Questions regarding X-FI Sound Blaster

[Ree]

I have a couple of questions regarding a PCI Express X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro sound card running on Win XP Pro SP3 x86:

1. What additional features does Creative Console Launcher have compared to the creative audio control panel that is installed with the driver automatically? It seems that the panel has all the main settings available. Why would anyone want to use the "console launcher" (funny name for such an app) instead?
2. In the Windows audio control panel under the MIDI device, I have two X-Fi synth options to choose from: SB X-Fi Synth A and SB X-Fi Synth B. Is there a difference whether A or B is selected?

 

[Sycraft]

1) Just provides a nice easy interface for dealing with soundcard settings in the current mode. I use it.

2) The X-Fi can accept 32 total MIDI channels. However MIDI is, by definition, 16 channels per connection. As such they split it in to two connections. Which one you use doesn't matter.

 

[Ree]

Thanks for answering.

1) Just provides a nice easy interface for dealing with soundcard settings in the current mode. I use it.

But besides the nicer GUI, there's no extra functionality, right?

 

[Sycraft]

Not sure, I haven't looked carefully to see if there's any difference between the console launcher and the control panel. I mean one thing I know it does have is control over volume levels and EQ. You can probably control that through Windows but I know the X-Fi control panel can't.

However it isn't as though it is large, and it only runs when invoked, so there's little reason not to install it.