Creative SB1500 - Manual

Audio Control Module An external ACM (Audio Control Module) provides a built-in beamforming microphone andmicrophone/headphone I/O connections. Note: The ACM accessory is bundled with Sound Blaster Zx only. 1 3 4 5 2 6 Jack, Connector or Component Description 1. Volume Control Knob Controls the play...

Connecting Speakers and Headphones The connectors and associated components shown here may be different from that of your speakersystem. Consult the documentation of your speaker system to identify similar input connectors. You canupmix your stereo sources (for example, CD Audio, MP3, WMA, MIDI and ...

Positioning Your Speakers Good speaker placement is crucial to getting optimal performance from your audio system andachieving an enhanced listening experience. Below are our recommendation for 5.1 channel speakers. For detailed speaker placement tips, consult the documentation of your speaker syste...

Connecting Analog Speaker Systems Your audio card supports analog speaker systems of up to 5.1 channels. To learn more about connectingdifferent channel speaker systems, consult the following sections: l 2.1 channel analog speakers l 5.1 channel analog speakers 2.1 channel analog speakers audio inpu...

5.1 channel analog speakers front rear center/ subwoofer audio inputs center speaker front speakers rear speakers front rear center/ subwoofer audio inputs 2 3 1 4 7 5 6 Jack, Connector or Cable 1. Line Out 1 jack (Front L/R) 2. Line Out 2 jack (Rear L/R) 3. Line Out 3 jack (Center/Subwoofer) 4. 5.1...

Connecting Digital Speaker Systems Your Sound Blaster Z-Series comes with an Optical S/PDIF Out jack which allows you to connect yourdigital speaker system. Most digital speakers systems connect the audio card to the subwoofer or anexternal unit. For more information on your digital speaker connecti...

Connecting Home Theater Systems Your Sound Blaster Z-Series comes with an Optical S/PDIF jack which allows you to connect your hometheatre system. Most home theater systems connect the audio card to an A/V receiver. For more information on your A/V receiver's speaker connections, consult the documen...

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 youraudio card's Line Out jacks instead of the Optical S/PDIF Out jack as shown below. Connect to Line Out 1 (Front L/R) 2 1 3 4 Jack, Connector or Cab...

Connecting Headphones and Headsets Do not listen to audio on your headphones or headsets at high volumes for prolongedperiods of time as hearing loss may result. Connecting your headphones and headsets to the Sound Blaster Z-Series For headphones: 1 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. Headphone ...

Connecting Audio Control Module The ACM accessory is bundled with Sound Blaster Zx only. Connecting your ACM to the Sound Blaster Z-Series 1 2 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. Line In/Microphone In jack Connects to the 3.5mm (1/8-inch)microphone plug of your ACM. 2. Headphone jack Connects to...

Connecting your headphones and headsets to the ACM OR 1 2 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. 3.5mm Headphone jack Connects to stereo headphones or headsetswith a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) plug. 2. 3.5mm Microphone In jack Connects to line-level sources (forexample, MP3 players) ormicrophones with a 3.5m...

Installing and Uninstalling Software To take full advantage of your Sound Blaster Z-Series audio card, you need to install device drivers andapplications. At times, you may also need to uninstall some or all of the device drivers and applicationsto correct problems, change configurations, or upgrade...

To remove DTS Connect: Note Carry out the following steps ONLY IF there are no other Creative applications on your system thatrequires the DTS Connect encoder. For Windows 7: 1. Return to the Start > Control Panel > Uninstall a Program window. 2. Select the DTS Connect entry. 3. Click the Unin...

Installing Drivers and Applications Ensure that your audio card is installed before proceeding. For instructions oninstalling your audio card, consult your Quick Start leaflet. After you have installed your audio card, turn on your computer. Windows automatically detects youraudio card and searches ...

Using Your Sound Blaster Z-Series Your Sound Blaster Z-Series works seamlessly with many external devices to perform different tasks.To learn more about these tasks and how to connect additional devices, consult the following sections: l Playing Games l Watching DVDs l Playing / Recording Music l Cr...

DTS Connect DTS Connect is a real-time encoding technology from DTS, Inc. for interactive media and is onlyavailable on the PC platform. It converts any audio signal on the computer into 5.1 channel DTS formatand transports it via a single digital cable. With Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect, a sin...

Playing / Recording Music You can play music from, and/or record music to external devices (for example, Digital Audio Tapeplayer/recorder) by connecting them to your Sound Blaster Z-Series. Connecting your external device to the Sound Blaster Z-Series 2 1 3 Jack, Connector or Cable Description 1. O...

Creating Music You can set up a home music studio using your Sound Blaster Z-Series. Put together your own productions consisting of multiple music tracks from a MIDI synthesizer or anelectric guitar. Alternatively, connect your electric guitar using a pre-amp box to the Line In/MicrophoneIn jack. U...

