Witch Soundcard should i buy for Audio-DSP using ?

chris080871 · Dec 13, 2003, 12:23 PM

Hello,
i am new in this Forum and know not much about the kx-project or Soundcards. I like to build Loudspeakers. Therefore i would like to have a Audio-DSP who works as a active Crossover and a parametric Equalizer. I guess this should be possible with the Kxproject drivers.
First i need a Soundcard. I want a EMU10K2 based Card. Because i want a powerfull DSP ! Creative-Labs in Europe didnt know how much MIPS (or MFLOP) the EMU10K1 or EMU10K2 have, but they told me that the EMU10K2 have 4x more Calculation-Power than the EMU10K1. Wow (!!!)

-Is that true ?

In a German Forum (Nickles.de) i read that the EMU10K1already have 1000 MIPS ! This seems to be very much.
-is that true ?

So what Soudcard should i buy ? I guess only the Audigy 2 and the Audigy 2 ZS Series have the EMU10K2 on Board. It would be great if the Soudcard can output 196khz. So it would be possible to test a SACD or DVD-Audio. Or maybe for Oversampling a CD up to 196khz and Upsampling to 24bit. (Well: I do not expect any Wonder when using Up- or Oversampling or using SACD. It would be only a nice Toy for testing such Things)

I guess the Audigy 2 ZS should be the right Thing for me.
-Any other Suggestions ?

But I read at the Kx Project Site that at this Time the drivers (maybe ?) dont work with the ZS Series.

-Do you know if the drivers work also with the ZS Series ?

Thaks very much for your Helping.

Chris from Germany

chris080871 · Dec 15, 2003, 10:12 PM

[COLOR=orangered]No one here, who can help me with my simple Questions ?????[/COLOR]

Daniel Drummond · Dec 15, 2003, 10:49 PM

emu10k2 has roughly twice as many dsp resources as emu10k1, so definitely get an Audigy 1 or newer if you want more dsp resources. Emu10k2 is the main chip on all cards from Audigy 1 ahead (included). There's not much difference between Audigy 1, 2 and ZS other than a bit improved output quality and 24/96 support (yet experimental with kx). None of those cards can achieve 192khz except when playing back DVD audio through the digital output as far as I now. Get anything you can afford, starting at Audigy 1 and you'll probably be fine. The best thing about KX drivers is the huge amount of effects available and the option to write your own dsp code (or get someone to do it for you, if you're nice)....

Max M. · Dec 16, 2003, 12:19 AM

[color=gray]
>In a German Forum (Nickles.de) i read that the EMU10K1already have 1000 MIPS ! This seems to be very much.

Well, in fact it could be true only if ~95% of those mips belong to soundfont/voice engine - which could be treated as dsp too... but well, it is not exactly what we typically mean with "dsp" (i think this "1000mips" stuff goes from some early creative's advertisements of emu10k1)...
If we are speaking about effect processor (aka "fx engine") of emu10k1 (e.g. its fx8010 part) then it has about ~24 mips... (512 instructions per sample * 48000 samples per second = 24576000 instructions per second, simple isn't it?) also we probably may add ~5 mips to this value for delays/circularbuffers/tram management (which is done "automatically" and mostly hidden from programmer)
[/color]

chris080871 · Dec 16, 2003, 03:00 PM

Hi,
thanks very much, for your helpfull Answers. But I was thinking that only Adigy 2 Cards use the EMU10K2 (Craetive Labs told me this)
Only the ZS Series can output 196khz/24bit Stereo. But i am not shure if the card really output these 192Khz (or only beeing able to play this format)
Chris

Daniel Drummond · Dec 16, 2003, 04:39 PM

Audigy 1 also uses EMU10K2. In the soundblaster site they say this about Audigy 2 ZS: "support for DVD-Audio at 24-bit/192kHz in stereo or 24-bit/96kHz in 5.1 surround ". Audigy 2 ZS isn't currently supported by KX.

chris080871 · Dec 17, 2003, 11:33 PM

O.K.
I understand: it would be the best when I buy first a Audigy 1, use it with the kx drivers and wait until the Audigy 2 ZS is supportet by KX .
Thanks,
Chris

