TurtleBeach SantaCruz: new drivers out

These are betas, but they work fine here, though I had to uninstall and reinstall a couple of times: http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/kb_ftp/585ftp.asp rms

What is teh reason for the new drivers? performance, sound, etc. I think the TB is the one piece of hardware that has been trouble free for me. I know I shouldn't mess with it, but if there is something worth while to gain then its worth a shot. MadDAWG

Here's the relevant readme info: What's New? =========== * Optimized Installer. Removes old driver and installs new one without having to run the install twice. Also installs in 98SE/ME/2K/XP. * MP9 5.1 support under XP. Now you can play multi-channel WMA files! * SRS CSII Virtual 5.1 plugin for MP9 works with this driver. * AC3 digital over SPDIF working in 98SE (with MS QFE 269601USA8.EXE) * Fixed game port conflict with MPX motherboards. * Enhanced MIDI playback with better timing and fixed region exclusive (hihats) * Fixed DSound volume scaling. Now distant sounds in games are more audible. * Fixed Center/Sub volumes to better match front/rear output levels. * Fixed distortion/intermittent noise playing multiple channels at various sample rates. * Synced up the windows speaker modes with Santa Cruz Control Panel. * Optimized boot time and resume from standby times. http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/kb_ftp/5852024.asp There are a known issue with XP that effects me so I'll wait for the final version: XP ONLY: Santa Cruz effects do not work while in 6 speaker mode. Win 2k/me/98se are fine. -- Joe M. "MadDAWG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > What is teh reason for the new drivers? performance, sound, etc. I think > the TB is the one piece of hardware that has been trouble free for me. I > know I shouldn't mess with it, but if there is something worth while to gain > then its worth a shot. > > MadDAWG > >

Cool thanks. Guess I have something to do tonight. :) MadDAWG

I put those drivers in and every time I fired a game up it switched my speaker profile. I had to alt-tab out of the game and change it. I went back to the other ones. Mike mls67

> I put those drivers in and every time I fired a game up it switched myspeaker profile. Same here. I don't know how to fix this, I emailed the feedback email from the download page about it. rms

First install went fine for me. I can't be positive, but I _think_ I've noticed better stereo separation in Nascar Racing 2003. For example, I hear the air gun specifically on the left and right side, instead of in 'mono'. It could be my imagination though, and that may have been there all along and I just didn't notice. Larry "Roger Squires" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:HhPva.9$[email hidden]...

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> These are betas, but they work fine here, though I had to uninstall and > reinstall a couple of times: > http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/kb_ftp/585ftp.asp > > rms > >

I agree. It's been over a year since there were any new TBSC drivers, and normally that would bother me. But as you said, the TBSC is probably the most trouble-free piece of computer hardware/drivers I've ever owned, and since it's a sound card that says a lot. Larry "MadDAWG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > What is teh reason for the new drivers? performance, sound, etc. I think > the TB is the one piece of hardware that has been trouble free for me. I > know I shouldn't mess with it, but if there is something worth while togain > then its worth a shot. > > MadDAWG > >

"Roger Squires" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:HhPva.9$[email hidden]... > These are betas, but they work fine here, though I had to uninstall and > reinstall a couple of times: > http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/kb_ftp/585ftp.asp > > rms Does this card (or the Sonic Fury UK equivalent) have functional DOS SB emulation drivers? If it is as good as it sounds, it might be time for me to switch as I'm getting fed up with VIA / SB Live problems, but DOS emulation is essential to me (an old old games freak!). Thanks, Laurence

> Does this card (or the Sonic Fury UK equivalent) have functional DOS SBemulation drivers? Yes, as long as you run under windows, I don't believe there are actual DOS drivers. You also may need to be careful to assign a well-known irq (like irq5) to the dos emulator under win98 with certain older games. I've run Gabriel Knight1, SystemShock1 and others with no sound issues. Also be aware that there are rumours TurtleBeach is getting out of the soundcard business, if that worries you. The SantaCruz is a mature card tho, and quite stable. rms

