Creative Sound Blaster EVO User manual

Brand: Creative

Model: Sound Blaster EVO

Category: Audio cards

Type: User manual

User’s Guide

Model No.: GH0260

Congratulations! 1

Congratulations!

Thank you for choosing the Sound Blaster EVO USB entertainment headset. Connect it to your

computer and you are about to experience the legendary audio quality of Sound Blaster.

The EVOUSB enhances the quality of all your audio content, even from online streaming sources such

as YouTube. Its beamforming dual microphone array guarantees crystal clear communication in any

environment. Beyond that, it allows you to connect to your mobile devices and enjoy high quality audio

on the go!

Package Checklist

Your Sound Blaster EVO USB package comes with the following:

l The Sound Blaster EVO USB

l MicroUSB-to-USB cable - Length: 1.8m (5.91ft)

l 4-pole analog cable - Length: 1.2m (3.94ft)

l Quick Start leaflet

Minimum System Requirements

l Intel Core™2 Duo processor 2.2 GHz, AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core or equivalent processor

l Microsoft® Windows® 8 64-bit or 32-bit, Windows 7 64-bit or 32-bit, Windows Vista 64-bit or

32-bit; Macintosh OS X 10.5.8 and above

l 1GB RAM

l Powered USB 2.0/3.0 port

Note:

Due to programming changes, the recommended system requirements for the software and

applications may change over time.

Congratulations! 2

More Help

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

also includes information on making purchases, technical help and the latest software updates.

Alternatively, click on the Resources icon at bottom of Sound Blaster EVO Control Panel to find out

more about Sound Blaster and your product.

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 website will analyze your

computer system to determine your operating system, language and which Creative products are

connected to your system.

When this analysis is completed, you will then be given a list of only the most relevant software

updates for your connected products. The files can then be retrieved and installed.

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

Notes:

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

of a browser component required for system analysis. Check to ensure that this content is

signed by Creative Labs, Inc., then click the Yes button.

Please ensure that all your Creative products are connected and installed on the same computer

running Creative Software AutoUpdate.

Overview 3

Overview

1 - Adjustable Headband

2 - Volume Control

3 -

Multifunction Button

(for calls and playback)

4 - 4-Pole Analog Jack

5 - MicroUSB Port

Overview 4

Flexible Connection Options

4-pole Analog Cable to your Smart Devices

USB Cable to your PC/Mac

Splitter Cable* to your Soundcard

* Cable not included

Using Your Sound Blaster EVO USB 5

Using Your Sound Blaster EVO USB

Set up your headset in three simple steps:

1. Connect your headset

2. Install the software

3. Use it

Step 1: Connect your headset

Connecting to a Computer (USBDigital Mode)

Connect your headset to a computer using the MicroUSB to USB cable. The LED will light up in red once

the headset is properly connected. Experience the power of Sound Blaster with all your games and

calls, on your PC and Mac.

Note:

The Sound Blaster audio processing is only available when the headset is connected via

USBDigital Mode.

Set the default audio device (for Mac only)

1. Go to System Preferences and click Sound.

2. Select Sound Blaster EVO USB in both the Output and Input tabs.

Using Your Sound Blaster EVO USB 6

Connecting to a Mobile Device(4-Pole Analog Mode)

Enjoy the power of the Sound Blaster EVO USB entertainment headset on-the-go with portable smart

devices including iPhones, Android phones and tablets. Simply connect the headset using the 4-pole to

4-pole analog cable.

Note:

Only the microphone and the Multifunction button function in 4-Pole Analog Mode.

If both the analog cable and the USB cable are connected to the same device (such as on a

laptop), the USB cable connection is prioritized unless manually configured otherwise.

Using Your Sound Blaster EVO USB 7

Step 2 :Install the Software

Your headset is now ready for use. However, you can enhance your audio and voice experience via an

optional software package that can be downloaded and installed into your PC. We recommend that you

download and install this software to make full use of all the features that your headset is equipped

with.

Note:

Please ensure that your headset is plugged into your computer before downloading and installing

the software.

For Windows

1. Using a standard web browser, visit www.soundblaster.com/downloads/EVOUSB/

2. Locate the software package for the Windows operating system for your product.

3. Download this package into your local hard disk.

4. Locate and launch the software package.

5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

6. When prompted, restart your computer.

7. Launch the application by clicking Start > Programs or All Programs > Creative >Sound

Blaster EVO > Sound Blaster EVO Control Panel.

For Mac

1. Using your web browser, visit www.soundblaster.com/downloads/EVOUSB/

2. Locate the software package for the Mac OS for your product.

3. Download this package into your local hard disk.

4. Double-click the downloaded file to uncompress it.

5. Double-click the uncompressed DMG file.

6. Double-click the Install icon and follow the subsequent on-screen instructions to complete the

installation.

