Guide: How to install SoundBlaster Audigy 2ZS drivers on Live!/Audigy/Audigy 2

QSnexus · May 24, 2004, 03:07 AM

Worked great for me using an Audigy 1 following the guide except had a small issue with getting the Creative Audio Control Panel Application in the Windows Control Panel applet to work, had to edit the Windows\System32\YourCPLconfig.txt to remove some of the commented out path entries and make sure there were tabs seperating the text after the path. The sound quality in music has improved and now there is more functionality, possibly better performance as well but maybe not. Tried it with Nascar 2003 so far with no hitches.

QSnexus · May 24, 2004, 03:10 AM

Make sure and run msconfig.exe after doing this installation to make it so CTHELPER.EXE and updreg.exe are disabled from running at system startup. I heard CTHELPER.EXE can cause problems at least the older versions did (starts to take 100% cpu). Not sure what updreg.exe was doing there.

BONEHEAD · May 24, 2004, 11:43 AM

Well I had some free time Sun. so I tried this on my Live 5.1 Plat.
I got the drivers to work, all apps installed fine but the only apps. that I could get working was the THX console and Media Center. No mixer etc. kept getting "No supported hardware found". I did everything to the letter 3x and still the same thing. I know my live drive was working also as the Remote functions were working. Since this card is my kids computer I gave up. But this should help some people that have a Live 5.1
I did notice the sound was better.

strand23 · May 25, 2004, 02:52 PM

Does anyone have a issue upgrading MediaSource (to 2.02.06)? I have an Audigy 1. All the other application upgrades work fine, but when I try to upgrade MediaSource it messes up the Graphic Equalizer and other functions in MediaSource Player (SVM and a couple of others). Applying "patch.exe" after the upgrade doesn't fix the problems and it actually makes MediaSource unusable. Any help is much appreciated.

mrechter · May 25, 2004, 10:20 PM

I have an Audigy 1 (D400).

Everything worked fine, great sound, but the EQ patch does break
MediaSource and the EAX console. So as the Audigy 2 users were
suggesting just replace the pfmod.dll in the sharedll folder.

And... all is good.

All apps now work, even get all the options like if I had an audigy 2 ZS
like that Karakoe function and the DTS stuff, not that I would use it anyway.
But having the Equilizer back is great!

So fellow Audigy 1 uses, don't run EQ patch, just replace pfmod.dll

Perhaps someone could change this in the first post, so people know
at first, not by reading 13 pages furthur on. I am assuming the patch
is only needed to do major stuff for SB Live then?

MATT

sidebar · May 25, 2004, 11:37 PM

where is the DTS stuff........I don't see it at all

rico01 · May 26, 2004, 02:09 AM

Just wanted to give my thanks to you for this guide. Excellent work!

I managed to do it and having the THX console which was my main issue and reason for doing it is great! It has already given me some major fun.

Anyway, thanks again.

// Rico

strand23 · May 26, 2004, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrechter
I have an Audigy 1 (D400).

Everything worked fine, great sound, but the EQ patch does break
MediaSource and the EAX console. So as the Audigy 2 users were
suggesting just replace the pfmod.dll in the sharedll folder.

And... all is good.

All apps now work, even get all the options like if I had an audigy 2 ZS
like that Karakoe function and the DTS stuff, not that I would use it anyway.
But having the Equilizer back is great!

So fellow Audigy 1 uses, don't run EQ patch, just replace pfmod.dll

Perhaps someone could change this in the first post, so people know
at first, not by reading 13 pages furthur on. I am assuming the patch
is only needed to do major stuff for SB Live then?

MATT

Thanks Matt! Now everything is working along with the updates. How were you able to get DTS to work? It doesn't show up for me. Thanks for the help.

advertiser · May 26, 2004, 11:02 PM

I got Audigy Card (A400)(gamerx) and currently using 6.1 speaker. Anyway how to get my last speaker to work? Another thing is that i just upgrade my system from p3 to p4 and then after install the audigy driver. (I never install all the software provided by creative.. Because heard that the software cockup some system with audigy so i only install the driver..) i encounter this problem where my speaker give random volume. (unstable volume) The music is like sometime loud and sometime soft...

Hope some one able to help! Please advice. Thank you....

rico01 · May 26, 2004, 11:52 PM

Advertiser: If you have the first generation of Audigy you cannot make the last speaker to work in a 6.1 system since it is a 5.1 max soundcard. You can use the CMSS feature to upmix to 6.1 but it will be on the software level (unless you have the CMSS on the speakers) and not true 6.1. Since you don't install any software to your card I don't think you can solve this issue. Using this guide, to only install the Audigy2 ZS drivers to your card will not help. As I see it, installing at least the Surround mixer and the EAX console will give you the benefit of being able to use CMSS and might be your only shot at making the last speaker work.

As for your other problem I can't answer you, sorry.

