Creative Sound Blaster ZxR User Manual
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Creative Sound Blaster ZxR User Manual

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SB1510
User's Guide

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Summary of Contents for Creative Sound Blaster ZxR

  • Page 1 SB1510 User’s Guide...

  • Page 2: System Requirements

    Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of Creative's latest audio revolution, Sound Blaster ZxR! The Sound ® Blaster ZxR is the flagship of the ultra high-performance Z-Series of Sound Blaster PCI-Express sound cards. Designed to deliver the ultimate audio playback and creation solution for the PC, Sound Blaster ZxR personifies the ultimate gaming and entertainment performance for a sound card.

  • Page 3: Using Creative Software Autoupdate

    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. When you connect to Creative Software AutoUpdate via the Internet, the web site will analyze your computer system to determine what operating system (OS), language, and Creative products are installed in your system.

  • Page 4: About Your Hardware

    Actual products may differ slightly from those shown in this chapter. Your Sound Blaster ZxR Audio cards Your Sound Blaster ZxR audio cards have the jacks and connectors below to enable the attachment of a wide variety of devices. SB1510 Main Board...
  • Page 5 DBpro Daughter Board DBpro offers optical output for amazing audio playback; and professional grade 123dB analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) with RCA Aux-in and optical input for studio-grade recording quality. Jack or Connector Description RCA Aux-In 1 jack Connects to the Left output line-level sources (for example, MP3 players) with an RCA plug.
  • Page 6 The 6.3mm Microphone In jack takes priority over the 3.5mm Microphone In jack. When connected to the Sound Blaster ZxR, the built-in beamforming microphone features CrystalVoice technologies which is designed to deliver crystal clear vocal fidelity in multiplayer games, online chats and video conferencing.
  • Page 7 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. About Your Hardware 6...
  • Page 8 Connecting Headphones and Headsets Connecting Audio Control Module For tips on how to arrange your speakers, consult Positioning Your Speakers. For a list of supported Creative speaker systems or interactive help on speaker connectivity, visit www.soundblaster.com. Note Actual products may differ slightly from those shown in this chapter.

  • Page 9: Positioning Your Speakers

    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: Speaker Component Subwoofer...

  • Page 10: Connecting Analog Speaker Systems

    Connecting Analog Speaker Systems Your audio cards support analog speaker systems of up to 5.1 channels. To learn more about connecting different channel speaker systems, consult the following sections: 2.1 channel analog speakers 5.1 channel analog speakers 2.1 channel analog speakers audio inputs speakers...
  • Page 11 5.1 channel analog speakers audio inputs front rear center/ subwoofer front speakers audio center inputs speaker front rear center/ subwoofer rear speakers Jack, Connector or Cable RCA Line Out 1 jack (Front L) RCA Line Out 2 jack (Front R) 3.5mm Line Out 1 jack (Rear L/R) 3.5mm Line Out 2 jack (Center/Subwoofer) Y-Splitter cable (available separately)

