Creative sound blaster: history, models, development and more

Creative Sound Blaster is a very successful range of sound cards. We tell you all its history, models and its evolution within.

Within the world of computer sound, Creative has a very important place with companies like Logitech. The first has been present since the first steps of personal computers, providing features whose sole purpose was to offer the user a more complete experience. Below, we will tell you what Creative Sound Blaster is, what its history is, as well as the models and development that have taken place in recent years.

Let's get started!

Before the release of a successful product, there is always a precedent. This we found with the birth of Creative Technology on July 1, 1981 by Sim Wong Hoo and Ng Kai Wa, two colleagues from a polytechnic institute in Singapore.

Index of contents

1981, the beginnings

Initially, it was just a computer-fixing store in Chinatown, but later it would show its ambition with the development of a memory card for Apple II. The Chinese had the problem that the PCs of that time did not incorporate their language, which they wanted to solve Sim and Ng with the Cubic CT: an IBM compatible PC that was adapted to the Chinese language.

The CubicCT incorporated a graphic color enhancement and an integrated audio card that provided tones and dialog. Until then, computers only had beeps, which Creative changed.

1987, the Creative Music System

Sim and Ng saw a common problem: lack of audio development on personal computers. Back then, computers were professional tools, so IBM did not put much effort into improving that feature, but in other aspects such as speed or visual appearance.

In this way, Creative developed the Creative Music System in August 1987. But they weren't the only ones, a Canadian company called AdLib was also competing in the development of computer audio, which worked with ISA, a company that supplied expansions to IBM.

Returning to the subject, this “ C / MS ” equipped two Philips SAA1099 circuits that provided 12 channels of stereo sound, like another 4 that would be used for noise or operations. This sound card gave the computer voice, like a sound quality quite far from what we have today.

However, it was a step forward in PC sound development, an unprecedented change. A year later, the same C / MS would change its name to be called Game Blaster, a name with more commercial hook.

1989 Sound Blaster 1.0 8-bit Mono

The first Creative Sound Blaster would arrive in 1989 and would equip an 11-voice FM synthesizer using the Yamaha YM3812 chip, a chip previously used by AdLib, the leading sound card. Creative introduced it at COMDEX using Windows 3.0 and an Intel 386.

Creative decided to use the acronym DSP ( Digital Sound Processor ) to describe a controller derived from the Itel MCS-51. This sound card could reproduce sampled sounds at a frequency of 23 kHz and record 8-bit.

One of the keys to his success was that the manufacture of these cards did not have a high cost, but not only that: he managed to close agreements with video game companies to optimize their products for the Sound Blaster. In fact, it incorporated a gaming port that gamers of the time fell in love with because PCs did not incorporate them.

It was a best seller because it was very focused on video games and its acquisition price was low compared to its rivals. This year Creative billed $ 5.4 million at the time.

1990 Sound Blaster Pro 8-bit Stereo

This was one of the sound cards that would begin to provide spectacular sound for a past decade that would bring many technological advances to computers.

This Sound Blaster had a very good reception because in this same year Microsoft would release the MPC or Multimedia PC. The developers thought the Sound Blaster was a perfect product to finish off the MPC.

Although on the official website of Creative they call it that, many called it the Creative Sound Blaster 1.5. It managed to become the standard in PC audio, like providing two output channels, which means a brutal audio quality boost.

In 1991, Microsoft released Windows 3.1, as well as the Sound Blaster Pro drivers for its own operating system.

1992, Sound Blaster 16 16-bit Stereo and 100, 000 transistors

The Creative Sound Blaster 16 would be released in June 1992, which introduced some spectacular new features, such as the introduction of CD audio quality to computers. Hi-Fi levels were not yet reached, but it was an overwhelming quality for 1992.

On the other hand, its design allowed Creative to make a PCI version of its sound card. At first, there were problems regarding the sound drivers, since it was installed in a PCI slot. However, thanks to the drivers that Creative had for Windows, there was no problem.

It should be noted that the MPU-401 (a MIDI processing unit) was UART compatible. In addition, it incorporated a connector for the Wave Blaster.

We were entering a period in which Creative bills from 40 million per year to 1, 000 million after the launch of Sound Blaster 16!

