SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 Audio Card

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hp pavilion home pc

SoundBlaster Live!5.1 Audio Card


The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

Hewlett-Packard® Company makes no warranty of any kind withregard to this material, including, but not limited to, the impliedwarranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

HP shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental orconsequential damages in connection with the furnishing,performance, or use of this material.

HP assumes no responsibility for the use or reliability of its softwareon equipment that is not furnished by HP.

This document contains proprietary information that is protected bycopyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this document may bephotocopied, reproduced, or translated to another languagewithout the prior written consent of HP.

Hewlett-Packard CompanyHome Products DivisionP.O. Box 4010Cupertino, CA 95015-4010USA

© Hewlett-Packard Company, 2001. All rights reserved.

Hewlett-Packard is a registered trademark of Hewlett-PackardCompany in the United States of America and other countries.

Other brand or product names are trademarks of their respectiveholders.

SoundBlaster trademark information:

Creative Technology Ltd.Copyright 1998–2001 by Creative Technology Ltd.All rights reserved.Version 1.0September 2001

SoundBlaster and Blaster are registered trademarks, and theSoundBlaster Live! logo, the SoundBlaster PCI logo, EAX, CreativeMulti Speaker Surround, and Oozic are trademarks of CreativeTechnology Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries.

SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 Audio Card iii


Introduction..........................................1System Requirements .............................................2Federal Communications Commission Statement.......3

Installation ...........................................5Installing the Audio Card .......................................5

What You Need ...............................................6To Install the Audio Card....................................7

Installing the Software .........................................10

Using Your Audio Card .......................11Audio Connectors ...............................................11

Analog/Digital Out.........................................12Line In............................................................12Microphone In ................................................12Line Out.........................................................12

Rear Out........................................................ 13MIDI/Joystick ................................................. 13Telephone Answering Device............................ 13CD Audio ...................................................... 13AUX In .......................................................... 14CD SPDIF....................................................... 14Audio Extension ............................................. 14

Connecting Speaker Systems ............................... 15Analog Speakers ............................................ 15Digital Speakers ............................................. 15Enabling Digital Sound.................................... 16Selecting Speaker Setup Option ....................... 17

Getting More Information .................................... 19SoundBlaster Live! User’s Guide ....................... 19SoundBlaster Live! Technical Support................. 20

Table of Contents

iv HP Pavilion home PC


SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 Audio Card 1


Thank you for purchasing this SoundBlaster

Live! 5.1 Sound Card from Hewlett-Packard.

The audio card kit contains:

� These instructions.� The SoundBlaster Live! audio card.� The driver installation CD with software that

is compatible with the Microsoft® Windows®

Millennium Edition (Me) and Windows XPoperating systems.

Note: This audio card can be installed only inmotherboards with a PCI add-in card slot.All HP Pavilions have PCI slots.

The SoundBlaster Live! audio card and softwareprovides multidimensional sound and texturedacoustical environments for realistic three-dimensional (3D) sound. The audio card deliverssound at the highest fidelity and with absoluteclarity. Using it with four or five speakers givesyou realistic 3D surround sound in supportedgames, movies, CDs, MP3 music, and Internetentertainment.

Introduction

2 HP Pavilion home PC


System RequirementsTo use the SoundBlaster Live! audio card and theincluded software programs, your computerrequires:

� Genuine Intel® Pentium® class processor:166 MHz for Windows Me;233 MHz (minimum) to 300 MHz(recommended) for Windows XP

Or

� AMD K6 200 MHz for Windows Me;AMD K6 233 MHz (minimum) to 300 MHz(recommended) for Windows XP

� Intel, AMD, or 100 percent compatiblemotherboard chipset

� Windows Me or Windows XP operatingsystem

� 16 MB RAM (minimum) to 32 MB RAM(recommended) for Windows Me, or64 MB RAM (minimum) to 128 MB RAM(recommended) for Windows XP

� 80 MB of free hard disk space� Open PCI compliant slot� CD-ROM drive for program installation

During installation, SoundBlaster Live! estimatesthe required hard disk space.



Federal CommunicationsCommission StatementThis device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation issubject to the following two conditions:

� This device may not cause harmful interference, and� This device must accept any interference received,

including interference that may cause undesiredoperation.