  • Page 12: Connecting Digital Speaker Systems

    Connecting Digital Speaker Systems Your Sound Blaster ZxR comes with an Optical S/PDIF Out jack which allows you to connect your digital speaker system. Most digital speakers systems connect the audio cards to the subwoofer or an external unit. For more information on your digital speaker connections, consult the documentation of your digital speaker system.
  • Page 13 Connecting Home Theater Systems Your Sound Blaster ZxR comes with an Optical S/PDIF jack which allows you to connect your home theatre system. Most home theater systems connect the audio cards to an A/V receiver. For more information on your A/V receiver's speaker connections, consult the documentation of your A/V receiver.
  • Page 14 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 cards' Line Out jacks instead of the Optical S/PDIF Out jack as shown below. Connect to RCA Line Out 1 and Line Out 2 (Front L/R) Jack, Connector or Cable Description RCA Line Out 1 jack (Front L)
  • Page 15 Connect to 3.5mm Line Out 1 (Rear L/R) Jack, Connector or Cable Description 3.5mm Line Out 1 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. 3.5mm (1/8-inch) Stereo-to- Connects your audio cards and A/V RCA cable receiver.
  • Page 16 Connect to 3.5mm Line Out 2 (Center/Subwoofer) Jack, Connector or Cable Description 3.5mm Line Out 2 jack (Center/Sub- Connects to the Center and Subwoofer woofer) jacks on your A/V receiver, using a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) stereo-to-RCA cable. 3.5mm (1/8-inch) Stereo-to- Connects your audio cards and A/V RCA cable receiver.
  • Page 17 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 ZxR For headphones: Jack, Connector or Cable Description 6.3mm Headphone jack...
  • Page 18 For headsets: Jack, Connector or Cable Description 6.3mm Microphone In jack Connects to the 3.5mm (1/8-inch) micro- phone plug of your headset via an adapter. 6.3mm Headphone jack Connects to stereo headphones with a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) plug via an adapter. 6.3mm to 3.5mm Adapter Converts 6.3mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack to 3.5mm (1/8-inch) stereo jack.
  • Page 19 Connecting Audio Control Module The Sound Blaster ZxR comes with an external ACM that incorporates a 600 ohm headphone amplifier, built-in microphone array and mic/headphone I/O connections and a volume control knob. Connecting your ACM to the Sound Blaster ZxR...
  • Page 20 Connecting your headphones and headsets to the ACM Jack, Connector or Cable Description 3.5mm Headphone jack Connects to stereo headphones or headsets with a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) plug. 3.5mm Microphone In jack Connects to 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.

  • Page 21: Installing And Uninstalling Software

    Installing and Uninstalling Software To take full advantage of your Sound Blaster ZxR audio cards, 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.
  • Page 22 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 Pack entry.

  • Page 23: Installing Drivers And Applications

    Installing Drivers and Applications Ensure that your audio cards are installed before proceeding. For instructions on installing your audio cards, consult your Quick Start leaflet. After you have installed your audio cards, turn on your computer. Windows automatically detects your audio cards and searches for device drivers.

  • Page 24: Playing Games

    Creative ALchemy Creative ALchemy is a powerful tool that restores the audio for a DirectSound ® 3D game running on Windows 7 or Windows 8 to its former glory - in full surround sound with hardware accelerated audio mixing, sampling rate conversion and EAX effects.

  • Page 25: Watching Dvds

    To learn more, consult the documentation of your external decoder or digital speaker system. To learn how to connect your A/V receiver or digital speaker system to your audio cards, consult the following sections: Connecting Home Theater Systems Connecting Digital Speaker Systems Using Your Sound Blaster ZxR 24...

  • Page 26: Playing / Recording Music

    123dB analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) with RCA Aux-in and optical input for outstanding recording quality. Connecting your external device to the Sound Blaster ZxR 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 ZxR.

  • Page 27: Creating Music

    Creating Music You can set up a home music studio using your Sound Blaster ZxR. 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 RCA Aux-In jacks.
  • Page 28 Online Chatting Your Sound Blaster ZxR can also be connected to hands-free microphones or the Sound Blaster Beamforming Microphone, making over-the-Net chatting a hassle-free affair. Now you can enjoy clear voice chat for gaming and other online chatting purposes. Jack, Connector or Cable Description 6.3mm Microphone In jack...

  • Page 29: Using The Creative Software Suite

    Creative Music Server Creative WaveStudio Creative Smart Recorder Creative Media Toolbox (Trial) Various other bonus Creative applications are also compatible for your audio cards. Visit www.creative.com/support and navigate to the relevant product page to view and download these applications. Note The applications included with your audio cards may differ from those described here.
  • Page 30 You can customize the avatar for each profile. Double-click the current avatar to open the selection window. You can either select an avatar from the list or click to select your own image file to be used as the avatar. Using the Creative Software Suite 29...