7. Launch the application from the Applications > Creative >Sound Blaster EVO > Sound

Blaster EVO Control Panel.

For more details on the software and the various features it has to offer, please refer to Using the

Software.

Using Your Sound Blaster EVO USB 8

Step 3 : Use It

Wearing the Headset

Adjust the headband so that the headset rests lightly on your head. Do not tighten excessively.

Adjusting the Volume

In USBdigital mode, the Volume Control on the headset cup can be

used to adjust your headset volume to a comfortable level. You can

also adjust the volume via the software or the built-in volume

settings on your computer.

CAUTION:

Do not listen to audio on your headset at high volumes for prolonged

periods of time to avoid impairing your hearing.

Using Your Sound Blaster EVO USB 9

Usage Scenarios

Playing Music or Movies

Connect your Sound Blaster EVO USB to your computer via USB to enjoy the legendary Sound Blaster

audio quality. Alternatively, you may now connect it to a portable entertainment device such as mobile

phones and tablets and enjoy clear audio quality on the go.

The SBX Dialog Plus feature brings out the dialog in movies for maximum clarity, while the SBX Bass

fills extends the low frequency tones and gives the extra impact for a dramatically improved sound

experience. The SBX Surround enhances your movie or music playback by producing virtual speakers

around, above and below you, creating an immersive audio experience.

1. Play or Pause Music

Tap on the Multifunction button once to play music and again to pause it. Similarly, tap on the same

button to resume.

2. Adjusting Volume

Adjust the volume control to increase or decrease the music level.

Note: Not applicable in 4-Pole Analog Mode.

Using Your Sound Blaster EVO USB 10

Answering and Ending Calls

When the headset is connected to your computer or mobile device, it goes into standby mode and

waits for calls passively. After you have ended a call, the headset returns to standby mode or resumes

your music.

Answer

Decline

The dual mic technology will be automatically enabled. The Voice Focus feature is able to pick up your

voice clearly while the Noise Reduction effect eliminates unwanted background noise from both ends

of a call. You may choose to morph your voice with special effects with the Voice FX too!

1. Answer or End a Call

When there's an incoming call from your mobile device while you are listening to music, the music

fades out and the ringtone will gradually be heard.

Tap on the Multifunction button once to answer the call, and tap on the same button again to end it.

The music will resume after the call has ended.

If the headset is connected to a computer, click on the answer call button prompted on the computer

screen to enter voice communication.

2. Redial Last Number

Press the Multifunction button twice to redial the last called number.

Note: This feature may vary depending on your phone and is not available in USB Digital Mode.

3. Activate Voice Command

To activate voice command (e.g. Siri), press and hold the Multifunction button for 3 seconds to

initiate the function.

Note: This feature may vary depending on your phone and is not available in USB Digital Mode.

Using the Software 11

Using the Software

A specialized software for the Sound Blaster EVO USB is developed to provide additional

enhancements to the audio and voice inputs and outputs of the product. The software bundle supports

a range of operating systems including:

l Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista

l Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher

To take full advantage of your headset, we recommend downloading and installing this software into

your computer. The following applications are included in the software bundle:

For Windows OS,

l Sound Blaster EVO Control Panel

l Creative SoftwareAutoUpdate

l Product Registration

l Creative System Information

l Creative ALchemy

l Host OpenAL

l Creative Driver

For Mac OS,

l Sound Blaster EVO Control Panel

l Product Registration

l Creative Uninstaller

l Creative Driver

Note:

Some applications are available only for certain operating systems. To learn more about each

application, please consult its respective Online Help.

Using the Software 12

Launch the Sound Blaster EVOControl Panel.

This software includes a number of configurations that help you control the basic functions of your

product plus several software enhancement configurations that can be made to heighten your

product's performance. Click each of the menu bars to expand the configurations available.

Using the Software 13

Using the Sound Blaster EVO Control Panel

The rest of this chapter explains how to use the Sound Blaster EVO Control Panel to view and adjust

the various features of your Sound Blaster EVO USB. The examples and screenshots below uses

Windows as an example. The user interface for other operating systems may differ slightly.

Managing Your Profiles

The Sound Blaster EVO Control Panel comes equipped with a set of pre-configured profiles to suit your

different needs including:

l Music

l Movies

l Gaming

To activate a profile,

1. Click the SBX Profile menu to view the SBXProfile screen.

2. Select your desired profile from the screen.

To modify and save changes to the active profile,

1. Click the Edit button to modify the profile you have selected.

2. Navigate through the various other menu options of the Sound Blaster EVO Control Panel and

modify the configurations as desired.

