If you're looking to upgrade that piddly 16-bit nightmare of blips and bleeps passing for a sound card, then look no further than the newest from Soundblaster, the Sound Blaster Live! card. With a wide range of capabilities, a slew of useful software, cutting edge technology, and a competitive cost, this is the GR card of choice.
First, the facts. SB Live! offers professional sound quality using the high-end EMU10K1 processor. It's a true 32-bit card complete with 256-voice capability (which extends to over 500 through online upgrades). You'll also find a separate Digital I/O card in the package, which provides digital input/output for connecting high-end recording devices like a DAT machine. SB Live! also has built in multi-speaker support. This is pretty much everything you'd find in a top notch sound card.
Where SB Live! really shines, however, is it's incorporation of Environmental Audio. Using a complex system of reverberation and reflection cues through the EMU10K1 processor, the SB Live! card actually 'places' audio events in physical space. In a sense, it puts the sound anywhere you want.
This is really custom tailored for gamers. Suddenly, bullets actually sound as though they're whizzing by your ear. Explosions occurring in back of you seem to emanate from behind your chair. Panning is no longer limited to just the left and right, even if you only have 2 speakers. With full DirectSound 3D support, the possibilities are endless.
And what card is complete without software? You'll find more goodies in the SB Live! standard package than you'll know what to do with. Aside from the wealth of recording and mixing applications, you'll also be surprised to find a special edition of Unreal, which utilizes Environmental Audio to its fullest. You need to experience this to believe it, kids.
Owners of the card will also find tremendous online support. In addition to typical patches, you can actually download upgrades that act as new applications from the SB Live! site (dubbed 'Live!Ware'). This is really the gift that keeps on giving.
One major suggestion: while 2 speakers are certainly sufficient, you really need 4 to get the full effect. Soundblaster and Cambridge Soundworks have worked in conjunction to develop a line of speakers to complement the card, but any 4 speakers will do.
One of the biggest problems with sound card these days is hardware conflict. Many 16-bit sound cards prevent games from running correctly. Even old games have very strict sound requirements. Thankfully, SB Live! supports everything since Soundblaster 16, in both DOS and Windows, via the PCI bus standard. You just won't find any conflicts here.
If you are planning on buying the card, there are two ways to go. The standard package goes for about $200 (without speakers), but many of you aren't hardcore audiophiles who will need the whole shebang. You might want to check out the SB Live! Value version, which is pretty much identical to the standard version but without the Digital I/O card. At only $99.99, this is a good deal for those of you who aren't musicians and want a great card without the extra MIDI hookups.
With something for everybody, SB Live! is a sure bet for your audio dollar. For more information, check out the SB Live! site.