  • Page 31: Configuring Your Software Settings

    Restore default settings. Select the audio playback device Select the supported software languages available for your system. Manually check for and update the software General information regarding your Sound Blaster Z-Series Control Panel software. Using the Creative Software Suite 30...

  • Page 32: Enhancing Your Listening Experience

    SBX Pro Studio Dialog Plus enhances the voices in movies for clearer dialog, allowing the listener to hear the dialog over the rest of the soundtrack and over ambient noise in the listening environment. Using the Creative Software Suite 31...
  • Page 33 CrystalVoice Focus creates a zone and suppresses noise outside it to enable the speaker within to be heard with amazing clarity. Multiple microphones are used to focus, enhance the speaker's voice, and eliminate sounds outside the zone. Using the Creative Software Suite 32...

  • Page 34: 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. Using the Creative Software Suite 33...

  • Page 35: Speakers/Headphones Settings

    4. Option to set to high gain by default. Select Always set to high gain when in headphones configuration. This check box is only applicable when High Gain is being selected as shown in the figure below. Using the Creative Software Suite 34...
  • Page 36 Stereo Direct is an option for direct playback to stereo speaker channel sampled at 192kHz. The following features will not be applied to this playback: SBX Pro Studio suite of audio enhancements DTS Connect Dolby Digital Live Equalizer Listen to this device Using the Creative Software Suite 35...
  • Page 37 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. Using the Creative Software Suite 36...

  • Page 38: Mixer Settings

    Adjusting Your Mixer Settings Slide the volume level sliders right to increase and left to decrease. Click the icon to mute/unmute the input/output. You can click the icon to adjust the settings for your input/output. Using the Creative Software Suite 37...

  • Page 39: Equalizer Settings

    Click to save the new configuration as a new preset. Note The list of default EQ presets cannot be deleted or overwritten. Using the Creative Software Suite 38...

  • Page 40: Advanced Features Settings

    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 the Creative Software Suite 39...

  • Page 41: Using Your Audio Device

    1. Navigate to the folder where you have installed the game. 2. Right-click on the game's launcher and select Run as administrator. 3. Exit the application and launch Creative ALchemy again. The game should now appear in the left column.
  • Page 42 Ventrilo® and TeamSpeak®. Hear and be heard clearly by teammates during multi- player games to get the tactical edge. You can enhance such voice communications using CrystalVoice enhancements. For more details, please refer to CrystalVoice Settings. Using the Creative Software Suite 41...

  • Page 43: Speaker Configuration

    Often, however, we may be unable to place our speakers ideally due to physical constraints such as room size and object placements etc. Hence, the Sound Blaster ZxR audio cards come bundled with the Sound Blaster Speaker Setup application. Simply launch this application from the Sound Blaster Z-...

  • Page 44: Polarity Selection

    You will need to specify: the distance between the ideal listening position and each of your speakers position of the Front Center Channel (if available), to compensate for its actual position either above or below the monitor. Using the Creative Software Suite 43...

  • Page 45: 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. Using the Creative Software Suite 44...

  • Page 46: General Specifications

    General Specifications This section details the specifications of your Sound Blaster ZxR audio cards. PCI Bus Mastering PCI Express Specification Version 1.1 compliant Bus mastering reduces latency and speeds up system performance Sound Blaster Sound Core3D Audio Processor Advanced hardware accelerated digital effects processing Dedicated DSP capable of both time and frequency domain audio processing...

  • Page 47: Troubleshooting

    Troubleshooting This section provides solutions to problems you may encounter during installation or normal use. This includes: Problems with Digital Audio Devices Problems with Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect Problems with Multiple Audio Devices Problems with Sound If you have any other technical problems with this product, you can also consult our self-help tool "Knowledge Base"...

  • Page 48: Problems With Multiple Audio Devices

    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.

  • Page 49: Safety Information

    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.

  • Page 50: 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.

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