BTW, they just released YET ANOTHER beta, now its at 4187. This is like the 3rd one in a couple weeks. http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/kb_ftp/585ftp.asp rms

Well now that's just great. The most stable sound card on the market, and they are going out of the sound card business. The world just ain't right sometimes. -Larry "Roger Squires" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:q3Kza.7558$[email hidden]... > > Does this card (or the Sonic Fury UK equivalent) have functional DOS SB > emulation drivers? > > Yes, as long as you run under windows, I don't believe there areactual > DOS drivers. You also may need to be careful to assign a well-known irq > (like irq5) to the dos emulator under win98 with certain older games.I've

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> run Gabriel Knight1, SystemShock1 and others with no sound issues. > > Also be aware that there are rumours TurtleBeach is getting out of the > soundcard business, if that worries you. The SantaCruz is a mature card > tho, and quite stable. > > rms > >

"Roger Squires" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:q3Kza.7558$[email hidden]... > > Does this card (or the Sonic Fury UK equivalent) have functional DOS SB > emulation drivers? > > Yes, as long as you run under windows, I don't believe there areactual > DOS drivers. You also may need to be careful to assign a well-known irq > (like irq5) to the dos emulator under win98 with certain older games.I've

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> run Gabriel Knight1, SystemShock1 and others with no sound issues. > > Also be aware that there are rumours TurtleBeach is getting out of the > soundcard business, if that worries you. The SantaCruz is a mature card > tho, and quite stable. > > rms >

Thanks. That does worry me. The last card I bought was an Aureal Vortex 2 (much better than any Creative junk), so Creative immediately put them out of business. Had to abandon it only because of lack of new drivers as a result - using an SB Live that someone else threw away. I don't want to repeat that! (Any alternatives?). Laurence

http://www.3dsoundsurge.com reviews there. rms

"Larry" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:sRNza.81601$[email hidden]: > Well now that's just great. The most stable sound card on the market, > and they are going out of the sound card business. The world just > ain't right sometimes. > > -Larry Now you know how I felt about my previous card, an Aureal Vortex 2. Creative bought up Aureal so the Vortex 3 would never see the light of day and crush EAX. Ah well. Probably that Indy owner is the funding for Creative... hehehehe dave henrie

"Laurence Wilmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:tePza.2064$[email hidden]... > > "Roger Squires" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:q3Kza.7558$[email hidden]... > > > Does this card (or the Sonic Fury UK equivalent) have functional DOSSB

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> > emulation drivers? > > > > Yes, as long as you run under windows, I don't believe there are > actual > > DOS drivers. You also may need to be careful to assign a well-known irq > > (like irq5) to the dos emulator under win98 with certain older games. > I've > > run Gabriel Knight1, SystemShock1 and others with no sound issues. > > > > Also be aware that there are rumours TurtleBeach is getting out of the > > soundcard business, if that worries you. The SantaCruz is a mature card > > tho, and quite stable. > > > > rms > > > Thanks. That does worry me. The last card I bought was an Aureal Vortex 2 > (much better than any Creative junk), so Creative immediately put them out > of business. > > Had to abandon it only because of lack of new drivers as a result - using

an > SB Live that someone else threw away. > I don't want to repeat that! (Any alternatives?). > If you upgrade your system in the next few month then get an nForce2 mobo since they seem to have excellent on-board sound (DD 5.1, EAX, etc.) You can also look at the Hercules cards which seem just as stable/capable as the TBSC. -- Joe M.

