# Creative Surround Mixer



## binkobonko (Feb 3, 2009)

Hi, I'm starting out on REW and my Creative surround mixer wasn't firing up. I uninstalled it, before I realised how difficult it would be to find somewhere to download it again. Can anyone help? I've spent ages looking, and it doesn't seem to be had for love nor money..


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## binkobonko (Feb 3, 2009)

Anyone?? (This proves how hard it is to locate..)


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

binkobonko said:


> ...and it doesn't seem to be had for love nor money..


Apparently no "love nor money" here, either... 

I assume you've tried Creative's site? I was able to locate and download updated Windows 7 drivers for my older Creative card (MP3+ I think it is) from their site several months ago.

Regards,
Wayne


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

The drivers and associated software are on the Creative support site, here is the starting point for sound blaster soundcard-related downloads: http://support.creative.com/Products/product_list.aspx?catID=1&CatName=Sound+Blaster


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## binkobonko (Feb 3, 2009)

I tried the Creative site. I can download a driver there, and I've got the "console", but they don't list the surround mixer, and it doesn't come up from a search of their site either. Apparently I need this for setting levels and calibrating the soundcard.


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## EarlK (Jan 1, 2010)

> Creative Sound Mixer ( for the Audigy2 ZS ) ?





binkobonko said:


> 2) moving on to calibrate the soundcard, first problem to fix is my surround mixer doesn't fire up (cites problem loading mixer engine, tho mixer displays for a second then disappears). I uninstalled it, now having problems finding a download source. I've read it's important to have this running. I'm using an Audigy 2 ZS Notebook btw.
> 
> 
> binkobonko said:
> ...


> I'm also assuming that you're using Win7 or Vista . ( You might want to tell us at some point . ) :huh:
> Try the following ; ( click the first picture ) & then re-install both "applications" listed on that web page . 

  

> BTW ; REW won't output signal to those "surround channels" unless you're using an ASIO driver that can specifically route audio to those extra channels .

> REW ( when using WinDoze builtin WDM drivers ) will only send & receive signal from the cards stereo channels / making your search ( for your cards "Surround Mixer" ) rather pointless I suspect .










:sn:


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## binkobonko (Feb 3, 2009)

Well, my soundcard created this, but I think I need to check or uncheck a box somewhere, the Record Advanced Controls? But, because I don't have a playback mixer, I've no idea where it is. I've been sat here for the last hour downloading stuff, restarting my PC, and now it's time for bed. Still, I got a graph. That's progress..


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

That looks like a plot of an loopback internal to the OS or soundcard, which has an inversion (the inversion is why the phase is flipping between -180 and 180, which are actually the same point). Can ignore the phase trace, just uncheck the box for that trace. What is the name of the input device/input you have selected on the REW soundcard preferences?


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## binkobonko (Feb 3, 2009)

JohnM said:


> That looks like a plot of an loopback internal to the OS or soundcard, which has an inversion (the inversion is why the phase is flipping between -180 and 180, which are actually the same point). Can ignore the phase trace, just uncheck the box for that trace. What is the name of the input device/input you have selected on the REW soundcard preferences?


Yes, is that what my soundcard should look like? If I uncheck the Phase box, it's just a straight line. I left the REW soundcard preferences (input and output) as default, as the Audigy 2ZS comes up as default in Sounds and Controls; Sound Playback, Sound Recording and Voice Recording. Default for Voice Recording is Conexant HD Audio input. Do I need to change anything?

This is what I get if I press some other buttons on REW. Please excuse the vocab, I'm doing this quickly while my gf is waiting to watch a film...
 

It looks about right to me (I wish I understood more about this stuff - I'll get there!)


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

You will probably need to change the input selection, as it looks like the input is currently being fed directly from the output signal (via an internal looping of the digital data) and not from anything that you might connect to the card - unless you have used an optical cable to create a digital loopback.


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## binkobonko (Feb 3, 2009)

Um, I'm either being a real noob here and am not understanding something or maybe I haven't explained myself properly, but that is the graph from my soundcard calibration so it is the input being fed from the output, so I am creating a loopback (right?) via splitters and an RCA cable. I just wanted to know if I'd done it properly so I could move onto the next stage. 

And whether I changed the input selection actually made no difference to the result, but as you'll see, I didn't get a result like this:










taken from the help files - I just got a straight line with Hz on the y-axis, so I wondered if it was right..


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## EarlK (Jan 1, 2010)

To test out JohnM(s) conjecture, remove *all cabling hooked up to your computers soundcard* and run another soundcard calibration routine .

I know this sounds crazy / but / just do it and post the results .

:sn:


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## binkobonko (Feb 3, 2009)

If I do that, I get the "Very low signal on measured box", saying the highest level in the measured input is just -90.3 dB FS.


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

Perhaps the soundcard just has very, very flat response. May as well go ahead and try making a measurement.


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## binkobonko (Feb 3, 2009)

I will do that as soon as I get some time, and report back. Many thanks for everyone's help.


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