Dec 13, 2003, 12:23 PM	#1
chris080871 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	Wich Soundcard should i buy for Audio-DSP using ? Hello, i am new in this Forum and know not much about the kx-project or Soundcards. I like to build Loudspeakers. Therefore i would like to have a Audio-DSP who works as a active Crossover and a parametric Equalizer. I guess this should be possible with the Kxproject drivers. First i need a Soundcard. I want a EMU10K2 based Card. Because i want a powerfull DSP ! Creative-Labs in Europe didnt know how much MIPS (or MFLOP) the EMU10K1 or EMU10K2 have, but they told me that the EMU10K2 have 4x more Calculation-Power than the EMU10K1. Wow (!!!) -Is that true ? In a German Forum (Nickles.de) i read that the EMU10K1already have 1000 MIPS ! This seems to be very much. -is that true ? So what Soudcard should i buy ? I guess only the Audigy 2 and the Audigy 2 ZS Series have the EMU10K2 on Board. It would be great if the Soudcard can output 196khz. So it would be possible to test a SACD or DVD-Audio. Or maybe for Oversampling a CD up to 196khz and Upsampling to 24bit. (Well: I do not expect any Wonder when using Up- or Oversampling or using SACD. It would be only a nice Toy for testing such Things) I guess the Audigy 2 ZS should be the right Thing for me. -Any other Suggestions ? But I read at the Kx Project Site that at this Time the drivers (maybe ?) dont work with the ZS Series. -Do you know if the drivers work also with the ZS Series ? Thaks very much for your Helping. Chris from Germany Last edited by chris080871; Dec 13, 2003 at 12:28 PM.

Dec 15, 2003, 10:49 PM	#3
Daniel Drummond DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Brazil Posts: 1,137 Rep Power: 0	emu10k2 has roughly twice as many dsp resources as emu10k1, so definitely get an Audigy 1 or newer if you want more dsp resources. Emu10k2 is the main chip on all cards from Audigy 1 ahead (included). There's not much difference between Audigy 1, 2 and ZS other than a bit improved output quality and 24/96 support (yet experimental with kx). None of those cards can achieve 192khz except when playing back DVD audio through the digital output as far as I now. Get anything you can afford, starting at Audigy 1 and you'll probably be fine. The best thing about KX drivers is the huge amount of effects available and the option to write your own dsp code (or get someone to do it for you, if you're nice).... __________________ www.palcomp3.com.br/ed Last edited by Daniel Drummond; Dec 16, 2003 at 01:34 AM.

Dec 16, 2003, 12:19 AM	#4
Max M. h/h member-shmember Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Evil Empire Posts: 2,639 Rep Power: 69	[color=gray] >In a German Forum (Nickles.de) i read that the EMU10K1already have 1000 MIPS ! This seems to be very much. Well, in fact it could be true only if ~95% of those mips belong to soundfont/voice engine - which could be treated as dsp too... but well, it is not exactly what we typically mean with "dsp" (i think this "1000mips" stuff goes from some early creative's advertisements of emu10k1)... If we are speaking about effect processor (aka "fx engine") of emu10k1 (e.g. its fx8010 part) then it has about ~24 mips... (512 instructions per sample * 48000 samples per second = 24576000 instructions per second, simple isn't it?) also we probably may add ~5 mips to this value for delays/circularbuffers/tram management (which is done "automatically" and mostly hidden from programmer) [/color] __________________ Last edited by Max M.; Dec 16, 2003 at 08:34 PM.

Dec 16, 2003, 04:39 PM	#6
Daniel Drummond DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Brazil Posts: 1,137 Rep Power: 0	Audigy 1 also uses EMU10K2. In the soundblaster site they say this about Audigy 2 ZS: "support for DVD-Audio at 24-bit/192kHz in stereo or 24-bit/96kHz in 5.1 surround ". Audigy 2 ZS isn't currently supported by KX. __________________ www.palcomp3.com.br/ed

Dec 15, 2003, 10:12 PM	Thread Starter #2
chris080871 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	[COLOR=orangered]No one here, who can help me with my simple Questions ?????[/COLOR]

Dec 16, 2003, 03:00 PM	Thread Starter #5
chris080871 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	Hi, thanks very much, for your helpfull Answers. But I was thinking that only Adigy 2 Cards use the EMU10K2 (Craetive Labs told me this) Only the ZS Series can output 196khz/24bit Stereo. But i am not shure if the card really output these 192Khz (or only beeing able to play this format) Chris

Dec 17, 2003, 11:33 PM	Thread Starter #7
chris080871 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	O.K. I understand: it would be the best when I buy first a Audigy 1, use it with the kx drivers and wait until the Audigy 2 ZS is supportet by KX . Thanks, Chris