I have never had a Santa Cruz related problem. It is by far the most trouble-free piece of computer hardware I've owned, and that says a lot for a Sound Card. You couldn't give me a Creative SoundBlocker Live! Larry "J�rgen Schroeder" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Sun, 25 May 2003 00:55:00 GMT, Dave Henrie <[email hidden]> > reckoned: > > > > Now you know how I felt about my previous card, an Aureal Vortex 2. > >Creative bought up Aureal so the Vortex 3 would never see the light ofday

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> >and crush EAX. Ah well. Probably that Indy owner is the funding for > >Creative... hehehehe > > > >dave henrie > > The Santa Cruz is no more stable than my FortissimoII or Audigy2 > is/was. In fact, under Win98 it was quite unstable and gave me the > dreaded BSOD in a few games. > > -- > Not For Email

Jeez I can't believe I find myself in this argument again. I'll put it bluntly. Yes I DID use it under Win98, but only for a brief period because I upgraded my gaming system to WinXP very quickly. In fact, the very EARLY availability of stable TBSC drivers was the primary reason I was able to upgrade to WinXP so quickly for my gaming needs. I personally had NO problems with the TBSC under Windows 98. Note that I did not and refused to use Win98SE. I always used the original Windows 98 because it was far more stable and had fewer inherent bugs than Win98SE did. It patched up nicely to provide most of the features of Win98SE just fine. I stand by my statement. The TBSC is a wonderfull, troublefree piece of hardware that has never, ever caused me a second of concern. No driver problems. No slot dependance. No grabbing of PCI resources. Nothing. Unlike sound cards from a different company... -Larry "J�rgen Schroeder" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Fri, 30 May 2003 17:55:29 GMT, "Larry" <[email hidden]> reckoned: > > >I have never had a Santa Cruz related problem. It is by far the most > >trouble-free piece of computer hardware I've owned, and that says a lotfor

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> >a Sound Card. > > > >You couldn't give me a Creative SoundBlocker Live! > > > >Larry > > You've never ran it under Win9x then Larry. Why do you think TB put > out those (also crappy) WDM drivers for Win98SE? I'll tell you - > because they were well aware that the Win9x VXD drivers are flaky. > Audigy2 comes with both VXD and WDM drivers for Win9x and the only > suitable option for a Win98SE *gamer* is to use the VXD drivers. > Because while the WDM drivers work in Win98SE they perform horribly > (low frame rates and pauses when loading .wav files). Santa Cruz is > good hardware with great drivers for XP, but crappy ones for Win9x, I > speak from experience. And don't go comparing an Audigy2 to a Live! > Completely different animals. I would run a Fortissimo card on Win98 > before I would run an SC on it. Both based on similar sound chips but > Hercules has the better drivers. As I said I speak from experience as > I have owned/own Santa Cruz/FortissimoII/Audigy2 and have run many > games on all of those cards on both Win98SE and XP. Some people do > have a problem with the Audig2 but that will teach them for buying VIA > crap mb's.

"Joe M." <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> "Laurence Wilmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:tePza.2064$[email hidden]... > > > > "Roger Squires" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > > news:q3Kza.7558$[email hidden]... > > > > Does this card (or the Sonic Fury UK equivalent) have functional DOS > SB > > > emulation drivers? > > > > > > Yes, as long as you run under windows, I don't believe there are > > actual > > > DOS drivers. You also may need to be careful to assign a well-known

irq > > > (like irq5) to the dos emulator under win98 with certain older games. > > I've > > > run Gabriel Knight1, SystemShock1 and others with no sound issues. > > > > > > Also be aware that there are rumours TurtleBeach is getting out of the > > > soundcard business, if that worries you. The SantaCruz is a maturecard > > > tho, and quite stable. > > > > > > rms > > > > > Thanks. That does worry me. The last card I bought was an Aureal Vortex2 > > (much better than any Creative junk), so Creative immediately put themout > > of business. > > > > Had to abandon it only because of lack of new drivers as a result -using

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> an > > SB Live that someone else threw away. > > I don't want to repeat that! (Any alternatives?). > > > > If you upgrade your system in the next few month then get an nForce2 mobo > since they seem to have excellent on-board sound (DD 5.1, EAX, etc.) > > You can also look at the Hercules cards which seem just as stable/capable

as > the TBSC. > > -- > Joe M. >Thanks. I'm looking, but yet to see confirmation that Hercules has SB emulation in DOS? It is not usually mentioned in reviews etc, as most people don't care, but I like old games (and 1 old sim!). Laurence Laurence