system. Consult the documentation of your speaker system to identify similar input connectors. You can upmix your stereo sources (for example, CD Audio, MP3, WMA, MIDI and Wave) to enjoy multi-channel sound on your speakers or headphones.
Positioning Your Speakers Good speaker placement is crucial to getting optimal performance from your audio system and achieving an enhanced listening experience. Below are our recommendation for 5.1 channel speakers. For detailed speaker placement tips, consult the documentation of your speaker system. For 5.1 channel speakers: 1 3 2 4 6 5 Speaker Component 1. Subwoofer 2. Front left 3. Front Center 4. Front Right 5. Rear Right 6.
Connecting Analog Speaker Systems Your audio card supports analog speaker systems of up to 5.1 channels. To learn more about connecting different channel speaker systems, consult the following sections: l 2.1 channel analog speakers l 5.1 channel analog speakers 2.1 channel analog speakers 2 1 3 audio inputs audio inputs speakers Jack, Connector or Cable 1. Line Out 1 jack (Front L/R) 2. 2 channel audio cable (available separately) 3.
5.1 channel analog speakers 4 1 2 3 6 5 7 audio inputs front rear center/ subwoofer front speakers audio inputs center speaker front rear center/ subwoofer rear speakers Jack, Connector or Cable 1. Line Out 1 jack (Front L/R) 2. Line Out 2 jack (Rear L/R) 3. Line Out 3 jack (Center/Subwoofer) 4. 5.1 channel audio cable (available separately) 5. Front (Audio Input) jack 6. Rear (Audio Input) jack 7.
Connecting Digital Speaker Systems Your Sound Blaster Z-Series comes with an Optical S/PDIF Out jack which allows you to connect your digital speaker system. Most digital speakers systems connect the audio card to the subwoofer or an external unit. For more information on your digital speaker connections, consult the documentation of your digital speaker system.
Connecting Home Theater Systems Your Sound Blaster Z-Series comes with an Optical S/PDIF jack which allows you to connect your home theatre system. Most home theater systems connect the audio card to an A/V receiver. For more information on your A/V receiver's speaker connections, consult the documentation of your A/V receiver.
Connecting your A/V Receiver using Line Level inputs If your A/V receiver supports multi-channel line-level inputs, you can connect them directly to your audio card's Line Out jacks instead of the Optical S/PDIF Out jack as shown below. Connect to Line Out 1 (Front L/R) 2 3 1 4 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. Line Out 1 jack (Front L/R) Connects to the Front left and Front Right jacks on your A/V receiver, using a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) stereo-to-RCA cable (available separately). 2. 3.
Connect Line Out 2 (Rear L/R) 2 3 1 4 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. Line Out 2 jack (Rear L/R) Connects to the Rear Left and Rear Right jacks on your A/V receiver, using a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) stereo-to-RCA cable (available separately 2. 3.5mm (1/8-inch) stereo-toRCA cable (available separately) Connects your audio card and A/V receiver. 3. Rear Right jack Connects to the Line Out 2 jack on your audio card, using a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) stereo-to-RCA cable (available separately). 4.
Connect Line Out 3 (Center/Subwoofer) 2 3 1 4 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. Line Out 3 jack (Center/Subwoofer) Connects to the Center and Subwoofer jacks on your A/V receiver, using a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) stereo-to-RCA cable (available separately 2. 3.5mm (1/8-inch) stereo-toRCA cable (available separately) Connects your audio card and A/V receiver. 3. Subwoofer jack Connects to the Line Out 3 jack on your audio card, using a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) stereo-to-RCA cable (available separately). 4.
Connecting Headphones and Headsets Do not listen to audio on your headphones or headsets at high volumes for prolonged periods of time as hearing loss may result. Connecting your headphones and headsets to the Sound Blaster Z-Series For headphones: 1 1. Jack, Connector or Cable Description Headphone jack Connects to stereo headphones with a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) plug. For headsets: 1 2 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. Line In/Microphone In jack Connects to the 3.
Connecting Audio Control Module The ACM accessory is bundled with Sound Blaster Zx only. Connecting your ACM to the Sound Blaster Z-Series 1 2 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. Line In/Microphone In jack Connects to the 3.5mm (1/8-inch) microphone plug of your ACM. 2. Headphone jack Connects to your ACM with a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) plug.
Connecting your headphones and headsets to the ACM 2 OR 1 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. 3.5mm Headphone jack Connects to stereo headphones or headsets with a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) plug. 2. 3.5mm Microphone In jack Connects to line-level sources (for example, MP3 players) or microphones with a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) plug. Note: When two headphones are being connected to the 6.3mm and 3.5mm Headphone jacks simultaneously, you will be able to hear both headphones with the same output.
Installing and Uninstalling Software To take full advantage of your Sound Blaster Z-Series audio card, you need to install device drivers and applications. At times, you may also need to uninstall some or all of the device drivers and applications to correct problems, change configurations, or upgrade outdated drivers or applications.