Warning: This equipment has been testedand found to comply with the limits for aClass B digital device, pursuant to Part 15of the FCC Rules. These limits are designedto provide reasonable protection againstharmful interference in a residentialinstallation. This equipment generates,uses, and can radiate radio frequencyenergy and, if not installed and used inaccordance with the manufacturer’sinstructions, may cause harmfulinterference to radio communications.However, there is no guarantee thatinterference will not occur in a particularinstallation. If this equipment does causeharmful interference to radio or televisionreception, which can be determined byturning the equipment off and on, the

user is encouraged to correct theinterference by one or more of thefollowing measures:� Reorient or relocate the receiving

antenna.� Increase the separation between the

equipment and the receiver.� Connect the equipment into an outlet

that is on a circuit different from thereceiver.

� Consult the dealer or an experiencedradio/TV technician for help.

Warning: The use of shielded cables forconnection of the monitor to the audiocard is required to assure compliancewith FCC regulations. Changes ormodifications to this unit not expresslyapproved by the party responsible forcompliance could void the user’s authorityto operate this equipment.





Installing the Audio CardBefore beginning, read and follow all safetyinformation and warnings provided in theUpgrading and Servicing the PC guide includedwith your HP Pavilion home PC.

To install the SoundBlaster Live! audio card, referto “Installing Add-In Cards” in the Upgradingand Servicing the PC guide.

Warning: Electrostatic discharge (ESD)can damage disk drives, add-in cards,and other components. If an ESD station isnot available, wear a wrist strap attachedto a metal part of the computer. Placecards on a conductive foam pad or insidethe card wrapper, if possible, but neveron the card wrapper.

Warning: The HP Pavilion is heavy; besure to use ergonomically correct liftingprocedures when moving the computer.

Note: If your PC has a motherboard that contains acombination modem/audio card, the sound maynot work properly with the SoundBlaster Live!audio card also installed. If you remove thismodem/audio card, you will need a new modemto use the SoundBlaster Live! audio card.

Installation



What You Need� SoundBlaster Live! audio card� Phillips screwdriver� Digital (2-pin) and/or analog (4-pin) CD

audio cable(s)

If you have one or more CD-ROM or DVD-ROMdrives, these cables may be included with yourPC. If not, you can purchase them at a localretailer. You need one cable for each CD-ROM orDVD-ROM drive included with your HP Pavilion.

Analog CD audio cable

Digital (SPDIF) CD audio cable 2-pin

4-pin



To Install the Audio Card1 Turn off the computer and all peripherals.

2 Disconnect the power cord and all otherattached cables from the computer.

Caution: The audio card can be damaged ifpower is supplied to the PCI slot when the cardis inserted.

3 Open the computer. Refer to the instructions inthe “Installing Add-In Cards” section of theUpgrading and Servicing the PC guide.

PCI slots

1

Screw for bracket/audio card

4 Remove the bracket of an unused PCI slot ifyou do not already have an audio cardinstalled, or remove the existing audio card.Put the screw aside.



AU

D_E

XT

CD_IN

TAD

AUX_IN

CD_SPDIF

JOYSTICK

2

1

5 Align the SoundBlaster Live! audio card withthe PCI slot, and press the card gently butfirmly into the slot. Do not force the audio cardinto the slot. Make sure that the gold finger PCIconnector on the SoundBlaster Live! audiocard is aligned with the PCI bus connector onthe motherboard before you insert the cardinto the PCI expansion slot. If it does not fitproperly, gently remove it and try again.

6 Secure the SoundBlaster Live! audio card withthe screw removed in step 4.

7 Connect the analog CD audio cable from theanalog audio connector on your CD-ROM orDVD-ROM drive to the CD_IN connector onthe SoundBlaster Live! audio card. If you havetwo drives that have analog audio capability,you can connect the second analog CD audiocable from the analog audio connector onyour second CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive tothe AUX_IN connector.



Digital (SPDIF) CD audio cable

Analog CD audio cable

Second analog CD audio connector

TAD

CD_IN

AUX_IN

CD_SPDIF

8 For digital CD audio output that has anMPC-to-MPC, 2-pin digital CD audioconnector (SPDIF), connect the digital (SPDIF)CD audio cable from the digital audioconnector on your CD-ROM or DVD-ROMdrive to the CD_SPDIF connector on theSoundBlaster Live! audio card.

9 Close the computer.

10 Connect the power cord and the cables to thecomputer.



Installing the SoftwareTo use SoundBlaster Live! on the Windows Meand Windows XP operating systems, install thedevice drivers and software included on thedriver installation CD. Follow these steps toinstall the driver software that came with yourSoundBlaster Live! audio card.

1 After you have installed the SoundBlaster Live!audio card, turn on your computer. TheWindows Plug and Play feature automaticallydetects the audio card and device drivers. Ifthe New Hardware Found dialog boxappears, click the Cancel button.

