Sunday, April 6th 2008
Modder Unlocks Vista Driver Features on Creative Sound Cards
Creative has received much criticism for charging owners of Audigy sound cards for its ALchemy software, which offers improved audio support for certain games under Windows Vista. However, a modder by the name of Daniel Kawakami has managed to build hybrid drivers using a combination of XP and Vista files as well bypassing certain driver checks to enable several features including:
Source:
Custom PC
- Dolby/DTS decoding
- CMSS, CMSS2 and Stereo Surround (originally only CMSS was available, but this setting also affects ALchemy/OpenAL and Kawakami notes that it's thus particularly useful)
- Advanced EQ and Special FX presets
- DVD Audio
- Hardware MIDI synthesizer (Kawakami says he wrote a small utility that automatically detects and changes the default Vista MIDI Synth during driver install or can change it later using its GUI. Some media players let you choose the MIDI synthesizer)
- Equalizer
- WaveRT
103 Comments on Modder Unlocks Vista Driver Features on Creative Sound Cards
Edit: Just to make sure for you people!
These are VISTA drivers. not XP, not Xp64.
As for X-fis, only xtreme audio was mentioned - the others appear to have no drivers as they werent crippled to begin with.
The Vista game support for me also, right? I'm on Vista 32.
I'll wait for those of you with true X-Fi's to try it out in Vista...I'd like the THX console, though it's not extremely important...I have the March Creative drivers for V. Ult x64 and they work quite well actually...I have EAX settings (I don't have Alchemy installed), equalizer, all 3 mode panels...wish it came with the little mode switcher program..that was actually handy once I had Entertainment and Gaming setup and calibrated for their uses...
Another thing I noticed, switching modes in vista causes a D3D driver init failure, and you gotta restart the program playing music/sound (I messed with Winamp and switching modes just messing around)...XP never had this issue...but really it's a small issue, and I only use the Entertainment control panel anymore anyways.
:toast:
oh thats right. nothing. Go creative go! love the support for your 2nd newest sound card series!
Unfortunately Daniel, under pressure from Creative, had to remove this set from his Filefront web page..
Also his Unified Alchemy set (can't remember the correct driver name) he had to remove..
But if you search a little with Google (on Daniel's full name) you can find both drivers hosted elsewhere.
Cheers, R.
edit: Looks like i found drivers too.
Here it states what he did for X-Fi was pretty minimal...stuff that wouldn't really change what I use my X-Fi for...that blog was dated 4/1/08....
I found ALchemy Universal and the X-Fi driver X-Fi Vista Support Pack v2.15.0004 Driver SBXF_VTDRV_LB_2_15_0004A
Reqeuires SP1 and true X-Fi, I might add, go here to check it out:
nomoregoatsoup.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/x-fi-vista-support-pack-v2150004-driver-sbxf_vtdrv_lb_2_15_0004a/
Lemme know whatcha think!
Definately worth the test...I'm keeping em!
I can't seem to find them, since he deleted them.
oh, and the obligatory, kiss my ass creative :D
www.techpowerup.com/forums/showpost.php?p=736751&postcount=41