Aureal Vortex Quad User manual

Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card

User’s Guide

ii Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card User’s Guide Aureal Inc., September 1999

Disclaimer

This document may not, in whole or part, be copied, reproduced, reduced, or translated by any means, either

mechanical or electronic, without prior consent in writing from Aureal. The information in this manual has

been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate. However, Aureal assumes no responsibility for any

inaccuracies that may be contained in this manual. In no event will Aureal be liable for direct, indirect, special,

incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any defect or omission in this manual, even if advised of

the possibility of such damages. Aureal reserves the right to make improvements in this manual and the prod-

ucts it describes at any time, without notice or obligation.

Copyright

Trademarks

Aureal, the Aureal logo, A3D, Aureal Vortex Player, and Aureal WaveTracing are trademarks of, and Vor-

tex is a registered trademark of Aureal Inc. 3DML, Flatland, and Rover are trademarks of Flatland Online,

Inc. AudioView and MIDI Orchestrator are trademarks of Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc. Microsoft, Windows,

MS-DOS, DirectSound, and DirectInput are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/

or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Warranty

Your Vortex PCI card comes with a three-year hardware warranty. Aureal Inc. (Aureal) warrants the Vortex

PCI card against defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase

from Aureal or an authorized Aureal agent. This warranty applies only to the original purchaser of the Vortex

PCI card and is not transferable. This warranty does not cover any incompatibilities due to the user's com-

puter, hardware, software or any other related system configuration in which Vortex PCI card interfaces.

Proof of purchase will be required before any warranty consideration by Aureal occurs.

This warranty does not cover any damage caused by negligence, non-authorized modifications, or parts

installed without prior written permission from Aureal. This warranty does not apply if the product has been

damaged by accident, abuse, misuse, or misapplication, nor as a result of service to the product by anyone

other than by Aureal.

AUREAL IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS OR OTHER INCI-

DENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF, OR INABILITY TO

USE, THIS PRODUCT. THIS INCLUDES DAMAGE TO PROPERTY AND, TO THE EXTENT PER-

MITTED BY LAW, DAMAGES FOR PERSONAL INJURY. THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL

OTHER WARRANTIES INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND

FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Some states do not allow limitation of implied warranties, or exclusion or limitation of incidental or conse-

quential damages, so the above limitations may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights.

You may have other rights which may vary from state to state. This warranty applies only to this product, and

is governed by the laws of the State of California.

FCC Compliance

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1)

this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received,

included interference that may cause undesired operation. This equipment generates and uses radio fre-

quency energy and if not installed and used properly, in strict accordance with the manufacture's instructions,

may cause interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply with

the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC

Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a residential

installation.

Aureal Inc., September 1999 iii

Aureal Inc. End-User Software License Agreement

September 1999

PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE

SOFTWARE. BY USING THIS SOFTWARE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND

BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO

THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, DO NOT OPEN THE SEALED DISK

PACKAGE, INSTALL OR USE THE SOFTWARE. PROMPTLY RETURN,

WITHIN 15 DAYS, THE SOFTWARE, ALL RELATED DOCUMENTATION

AND ACCOMPANYING ITEMS TO THE PLACE OF ACQUISITION FOR A

FULL REFUND.

This is a legal agreement between you and Aureal Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Aureal”).

This agreement states the terms and conditions upon which Aureal offers to license

the software sealed in the package together with all related documentation

(collectively, the “Software”).

LICENSE

Grant of License

The Software is licensed, not sold, to you for the use under the terms of this Agree-

ment. You own the disk or other media on which the Software is originally or subse-

quently recorded or fixed; but, as between you and Aureal (and, to the extent

applicable, its licensors), Aureal retains all title to and ownership of the Software and

reserves all rights not expressly granted to you.

For Use on a Single Computer

The Software may be used only on a single computer by a single user at any time.

You may transfer the machine-readable portion of the Software from one computer

to another computer, provided that (a) the Software (including any portion or copy

thereof) is erased from the first computer and (b) there is no possibility that the

Software will be used on more than one computer at a time.

Stand-Alone Basis

You may use the Software only on a stand-alone basis, such that the Software and

the functions it provides are accessible only to persons who are physically present at

the location of the computer on which the Software is loaded. You may not allow

the Software or its functions to be accessed remotely, or transmit all or any portion

of the Software through any network or communication line.

Copyright

The Software is owned by Aureal and/or its licensees and is protected by United

States copyright laws and international treaty provisions. You may not remove the

copyright notice from any copy of the Software or any copy of the written materials,

if any, accompanying the Software.

One Archival Copy

You may make one (1) archival copy of the machine-readable portion of the Soft-

ware for backup purposes only in support of your use of the Software on a single

computer, provided that you reproduce on the copy all copyright and other propri-

etary rights notices included on the original of the Software.