Using the Creative Software Suite The following software is designed for you to access the basic as well as the advanced features of youraudio card. We recommended that you familiarize yourself with their functions in order to make full useof the rich features of your audio card. To learn more about...

Sound Blaster Z-Series Control Panel Managing Your Profiles Click the button to display the Profiles pane. Activate a profile by clicking the and selecting it from the list. Click to save all settings to the current profile or create a new profile. Click to delete the active profile. Sharing Profile...

SBX Pro Studio Settings 1. SBX Pro Studio enhancements Select to turn on or turn off each enhancement. You can hover your mouse cursor over eachenhancement to display a brief explanation. 2. Enhancement Level sliders Adjust the amount of enhancement to apply. 3. Audio Test controls Play/Pause or Sto...

CrystalVoice Settings 1. First select the recording device. 2. Next, turn on CrystalVoice and select to turn on or turn off each of the available enhancements. Having Fun with CrystalVoice After configuration, click and speak into your microphone to hear how your voice sounds with CrystalVoice appli...

Scout Mode Scout mode transforms your hearing and enables you to hear your opponents from further away, givingyou 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 Softw...

Speakers/Headphones Settings 1. Switch between Speakers or Headphones mode. 2. Speakers / Headphones Configuration Select your current physical speaker or headphone configuration. Notes: Stereo Direct is an option for direct playback to stereo speaker channel sampled at 192kHz. Thefollowing features...

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. Setting up DTS Connect Under DTS Connect, select or unselect the option "DTS Neo:PC" and conf...

Mixer Settings 1. Volume sliders Adjust the playback and recording volume for your various inputs and outputs. 2. Input Device Select the input device source from the following analog sources: Front Microphone, Rear Micro-phone or Rear Line-in. Only one source can be active at any one time. Adjustin...

Selecting the Input Device Source Your audio card supports audio input from the following analog sources: l Front Microphone (Intel HD Front Panel) l Rear Microphone (Line In/Microphone In jack) l Rear Line-in (Line In/Microphone In jack) Only one of the above input sources can be active at any time...

Equalizer Settings 1. EQ presets Select an equalizer preset to apply to your audio. 2. EQ sliders Adjust the equalizer settings. Customizing Your EQ Settings Select the EQ checkbox to enable this feature, then click the EQ drop-down arrow and select a presetfrom the list. Selecting a preset will mov...

Advanced Features Settings 1. Play stereo mix to digital output Select the checkbox to down mix the audio with its effects to a stereo PCM stream to be channeledto digital output. Note You must first select "Speaker" as the playback device to use this feature. Using the Creative Software Sui...

Using Your Audio Device Playing Games Your audio device is equipped with cutting edge audio technologies and software to enhance the audio inyour games. SBX Pro Studio will elevate your gaming experience to the next level, allowing you to hearsound details in games you have never heard before! For d...

Communicating with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Use a headset with your audio device to enjoy outstanding acoustic performance in popular VoIPapplications like Ventrilo® and TeamSpeak®. Hear and be heard clearly by teammates during multi-player games to get the tactical edge. You can enhance ...

Creating Your Audio 'Sweet Spot' with the SB Speaker Setup Generally, for a 5.1 speaker configuration, there is an ideal speaker placement that allows you toposition yourself in the audio sweet spot, giving you the best surround and audio pleasure possible.Please refer to Positioning Your Speakers o...

Speaker Level This set of configurations enables you to achieve a balanced level for each speaker. Speaker level isaffected 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 ...

General Specifications This section details the specifications of your Sound Blaster Z-Series audio card. PCI Bus Mastering l PCI Express Specification Version 1.1 compliant l Bus mastering reduces latency and speeds up system performance Sound Blaster Sound Core3D Audio Processor l Advanced hardwar...

Connectivity This section details the connectivity of your Sound Blaster Z-Series audio card. Sound Blaster Z-Series Audio Card Audio Inputs l One 3.5mm (1/8-inch) Line In jack for Analog Line In or Microphone In l One Optical S/PDIF jack for Digital In Audio Outputs l One 3.5mm (1/8-inch) Headphone...

Troubleshooting This section provides solutions to problems you may encounter during installation or normal use. Thisincludes: l Problems with Digital Audio Devices l Problems with Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect l Problems with Multiple Audio Devices l Problems with Sound If you have any other te...

Note If Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect is enabled, only PCM audio and certain compressed audio (forexample, MP3) can be played, which will be encoded by Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect throughyour selected output device. Problems with Multiple Audio Devices If there are other audio cards on the...

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 availabl...

License and Copyright Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the partof 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 r...