rec.autos.simulators

Hi Sim Folks:

   I'm looking for a new PCI sound card.  

   I hear good things about the F1RS 3D sound patch, so I'd
like this supported.  

   What's the stereo setup for this 3D sound?  Are two speakers
enough?  Or do I need four or five to get the best effect?  

   I would also like a digital joystick interface, one that can
be turned off if I choose a dedicated joystick card later.  The
sound is more important than the joystick, so if the best sound
card has no joystick interface, that's Ok.  

                                                         Thanks
                                                         Larry

I tried 4 speakers and went back to 2. In F1RS, you can certainly hear
the cars all around you with only 2 speakers. A3D is supported via
a DLL with the AudioPCI. The card is also very cheap (price-wise)
which doesn't hurt.

And in F15, I got a 27% framerate increase with the AudioPCI
vs my old ISA soundcard.

--
Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes.

I have just purchased a SB64 PCI version sound card and have had no problems
with it.  If it works as well as my trusty old SB16 did then you can't go
wrong.  Price was $140 Cdn..I think that is about $90 US.

Don Merpaw

Try the Turtle Beach Montego. Runs and sounds
great. And it's not from Creative ( who bought
Ensoniq, slapped the Creative name on the Ensoniq
PCI, and added a $50.00 mark-up)!

Total bullshit. I have the M80 and midi files play beautifully. I have a CH
Flightstick that is recognized just fine by the M80's gameport.  The Monster
Sound cards have been receiving rave reviews by virtually all who have them
or have tested them.

If you want problems with a sound card, I'd get a Turtle Beach. I've been
hearing about troubles w/those cards for years. It sounds to me like you've
just put your heart where you put your money.

   < Snip >

   Thanks to everybody.  

   I forgot to ask.  Can I pull my Roland MIDI doughtercard
off of my SB16 to use with these new sound cards?  Will I
want to?  

                                                      Larry

Hi Folks:

   Thanks again.  This is great.  

   So it's down to the MX200 and the Montego.  

   I've used Soundblaster for many years, and I'd just like
to try something else.  

   One attraction to both of these cards is the digital
joystick port.  According to combatsim, these are good, but
not as good as PDPI's joystick port.  When PDPI, or someone
else, comes out with a PCI based joystick port, I want to
be able to upgrade.  Can the joystick ports be turned off
on these sound cards?  

   Right now I have an old, and nice, stereo.  However, I
see a surround sound system in my future, to use with the
direct dish TV in my future.  So someday in the next year
or so, I'll have multi-channel sound.  

   With this in mind, would the four line outs of the
MX200 be better?  I would not want to compromise overall
sound quality for this feature.  

                                                  Thanks
                                                  Larry