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Bundled Software Continued...
I
can't possibly cover all the extensive applications bundled with this card,
but will do my best to cover the most useful in detail...
Smart Recorder
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**click to enlarge** |
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The
Smart Recorder is definitely an improvement over any of the other options
bundled with their previous sound cards. You can record from any of
the available input sources or record "What U Hear", which is an option I've
always found useful in the past. Fortunately, it offers more output
sources than just WAV, including WMA and MP3 in the quality of your
choosing. You can even schedule recordings very easily using their
Record Wizard.
Creative Media Toolbox
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One useful tool worth mentioning
for those with a large collection of media files and owners of MP3 players
is the Creative Media Toolbox. Aside from an audio converter capable of
converting all your files to the desired format, there is the Auto Organizer
and Auto Tag Cleaner, which both work very well. I personally, am
quite anal when it comes to tagging and all my MP3 files are perfectly
tagged for proper playback on any MP3 player with tag support.
However, these tools will help those with an extensive collection of audio
files. The Auto Organizer, for example, will conveniently help you
move your audio files into folders based on the file tags.
Creative MediaSource Organizer
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Now, the one area I would like to really focus on is the MediaSource
Organizer. Not only does it give you the ability to rip your CDs with
ease, but offers you the ability to "SuperRip" those discs for the best
audio playback currently possible. It is a daring attempt by
Creative to not only take full advantage of the 24-bit Crystalizer, but also
give you the option to "permanently" rip your music with all the features
the hardware itself has to offer.
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**click to enlarge** |
**click to enlarge** |
So
what is SuperRip? Well, it is basically an exclusive new feature found
in their new line of X-Fi soundcards that gives you the ability to rip your
music utilizing both the 24-bit Crystalizer and CMSS-3D hardware features.
It will take full advantage of the hardware in order to provide the highest
quality rip possible.
Now, I've done extensive testing with this and found that if used properly,
it can indeed increase the quality of your audio files. As far as just
how significant the difference really is, that all depends on the playback
source and how you use the software to rip and encode your files.
The
only issue I have with it, is the lack of MP3 file support. In fact,
all that is documented revolves around MP3s and is why I find it quite
misleading. Only WAV and WMA support is present when using this
feature.
Many have complained that the files it creates are very large. This is
certainly true, but really depends on the options you choose when you
attempt to SuperRip your audio CDs. For example, there is an option
for WMA (lossless) that will create a much larger file in WMA format that is
approximately the same in size as a standard WAV file. While the audio
quality is highly impressive using this feature, it is really not suitable
for most users. You can also convert using WMA Pro, which can result
in a file that is not much bigger than a standard WMA. I tested this
feature quite thoroughly and created a variety of files in all formats.
I particularly tested the original and super ripped files on a quality MP3
player with high-end earbuds. The difference is certainly noticeable.
However, depending on the options you choose, it can actually reveal minor
flaws in a song due to its ability to bring out the best in all instruments,
particularly the bass.
The
WAV option can be handy for musicians looking to burn the best sounding
audio files for demo CDs or distribution. For example, I created some
WAV files using SuperRip and burned them using my trusty Yamaha CRW-F1 using
the Advanced Audio Mastering Feature. For those not familiar with this
old but excellent CD Writer, this drive will allow you to burn your discs using this
high-quality writing mode. It takes up much more space on your blank
discs, but does provide the highest quality burn possible. The test
discs sounded excellent.
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