No Merger or Integration

You may not merge any portion of the Software into, or integrate any portion of the

Software with, any other programs, except to the extent expressly permitted by the

laws of the jurisdiction where you are located. Any portion of the Software merged

into or integrated with another program, if any, will continue to be subject to the

terms and conditions of this Agreement, and you must reproduce on the merged or

integrated portion all copyright and other proprietary rights notices included in the

originals of the Software.

Transfer of License

You may transfer your license of the Software, provided that (a) you transfer all por-

tions of the Software or copies thereof, (b) you do not retain any portion of the

Software or any copy thereof, and (c) the transferee reads and agrees to be bound by

the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

Limitations on Using, Copying, and Modifying

the Software

Except to the extent expressly permitted by this Agreement or by the laws of the

jurisdiction where you acquired the Software, you may not use, copy, or modify the

Software. Nor may you sub-license any of your rights under this agreement.

Decompiling, Disassembling, or Reverse

Engineering

You acknowledge that the Software contains trade secrets and other proprietary

information of Aureal and its licensors. Except to the extent expressly permitted by

this Agreement or by the laws of the jurisdiction where you are located, you may not

decompile, disassemble or otherwise reverse engineer the Software, or engage in any

activities to obtain underlying information that is not visible to the user in connec-

tion with normal use of the Software.

In any event, you will notify Aureal of any information derived from reverse engi-

neering or such other activities, and the results thereof will constitute the confiden-

tial information of Aureal that may be used only in connection with the Software.

TERMINATION

The license granted to you is effective until terminated. You may terminate it at any

time by returning the Software (including any portions or copies thereof) to Aureal.

The license will also terminate automatically without any notice from Aureal if you

fail to comply with any term or condition of this Agreement. You agree upon such

termination to return the Software (including any portions or copies thereof) to

Aureal. Upon termination, Aureal may also enforce any rights protected by law. The

provisions of this Agreement that protect the proprietary rights of Aureal will con-

tinue in force after termination.

LIMITED WARRANTY

Aureal warrants, as the sole warranty, that the disks on which the Software is fur-

nished will be free of defects, as set forth in the Warranty Card or printed manual

included with the Software. No distributor, dealer or any other entity or person is

authorized to expand or alter this warranty or any other provisions of this Agree-

ment. Any representation, other than the warranties set forth in this Agreement, will

not bind Aureal.

Aureal does not warrant that the functions contained in the Software will meet your

requirements or that the operation o the Software will be uninterrupted, error-free

or free from malicious code. For purposes of this paragraph, “malicious code”

means any program code designed to contaminate other computer programs, or

computer data, consume computer resources, modify, destroy, record, or transmit

data, or in some other fashion usurp the normal operation of the computer, com-

puter system, or computer network, including viruses and the like. EXCEPT AS

STATED ABOVE IN THIS AGREEMENT, THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED

AS-IS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR

IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRAN-

TIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PUR-

POSE. AUREAL IS NOT OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE ANY UPDATES,

UPGRADES OR TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE SOFTWARE.

Further, Aureal shall not be liable for the accuracy of any information provided by

Aureal or third party technical or support personnel, or any damages caused, either

directly or indirectly, by acts taken or omissions made by you as a result of such tech-

nical support.

iv Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card User’s Guide Aureal Inc., September 1999

Declaration of Conformity - CE

Application of Council Directive(s): 89/366/EEC

Standard(s) to which Conformity is Declared: EN 50081-1:1992 and EN 50082-1:1997

CE Mark Test Report: AUR 6495 and AUR 6541

Manufacturer’s Name: Aureal Inc.

Manufacturer’s Address: 45757 Northport Loop West

Fremont, CA 94538

Product Name: Sound Card

Model Number: BA88DC10A-01 and BA88DC30A-01

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the equipment specified above conforms to the above Directive(s) and Standard(s).

Conformance Manager

Aureal Inc.

45757 Northport Loop West

Fremont, CA 94538

Compliance Information Statement - FCC

Product Name: Sound Card

Product Model Number: BA88DC10A-01 and BA88DC30A-01

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the

following conditions:

(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and

(2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference causing undesired operation.

RESPONSIBLE PARTY

Conformance Manager

Aureal Inc.