Using the Software 14

Configuring your general settings

You can change the language settings or restore settings to their default values.

Click from the top right corner of the interface and select the option from the

list.

Using the Software 15

Enhancing the Audio - SBX Pro Studio

To configure SBX Pro Studio, go to the SBXProfile screen, select a profile and click Edit to enter the

SBX Pro Studio screen. By default, the SBX effect is turned on. You may adjust the effects on this

screen.

1. Click the checkbox next to one or more of the available enhancements to enable it.

2. Adjust the level of enhancements to be applied individually.

Click to play the demo video to test your configurations.

4. Readjust if necessary.

5. Click Save to save the adjusted settings or Reset to restore default settings.

SBX Pro Studio includes a number of enhancements for movies and gaming, elevating your movie and

gaming experience to the next level. These include:

l SBX Surround - provides immersion control to enhance the natural sense of audio depth and

spaciousness by creating virtual surround sound channels. Stereo content or multi-channel

content will sound as if its coming from all sides while voices remain centered in front and

original balance and timbre is preserved.

l SBX Crystalizer - restores the natural dynamic range that is lost when music files (iTunes and

MP3) gets compressed. This makes the music sound as good as the artist originally intended,

and adds an enhanced level of realism for movies and games.

l SBX Bass - fills in the missing low frequency tones and gives the extra impact for a better enter-

tainment experience. Consumers no longer have to tolerate a lack of bass in speakers as the

SBX Bass technology dramatically improves the sound experience even in the absence of a

subwoofer.

l SBX Smart Volume - addresses the problem of abrupt volume level changes during playback

and between songs by continously measuring volume automatically, applying gain and atten-

uation intelligently to compensate for any changes.

l SBX Dialog Plus - enhances the voices in movies for clearer dialog, allowing the listener to

hear the dialog over the rest of the soundtrack and over ambient noise in the listening envi-

ronment.

Using the Software 16

Enhancing the Microphone - CrystalVoice™

To configure CrystalVoice settings, Click the CrystalVoice menu option on the left.

1. Select a recording device and adjust its microphone volume using the volume slider.

2. Click the checkbox next to one or more of the available enhancements to enable it.

3. Click Test and speak into your microphone to listen to your voice with the selected presets

applied. Readjust if necessary.

CrystalVoice enhancements helps you hear and be heard clearly by all participants of the conference,

doing away with noisy background distortions and unclear communication that disrupts your online

chatting and gaming experience. The various enhancements available include:

l CrystalVoice FX™ - enables the alteration of voice with a variety of effects which can be used

to enhance the tone of a voice, create interesting accents or even allow someone to sound like a

completely different person.

l CrystalVoice Noise Reduction - enables the speaker to be heard clearly over background

noise by constantly monitoring the environment and eliminating unwanted noise that interferes

with the conversation.

l CrystalVoice Focus - creates a zone and suppresses noise outside it to enable the speaker

within to be heard with amazing clarity. Multiple microphones are used to focus, enhance the

speaker’s voice, and eliminate sounds outside the zone.

Note:

The CrystalVoice Focus feature will be turned on automatically at all times.

Using the Software 17

Equalizer Settings

Equalizers allows you to filter various audio frequency, thus controlling the tone of your audio output.

TheSound Blaster EVO Control Panel comes equipped with a range of preset equalizer settings,

helping you to select different audio tones easily. You can also manually modify or add equalizer

presets.

To configure Equalizer settings, go to the SBX Profile screen and select a profile. Click Edit and then

click Equalizer. To adjust and apply an equalizer preset,

1. Check the EQ checkbox to enable the use of the equalizer.

2. From the drop down menu, select the preset to use.

3. Adjust the vertical slider bars to achieve your desired level.

4. Click Save to save the changes to the active preset or to a new preset.

You can also delete any user created equalizer presets by selecting the preset from the drop down

menu and clicking Delete.

Note:

All default equalizer presets cannot be deleted.

Using the Software 18

Headphones Settings

The Sound Blaster EVO Control Panel enables you to enjoy stereo audio effects from your EVO USB.

Note:

Click Test to listen to audio with the selected configuration.

Using the Software 19

Mixer Settings

A mixer is also available via the software, allowing you to adjust the volume levels of individual

outputs and channels including the microphone, headphones, etc. Simply click the Mixer option on the

menu and adjust the volumes using the sliders.

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Creative Sound Blaster EVO User manual

Brand: Creative

Model: Sound Blaster EVO

Category: Audio cards

Type: User manual

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Creative Sound Blaster EVO User manual

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