X-Fi proper gaming settings???

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Sipster

Gawd
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Mar 19, 2004
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661
In Creative Audio Console are several settings and I want to optimize it best for gaming.

Mode is Gaming and Speakers are set to 5.1

EAX Effects should be enabled I'm guessing.

X-Fi CMSS 3D - Yes or No and if yes, which setting? Stereo Expand or Surround?

X-Fi Crystalizer - Yes or No?

Thanks in advance!
 
Yes EAX should be on.
CMSS 3D isnt used when 5.1 sound is present.
I set it so music plays out of all speakers using Stereo Surround.
Adjust Crystalizer to suit your own taste.

You may need to read up on using Alchemy to accelerate EAX and OpenAL gaming effects.
 
I disable Crystalizer and CMSS3D. I leave the EAX Effects thing on but I'm not sure if that's for games or the microphone; I always thought it was for the mic but wasn't sure so I left it on.

Also, either Crystalizer or CMSS3D was enabled when I was playing Team Fortress 2 and it was annoying. It must have been CMSS3D because it was making unnecessary racket; when I disabled it the game sounded fine. Maybe it automatically disables on EAX games but since the Source engine doesn't use EAX (uses its own effects) then I guess CMSS3D stays on and collides with the Source sound engine.

Also, I don't think Crystalizer really does anything anyway. It sounds like they add some extra treble, basically another level of equalizer, on top of your current settings. If it actually does some type of processing to intelligently improve audio quality then I'll be extremely surprised.
 
djoye said:
I disable Crystalizer and CMSS3D. I leave the EAX Effects thing on but I'm not sure if that's for games or the microphone; I always thought it was for the mic but wasn't sure so I left it on.

Also, either Crystalizer or CMSS3D was enabled when I was playing Team Fortress 2 and it was annoying. It must have been CMSS3D because it was making unnecessary racket; when I disabled it the game sounded fine. Maybe it automatically disables on EAX games but since the Source engine doesn't use EAX (uses its own effects) then I guess CMSS3D stays on and collides with the Source sound engine.

Also, I don't think Crystalizer really does anything anyway. It sounds like they add some extra treble, basically another level of equalizer, on top of your current settings. If it actually does some type of processing to intelligently improve audio quality then I'll be extremely surprised.
Click to expand...


The Crystalizer to me just seems like a loudness button, that's all. But I'll try it for a while. I also noticed that you have an X-Fi Titanium. Any difference compared to the regular X-Fi besided the interface???
 
I only use 2 channel but some games have screwed up audio if you don't have CMSS3D on. For music I switch to audio creation mode which turns off all that stuff automatically anyway.
 
Volucris said:
I keep it on Audio Creation mode. Crystalizer and CMSS 3D suck.
Click to expand...

Nice way to ruin your gaming sound.
EAX (which is NOT part of CMSS) gets nootered i Audio Creation mode, not only do you kiss goodbye to EAX 5.0 but you also kiss good bye to 128 simultanious hardware accelerated sounds...so why do you have an X-Fi, if not for gaming? :confused:
 
Sipster said:
The Crystalizer to me just seems like a loudness button, that's all. But I'll try it for a while. I also noticed that you have an X-Fi Titanium. Any difference compared to the regular X-Fi besided the interface???
Click to expand...
I think the Ti just has a fancy metal cover on the card, a light, and 64MB RAM on it.

I read about the Crystalizer on some wikipedia page and what they said sounded exactly like a 'loudness' function. It boosts frequencies in the lower and upper ranges and adds +3db to the volume so I think it's just a "dumb" technology; it doesn't really DO anything to actually make the sound better that you couldn't do with the equalizer, heh.
 
Actually i tried the Crystalizer on a 128kbps coded mp3 and it sounds better with the Crystalizer activated. The disadvantage is that mp3s over 192kbps sound worse with Crystalizer on.
 
Of course, the shield isnt just for show, it acts as EMI shielding. But after having products with Fatal1ty and Champion in their name its seems pretty obvious that people start looking at their new products with a little bit of reticence.
 
For gaming, I run it with
EAX On
CMS3D on headphone mode only
Crystilzer OFF
EQ OFF


It completely kicks ass compared to any other sound card in BF2 and 2142. Other games... eh, not so sure about.
 
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