# Trouble calibrating SB audigy2zs in REW- need help



## pmandt (Apr 30, 2007)

I have the notebook style ( pcmcia) SB audigy 2 zs and every time I try to calibrate with a loopback cable, I get a message that clipping occurred. I read in the help files something about setting record advanced contols to "record without monitoring". I have been searching all the varius menus for the card and cannot find this feature. Can someone please help?:dontknow:
Peter


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

That card is a bit tricky to set up.

See this thread. It should help.

If you don't get anywhere with that, then post a picture of your mixer and we'll see if a problem can be seen from that. I suspect your mixer looks like this:









Also: Hopefully you're using a stereo cable from line-out 1 to line-in as your loop...

brucek


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## pmandt (Apr 30, 2007)

brucek said:


> That card is a bit tricky to set up.
> 
> See this thread. It should help.
> 
> ...


I do have a mixer that looks like the second one ; I still haven't found a turn off monitor feature. My soundcard calibration still has 12db swings. Here is my mixer


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> Here is my mixer


I need an actual picture of your mixer with its settings......... put the mixer on your desktop and take a jpeg of it and post it.

Then we'll see what the problem is.. 

brucek


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## pmandt (Apr 30, 2007)

OK, I'll try again. Here is a capture of my mixer as is.


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

I don't think you have it quite correct.

You need to have Analog Mix selected in the REC portion on the right (see the picture below for the correct settings). You have Line-in selected in REC, which is monitoring on..... Select Analog Mix.

You also need to ensure "Record Without Monitoring" is selected in the record Advanced Controls (accessed by clicking the red "+" symbol). 

You need the WAVE 'ON' and 'LINE-IN 'ON' and then you need Midi Synth, Cd, SPDIF, Mic deselected in the source section.

Also be sure all effects are off and you are in 2 channel.

Lots of people use this card successfully, so it's just a matter of the correct settings.











brucek


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

Also make sure you have selected the correct soundcard in the surround mixer using the drop-down box at the top - if you have an internal Audigy 2 as well as your PCMCIA Audigy 2 ZS you may be making adjustments on the wrong card, your screenshot shows an Audigy 2 being controlled.


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## pmandt (Apr 30, 2007)

Thanks for the replies; after reading your replies, I realized that in fact my mixer does say audigy 2, not zs, so I went to the creative support website and am downloading new drivers and software versions. I can't find any where to shut off record monitoring- there are no plus signs to click on and some of the menu choices like "analog mix" and there is no plus sign over the mixers volume control.
Also, in the soundcard calibration window of REW, I have selected audigy2 as input and output devices and line in and speaker as input and outputs- is that right, other than I might have been supplied the wrong driver type or may have old versions which I am now updating. My laptop has a realtek builtin sound device, so there aren''t 2 creative soundcards in the system.
Peter


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> I have selected audigy2 as input and output devices and line in and speaker as input and outputs- is that right


Yep.



> My laptop has a realtek builtin sound device


Have you disabled that internal card in bios?

brucek


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## pmandt (Apr 30, 2007)

I selected the SB card as the default sound device in the control panel's audio tab for playback, recording, and Midi.
I didn't deselect the realtek in the bios, because the audigy is a pmcia device and I don't keep it stuck in all the time--I wouldn't have thought it necessary to go into the bios as long as the realtek is deselected in the contro panel. Is that wrong? I am still waiting for the last bit of driver updating.
Peter


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> I wouldn't have thought it necessary to go into the bios as long as the realtek is deselected in the contro panel. Is that wrong?


I gotta say, I don't really have an answer to that.... :huh:

If I look at the Windows mixer itself in both Playback and Record, here's how they look like in my system (pic attached). 

See how Line-In is muted in playback and selected in Record. That indicates monitoring is shut off. Maybe you can go into Windows and shut yours off manually. Fairly easy to do.

I also show my REW mixer as an example. Wish I could help more - I just don't have that card..
























brucek


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## pmandt (Apr 30, 2007)

Well, I perservere, but I still am getting calibration curves like below. I checked my windows mixer settings and they are good, they move in sync with the soundcard mixer as they should since it is the default device. I am showing my REW and SB mixer pics, and a typical calibration attempt. any other ideas? Should I proceed without a soundcard cal file, or use the laptops card? Thanks.

Peter


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

Well, the soundcard cal file you show is certainly not right. It should look like a straight line falling off at both ends. You're still getting something feeding back.

You're sure you're using a *stereo* 1/8" cable from line-in to line-out?

No the soundcard in the laptop likely doesn't have a line-in - just a mic-in. They're not suitable.

I'm afraid there's just something you're missing in the steup of the card.... Don't know what else to suggest. 

There's little reason to do measurements unless they're accurate. So you need to find the problem.

Again I urge you to ensure your loopback cable is a *stereo* 1/8" cable from line-in to line-out? Please check that.... 

brucek


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## pmandt (Apr 30, 2007)

I am using two of the radioshack stereo 1/8" miniplug to 2 RCA adaptors, like the ones in the REW guide,and connecting together just the right (red) channels, which are checked in the REW settings.I'm tempted to drag one of my desktop computers down here, it would have been quicker. 

I might just get a USB card this week if I can'tget it working, as I just finished a DIY TC sounds LMS5400 sub with a 4000 watt QSC 4050amp, and I want to make sure my High pass filters are set so I don't break anything. Thanks, I'll keep trying for now.

Peter

Peter


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## pmandt (Apr 30, 2007)

It still bugs me I haven't found a menu to shut off record monitoring, although the windows mixer does show record line-in selected and playback line in muted. No plus sign to click on for the creative mixer master volume control though.
Peter


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> TC sounds LMS5400


Yikes - nice........... you may just have to get a cheapy USB card just to be sure you get that thing eq'd........

brucek


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

Also check the EAX console to make sure no effects are enabled, there may be a control to set the monitor level in there - see this thread for something along those lines: http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...-feedback-my-radioshck-sound-level-meter.html


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2007)

I don't know if its been mentioned previously, but if not:

Make SURE that "CMSS" is off! That will badly mess things up and make the card basically useless for response measurements. 
[CMSS is a phoney-baloney 3D effect (read: "intentional distortion") that gets into channel crosstalk and response shape both]

Also, if you ever update the drivers for the ZS card, you'll have to go back and turn CMSS off again -- Creative turns it back on every chance they get, you have to get rid of it anytime Creative setups are used. Whenever I have had problems with the ZS, I've gone back and found that the d&^()ed CMSS has gotten itself back on, turning it off fixes things.


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## pmandt (Apr 30, 2007)

Thanks, guys. I finally got a good calibration; my menus look a bit different, but I think it was the CMSS that was screwing it up. Now I just need to figure out where to go from here.

Peter


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

Good job....... one step at a time.

Just save that file, and then load your meter calibration file, and set up the levels with the Check Level routine. Set your target level.

Then measure....

brucek


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## Guest (Sep 20, 2007)

Thanks for your help guys. I just fiddled around for about two hours trying to calibrate my "Audigy2ZS Notebook" card and I had the same menus as pmant. I had the CMSS screwing the whole thing up the whole time too!

One last thing to add is that I had trouble finding the CMSS setting. It's button can be found among the bottom buttons in the mixer console. Look for a button that has the "EAX console" label as you hold your mouse pointer over it.

Almost got my setup running!

Thanks again!


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

Thanks for adding your info to the post. People are always searching for others who have had the same problems.......


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