45757 Northport Loop West

Fremont, CA 94538

Aureal Inc., September 1999 v

Contents

Contents .................................................................................................................................................v

Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................1

System Requirements ......................................................................................................................................3

Contacting Aureal ...........................................................................................................................................4

Installing the Hardware ........................................................................................................................5

Equipment You Need ......................................................................................................................................6

Before Installing ................................................................................................................................................7

Installing the Vortex Sound Card ....................................................................................................................8

Installing the Software ........................................................................................................................13

Installing the Drivers With Windows 95 (version 4.00.950) ..........................................................................14

Installing the Drivers With Windows 95 OSR2.x (version 4.00.950 B or 4.00.950 C) ...................................18

Installing the Drivers With Windows 98 .........................................................................................................26

Installing the Windows NT 4.0 Drivers ............................................................................................................34

Testing the Installation ...................................................................................................................................39

vi Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card User’s Guide Aureal Inc., September 1999

Check for the Aureal Devices .................................................................................................................39

What does an exclamation mark (!) mean? ........................................................................................42

Run an Aureal Demo ...............................................................................................................................43

Installing the Bundled Software ....................................................................................................................44

Installing Vortex Player .............................................................................................................................44

Installing Future Beat 3D ..........................................................................................................................44

Installing MIDI Orchestrator 32 and/or AudioView 32 ..........................................................................45

A3D™ Positional 3D Sound Demo Software ................................................................................................46

Running a Demo ......................................................................................................................................46

Installing the A3D Positional 3D Sound Demos .....................................................................................46

Installing the Bundled Game(s) ....................................................................................................................48

Uninstalling the Sound Card ..............................................................................................................49

Uninstalling Vortex Drivers from Windows 95/98 ..........................................................................................50

Removing the Aureal Demos ..................................................................................................................51

Uninstalling Vortex Drivers from Windows NT 4.0 .........................................................................................54

Advanced Users: Cleaning Up Remaining Aureal Files In NT 4.0 ..............................................................58

Removing the Vortex Hardware ...................................................................................................................61

Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................................63

I Did Not See the Windows Detected New Hardware Window .........................................................64

Installing Microsoft DirectXTM Version 5.0 or Later ........................................................................................65

Using the A3D Control Panel ..............................................................................................................67

Accessing the Control Panel .........................................................................................................................68

Accessing and Using the Aureal Taskbar Menu .........................................................................................70

Choosing an Output Mode ....................................................................................................................70

Aureal Inc., September 1999 Contents vii

Accessing the Control Panel ..................................................................................................................71

Removing the Aureal Icon from the Taskbar ........................................................................................71

Using the Control Panel Tab .........................................................................................................................72

Show Tray Control on the Taskbar ..........................................................................................................72

Using the MIDI Tab ..........................................................................................................................................73

Wavetable Effects ....................................................................................................................................74

Adjusting the Amount of Effects Using Sliders .......................................................................................75

Turning On and Off Wavetable Effects ..................................................................................................75

Selecting An Alternate Instrument Set ..................................................................................................75

Reloading Factory Presets ...............................................................................................................76

Wavetable Mode ....................................................................................................................................76

Destination for DOS Box MIDI Out ..........................................................................................................76

Using the A3D Settings Tab ...........................................................................................................................77

A3D Output Mode ...................................................................................................................................78

Testing the Listening Mode .....................................................................................................................78

Adjusting Volume Balance .....................................................................................................................78

Turning On and Off the A3D Splash Screen and Sound ......................................................................79

Turning Off the DirectSound Hardware Accelerator ...........................................................................79

Getting More Information About A3D Technology .............................................................................79

Using the A3D Demos Tab .............................................................................................................................80

Using the Digital Out Tab ...............................................................................................................................81

Using the EQ Tab ............................................................................................................................................82

Using the Info Tab ...........................................................................................................................................83

viii Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card User’s Guide Aureal Inc., September 1999

Aureal Inc., September 1999 1

1Introduction

Thank you for purchasing an Aureal Vortex sound card. Depending on the sound card you purchased, either

the SQ1500 or the SQ2500, your card delivers different features:

The Aureal Vortex SQ1500 delivers:

•Hi-fi digital audio for music, games, and interactive entertainment.

•Aureal’s award-winning A3DTM standard for a totally immersive audio experience.

•Support for hundreds of A3D-enabled games, entertainment applications, and Web sites.

•Realistic 3D audio via headphones, or two or four speaker systems.

•Digital output for audio connection to home theater, MiniDisc, and DAT systems.

•Compatibility with major PC operating systems and audio standards.

•Includes Aureal Vortex PlayerTM software for organization and playback of CD, WAV, MP3, MIDI, and

Internet audio formats.

2Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card User’s Guide Aureal Inc., September 1999

The Aureal Vortex SQ2500 is the premier 3D audio for PC gaming and music:

•Powered by the revolutionary AurealTM Vortex 2 audio accelerator, named “Hardware of the Year” by

Computer Gaming World.

•Accelerates Aureal’s A3DTM 2.0 positional audio, with geometry-based Aureal WaveTracingTM.

