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General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Heretic on February 24, 2008, 08:34:52 PM

Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Heretic on February 24, 2008, 08:34:52 PM
Anyone here use this card?  I am blowing out my squaddies ears when trying to use in game VOX.    Sometimes they can hear me crystal clear and then the next time I key VOX it is all scratchy,garbled,distorted,and horrible.   They are also saying they can hear themselves thru my VOX somehow.    Should I call Skuzzy?
Title: Re: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Fulmar on February 24, 2008, 09:05:21 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Heretic
Anyone here use this card?  I am blowing out my squaddies ears when trying to use in game VOX.    Sometimes they can hear me crystal clear and then the next time I key VOX it is all scratchy,garbled,distorted,and horrible.   They are also saying they can hear themselves thru my VOX somehow.    Should I call Skuzzy?


I have the card, but I use a USB mic.  Have you updated your audio driver at all?
Title: Re: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: JagdTankker on February 25, 2008, 09:12:06 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Heretic
 They are also saying they can hear themselves thru my VOX somehow.    


maybe the speakers are up to loud and you giving them feedback.

I have the same card and i bought a logi-tech USB mic and have no problems at all.
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Blammo on February 25, 2008, 10:18:22 AM
Do you have the mic boost turned on in Windows?  If so, try to turn it off and see if that helps.

I use that card (or at least, a variation of it) and don't have any problems with it like you described.
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Delirium on February 25, 2008, 12:42:32 PM
I had the same problem with my X-Fi... from what was explained to me, the sound card has a bad problem of using alot of cpu cycles, depending on what you're doing you can have what you need available or not.

When I went to my motherboard sound card, I had no further problems with it.
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Heretic on February 25, 2008, 03:30:35 PM
This is a brand new system.  Its only 2 weeks old!!    I have not updated drivers.

I turned the master volume down as well as the volume on the mic and my squaddies say they hear me crystal clear now.

My next question is this.

If I am keyed up on VOX  and talking and one of my squad members keys up at the same time or while I am talking they say they can hear or get feedback thru their headsets?      Something along those lines.   Did I hook something up wrong?

I have the mic/headset hooked up in the rear pink and green jacks.  I disabled the front green/pink jacks on the front of the computer.  
I also have grey,black,blue,and orange jacks which I think are used for speakers?   I'm not using speakers for the game just a headset/mic combo which is a  Logitech.         Should I mute all the speaker jacks that I am not using?   I have Realtek HD Audio Manager on my computer and can do this.

Thanks for all of the answers so far.
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Fulmar on February 25, 2008, 03:36:21 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Heretic
I have Realtek HD Audio Manager on my computer and can do this.

Thanks for all of the answers so far.


It sounds like you have both your X-FI and your onboard sound chipset, the Realtek (on the motherboard) enabled.  It's best to avoid sound conflicts by disabling your onboard sound chipset in your BIOS.  This is where your problem may be coming from.
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: doc1kelley on February 26, 2008, 10:27:57 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Delirium
I had the same problem with my X-Fi... from what was explained to me, the sound card has a bad problem of using alot of cpu cycles, depending on what you're doing you can have what you need available or not.

When I went to my motherboard sound card, I had no further problems with it.


If you are "using a lot of CPU cycles". your onboard sound card is enabled.  The main difference between onboard sound cards and stand-alone cards like Sound Blaster cards is that the onboard card uses the computer's CPU and the SB cards uses a dedicated chip to do the work itself instead of the computer's CPU.

All the Best...
Jay
awDoc1

PS.. Go into your bios and disable onboard sound chip!
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Heretic on February 26, 2008, 07:02:18 PM
I uninstalled the onboard sound drivers but dont know how to go into BIOS and disable it there.
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Fulmar on February 26, 2008, 08:22:51 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Heretic
I uninstalled the onboard sound drivers but dont know how to go into BIOS and disable it there.

Reboot your computer and immediately after it starts booting up(way before you get into windows or see the windows loading screen) it will say something like:

Press F2 to enter Setup

Not all computer have the same button to get into the bios, some are buttons are DEL or F12 etc etc.  So really, when I need to get into the bios, I boot/reboot my computer and start hitting the 'key' to enter setup over and over again until I  get into the BIOS setup screen.

In your BIOS is where you would turn off your onboard sound.  If you are unfamiliar with navigating through your computers BIOS and have never done it before let us know.  We'll walk you through it.
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Heretic on February 27, 2008, 05:13:57 PM
Fulmar  first off I would like to say thanks for all of the help.


I have no idea how to find in BIOS my onboard sound.   I have a Gigabyte S Series EP35C-DS3R mobo.  It is a intel core 2 duo.
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: doc1kelley on February 28, 2008, 10:02:06 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Heretic
Fulmar  first off I would like to say thanks for all of the help.


I have no idea how to find in BIOS my onboard sound.   I have a Gigabyte S Series EP35C-DS3R mobo.  It is a intel core 2 duo.


Heretic,

Since you have a Gigabyte motherboard you need to hold down your delete key while booting up.  You will see a message at bottom of screen that says "Prepare to entering Setup" (they are in Taiwan and obviously not real great at english).  You will get a blue screen with white lettering, scroll down to INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS and hit enter.  Scroll down to AC97 AUDIO and hit enter and select DISABLE then hit your F10 Key and you will see a message that says "Save to CMOS and exit (Y/N)?  you select Y for YES.  The system will reboot and your onbound sound will now be disabled.

All the Best...
Jay
awDoc1
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Heretic on February 28, 2008, 04:54:29 PM
Thank you very much Jay.  I appreciate the time you took to help me.  :)
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: Fulmar on February 28, 2008, 05:47:14 PM
Let us know if it fixes your problem.
Title: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
Post by: doc1kelley on March 02, 2008, 01:49:24 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Heretic
Thank you very much Jay.  I appreciate the time you took to help me.  :)


Happy to offer some assistance.  Please as Fulmar stated, LET US KNOW! :)

All the Best...

Jay
awDoc1