To remove DTS Connect: Note Carry out the following steps ONLY IF there are no other Creative applications on your system that requires the DTS Connect encoder. For Windows 7: 1. Return to the Start > Control Panel > Uninstall a Program window. 2. Select the DTS Connect entry. 3. Click the Uninstall button or option. When the Confirm Uninstall dialog box appears, click the OK button. For Windows 8: 1. At the right toolbar, click Settings > Control Panel > Uninstall a Program. 2.
Installing Drivers and Applications Ensure that your audio card is installed before proceeding. For instructions on installing your audio card, consult your Quick Start leaflet. After you have installed your audio card, turn on your computer. Windows automatically detects your audio card and searches for device drivers. For Windows 7: 1. Insert the Installation CD into your CD or DVD drive. Your CD should start automatically. If it does not, follow the steps below: i. Click Start > Computer. ii.
Using Your Sound Blaster Z-Series Your Sound Blaster Z-Series works seamlessly with many external devices to perform different tasks. To learn more about these tasks and how to connect additional devices, consult the following sections: l Playing Games l Watching DVDs l Playing / Recording Music l Creating Music l Chatting / Gaming Note l l l Actual products may differ slightly from those shown in this chapter.
DTS Connect DTS Connect is a real-time encoding technology from DTS, Inc. for interactive media and is only available on the PC platform. It converts any audio signal on the computer into 5.1 channel DTS format and transports it via a single digital cable. With Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect, a single digital cable is all that is needed to connect your computer to your home theatre system, simplifying the setup and eliminating the confusion of multiple cables.
Playing / Recording Music You can play music from, and/or record music to external devices (for example, Digital Audio Tape player/recorder) by connecting them to your Sound Blaster Z-Series. Connecting your external device to the Sound Blaster Z-Series 3 1 2 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. Optical S/PDIF Out jack Connects to recording devices with optical connectors (for example, DAT recorders, MD recorders or external hard disk recorders). 2.
Creating Music You can set up a home music studio using your Sound Blaster Z-Series. Put together your own productions consisting of multiple music tracks from a MIDI synthesizer or an electric guitar. Alternatively, connect your electric guitar using a pre-amp box to the Line In/Microphone In jack. Use a converter if your pre-amp box comes with a larger (for example, a 6.35mm (1/4-inch)) connector. You can also connect a microphone to your Sound Blaster Z-Series. 1 1.
Using the Creative Software Suite The following software is designed for you to access the basic as well as the advanced features of your audio card. We recommended that you familiarize yourself with their functions in order to make full use of the rich features of your audio card. To learn more about each application, consult its Online Help. Depending on the application, you can do this by clicking on the toolbar of the application, or selecting Help Topics from the Help menu.
Sound Blaster Z-Series Control Panel Managing Your Profiles Click the button to display the Profiles pane. Activate a profile by clicking the Click and selecting it from the list. to save all settings to the current profile or create a new profile. Click to delete the active profile. Sharing Profiles You can export your custom settings and share them with others, or import other gamers' custom settings. Customizing Your Avatar You can customize the avatar for each profile.
Adjusting Your Master Volume Settings Drag the master volume slider to adjust the volume level. You can mute/unmute the volume by clicking the speaker icon. Configuring Your Software Settings Click each feature to access its settings page. More information on each feature can be found in their respective sections in this manual. Configuring Your General Settings You can change the language settings or restore settings to their default values. You can also check for software updates.
SBX Pro Studio Settings 1. SBX Pro Studio enhancements Select to turn on or turn off each enhancement. You can hover your mouse cursor over each enhancement to display a brief explanation. 2. Enhancement Level sliders Adjust the amount of enhancement to apply. 3. Audio Test controls Play/Pause or Stop the demo video. Enhancing Your Listening Experience You can adjust the amount to apply for each enhancement by dragging its slider left to decrease or right to increase.
CrystalVoice Settings 1. First select the recording device. 2. Next, turn on CrystalVoice and select to turn on or turn off each of the available enhancements. Having Fun with CrystalVoice After configuration, click and speak into your microphone to hear how your voice sounds with CrystalVoice applied. Readjust as desired.
Scout Mode Scout mode transforms your hearing and enables you to hear your opponents from further away, giving you a distinct tactical advantage in combat. 1. Scout mode Select to turn on or off Scout mode. Click to configure hotkeys for turning on and turning off Scout mode.
Speakers/Headphones Settings 1. Switch between Speakers or Headphones mode. 2. Speakers / Headphones Configuration Select your current physical speaker or headphone configuration. Notes: Stereo Direct is an option for direct playback to stereo speaker channel sampled at 192kHz.
