List of supported sound boards

Issues

How can I tell if my sound board is supported ?

What if my sound board is not supported ?

Does it matter which supported sound board I have?

How do I get my full-duplex sound board to work with Speaker Workshop?

List of supported sound boards

We currently have not tested sound boards for compatability. Nevertheless, nearly all of the current sound chip sets support full-duplex sound. That does not imply that your sound board manufacturer has enabled the feature.

According to our customers the Sound Blaster 16 and AWE32 can now run full-duplex! Check out the Creative Labs web site for the latest driver.

Chips that support full duplex include:

1. Crystal CS4231, 4232, 4236, 4237, 4238
2. Opti 82c930, 82c931
3. Analog Devices AD1812, AD1843, AD1845, AD1846, AD1847, AD1848
4. ESS Technology ES1888, 1887, 1868, 1869

   Boards that are known to work with Speaker Workshop

   1. Microsoft Windows Sound System and compatibles
   2. Mediatrix Audiotrix Pro
   3. Turtle Beach Tropez, TBS-2000
   4. Creative Labs AWE32 PNP

   Boards that are known NOT to work with Speaker Workshop

   1. Creative Labs PCI128 (early version).
      This board suffers from a feedback loop connecting input (aux) and output. It is usable with extreme care with Speaker Workshop but not recommended.

Issues

Depending on the sound card, we have noticed that some boards use the Line In for two purposes - line in and CD in. If your sound card does this and your measurements are erratic we recommend you disconnect the CD sound output from the sound card input. You will not be able to listen to music CD's through your sound card when you do this, but Speaker Workshop will work much better.

How can I tell if my sound board is supported?

First, if the sound board can emulate a Windows Sound System, then it will work. Second, look at the sound board resource usage to see if it occupies two dma channels (required for full-duplex operation). To check, go to Control Panel ~ System ~ Sound Boards and check the Properties of your sound board. If it occupies two channels, then it is full duplex. Another way to tell is to try to record with Speaker Workshop. If it won't record (you might get a "Can't Open Output Device" message), then the board is not set up for full duplex or does not support full duplex. You might try enabling full duplex (see How do I get my full-duplex sound board to work with Speaker Workshop?)

Try out our AudioCheck test application - a part of Speaker Workshop.

What if my sound board is not supported?

If your sound board is not full duplex then you can still play signals and you can still design an enclosure and a crossover. You can also import data from other programs and use Speaker Workshop to manipulate the data. You will not be able to measure impedance or frequency response or components.

Does it matter which sound board I have?

Absolutely! Sound boards vary in quality (just like stereos and speakers). The better the sound board the cleaner the results. Even a mediocre sound board will produce pretty good measurements; a great sound board will produce excellent measurements. Also, some chips are actually 12 bits internally (notably the Analog Devices chips) while others (e.g. the new Crystal chips) are 16 bit internally. Still, 12 bits will give 80db dynamic range, which should be plenty. If you have a really cheap sound board without buffering of the line out and line in then we recommend that you use Speaker Workshop with an external preamp. Also NOTE that most sound chips will fry if you apply more than 3 volts to the line in - another good reason to use a preamp as an active buffer.

How do I get my full-duplex sound board to work with Speaker Workshop?

Different boards require different mechanisms to enable full duplex. Primarily check Control Panel ~ System ~ Sound Board ~ Properties and see if there is a configuration with two dma channels. Otherwise, try out the Control Panel ~ Multimedia ~ Advanced ~ Audio Devices then select properties and see if there is a checkbox called "Use single mode DMA". If so, turn it off then check your sound board properties in control panel ~ system. If your board is full duplex and it works with Windows95 then it will work with Speaker Workshop.