Creative Sound Blaster ZxR User manual

User’s Guide

SB1510

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of Creative's latest audio revolution, Sound Blaster ZxR! The Sound

Blaster ZxR is the flagship of the ultra high-performance Z-Series of Sound Blaster®PCI-Express sound

cards. Designed to deliver the ultimate audio playback and creation solution for the PC, Sound Blaster

ZxR personifies the ultimate gaming and entertainment performance for a sound card. It comes with

DBpro Daughter Board, an external Audio Control Module, and a high quality Beamforming Microphone.

This User Guide contains software installation and usage information for your audio cards.

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

lIntel®Core™2 Duo or AMD®processor equivalent (Core™2 2.0 GHz, AMD processor equivalent or

faster recommended)

lIntel, AMD or 100% compatible motherboard

lMicrosoft®Windows®8 32-bit or 64-bit; Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit

l1 GB RAM

l>600 MB of free hard disk space

lAvailable PCI Express slot* and an empty I/Oslot

lCD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive for software installation

lHigh quality headphones or powered amplified speakers (5.1 preferred)

Additional Requirements (where applicable)

DVD-Video

l6x or faster DVD drive

lDVD player software such as InterVideo®WinDVD®or CyberLink®PowerDVD®(latest version

recommended) installed.

l5.1 speakers for optimal listening experience

Notes

l*Some motherboards reserve the PCI Express x16 slots for video cards only. Use a x1 or x4 slot

instead. For more information, consult the documentation of your motherboard.

lOther applications may have higher system requirements. For more information, consult the

documentation of your application.

Introduction 1

More Help

For the latest news and products for Sound Blaster, visit www.soundblaster.com. The site also includes

information on making purchases, technical help, and the latest driver updates.

Using Creative Software AutoUpdate

Locating, downloading, and installing updates for your Creative products is now simpler and faster with

the web-based Creative Software AutoUpdate system.

When you connect to Creative Software AutoUpdate via theInternet, the web site will analyze your

computer system to determine what operating system (OS), language, and Creative products are

installed in your system.

After the online analysis, you will be able to select from a list of only the most relevant software and

driver updates. The files will then be retrieved and installed on your system for you.

To learn more about Creative Software AutoUpdate, visit www.soundblaster.com/support.

Notes

lFirst-time users of Creative Software AutoUpdate may be prompted to authorize the download of a

browser component required for system inspection. Ensure that the content is signed by Creative

Labs, Inc., then click the Yes button.

lEnsure that all your Creative products are connected and installed on the same computer running

Creative Software AutoUpdate.

Introduction 2

About Your Hardware

For instructions on installing your Sound Blaster ZxR, consult the Quick Start leaflet.

To learn more about your product, consult the following sections:

lYour Sound Blaster ZxR Audio cards

lAudio Control Module

Notes

Actual products may differ slightly from those shown in this chapter.

Your Sound Blaster ZxR Audio cards

Your Sound Blaster ZxR audio cards have the jacks and connectors below to enable the attachment of a

wide variety of devices.

SB1510 Main Board

Jack or Connector Description

1. 6.3mm Microphone In

jack

Connects to microphones with a 6.3mm (1/4-inch)

plug.

2. 6.3mm Headphone jack Connects to stereo headphones with a 6.3mm (1/4-

inch) plug.

3. RCA Line Out 1 jack

(Front L)

Connects to the Front Left inputs on powered

analog speakers or an A/V receiver.

4. RCA Line Out 2 jack

(Front R)

Connects to the Front Right inputs on powered

analog speakers or an A/V receiver.

5. 3.5mm Line Out 1 jack

(Rear L/R)

Connects to the Rear Left and Rear Right inputs on

powered analog speakers or an A/V receiver.

6. 3.5mm Line Out 2 jack

(Center/Subwoofer)

Connects to the Centre and Subwoofer inputs on

powered analog speakers or an A/V receiver.

7. DBpro daughter board

connector

Connects to the DBpro daughter board.

About Your Hardware 3

DBpro Daughter Board

DBpro offers optical output for amazing audio playback; and professional grade 123dB analog-to-digital

converters (ADCs) with RCA Aux-in and optical input for studio-grade recording quality.

Jack or Connector Description

1. RCA Aux-In 1 jack

(L)

Connects to the Left output line-level sources (for

example, MP3 players) with an RCA plug.

2. RCA Aux-In 2 jack

(R)

Connects to the Right output line-level sources (for

example, MP3 players) with an RCA plug.