Cinematic Settings 1. Encoder settings Select "No Encoder" if you wish to turn off encoding or select "Dolby Digital Live" or "DTS Connect" to turn on the respective encoders. Setting up DTS Connect Under DTS Connect, select or unselect the option "DTS Neo:PC" and configure its various settings according to your audio playback needs. To learn more about DTS Connect, please visit www.dts.com.
Mixer Settings 1. Volume sliders Adjust the playback and recording volume for your various inputs and outputs. 2. Input Device Select the input device source from the following analog sources: Front Microphone, Rear Microphone or Rear Line-in. Only one source can be active at any one time. Adjusting Your Mixer Settings Slide the volume level sliders right to increase and left to decrease. Click the the input/output. You can click the icon to mute/unmute icon to adjust the settings for your input/output.
Selecting the Input Device Source Your audio card supports audio input from the following analog sources: l Front Microphone (Intel HD Front Panel) l Rear Microphone (Line In/Microphone In jack) l Rear Line-in (Line In/Microphone In jack) Only one of the above input sources can be active at any time. The Input Device configuration allows you to specify the input source you wish to activate. Step 1: Launch the Sound Blaster Z-Series Control Panel from your Windows start menu.
Equalizer Settings 1. EQ presets Select an equalizer preset to apply to your audio. 2. EQ sliders Adjust the equalizer settings. Customizing Your EQ Settings Select the EQ checkbox to enable this feature, then click the EQ drop-down arrow and select a preset from the list. Selecting a preset will move the EQ sliders to the appropriate values. You can then adjust the equalizer setting by dragging the sliders up or down to the desired level. Click configuration as a new preset.
Advanced Features Settings 1. Play stereo mix to digital output Select the checkbox to down mix the audio with its effects to a stereo PCM stream to be channeled to digital output. Note You must first select "Speaker" as the playback device to use this feature.
Using Your Audio Device Playing Games Your audio device is equipped with cutting edge audio technologies and software to enhance the audio in your games. SBX Pro Studio will elevate your gaming experience to the next level, allowing you to hear sound details in games you have never heard before! For details on the various SBX Pro Studio enhancements and its configuration, please refer to SBX Pro Studio Settings.
Communicating with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Use a headset with your audio device to enjoy outstanding acoustic performance in popular VoIP applications like Ventrilo® and TeamSpeak®. Hear and be heard clearly by teammates during multiplayer games to get the tactical edge. You can enhance such voice communications using CrystalVoice enhancements. For more details, please refer to CrystalVoice Settings.
Creating Your Audio 'Sweet Spot' with the SB Speaker Setup Generally, for a 5.1 speaker configuration, there is an ideal speaker placement that allows you to position yourself in the audio sweet spot, giving you the best surround and audio pleasure possible. Please refer to Positioning Your Speakers or your speaker system documentation for details on the recommended placement.
Polarity Selection If you have an audio/video (A/V) receiver, your speakers must be wired appropriately (in-phased) in order to reproduce sound fields correctly. The Polarity Selection tab helps you correctly connect all negative and positive output terminals on the A/V receiver to the inputs on the speakers. Click the Start button and follow the on screen procedure to check your the speaker wiring.
Speaker Level This set of configurations enables you to achieve a balanced level for each speaker. Speaker level is affected mainly by the distance between the speaker and the listener. Click the Level Test button and adjust the speaker level for each speaker accordingly.
General Specifications This section details the specifications of your Sound Blaster Z-Series audio card. PCI Bus Mastering l PCI Express Specification Version 1.
Connectivity This section details the connectivity of your Sound Blaster Z-Series audio card. Sound Blaster Z-Series Audio Card Audio Inputs l One 3.5mm (1/8-inch) Line In jack for Analog Line In or Microphone In l One Optical S/PDIF jack for Digital In Audio Outputs l l l One 3.5mm (1/8-inch) Headphone jack Three 3.
Troubleshooting This section provides solutions to problems you may encounter during installation or normal use. This includes: l Problems with Digital Audio Devices l Problems with Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect l Problems with Multiple Audio Devices l Problems with Sound If you have any other technical problems with this product, you can also consult our self-help tool "Knowledge Base" for online troubleshooting and solutions. Visit www.soundblaster.com and select your region.
Note If Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect is enabled, only PCM audio and certain compressed audio (for example, MP3) can be played, which will be encoded by Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect through your selected output device. Problems with Multiple Audio Devices If there are other audio cards on the system. You may have an existing audio device installed in your computer. The audio device may be an audio card or an onboard audio chipset.
Safety Information Refer to the following information to use your product safely, and to reduce the chance of electric shock, short-circuiting, damage, fire, hearing impairment or other hazards. Improper handling may void the warranty for your product. For more information, read the warranty available with your product. l Do not dismantle or attempt to repair your product. Refer all servicing to authorized repair agents.
License and Copyright 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 written permission of Creative Technology Ltd. Copyright © 2012 Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved.
