Creative Labs Sound Blaster Extigy

The Creative Labs Sound Blaster Extigy has some really good inputs and outputs to work with and the price of the Extigy is very affordable and has been affordable since the first day it came out about 10 years ago. With 7 outputs and 5 inputs you will have just enough to power your home set up. There is a large amount of latency though from time to time, that is mainly because it is a USB interface and USB interfaces can do this from time to time especially ones that come in this price right of less than 200 dollars. In my opinion it makes it almost unusable if you are playing instruments like on a midi keyboard that’s controller your instrument rack. I was experiencing a few milliseconds of a delay from the time that I pushed the key on the midi control till the sound would be recorded into the DAW. There was just no way I would be able to continue to use the Extigy with this problem, it took a lot of the fun out of the music process and my workflow is very important to me. The Creative Labs sound Blaster Extigy took the life out of my workflow so I had to part ways with it. If only they came out with a FireWire version of it, but at the time Fire Wire was not as popular as USB interfaces where.


UTILIZATION

Drivers where very stable and I didn’t use the Creative Labs Extigy long enough to see if there was an update that came out. We only recorded 2 tracks simultaneously with it because that’s all we needed to do at the time.


GETTING STARTED

We didn’t have any compatibility issues with the Creative Labs Extigy, and the set up was very easy and simple. The manual wasn’t to thick at all and you really wont have a need for it unless you are having problems setting the device up.


OVERALL OPINION

The latency was the reason that I couldn’t continue to use it. It really was a pain in the butt. I wouldn’t suggest purchasing this if you are looking for low latency. You wont have low latency with the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Extigy.

Purchased primarily for its price "low", the USB connection and multiple outputs in order to record my guitar parts and vocals, but can make the arrangements bass / drums in sequencer software with samples and some vsti
Used under celeron 400, 192MB of RAM (for the rest??)
I will branch between my mixer, and output for the time my stereo.
Careful small jacks for input and analog output

UTILIZATION

Instalation without any prob in 98SE, but XP galley to run the apps (due to my ancestral config ...)
Creative Mixer complete and intuitive manual rather empty, for example regarding the use of digital outputs ... I cross my fingers!

GETTING STARTED

The drivers provided on the CD were the last updated on the website of Creative.
With Cep2, I had problems with cracking read / write due to bad configuration of my hd (dma box unchecked in the properties of the system). I also have to solve a problem decallage a recording. Since then, I get a run in 16bits 44.1KHz over 20 audio tracks (up to monos) with the config default audio cep2 of quite convincing.
Under FruityLoops3, I had to put the maximum buffer size, otherwise a cracking read, and as long as one does not exceed 3 / 4 sessions per vsti, all runs without major problems (I am far from MUSCULAR a config too)

OVERALL OPINION

It's been about a month I use this card, and I must say it enough. I purchased for a mobile phone.
It obviously is not for the mao (no ASIO drivers, multimedia connectivity, ...), but for the use I made, I think keeping it a while:
it will suffice to turn a few vsti, a condition not to use a MIDI connection (latency unmanageable at this time!), and seems very well cep2 accommodate them despite a significant number of tracks (be careful with other sofs. ..)
Impossible to judge the ratio q / p is not a card player ... ft. the only one I had before was in use music that turned a PCI128 well for what I asked. The quality of the converters is certainly superior, but I can not allow me to say!

In summary: full duplex recording Hon (track by track, mono or stereo), has banned use of the South.

I chose it for its multiple outputs, so you can connect monitors and my chain. It is to be used for the CMSS sound of two or three exits, but the volume and quality (I believe it) is at once shared. Maybe a prob of settings? So I decided to pay me for monitors with optical input. So, I already know what will be my next sound card: the m-audio audiophile usb, which has a similar connection and better, with asio, a real card musicos!

To conclude, if I had known for monitors, I would not hesitate and I would pay the audiophile ... for not much more expensive in the end!
Attention, the Extigy is a risk purchase, I took it, deu'm not really seen what I requested, but not a card dedicated to music!

CHARACTERISTICS The lists are all in doc crative, simply go to the site, here against what they do not say the card is not 24-bit, only the input es / O are the internal processing is 16 bits. You can not go out and on a headphone and the amplifier outputs at the same time as the headphone output inhibits the sound on the amp outputs.

UTILIZATION

Under XP, trs trs simple installation without any problem. I would advise not to connect the Extigy reinstalled after the config is not to say that after Reinstalling the plug and not let industry during the r installation.

To use music during the installation, I also recommend not to select the drivers and not install all the widgets that come with the card, the tlcommande style on the screen. I used the software drivers, bought in 2003. If you do not possdez drivers, go look for them on the site of crative but do not "automatically search for drivers" when installing the drivers because the Extigy is not good! Only those crative work well.

GETTING STARTED

Easy to use, except that it is small jack. I use cubase and gnral 5, 8, 12 tracks Stros. The drivers are often not updated.

OVERALL OPINION

The map has CHARACTERISTICS attractive but not fold its rle! As an example, with a brand new config, powerful processor, RAM, disk, etc. .. there are cracks in the cost of CD-audio. I do not mean rgler buffers on a program like Cubase or Reason, as actually changing the rglages, it is no more problem. I speak not just to a CD and listen, or an MP3 or WAV or whatever. There are small cracking trs boring when you love a return Fidler. Everyone does not hear.

I do not recommend this card for computer music nin or something else. The map of my laptops are often more reliable.

On 22/04/04 I just disable the cache WRITING hard drive, it is recommended to do so, to the preferences on services rather than programs. It did not help much. I possde this card for 1 year 1 / 2 and I'm not happy. I never really use it succeeded 100%. Ms. SB 128 was my best!

The card is external USB, and therefore all records are to door by hand (not fun to go back behind the tower) in the characteristics is the resolution (24 bits) that I decided between other things ....
I bought it to start the audio processing when I do not conaissais brands like edirol etc ...
Configuration P IV 1.5Ghz 512MB RAM of a two DD 20 a 120, caret Chaintech motherboard.
Use "soft" line in micro MIDI drum machine for I plan to barancher the mixer into line in I hope it will not jump ....

UTILIZATION

Installation is fast because no need to open the belly of the usb pc is bracnhe you plug the power supply is connected to encintes and we're happy a good CD comes with several software notably a tape recorder or one chosen sourve enrengistrment of "Line in" "Mic" "What U hear" it is super convenient for sampling of anything ...

Manual quick but comprehensive anyway as a card is not rocket science

GETTING STARTED

No problem for this driver it may be in cubase at the "engine sound" but as I am in trial version I know if it comes to ca ...
No set day
I use a lot after the tape recorder and reworked the sounds of sound forge I plan to buy cubase
The latency is not the same ... the demo reaktor I press my keyboard sound good spring plant after the CPU scores after 20 but ... a good performance cot latency which
Not test for the slopes

UPDATE 09/05/04
ALALALALAAAAAAaah how big disappointment !!!!! I just discovered this little card is qu'aparament pa dot the ASIO drivers !!!!!

OVERALL OPINION

I use this card for a year and a half
I like that it's head and then it works pretty well relztivement the fact that it is external is asset to me what bothers me is not very pro ca connectors, RCA connectors, or Jack would ca 6.35 nice t
When I bought I pay 199 I is not complaining M'An for the moment the price quality ratio is interesting for a good entry level card ... we not find a digidesign or edirol this rate ^ ^
After this time I'm happy but I choose can be a edirol while more expensive but also more complete for use "music" to mean by the word processor in the audio