recording options for podcasters
- From: "Kevin Jones" <kevin@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <blindcasting@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 08:28:41 -0500
Some may think this is off topic, but I think it fully relates to
podcasting. We've written and read lots of messages on here about different
recording solutions, the irivers, the plextalk, etc. I've wanted a digital
recorder in my laptop for years, but the extigy cards just didn't cut it for
me, I think we have a solution. It's the audigy2 zs notebook.It's a pcmcia
sound card and when inserted on laptops looks very similar to the Linksys
wireless card, i.e. sticks out about an inch from the edge of the laptop.
Much more acceptable to me from the extigy cards which were external units
that needed to be plugged in to an a c outlet; totally not portable in my
book.
In short, it provides everything the desktop cousin has except for midi and
coax connectors, it does have optical in and out though. I got it because it
offered line-in, which on a laptop is hard to find, and impossible on the
ultra-portables I prefer. If you're happy with recordings made on desktop
audigy2 cards, you'll like the zs notebook. Figured this was on topic enough
to post.
That was the summary, for you tech-heads out there, here's a very nice
review of the card.
This may be a good time to grab it, it's going for about $100 at stores like
best buy etc. with a $25 rebate from Creative Labs.
http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=replayOctober 27, 2004
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook
By
Dave Salvator
The LAN party. It's our generation's bowling/poker/movie night all rolled up
in one. Hauling gear to a LAN party can be a real drag (literally), and some
gamers have taken to bringing high-end laptops instead. And why not? With
GPUs like ATI's Mobility Radeon 9800 available now and nVidia's competitive
equivalent coming soon, why wouldn't you want to put all your LAN party gear
into a single small backpack? Well, for all the CPU and 3D goodness that has
made its way into the mobile set, most mobile audio solutions have hardly
evolved at all.
wrolka:
Nice review, but it's missing one thing.
view full post >
It isn't that decent solutions aren't available-it's more a function of
laptop makers almost always doing minimal audio implementations. To wit,
there hasn't been a single laptop audio solution on the market with hardware
buffers and hardware-accelerated support for DirectSound3D processing
effects. But Creative recently changed all that with its new Sound Blaster
Audigy 2 ZS Notebook. This Cardbus-based mobile audio solution sports the
very same E-Mu 10K2 audio processor that powers its desktop cousin. It also
carries more logos than the back of a well-traveled Winnebago (EAX 4.0,
DVD-Audio, Dolby Digital, DTS, THX, ASIO 2.0).
Most of Creative's recent sound cards have been decidedly evolutionary
steps, with good incremental features added to round out Sound Blaster's
already bountiful (some would say bloated) feature set. The new Sound
Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook doesn't add any new features to the Sound
Blaster family, but what makes it such a breakout product is that, unlike
its USB cousins, it puts all those features in the hands of the mobile
gaming set with virtually no compromises. If you're a mobile gamer, this is
the audio solution for you. Why? Click
next to find out.
Speeds and Feeds
Here are some of the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook's vital statistics:
table with 2 columns and 15 rows
Rated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR):
104dB
Supported output resolutions:
Up to 96KHz/24-bit 7.1 and 192KHz/24-bit stereo.
Playback:
24-bit digital-to-analog conversion of digital sources at 96KHz to analog
7.1 speaker output, 192KHz for Stereo DVD-A.
Recording:
Via stereo analog inputs at 96KHz/24-bit.
S/PDIF Support:
Resolutions up to 96KHz/24-bit quality at selectable sampling rate of 44.1,
48, or 96 kHz (SPDIF output is not available during playback of protected
digital audio contents authored with Microsoft DRM (Digital Rights
Management) technology.)
Outputs:
Wiring harness with three 1/8-inch connectors for 7.1 output, and combo
headphone/S/PDIF output jack.
Input:
Combo line/microphone input.
Supported audio APIs/drivers
DirectSound, DirectSound3D, WDM (Wave), ASIO 2.0, and SoundFont.
table end
For something as small as a PC Card, the ZS Notebook (ZSN) packs quite a bit
of I/O onboard. Outputs for driving a speaker rig of up to 7.1 channels take
the form of an optional wiring harness that you can leave home when you
travel with your laptop. Sans harness, you've got a combo S/PDIF/headphone
output, and a mic/line input. The output is the more interesting of the two,
since it combines the optical output with a headphone jack, and you can
connect a Toslink cable that terminates with an 1/8-inch connector.
