Problem with EAX effects

[Bernt S]

I recently installed a Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit sound card (internal) on my computer. It should include EAX HD Advanced 3.0. I use EAX effects for music. They work nicely with everything I record. But my problem is with using EAX while playing om my keyboard, Creative Prodikeys. In the Prodikeys DM program there is a choice of two MIDI output synths. When I choose the Microsoft GS Wavetable SW synth everything works fine. But when I choose Creative SoundFont Synth I get no EAX effect in the audio output (while playing). Since I have to use this output device in order to use the sound fonts I have installed from various sources, this is a problem. (The Microsoft Synth can only use preinstalled sounds).

No one seems to explain why EAX does not work when playing the keyboard with the Creative synth as output device. In particular, it is strange since the Creative synth is the one Creative recommends, in fact EAX and this synth where on the same installation disc!

It should perhaps be added, that if I record what I am playing, EAX effects may be used. But this is hardly how it should work? The situation is like having a violin, that has accoustic properties that only may be heard when the sound has been recorded, but not when you are playing.

 

[djty666]

hey

dont you just feel like we get ignored. you start a thread and then other people start one and theres get answered!

 

[Bernt S]

well, I guess I do

On the other hand, I have posted this question to at least 10 forums over the world, you are one of the first who has even deared to answer :haha:
So, it might be difficult even for the "overtrained veterans" of this forums. And I did try asking Creative. The guy I wrote to understood my question at first, but eventually changed his attitude, probably because he didn't have the answer. But somehow I think there should be a simple answer: how can getting EAX effects depend on the choice of output device (synth)? And how can it be the case that the synth it does not work with is the one recommended by Creative (in the Prodikeys program there is even a "recommended" button that selects the Creative Synth, not the Microsoft Synth).

My guess is that full scale EAX effects work only with more expensive Sound Blaster cards than Live! This might be rather awkward for the company, since this is not what they say in their advertisements. But I would like someone who knows to confirm this, otherwise I will spend the rest of my life searching for a forum where stupid newbies could get answers to good questions, or searching for drivers that just might do the magic.

 

[InsaneMonkeyBoy]

hey, lol this area of computing isn't familiar to that many people cause i haven't heard of anyone else who uses the prodikeys. That's why you haven't had many replies. I was thinking about getting myself the prodikeys when buying a new keyboard. I play the piano reasonably well and it would be great to put it intothe computer so easily.

Sorry, anywho have you installed the driver for the keyboard? That might be the reason.

 

[Bernt S]

the keys are quite small

Prodikeys may be quite annoying for someone who plays the piano well, because the keys are rather small, accordion size (and you only have three octaves). But it is amazing how real-sounding instruments you can get if you only search patiently for new sound fonts. About the driver: well, I suppose I installed it with the installation disc that came with the keyboard? The problem is of course, that when you do some experimenting with new drivers, you never know what happens with the ones you already have.

But I don't know if you have to know abouth Prodikeys in order to make some guess about my problem. It seems to have to do with the channels through which the output sounds travels, or something similar. This might be a quite general problem?

 

[InsaneMonkeyBoy]

I have checked the creative website for new drivers for the prodikeys dm and there are no new ones. However, there is an option for 'prodikeys with soundcard' which probably means that it is only supported on newer soundcards. Yours i doubt is new enough to support prodikeys cause they are reasonably new. You might need to upgrade your soundcard, you can get a decent audigy 2ZS 7.1 for just over £50 now.

 

[kol_indian]

Check the creative player

I dont know whether this works but try it out , creative sotware that comes along with the driver has a audio/video player for me eax works along with this software, i see that u have not listed the software u use. so just try checking it.