// Rico

advertiser · May 27, 2004, 12:03 AM

I have the Surround mixer but what is the EAX console? So install the Audigy2 ZS driver doesn't do much help for the system as in sound quality? Please advice.. thanks

rico01 · May 27, 2004, 12:25 AM

If I remember correctly the EAX console is actually within the surround mixer in the Audigy1 version of the mixer but do not have any CMSS options. You need to use the Creative Playcenter that came with your soundcard to activate the CMSS (I don't think you can do it otherwise). The A2 ZS drivers might give you better soudquality but reports are mixed and personally the difference I heard between my older A2 with and without them were not earth shattering. I installed them in order to get the updated software and fun THX console. I would recommend you to try to install the A2 ZS drivers, and install the surround mixer and EAX console from the A2 ZS disk (by following this guide) but do it at your own risk. The benefit would be that you have more powerful tools to augment your sound so it might sound better but I cannot guarantee it since that is a very subjective issue.

// Rico

advertiser · May 28, 2004, 09:41 AM

Hi Rico i found the EAX and the CMSS. Thanks. Now there is another problem.. I install all the softwares for the audigy (in the cd given and update all software and driver on the creative website.. ) Early on my speaker have this problem of unstable volume. After i install the software the problem become better.. but i still experience the unstable sound volume when i blast my speaker. or sometime it just happened suddenly.

Anyway to solve this problem? I found out that when i turn on the bass redirection and crossover frequency the problem on the unstable volume become better... hmm.. what is that so? Or anyone can advice?

Creative stuffs damn sux

The sound card and speaker been giving be problem for mths!!!

rico01 · May 28, 2004, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by advertiser
Hi Rico i found the EAX and the CMSS. Thanks. Now there is another problem.. I install all the softwares for the audigy (in the cd given and update all software and driver on the creative website.. ) Early on my speaker have this problem of unstable volume. After i install the software the problem become better.. but i still experience the unstable sound volume when i blast my speaker. or sometime it just happened suddenly. Anyway to solve this problem? I found out that when i turn on the bass redirection and crossover frequency the problem on the unstable volume become better... hmm.. what is that so? Or anyone can advice?

Creative stuffs damn sux The sound card and speaker been giving be problem for mths!!!

Heh... as to if Creative stuff sux or not I won't go into. I've never had any problems with any of their products. Those people who have are of course entitled to their opinions.

Now on to your problem with fluctuating volume. This is something which have been reported a few times as far as I know. My suggestion would be to first plug in a set of headphones into your audigy card. If there are no fluctuating volume changes with the earphones the problem is most probably either a faulty speaker set or the very least a faulty volume control (hardware). If that is the case your only option is to replace the speaker set if your warranty is still in effect or contact Creative tech support (I know, crappy advice but I can't think of anything else). Hope you get it solved.

// Rico

BiGBrOwNPimpsta · May 28, 2004, 12:48 PM

i think i'll let rico handle things for now lol he's doing well

thank a lot, and anyone has ANYTHING to add to the guide please post it here clearly typed and I will add it to the guide.

optimist · May 28, 2004, 01:00 PM

Can anyone please clarify this, is Audigy2 ES (OEM one) paired with these drivers equivalent to Audigy2 ZS?? i.e. the only difference between ZS and ES is the drivers, no hardware difference?

rico01 · May 28, 2004, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BiGBrOWnPimpsta
i think i'll let rico handle things for now lol he's doing well

LOL

Thanks but I'm not really worthy of that praise. I am in no way an expert in this field, I just love to fiddle with things and to learn as I go.

// Rico

BiGBrOwNPimpsta · May 28, 2004, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rico01
LOL

Thanks but I'm not really worthy of that praise. I am in no way an expert in this field, I just love to fiddle with things and to learn as I go.

// Rico

exactly

BONEHEAD · May 28, 2004, 10:43 PM

I am done hosting for now. If there is more who want it let me know and i'll host again.

tornado=[GSW]= · May 29, 2004, 05:27 PM

evrything went fine but i dont have a audigy2 folder only a audigy folder like the old one, and cpanel fails saying path not found when I fixed the path, it loaded the cpanel related to audigy 1 so I guess somewhere something went wrong, nowhere can i find reference to audigy 2 its audigy 1 in device manager, creative control panel etc...

BiGBrOwNPimpsta · May 29, 2004, 11:10 PM

the special panel thing might be diff for audigy 1, can someone show me the line to edit

Rebooter · May 30, 2004, 03:51 AM

I followed the instructions here, everything installed with no problems (I have a SBLive). I get sound, but when I try to use the apps such as Surround Mixer, I get this error:

"The audio device supported by this application is not detected. The application will exit."

Is there any way to fix this?

Rebooter · May 30, 2004, 06:34 AM

Well, I found a '\Program Files\Creative\SBLive\SurMix2' folder and it has the old version of the mixer that works with the SBLive. I'm not sure if this was left over from my older drivers (I did run Driver Cleaner after uninstalling the drivers, but I never checked to see if it was all gone).

But I ran into a problem: everytime after exting the game Far Cry, I always got a BSOD. I went back to the offical SBLive driver because I never get errors like that with those (I'm running Windows 2000).

rico01 · May 30, 2004, 09:02 AM

The surround mixer is an application and I doubt (though is not totally sure since I have never run Driver Cleaner) it is removed using the Driver Cleaner. You must use the add/remove function in the control panel to uninstall all Creative applications.

Of course, if the A2 ZS drivers give you major problems you shouldn't use them.

// Rico

tornado=[GSW]= · May 30, 2004, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BiGBrOWnPimpsta
the special panel thing might be diff for audigy 1, can someone show me the line to edit

C:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy\Program\WDM\COMMON\CtPanel .exe Creative Audio Control Panel Application