The Wiring Harness
click on image for full view
About the only thing missing from the mix are coaxial (RCA) S/PDIF and MIDI
I/O, but given how little side-panel real estate designers are afforded with
PC Cards, some things have to wind up on the cutting room floor.
How We Tested
To wring out sound cards, we hit them with a rigorous battery of audio
tests:
list of 4 items
RightMark 3DSound:
We've decided to retire Audio WinBench 99 1.01 because the code base is no
longer maintained, and DirectSound and CPU architectures have undergone
substantial changes since that benchmark was being actively developed. We've
switched over to
RightMark's
3DSound, which measures 2D DirectSound, DirectSound3D, and even
DirectSound3D plus some EAX effects on any number of audio streams. We use
32 streams--an extreme test case to stress the sound card's
DirectSound/DirectSound3D driver stack.
RightMark Audio Analyzer 5.4:
Measures audio signal quality, and measurements include frequency response,
noise, dynamic range, intermodulation distortion, THD+N, and stereo
crosstalk
Sound Forge noise-floor tests:
We removed all connections from the sound device, both inbound (signal
generator, other audio devices) and outbound (speakers) to get a reading of
the card's noise floor. We then recorded 10 seconds of silence, and then
brought up Sound Forge's Statistics window to read the RMS Power Value,
which is the average signal energy value present throughout the 10-second
recording. This test measures "what's there when nothing's there," or the
noise the device itself generates when sitting still. We take measurements
both at 44KHz/16-bit and 96KHz/24-bit resolutions.
Close Listening Tests:
We use a set of Shure e5c in-ear earphones for very close inspection tests.
We're listening for audible noise that can take several forms:
list of 4 items nesting level 1
Hash: sounds like tape-hiss.
Blitter noise:
audible noise that occurs when windows are moved around using the mouse.
Sometimes noise from the 3D card's 2D blitter can leak into audio circuitry.
Circuit noise:
general persistent buzzing that sometimes occurs in poorly laid-out sound
cards.
Zipper noise: occurs when mixer faders are moved up and down.
list end nesting level 1
list end
For our testing, we used an ASUS notebook equipped as follows:
list of 6 items
1.6GHz Pentium-M CPU
512MB of system memory
Intel 855 chipset
ATI Mobility Radeon 9600
SigmaTel AC97 codec
Windows XP SP2 with DirectX 9.0c
list end
RightMark Test Results
table with 3 columns and 13 rows
Resolution:
96KHz/24-bit
44.1KHz/16-bit
Noise level, dB (A):
-96.7
-92.5
Dynamic range, dB (A):
96.4
92.3
THD, %:
0.0020
0.0029
IMD, %:
0.0062
0.0078
Stereo crosstalk, dB:
-88.2
-88.3
IMD at 10 kHz, %:
0.0074
3.446
table end
We had hoped to compare the ZSN with the ASUS laptop's baseline audio
solution, but the laptop's only input is a mic-level input, so we were
unable to gather a set of data using RightMark Audio Analyzer (RMAA).
All told, the ZSN turns in very solid numbers here, with the exception of
the IMD number at 44KHz/16-bit. When we saw that number, and then measured
the IMD at 96KHZ/24-bit, we went back and re-ran the 44KHz/16-bit test
several more times using different gain structures on the mixer, but the
results never varied more than a tenth of a percentage point or so. The
96KHz/24-bit IMD number is very good, although the IMD at 44KHz/16-bit is
definitely in need of improvement.
Granted the 96KHz/24-bit numbers aren't up around the 104dB stated
signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio; that figure likely comes from testing only the
output using an Audio Precision measurement system. Our methodology uses a
loop-back approach, where we're testing the input and output simultaneously.
The upside of this strategy is that you get an idea how the whole system
performs in a single set of numbers; the downside is that when a problem
arises, it's impossible to know whether the input or output is at fault.