•Supported by hundreds of cutting-edge A3D-enabled games, entertainment applications, and Web sites.

•Based on technology developed for NASA, A3D delivers an immersive audio experience via headphones,

or two or more speakers.

•Provides S/PDIF coaxial output for digital audio connection to state-of-the-art consumer electronics

devices.

•Includes Aureal Vortex PlayerTM software for organization and playback of CD, WAV, MP3, MIDI, and

Internet audio formats.

Aureal Inc., September 1999 Chapter 1: Introduction 3

System Requirements

For a Vortex sound card, you need at least:

•Pentium class 133 MHz or faster processor

•Microsoft® Windows® 95, Windows® 98 or Windows® NT 4.0 (Service Pack 4 or later)

•16 MB RAM (32 MB or more recommended)

•CD-ROM drive

•40 MB of free hard disk space

•Available PCI 2.1-compliant slot for the sound card

•Powered speakers or headphones

4Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card User’s Guide Aureal Inc., September 1999

Contacting Aureal

For technical support and customer service, visit our website:

http://www.aureal.com

Here you’ll find the latest FAQs, searchable knowledgebases, driver releases, and information for contacting us.

Additionally, you can access recorded information by calling 888-345-7633.

Aureal Inc., September 1999 5

2Installing the Hardware

Most of the components that you need to install the Vortex sound card are included in the package. Read

“Equipment You Need” on page6 to ensure you have everything you need.

You can install your Vortex sound card in three basic steps:

•Install the hardware.

•Install the drivers for your Vortex sound card (see Chapter2, “Installing the Software”).

•Test the installation (see “Testing the Installation” on page39).

6Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card User’s Guide Aureal Inc., September 1999

Equipment You Need

Before you start installing your card, make sure that you have the following items on hand:

Vortex Drivers CD (included)

CD Audio Cable

Phillips Screwdriver

Vortex Sound Card

and Windows Installation CD

(included)

Aureal Inc., September 1999 Chapter 2: Installing the Hardware 7

Before Installing

Before you place the sound card into your computer, please take a few minutes to check the following:

•Be sure that your operating system is installed and functioning properly.

•Determine which operating system you are running (Windows 95 or Windows 98) and which version.

Windows 95 has multiple versions. To determine which version you are running:

•Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.

•Select Properties from the popup menu. The System Properties dialog displays.

•Click the General tab and look under “System” for your current operating system and version.

•Uninstall the drivers for any previously installed sound cards.

Consult the documentation that came with any previously installed sound cards for instructions on how to

remove the drivers from your computer.

•Make sure Microsoft DirectX™ 5.0 or higher is installed (Windows 95 only).

To install DirectX 5.0 see “Installing Microsoft DirectXTM Version 5.0 or Later” on page65.

•Using your favorite text editor, please open and read the README.TXT file on the installation CD. It

contains the latest information about your Vortex sound card.

8Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card User’s Guide Aureal Inc., September 1999

Installing the Vortex Sound Card

Warning: Static charges can damage electronic components. Ground yourself by touching the computer's

metal case or back bracket before handling any card.

1. Shut down, turn off, and unplug your

computer.

2. Disconnect the monitor, keyboard, and

other devices connected to your

computer.

It is a good idea to label these cables so

you can easily re-attach them.

3. Remove the computer cover—you may

have to use a screwdriver to do so.

Be sure to save any mounting screws.

Aureal Inc., September 1999 Chapter 2: Installing the Hardware 9

4. Remove any existing sound cards and

select the PCI expansion slot you want to

use for your Vortex sound card.

If you didn’t have a PCI card in the PCI

slot before, you’ll need to remove the

metal expansion slot cover by unscrewing

the securing screw.

10 Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card User’s Guide Aureal Inc., September 1999

5. Insert the Vortex sound card firmly into

the empty PCI slot.

Carefully press it evenly and snugly into

the slot.

If you don’t know which slot is a PCI slot,

refer to the documentation that came with

your computer. Look for the explanation

in the section (or manual) that describes

your motherboard.

6. Secure the card to the PC chassis with a

mounting screw.

7. If you have a CD-ROM drive, connect the

CD-ROM cable to the connector labeled

CD IN on your Vortex sound card.

Typically this is a black connector along

the top edge of the card.

Aureal Inc., September 1999 Chapter 2: Installing the Hardware 11

8. Replace the computer cover and plug the

computer power cable back in.

9. Attach any external speakers, joystick, and

microphone connections to the Vortex

sound card then restart your computer.

As you can see, there are a variety of

devices you can use with your Vortex

sound card. (Even though traditional

speakers are not shown, you can also use

them.)

12 Vortex Quad PCI Sound Card User’s Guide Aureal Inc., September 1999

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