Weird problems with SB Live!

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Hey. I know some of you might think that I'd be better off asking these questions on the Creative website, but the truth is that their customer support SUCKS... (long story!)
Anyway, I have noticed three problems with my SBLive soundcard (the first being the one that worries me most):

1- A couple of days ago everything my soundcard plays has reverb. I don't know what may be the cause of it. I can't get rid of it, because I can't find any settings that might turn it off. It's really annoying - sounds like I'm listening to 80s music all the time! (well, not THAT much reverb, but you get the idea) Does anyone have any clue of what might be happening?

2- Sometimes when listening to music I hear a little distortion. This specially happens with more modern music recordings. I have tried everything: hardware settings, volume, equalization, all to no avail.

3- I've tried to install a couple of patches and updates from the Creative site but everytime I try to install them it says that no SBLive soundcard could be found! (???)

I would appreciate any information. Thank you.

These are my settings:

Creative EMU10K1 Audio Processor (WDM)
Port 0x0000EEA0-0x0000EEBF
IRQ IRQ 18
Driver ctaud2k.sys (5.12.01.0290-1.42.0070)
 
delete the drivers and reinstall the card and drivers...see if that helps...if not...i think it might be going bad
 
Try this...

Navigate to.... Start/All Programs/Creative/Sound Blaster Live ... Launch the Creative Surround Mixer ... Show the Advanced Mode. Click the EAX tab near the top. There you should see buttons for Environments, Advanced EQ, Special Effects and Custom. Select each button one at a time, for each button you select ... look to the right and make sure to click "[No Effects]" ... I think you will find that there in lies your problem. If not ... distortedrumble may be correct in speculating that you card may be failing, or it could be that what ever player you are using ... Winamp, Media Player, etc... has some DSP (digital signal processing) effects installed and enabled. If EAX isn't at fault ... run through the preferences of whatever Media player you use, before condemning the card, and look for DSP plugins. Might be a setting there somewhere.
Hope this helps.

-Ken

P.S. If you have XP ... go here for the uni-drive patch... Creative
 
Firstly, thank you both for replying.
I tried installing the Unipack driver but the same message as before appeared: "Setup could not detect any Soundblaster card on your system". I'm kind of a newbie regarding soundcards, models and the such, so I don't know which SB Live version is EMU10K1 (WDM) [I don't even know what those letters mean...]. I think it is the Platinum version, but I'm not sure. Anyway, maybe this version isn't compatible with the patch?
As for the Creative Surround Mixer, the window on the right of the EAX tab has always been blank. There are no effects listed and there isn't a No Effects option either, it's just plain blank.
The media player isn't at fault because the reverb affects EVERYTHING, even the sounds that Windows XP plays when I click on a link, stuff like that. And the only DSP plugin I have is a pitch modifier for Winamp. I downloaded it after the problem began, though, so it's not the source of it.
Do you think that it's the hardware failing then? The warranty hasn't yet expired, so do you recommend reinstalling the drivers or just changing the soundcard for a new one of the same model in the place where I bought it?
Thank you for your time.
 
First off, what are your system specs? What OS are you using?

If you're in XP, there is no need to even use the Creative drivers as the drivers that come with it work just fine.
 
Thats the same audio processor thats in the Live card I have in one of my systems, and that patch worked for me. Thats odd that you don't show any effects in EAX. I think I would return the card. Windows Update offers an updated audio driver, I didn't like it tho. You might try that before replacing the card.

-Ken
 
brzilian said:
First off, what are your system specs? What OS are you using?

If you're in XP, there is no need to even use the Creative drivers as the drivers that come with it work just fine.
Click to expand...

Specs:

Intel Pentium IV 2.6 HT
512 RAM / 80g HD
Motherboard Asus P4V800-X
Soundblaster Live! [Creative EMU10K1 Audio Processor (WDM)]
Videocard Asus GeForce FX 5200 128mb
OS: WinXP Professional

That's pretty much it.
 
crankz1 said:
Thats the same audio processor thats in the Live card I have in one of my systems, and that patch worked for me. Thats odd that you don't show any effects in EAX. I think I would return the card. Windows Update offers an updated audio driver, I didn't like it tho. You might try that before replacing the card.

-Ken
Click to expand...

Hmmm... the patch worked for you? That's weird. I don't know why it won't work with my processor then.
I didn't find any audio drivers in Windows Update, only an NVIDIA video driver update.
 
My bad .... yeah windows used to have an update driver ......

I'll be right back with more info for you to try. Hang out for a few.

-Ken
 
OK .... check it out, Go to the Device Manager Right click and Uninstall the Creative Live Series. Now shut down the computer. Open it up and physically remove the sound card and reinstall it to a different PCI slot. Restart the computer (don't close it up yet, leave the case open, cuz you may end up trying other slots). If after trying all slots, you still have the same problem .... I would replace the sound card.
Hopefully the first time you restart, Windows will detect the card and ask for drivers. At this point use the original driver CD that came with the card. If all goes well up to this point, you may or may not decide to update the LiveDrvUni-Pack (it should work ... yes it worked just fine for me). As far as the EAX effects ... I'm clueless as to why you don't show them. They should be there. Unless the card you have is some stripped down version that doesn't include all the bells and whistles.
If you don't have an original driver CD, you may be able to pull drivers off of the Windows CD, or go ahead and try the LiveDrvUni-Pack
Again, if this don't work ... I'd pull that card out and exchange it.

-Ken
 
crankz1 said:
OK .... check it out, Go to the Device Manager Right click and Uninstall the Creative Live Series. Now shut down the computer. Open it up and physically remove the sound card and reinstall it to a different PCI slot. Restart the computer (don't close it up yet, leave the case open, cuz you may end up trying other slots). If after trying all slots, you still have the same problem .... I would replace the sound card.
Hopefully the first time you restart, Windows will detect the card and ask for drivers. At this point use the original driver CD that came with the card. If all goes well up to this point, you may or may not decide to update the LiveDrvUni-Pack (it should work ... yes it worked just fine for me). As far as the EAX effects ... I'm clueless as to why you don't show them. They should be there. Unless the card you have is some stripped down version that doesn't include all the bells and whistles.
If you don't have an original driver CD, you may be able to pull drivers off of the Windows CD, or go ahead and try the LiveDrvUni-Pack
Again, if this don't work ... I'd pull that card out and exchange it.

-Ken
Click to expand...

Ok, I see what you're saying. The problem is that one of the clauses of the warranty states that I cannot open the machine until it expires. So I'll take it this Monday to the store and I'll ask them to do specifically what you said, and if that doesn't work then I have more than enough arguments for a product replacement. Thank you for your help, it's very much appreciated!
 
No prob. Bud, glad to be of some help, and Heck Yeah .... if that dude is still under warranty ... you payed good money for it, the company that sold it to you damned well better make it right. There should be no reason what so ever that, if in fact there is a Sound Blaster Live card in there (the company claims to have installed one), you shouldn't be able to update to the current Creative drivers. Quite possibly, they have installed some spin-off version of the true "Live" card, claiming it to be the "real deal". If such is the case, any respectable computer dealer/builder should hook you up with the real thing. Heck, you can get a Live card for like $30 US. Chump change if you ask me.
Seeing as how properties for the sound card show the EMU10K1 audio engine, to me that says it's a creative card. I suppose it's possible that the card is deciding to go south on ya. Hence a replacement should be in order.
Any rate ... good luck with it.

-Ken
 
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