RightMark 3DSound
This test gauges CPU usage by running first with no load on the CPU to
establish a baseline, and then you can designate how many streams you want
to have the driver play simultaneously. It first plays the sounds using
DirectSound, then DirectSound3D, and then finally using a combination of
DirectSound3D and EAX effects.
table with 5 columns and 5 rows
Baseline
DirectSound
DirectSound3D
DirectSound3D + EAX
Baseline SigmaTel
1.4
3.4
DNR*
DNR*
Creative Audigy 2 Laptop
2.6
5.9
10.3
10
table end
32 voices at 44KHz/16-bit
*DNR = Did Not Run - no DirectSound3D hardware buffers available from
driver.
Testing with 32 voices puts a serious load on any piece of audio hardware,
and represents an extreme gaming situation where a lot would be going on.
But the goal is to present a worst-case scenario.
Running on DirectSound, the ZSN actually exhibits higher CPU usage than the
SigmaTel integrated audio solution. However, because the SigmaTel solution
doesn't have hardware buffers, it can't complete the DirectSound3D test. For
its part, the ZSN exhibits somewhat high CPU usage here, up around 10%. This
likely results from two factors--the PC Card I/O overhead, and the 1.6MHz
Pentium M (a 3+GHz Pentium 4 CPU would be better). Remember that this is a
pretty extreme test case, and you're still getting the whole enchilada in
terms of supported APIs.
Sound Forge Noise Floor and Close Listening Test Results
table with 2 columns and 5 rows
Resolution
Noise floor
44KHz/16-bit
-87.2dBFS
96KHz/24-bit
-96dBFS
table end
These are terrific numbers, very much on par with good desktop sound card
numbers, meaning you can run a line-level input into the ZSN, and make clean
recordings
Next we hooked up a pair of Shure e5c earphones to scrutinize the ZSN's
line-level and headphone outputs and see if its outputs are as clean as its
inputs. What we found is the line output was basically pristine. We turned
up mixer faders to full open, which is where some audio cards exhibit their
worst behavior, and even here, the ZSN's line output was clean and clear of
hash, or the three types of noise we listen for (blitter, circuit and
"zipper").
Next we turned our ears toward the more important headphone output, and
there the news was just about as good. There was no audible noise, but a
small amount of hash was discernible. When we dialed up the master fader
beyond -8dB, we heard an audible click, and the amount of audible hash
increased noticeably. To be fair, playing music with the master fader only
turned up to -8dB was still plenty loud, and once music was playing, the
output's hash faded well into the background.
Hands-on Time: Overall Usage Experience
The overall feel of the ZSN is almost identical to what you'd have with a
desktop Audigy 2 ZS. Depending on your point of view, that's either all the
convenience or all of the unneeded clutter that Creative is known for with
its sound cards and the multitudinous applets included with them.
Fortunately, during the installation, you have the option of installing only
the ZSN's drivers, and using the default Windows mixer. We opted to install
pretty much the whole shebang, which consisted of:
list of 15 items
Creative Audio Console
Creative Diagnostics
Creative Speaker Calibrator
Creative MediaSource DVD-Audio Player
Creative Speaker Settings
Creative Smart Recorder
Creative SoundFont Bank Manager
Creative THX Setup Console
Creative Surround Mixer
Creative Graphic Equalizer
Creative WaveStudio
EAX Console
Sound Blaster Performance Utilities
DTS Neo:6 Settings
Windows Drivers
list end
These apps are identical to those found on the desktop Audigy 2 ZS. Among
them, the star is the THX Setup Console:
If you have a 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 speaker rig in your home base, you can use
this applet to get your individual channel settings dialed in just right.
The only annoyance with this app is that it doesn't have a snapshot-saving
feature, and because there are up to 22 different settings, a state-save
feature is something Creative really needs to add here.
The mixer has dB-accurate faders, a feature added because the Creative crew
got tired of hearing me complain about it in review after review. That
feature has been present in Creative's mixer since the Audigy 2, and I'm
glad to have it. Now I have another request to make a good thing better--the
ability punch in a specific number for a fader setting (i.e. -3dB) and the
ability to nudge a fader using cursor arrow keys. This second feature is
found in Windows' default mixer, and comes in very handy when trying to get
gain structure settings dialed in just so.
One "feature" that absolutely needs to be yanked with impunity from
Creative's installer is the AOL litter that shows up in the Start menu, the
links bar of IE, and IE's Favorites menu. It would be aggravating enough if
Creative did this with its own web sites or something evenly remotely
audio-related. But this has been an ongoing deal between Creative and AOL
for several generations now, but it's time to put this bull out to pasture.
