3D sound and benchmarks
The Audigy, LS or 2 ZS or 4 Pro sound card’s interest is that it doesn’t include a simple chip with a software engine, but a real DSP which process all the work in hardware. This considerably reduces the central processor work and also provides very pleasing effects. The economical aspect of the Audigy 2 and 4 Pro is verified in practice by this benchmark. It shows a clear advance in this field.
Results observed in the Benchmarks are verified in practice with an obvious increase in performance for the Audigy 4 Pro that doesn’t however stand out compared to the Audigy 2 ZS. The positioning quality is still irreproachable.
It is important to remind you that all Audigy sound cards support the EAX for all versions, 3.0 and 4.0 included. As a comparison, here are the improvement of the last EAX version included in Thief and Hitman 2:
- Multi Environment: With the EAX 1.0 and 2.0, the environment effect is restricted to a determined geometrical area. From now on, each sound possesses its own effect. For instance, you can be in a room and hear the sound of a gun firing as affected by the size of the room, the walls and floor materials, whereas the sound of the gun firing coming from the room next door will be affected by the characteristics of that room (a corridor for example). The Audigy is therefore able to manage and mix 4 different environments.
- Environment Reflection: the Environment Reflection brings the same improvements as the WaveTracing and A3D 2.0. It means that the sounds don’t only come from the source but are also redirected by the environment. It is the primary reflection and reverberation control.
- Environment Morphing: it is one of the most significant improvements brought by the EAX 3.0, previously named Dynamic Morphing. With the EAX 2.0, each environment was assigned to a specific place in a game and there was no real difference between an open-air place and a cave for example. Thanks to the Dynamic morphing, environments can be combined in certain areas and one takes over the other when the character is getting deeper inside the cave.
- Environment Panning: it completes the Environment Morphing because it allows the possibility of adding an "apprehension" environment of the place coming up, like the tunnel you are about to enter.
- Environment Filtering: This name, with its graphic connotations, corresponds in fact to a technique allowing for the improvement of parameters to control tonal nuances for each environment.