2 Insert the driver installation CD into theCD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.

3 Click OK when the SoundBlaster Live! screenappears. Follow the onscreen instructions toinstall the driver software.

Note: In the Speaker Preset Setup screen, select thenumber of speakers you will be using to hearproper sound from all speakers.

If this SoundBlaster Live! screen does not appearautomatically, open My Computer and right-click the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive icon thatcontains the driver installation CD, and then clickAutoPlay. Follow the onscreen instructions toinstall the driver software.

For more information about the SoundBlasterLive! software, refer to the onscreenSoundBlaster Live! User’s Guide.

To access the SoundBlaster Live! User’s Guide:

1 Click Start.

2 Choose Programs in Windows Me, orchoose All Programs in Windows XP.

3 Choose Creative and SoundBlaster Live!and then click User’s Guide.



Audio ConnectorsYour audio card connectors listed here allow you to attach the card to other devices.

Analog/Digital Out Line In (LIN_IN)

Microphone In (MIC_IN)

Line Out (LIN_OUT1)Rear Out (LIN_OUT2)

MIDI/Joystick

CD Audio (CD_IN)

Telephone Answering Device (TAD)

AUX In (AUX_IN)

CD SPDIF (CD_SPDIF)

Audio Extension (AUD_EXT)

Caution: This is not an IDE interface. Do not connect it to your IDE device.

Using Your Audio Card



Analog/Digital OutAnalog/Digital Out (orange jack) usesa 6-channel or compressed AC-3 SPDIFoutput for connection to external digitaldevices or to digital speaker systems. ForWindows Me systems, the default for theAnalog/Digital Output connector is analogoutput. For Windows XP systems, the defaultfor the Analog/Digital Output connector isdigital. You must select the digital output in theSoundBlaster software to produce digital output.For instructions on how to do this, refer to theSoundBlaster Live! User’s Guide.

In analog mode, the Analog/Digital Outconnector can be used for center and subwoofer(LFE) channels for 5.1 analog speaker systems.In digital mode, it connects to 5.1 digitalspeakers.

Line InLine In (LIN_IN) (blue jack) connects to anexternal device such as a cassette or CDplayer, or a synthesizer.

Microphone InMicrophone In (MIC_IN) (pink jack)connects to an external microphone forvoice or live sound input. Microphonesmay be used to record music, make voiceannotations, or turn your PC into aspeakerphone.

Line OutLine Out (LIN_OUT1) (green jack)connects to powered speakers or toan external amplifier for audio output.Line Out also supports headphones.

In analog mode, Line Out and Rear Outconnectors can be used simultaneously for 4.1channel or quadraphonic speaker systems.



Rear OutRear Out (LIN_OUT2) (black jack)connects to powered speakers or to anexternal amplifier for audio output.

In analog mode, Line Out and Rear Outconnectors can be used simultaneously for 4.1channel or quadraphonic speaker systems.

MIDI/JoystickMIDI (Musical Instrument DeviceInterface)/Joystick (gold, 15-pinconnector) connects to a gameport joystick or to a MIDI device, such as a MIDIkeyboard. A MIDI device allows you to connectexternal electronic musical instruments to your PC.

The joystick connector is a standard computergame control adapter. You can connect anyanalog joystick with a 15-pin D-shell connectoror any device compatible with the standard PCjoystick to the connector. To use two joysticks,use a Y-cable splitter.

To play games in MS-DOS mode:

� Connect the CD_IN connector to the analogCD audio connector on the CD-ROM orDVD-ROM drive.

� If the sound is distorted, do not connect theCD_SPDIF connector to the digital audioconnector on the CD-ROM or DVD-ROMdrive.

Telephone Answering DeviceThe Telephone Answering Device (TAD) providesa connection from a standard voice modem andtransmits microphone signals to the modem. TheTAD connects to a telephone answering device.



CD AudioCD Audio (CD_IN) connects to the analog audiooutput on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive througha CD audio cable. In analog mode, CD Audioconnects to the center and subwoofer channelspeakers. In digital mode, it connects to digitalspeakers, such as 5.1 surround sound speakers.

AUX InAUX In (AUX_IN) connects to internal audiosources such as TV Tuner, MPEG, or other similarcards.

CD SPDIFCD SPDIF (CD_SPDIF) connects to the SPDIF(digital audio) output on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. This is an MPC-to-MPC (2 pin)digital audio CD connector.

Audio ExtensionAudio Extension (AUD_EXT) connects to theoptical digital I/O card or Live! drive.