The ZSN also has the ability to help conserve laptop battery power by
disabling some features, but you have to manually switch between its two
modes. The main difference between them is that in High Performance mode,
EAX effects are hardware-accelerated, whereas the Standard Performance mode
runs EAX effects using host-based processing. Creative will hopefully add a
simple feature in the next iteration of the performance settings that lets
you define which mode to use when, or just have the mode key off which power
mode the system is in (battery or AC power).
We also fired up Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault and went for a tear through
its demo level, and the ZSN didn't disappoint. All of the game's audio
elements-sound effects, soundtrack music, dialogue-were solidly rendered,
and running with medium graphics settings at 800x600, frame rate remained
smooth, and never chunked.
Finally, we slipped a DVD-Audio disc, REM's Reveal
, into our test laptop. And while the execution wasn't quite perfect,
Creative's MediaSource app came up and began playing the DVD-Audio. Windows
initally prompted us to play the disc as a DVD-Video disc in Windows Media
Player, and didn't offer the option of playing the disc using MediaSource.
So apparently Creative's app hadn't registered itself to play DVD-Audio
discs. But it may be a limitation of Windows not recognizing DVD-Audio as a
different media type from DVD-Video. Because on the one hand, Windows didn't
really knopw how to "handle" the DVD-Audio disc playback, but MediaSource
did nonetheless kick in and begin playing the disc. Once MediaSource took
over the operation, the playoff also went off without a hitch.
Final Thoughts/What to Buy
Creative's Sound Blaster line offers the most feature-complete sound cards
in the business, and the Audigy 2 ZS Notebook is a logical progression for
the Audigy 2 family. It brings the entire feature set to laptop gamers and
audio enthusiasts, and from our testing, it's a solid implementation that
will spruce up any laptop audio sub-system. It also brings EAX 4.0, DTS,
Dolby Digital, THX, and DVD-Audio to the laptop market--something no other
mobile audio solution has done. At $129, the Audigy 2 ZS Notebook is pretty
easy on the wallet, too.
Some have wondered aloud whether solutions based on Intel's HD Audio
specification would eat Creative's core business-PCI sound cards-for lunch.
Given the spotty offerings we've seen to date, and HD Audio's continued
inability to render DVD-Audio at full resolution, it would seem that rumors
of Creative's demise may have been exaggerated. But bringing a full-featured
audio offering to the still-growing laptop market opens up a new market for
Creative, and puts mobile computing on more even footing with its desktop
counterpart. If you take your gaming on the run, then the Audigy 2 ZS
Notebook should be on your holiday wish list.
table with 2 columns and 12 rows
Product:
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook
Company:
www.soundblaster.com
Summary:
Creative's latest brings a full-featured audio solution to laptop gamers and
audio enthusiasts. About the only thing missing is the kitchen sink.
Pros:
Full feature set; clean signal quality; solid performance; full-resolution
DVD-Audio.
Cons:
No MIDI I/O; the AOL litter has got to go.
Price:
$129 MSRP
Rating:
ExtremeTech Approved
table end
Dave Salvator
dave_salvator@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dave came to have his insatiable tech jones by way of music-and because his
parents wouldn't let him run away to join the circus. After a brief and
ill-fated career in professional wrestling, Dave now covers audio, HDTV, and
3D graphics technologies at ExtremeTech. Dave came to ExtremeTech as its
first hire from Computer Gaming World, where he was Technical Director and
Lead (okay, the only) Saxophonist for five years. While there, he and Loyd
Case pioneered the area of testing 3D graphics using PC games. This
culminated in 3D GameGauge, a suite of OpenGL and Direct3D game demo loops
that CGW and other Ziff-Davis publications, such as PC Magazine, still use.
Dave has also helped guide Ziff-Davis benchmark development over the years,
particularly on 3D WinBench and Audio WinBench. Before coming to CGW, Dave
worked at ZD Labs for three years (now eTesting Labs) as a project leader,
testing a wide variety of products, ranging from sound cards to servers and
everything in between. He also developed both subjective and objective
multimedia test methodologies, focusing on audio and digital video. Before
all that he toured with a blues band for two years; notable gigs included
opening for Mitch Ryder and appearing at the Detroit Blues Festival.
Other related posts:
