X-bit labs

Asustek Computer Claims that Its Audio Cards Do Support Latest Environmental Audio Extensions.

Category: Multimedia

by Anton Shilov

[ 03/27/2008 | 01:56 PM ]

Asustek Computer, a leading maker of computer hardware and notebooks, admitted in a statement on Thursday that accusations of Creative Technology regarding software-based support of video game audio technologies by its audio cards are correct. Nevertheless, Asus defended its Xonar-series of audio cards and said that its software techniques are completely legitimate and provide high-quality user experience.

“Our implementation is not a 1:1 reproduction of EAX 5.0,” an Asustek Computer spokesperson admitted.

Asustek Computer recently unveiled its new Xonar DX PCI Express 7.1 discrete audio card claiming that its new device supports Creative Technology’s Environmental Audio Extensions (EAX) 5.0 and allow gamers to enjoy higher quality audio in games. But Creative Technology claimed that Asus audio cards do not support EAX 5.0 at all and can only emulate it using software, thus, providing lower quality user experience or even not providing true experience at all. However, Asustek disagrees.

According to the large Taiwan-based maker of computer hardware, Asustek’s DS3D GX 2.0 technology allows users the choice to universally access gaming audio effects that would otherwise be locked behind specific X-Fi cards and ALchemy-patched game title.

“While we do respect the capability of a dedicated DSP processor to offload the CPU work, we believe performance differences will continue to diminish based on the power of today’s popular CPUs. We also expect more game developers to adopt software DSP effects for their flexibility and universally guaranteed user experiences. That being said, Asus will continue responding to customer requests with products that unite the best in consumer audio with the most innovative features,” the spokesperson of Asustek said.

The situation with EAX as well as hardware-accelerated audio support under Microsoft Windows Vista is rather complicated. The operating system does not allow using hardware-accelerated audio with the help of DirectSound/Direct3D, however, hardware acceleration of audio processing may be exposed either through OpenAL application programming interface or through Creative Technology’s ALChemy driver.

Asustek also described the way that Asus Xonar supports EAX technologies developed by Creative Labs. According to Asus, the solution involves:

• Enabling EAX 5.0 sound setting in game.
• Redirecting DirectSound3D.
• Hardware and EAX calls to the DS3D GX core.
• Upgrading the DS3D GX engine.

Asus DS3D GX engine features the following, according to the manufacturer:

• Revives multi-channel (128 voice) 3D positional sounds and enhanced environmental reverberation effects on Vista for most DirectSound 3D HW compatible games including EAX 2.0/5.0 game titles.
• Installs automatically with driver updates. DS3D GX aims to be more convenient and intuitive than Creative’s ALchemy solution, which requires users to manually setup and assign games into the support list. Moreover, ASUS does not charge its users for driver upgrades.
• Retains vivid 3D sound and EAX effects for Vista users in most existing titles that do not support OpenAL.
• Allows users to reproduce comparable 3D positional sounds and EAX effects to native EAX 5.0 sound devices in EAX 5.0 game titles, instead of reverting to stereo, 2D, or Windows-emulated 3D sounds.
• Features VocalFX voice processing technology, which can apply realistic reverberations to users’ voices relevant to the dynamic in-game landscapes (VoiceEX), emulates background scenes as you use online chat (ChatEX), and modifies vocal pitches to disguise a user’s identity (Magic Voice).