Connecting SpeakerSystemsTo watch DVD movies, play games, or to listento music on your computer, connect analogor digital speakers to the SoundBlaster Live!audio card.

When using an external Dolby digital (AC-3)decoder speaker system, disconnect the audiocard AUX_IN connector from the decoder cardAudio Out connector. However, if an externalDolby Digital (AC-3) decoder speaker system isnot available, do not disconnect the audio cardAUX_IN connector.

Analog SpeakersWhen connecting analog speakers, you mayhave a triple stereo audio cable or three pairsof 3.5-mm-to-RCA (stereo) cables. Thesethree cables connect to the front, rear, andcenter/subwoofer inputs.

Additional information for advanced users: Forconnection to center and subwoofer channelsusing a 3.5-mm-to-RCA (stereo) cable, connectthe white RCA connector to the center input andthe red RCA connector to the subwoofer input ofthe amplifier.



Digital SpeakersWhen connecting digital speakers, you can use a 3.5-mm-to-RCA cable to plug the digital speakers intoyour SP_DIF connector.

decoder/amplifier

3.5-mm-to-RCA Analog/Digital Out connector

discrete 6-channel

Three 3.5-mm- to-RCA cables(stereo)

Tip: left/center channel

Connecting to Digital Speakers

Connecting to Analog Speakers

Dolby Digital

cable

amplifier

Ring: right/subwoofer channelcenter &

sub inputsfront rear

(AC-3) SP_DIF In



Enabling Digital SoundIf your sound is not clear or you have any static,you may need to enable the digital sound optionfrom within the SoundBlaster Live! progam.

To do this:

1 Click Start.

2 Select Creative.

3 Select SoundBlaster Live!

4 Click AudioHQ.

5 Double-click Speaker.

6 Check the Digital output only box.

Selecting Speaker Setup OptionThe PC is automatically set up to produce soundthrough two desktop stereo speakers. If your PChas four or five surround sound speakers, set upthe surround sound option for four or fivespeakers to hear sound from all speakers.

To set up speakers in Windows Me:

1 Click Start.

2 Choose Settings.

3 Click Control Panel.

4 Double-click Sounds and Multimedia.

5 Click the Audio tab.

6 In Sound Playback, click the Advancedbutton.

7 Under Speaker setup on the Speakers tab,select Quadraphonic speakers for fourspeakers or select 5.1 surround soundspeakers for five speakers.

8 Click Apply and then click OK.



To set up speakers in Windows XP:

1 Click Start.

2 Click Control Panel.

3 Click Sounds, Speech, and AudioDevices.

4 Click Sounds and Audio Devices.

5 Select the Volume tab.

6 Under the Speaker settings, click theAdvanced button.

7 Click the arrow under Speaker setup, andselect Quadraphonic speakers for fourspeakers or select 5.1 surround soundspeakers for five speakers.

8 Click Apply and then click OK.

If you lose sound from your 5.1 speakers afteryou restart your PC, you may need to re-enablethe 5.1 speakers using the procedures listedabove.

Most speaker setup options are for two stereospeakers. For example, the surround soundspeakers option produces surround sound fortwo speakers only.

To prevent sound problems, make sure thespeakers are connected to the correct audioconnectors on the back of the PC.

Important: In the unlikely event that you must recoverthe operating system, as described in the QuickStart Guide, you must reactivate the installation ofthe SoundBlaster Live! audio programs. If you havemore than two speakers, you also need to reselectyour speaker setup option.



Getting More Information

SoundBlaster Live! User’s GuideAfter you install the SoundBlaster Live! driverinstallation CD, you can access the SoundBlasterLive! User’s Guide. This guide includesinformation about:

� How to use your SoundBlaster Live! audio cardand the included programs in your audiopackage.

� MIDI specifications.� Connector pin assignments.

� Diagnostics to test the Wave, MIDI, or CDaudio playback as well as test the recordingfunction and speaker output of your audiocard.

� Advanced configurations on positioning yourspeakers and connecting a variety of devices.

� Recording and authoring content.� Troubleshooting.

To access the SoundBlaster Live! User’s Guide:

1 Click Start.

2 Choose Programs in Windows Me, orchoose All Programs in Windows XP.

3 Choose Creative and SoundBlaster Live!,and then click User’s Guide.



SoundBlaster Live! TechnicalSupportGo to the Creative Web site athttp://www.creative.comfor more information about SoundBlaster Live! 5.1.

You can also go tohttp://www.soundblaster.comfor the latest software and driver updates. Ifyou want to contact Creative by telephone, thisWeb site lists technical support numbers for yourcountry or region.



Documents

SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 Audio Card