1994 Sound Blaster AWE32

This sound card was supported by a wave table synthesis technology that provided a digital audio Workstation aimed at the professional sector. Creative had focused on improving the sound quality provided by the sound card each year. The Sound Blaster AWE32 was released in March 1994.

The Creative Sound Blaster used the new synthesizer that was based on the E-MU 8000 APU, which translates to MIDI music for the PC and nearly 500, 000 transistors. The card was divided into 2:

• Digital audio: audio codec, Yamaha OPL3 and an optional CSP / ASP chip. E-MU MIDI synthesizer: EMU8000, EMU8011 with 1MB ROM and 512 Kb of RAM.

The AWE32 provided audio quality in the 80 decibel range, bringing it closer to the Hi-Fi world.

1996, AWE64

And Hi-FI came to computers!

Specifically, it would arrive in November 1996, a sound card that laid the first foundations of Hi-Fi on a computer. Its size was smaller than its predecessor and it came in two versions:

• One with 4Mb of RAM and an S / PDIF output. It didn't have that green color that the cards had, it was golden or orange. Its name would be Gold Another with 512kb which was the standard. Later it would be called Value .

Initially, it had very similar characteristics to the AWE32, but there were things improved.

• Better compatibility Better signal-to-noise ratio: more than 90 dB.

1998, Sound Blaster Live!

Two years later, just in August 1998, we had an audio card that changed the gaming experience and that was called Sound Blaster Live! Here we start to see the DSP with a sampling rate of 8 kHZ and the famous AC'97.

Creative brought this model to market to compete head-to-head with the Aureal AU8820 Vortex 3D. The context of computers was marked by the emergence of 3dfx Interactive and Nvidia a brand of graphics cards that had revolutionized 3D graphics.

SB Live! It carried 2 million transistors, had a new chip called EMU10K1, and had unprecedented audio processing power, capable of processing 1, 000 MIPS. This chip, and the following ones, would not have ROM or RAM storage, but instead connected to the PCI interface to directly access the system data.

It is necessary to emphasize its EAX ( Environmental Audio eXtensions ), a hardware that allowed to accelerate the acoustic effects. It incorporated 4 ports that would have a very large role in the future.

The best-selling version would be its "Gold" version. However, the reign of this card would extend to the 21st century with its version 5.1.

Finally, to say that in 1999 Creative had already sold 100 million Creative Sound Blaster, which made it clear who was in charge of sound cards.

2000, Live! 5.1

This sound card was an evolution of the Live! normal whose novelty was that it provided full DVD 5.1 surround sound. Now, we had two additional outputs: a center channel and an LFE output for the subwoofer.

So, no one imagined that computers could become a personal cinema, in which a CRT monitor at 1024 x 768 pixels and a 5.1 equipment provided the essential ingredients to watch movies or play a video game and be truly afraid.

All in all, this card was a historic breakthrough in the history of computer sound, but this had only just begun.

2001, Sound Blaster Audigy 24-bit

This is the world's first 24-bit sound card, which came out in August 2001. He was not a member of the Live! because it equipped an EMU10k2 processor. Creative got fully into their EAX and improved it, bringing out a native EAX 3.0 Advanced HD that supported 5.1 output.

It was advertised as a 24-bit card, although the EMU10K2 was modified to 16-bit and all audio had to be resampled to 48 kHz.

2002, Audigy 2 6.1

Why not add one more channel?

This time, Creative was innovating again in September 2002 with an updated processor (EMU10K2.5) and an improved DMA that could deliver real 24-bit. 6.1 was just the beginning of what would become a standard later: 7.1.

This card could play 192 kHz in stereo and 96 kHz in 6.1. This means that we could connect 6.1 equipment to our computer thanks to the Audigy 2. Logically, it would be the first sound card to obtain THX certification. Having a home theater was already possible.

2003 Audigy 2 ZS 7.1

The consistent evolution was 7.1 surround. Now it's the most common thing in the world, but at that time having 7.1 surround was crazy. The Audigy 2 ZS brought the latest version of EAX ADVANCED HD, which meant more realism in the sound of video games.

It used the Cirrus Logic CS4382 DAC, which translated to an SNR output of 1 08 dB. If someone wanted to enjoy playing computer, it was done with a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS.