3. Optical S/PDIF Out jack Connects to recording devices with optical

connectors (for example, Digital Audio Tape

recorders, MiniDisc recorders or external hard disk

recorders).

4. Optical S/PDIF In jack Connects to playback devices with optical

connectors (for example, Digital Audio Tape players,

MiniDisc players or DVD players).

5. Main board connector Connects to the Main Board.

About Your Hardware 4

Audio Control Module

An external ACM(Audio Control Module) provides a built-in beamforming microphone and

microphone/headphone I/Oconnections.

Jack, Connector or Component Description

1. Volume Control Knob Controls the playback volume of the

sound cards.

2. Beamforming Microphone Built-in Sound Blaster Beamforming

Microphone

3. 6.3mm Microphone In jack Connects to microphones with a 6.3mm

plug.

4. 6.3mm Headphone jack Connects to stereo headphones or head-

sets with a 6.3mm plug.

5. 3.5mm Microphone In jack Connects to microphones with a 3.5mm

(1/8-inch) plug.

6. 3.5mm Headphone jack Connects to stereo headphones or head-

sets with a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) plug.

Note:

The 6.3mm Microphone In jack takes priority over the 3.5mm Microphone In jack.

When connected to the Sound Blaster ZxR, the built-in beamforming microphone features CrystalVoice

technologies which is designed to deliver crystal clear vocal fidelity in multiplayer games, online chats

and video conferencing. It also enhances voice communications for popular VoIP solutions. Voice effects

can be controlled using bundled software, ie. Sound Blaster Z-Series Control Panel.

The options of 3.5mm and 6.3mm Microphone and Headphone jacks let you have choices of your own on

which headset or microphone to be used for recording, and audiophile grade connection through the

gold-plated jacks on the ACM and Sound Blaster ZxR.

The Volume Control knob on the ACM controls the volume output to your headphones, giving you quick

control over the audio level from your games or music.

About Your Hardware 5

Note:

The ACM Volume Control Knob allows you to adjust headphone levels conveniently based on the

maximum level set by your computer's master volume control. We recommend that you determine

the desired maximum volume on your computer before using the ACM.

About Your Hardware 6

Connecting Speakers and Headphones

The connectors and associated components shown here may be different from that of your speaker

system. Consult the documentation of your speaker system to identify similar input connectors. You can

upmix your stereo sources (for example, CDAudio, MP3, WMA, MIDI and Wave) to enjoy multi-channel

sound on your speakers or headphones.

To learn how to connect different types of speaker systems to your audio cards, consult the following

sections:

lConnecting Analog Speaker Systems

lConnecting Digital Speaker Systems

lConnecting Home Theater Systems

lConnecting Headphones and Headsets

lConnecting Audio Control Module

For tips on how to arrange your speakers, consult Positioning Your Speakers.

For a list of supported Creative speaker systems or interactive help on speaker connectivity, visit

www.soundblaster.com.

Note

lActual products may differ slightly from those shown in this chapter.

lSelect the correct speaker setup or headphone option in the Sound Blaster Z-Series Control Panel to

get the best experience. For more information, refer to their respective Online Help.

lThe cables shown in this chapter may be bundled with your peripheral or are available separately

from www.creative.com.

lFor more information on the Creative peripherals mentioned in this chapter, visit

www.creative.com.

Connecting Speakers and Headphones 7

Positioning Your Speakers

Good speaker placement is crucial to getting optimal performance from your audio system and

achieving an enhanced listening experience. Below are our recommendation for 5.1 channel speakers.

For detailed speaker placement tips, consult the documentation of your speaker system.

For 5.1 channel speakers:

2 4

Speaker Component

1. Subwoofer

2. Front left

3. Front Center

4. Front Right

5. Rear Right

6. Rear Left

Connecting Speakers and Headphones 8

Connecting Analog Speaker Systems

Your audio cards support analog speaker systems of up to 5.1 channels. To learn more about connecting

different channel speaker systems, consult the following sections:

l2.1 channel analog speakers

l5.1 channel analog speakers

2.1 channel analog speakers

audio

inputs

speakers

audio

inputs

Jack, Connector or Cable

1. RCA Line Out 1 jack (Front L)

2. RCA Line Out 2 jack (Front R)

3. Y-Splitter cable (available separately)

4. 2 channel audio cable (available separately)

5. Audio Input jack

Connecting Speakers and Headphones 9

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