Subject: From: Date:

Re: [ECS] SB Live Card Ingo Dean Tue, 30 Mar 1999 14:42:33 -0500

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Kevin Keast wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I was disapointed to hear about the SB Live card.  Do you think it is a driver thing
with the MS Speech API?  Did you try running the API separately from ECS?

No, after several full days of fighting with it, I gave up and decided to put the AWE
card back.  It worked, so I'm happy.  I figured it was just my system since
I had problems before, but now I'm relieved to know that it's not.

> How about any other VR programs: Dragon etc.

Haven't tried VR yet.  I imagine that I'll be able to use the Live's microphone input.
 I heard the AWE64 doesn't work well for VR - the Hal2000 folks recommend
against using it, they recommend the old soundblaster because its sound level is higher.

> I think Ingo is running both an AWE 64 and the SB Live.  Where do you get all the
IRQs?  Are you running ACE as well?

I loaded Win98 and switched my mouse and printer to USB, trading two IRQ's for one.
 I also put a 16GB drive in (for my MP3 collection) and retired two smaller
old noisy drives, freeing another IRQ for the second IDE channel I'm not using anymore.

> Is the SB Live worth getting for whole house distribution using WinAmp?

I think so.  Of all the cards out there, it has the best signal-to-noise ratio.  The
AWE had a lot of hiss, reminiscent of pre-Dolby tapes, so I wasn't happy with
it.  But the Live is clean and pure, and MP3's sound nice through my Marantz.

Plus, you can get the Live Value OEM for $50 or so now (http://www.pricewatch.com).

When I finish this project, I'll have the outputs of the AWE and one Live output going
into a Radioshack PA amplifier for whole-house announcements and music.
The other Live output will go to my Marantz for clean sound in the family room.  That
way I can run ECS for whole-house announcements, a copy of Winamp configured
to play to the whole house (using the Live's front speaker output), and another copy
of Winamp for the family room (using the Live's rear speaker output).

> Thanks
>
>
> ---
> Kevin, d8)
> libertyc@prodigy.net
> keastk@ele.uri.edu
>
> Free web-based email, anytime, anywhere!
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