2005 Sound Blaster X-Fi

In August 2005, Creative would release a sound card called X-Fi ( Extreme Fidelity ). At this time, the world of e-sports began to move, which would add fuel to the gamer world. So, there was the Pentium 4 on the market.

The X-Fi incorporated a new 130 nanometer chip called EMU20K1 that was capable of working at 400 MHz and that would contain 51 million transistors. Do you remember when it was new to incorporate 500, 000 transistors in the AWE32?

It managed to perform up to 10 billion instructions per second, being 24 times higher than the Audigy's performance. Not only was it a component that would go to many homes, but many studios started incorporating X-Fi.

Playing video games was a much more real experience thanks to the sound that X-Fi provided. In fact, I was able to get you into the game and be the character. As would be its impact on them, that while Fatal1ty dominated Quake's servers, Creative would collaborate with him to bring out his next range of sound cards.

2010 X-Fi Titanium HD

We are facing one of the best sound cards in history. This is the second generation of the XFi and was compatible with PCI Express slots. Its DAC was worthy of audiophiles and its components could supply 122dB of SNR, a power that was not available to many. We could choose 3 modes: Gaming, Entertainment and Creation.

It incorporated the latest version EAX 5.0, which was compatible with 128 voices in 3D, being able to reproduce an endless number of effects.

It was the first sound card to equip THX TruStudio PC, although THX TruStudio Pro would be installed later. THX certifications began to appear in Audigy 2 6.1, which would not stop in future Creative models.

2011, Recon3D

In September 2011, the X-Fi series would not come to the fore again due to the entry of Recon3D. Of course, I would not abandon EAX 5.0, since it worked very well with video games of this decade.

Creative introduced 4 sound cards that would mark a decade of sound in computers: the Recon3D PCIe, the Recon3D Fatal1ty Professional and the Fatal1ty Champion.

In this model we would find a Core3D processor that would take care of the different audio processing. It incorporated technologies such as CrystalVoice, which added echo, reduced noise, automatically adjusted the microphone, could apply voice effects or equalize the card.

In addition, it had the THX TruStudio Pro certification, which brought an improvement to the world of PC cinema. We had this characteristic in the most basic model. The Fatal1ty Professional was a windowed casing sound card that carried a 6-channel DAC, 120dB SNR, microphone amplification, and S / PDIF input and output port.

However, we saw the Recond3D USB, which was the protagonist in the presentation. This was so because it had Dolby Digital Decoding, microphone amplification, headphone connections, microphone and S / PDIF inputs and outputs. The idea was that it could be connected to Xbox 360 or PS3, in addition to PC.

2012 Z-Series

August 2012 would come and Creative would hit the table again with a series that is sold today, after many years. It would continue to use the same processor as the Recon3D series, but its design was much more gamer , since it was a focused product for that sector.

It had 5 ports:

• Microphone or line Amplified headphones Three outputs for 5.1 equipment Optical input and optical output

Creative would use a Cirrus Logic brand chip again, specifically the CSS4398. This provided 192 kHz at 24- bit in stereo and 96 kHz at 5.1. In addition, it was a card that brought red LED lighting, lighting the passenger compartment of the box.

2015-2017, BlasterX AE-5

We finish with the latest Creative Sound Blaster series that exists so far: the BlasterX AE-5. They were announced at Gamescom 2015 and not only were they audio cards, but the brand featured speakers, headphones, mice and keyboards. Creative begins to spread to the peripheral world.

According to Creative, this card would be the best headphone amp on PC. It is worth noting the new DAC: ESS Saber, capable of providing 122 dB and 384 kHz at 32 bit, with a 600 ohm amplifier. The Singaporean company continues to emphasize professional sound. The Core3D processor would continue to be used.

With Xamp, we can amplify each audio channel autonomously. In addition, we see WIMA condensers whose purpose is to reduce interference and audio noise. Thanks to its DSP, we take advantage of configurations and improvements in audio, either 7.1, 5.1 or any microphone improvement.

Finally, it comes illuminated in RGB and arrived on the market in June 2017. Later, the AE-7 and AE - 9 would come out.

So far the story of the famous brand Creative Sound Blaster, which was the main culprit in today's spectacular sound on our computers. Don't forget to share your impressions about the brand, as well as its entire history.