Readme File
===========

Note: If you have purchased a computer directly from a PC manufacturer
      (eg. DELL, Compaq etc.) that comes with a SB Live! Value card, 
      installing Live!Ware2.0 will cause some of the customized settings 
      or features to be removed or upgraded to Live!Ware2.0.


   1. Updating files/drivers for Windows 95/98/NT 4.0.
   2. Procedure to install the Live!Ware update program.
   3. Features added.
   4. Improvements.
   5. Features included from the previous web updates.



1. Updating files/drivers for Windows 95/98/NT 4.0
   ================================================
   This upgrade program can be used to update the latest 
   Sound Blaster Live! files/drivers on 
   a. Windows 95
   b. Windows 98
   c. Windows NT 4.0

   After running the upgrade program, you must reboot your system for
   the changes to take effect.

   Note: If you launch the SB Live! upgrade program with
   QuarterDeck's CleanSweep software running in the background, you
   may be prompted by CleanSweep to monitor the progress of the
   installation. At this point, click No. If you click Yes,
   CleanSweep may cause errors during the SB Live! upgrade program
   installation and prevent it from completing successfully. Another
   option would be to disable CleanSweep before running the SB Live!
   upgrade program, and to re-enable CleanSweep after the SB Live!
   upgrade program has completed.

    
2. Procedure to install the Live!Ware update program
   =================================================

   2.1 Ensure that you have placed all the downloaded files, namely
       DISK1.LIB, DISK2.LIB, DISK3.LIB, DISK4.LIB and W9XDRV.lib
       (for Windows 95/98) or NTDRV.LIB (for Windows NT) in the 
       same location on your hard disk, before running the Live!Ware 
       update program.
   2.2 Close all applications before running the Live!Ware update program. 
   2.3 After running the upgrade program, you must reboot your system
       for the changes to take effect.
   2.4 At the end of installation, the setup program will update the
       Windows registry. This process will take 5 to 10 minutes. The 
       system may appear to have frozen, but please do not reboot your 
       computer until the installation prompts you to reboot your 
       computer.
    
                 
3. Features added 
   ==============

   3.1 Super-Environment Preset: this preset is a superset of the
       environment preset that first shipped with your SB Live! card.
       It stores the settings of:
       - Environment Audio Control Panel (Effects Processing)
       - Speaker Control Panel (speaker configuration and position of
         media devices)
       - Mixer settings 	   

   3.2 Creative Surround Mixer: you can now have easy access to the 
       various configuration settings of the SB Live! card.
       This mixer has been integrated with the Environmental Audio and 
       Speaker Control Panel. You will have the option to save all the 
       settings into a Super-Environment preset. To create a 
       Super-Environment, you will need to choose an effect in the 
       Environmental Audio panel(accessed from the Environment section), 
       choose a speaker setup in the Speaker section and decide on the 
       mixer settings. The settings can then be saved into various usage
       categories that are easily accessible.

       Note: Live!Ware2.0 will remove your existing speaker applet 
	     and Mixer. These applications are integrated into 
	     the new Creative Surround Mixer.

   3.3 Creative Launcher (Enhanced Environment Tab): You can access 
       Super-Environment presets from the Creative Launcher, Environment
       tab using a "wizard approach". The auto-configuration has been
       organized to tasks familiar to you. Just simply choose the selection
       as follows and the entire Super-Environment preset will be set
       for you.

       I want to...            Using...               With...
        (tasks)        (individual settings)   (relevant application)


   3.4 Auto Environmental Audio applet: This feature lets you associate
       Super-Environment presets to specific applications.  When the
       application is launched, the preset that was associated with the
       application will automatically be set.

   3.5 PlayCenter1.52: This version supports
       - MP3 playback
       - Automatic Loading of SoundFont banks, where you no longer need
         to load the SoundFont banks manually. Just place the MIDI and
         SF2 files with the same name in the same directory, and when 
	 you play the MIDI file in PlayCenter, the SF2 bank will be 
	 automatically loaded.

   3.6 Additional Environment Presets for Legacy Games: This update includes
       80 game presets specially customized for legacy games with no native
       Environmental Audio support.
       
   3.7 1024-voice software MIDI synth (up to 1024 software voices can be 
       selected). 

   3.8 Occlusion and Obstruction Effects Support in EAX2.0: 
       Occlusion properties simulate different wall materials and
       thickness to make you perceive that a sound is coming from another
       environment on the other side of a wall.
       Obstruction properties simulate sound diffraction around an
       obstacle to create the sense that a sound source is behind an
       obstacle, but still in the same environment.
       - for Windows 95/98 users only.


4. Improvements
   ============

      
   4.1 Enhanced 3D Audio: The enhanced 3D engine will let you experience
       better 3D audio support for headphones, two-speaker and better
       discrete positioning of sound sources in four-speaker mode.
       - For Win95/98 users only.	
                                  
5. Features included from previous Web updates
   ===========================================

5.1 WebNov/Dec
    ==========

Features Added
==============

1 Dual-processor support for Windows NT 4.0

2 A new effect: Frequency Shifter

  When the Frequency Shifter parameter for Shift Frequency 
  is set to a small frequency, say between 1 to 10 Hz, and 
  the mix amount is set to about 50%, then the processed 
  sound takes on a wonderful swirling phasing sound.
  The sound is similar to that of hearing music from the outside of 
  a distant marching band that is being shifted around by 
  the wind, or the sound of a pan of water swirling around 
  and being bumped while swirled.
       
  When the shift frequency is increased to between 20 Hz to 20 kHz,
  the sound is transformed into an inharmonic clangorous
  sound like a bell sound or a metallic sound. Voices turn 
  into quacking sounds like ducks or movie robots.
 
  Our Frequency Shifter is very different from our
  Pitch Shifter. In Pitch-shifting, harmonic relationships
  in the signal are maintained. Applications of Pitch Shifter 
  include self-accompaniment in harmonizing with yourself
  when singing, and karaoke. The Frequency Shifter, on
  the other hand, translates all the component frequencies
  of the input signal by an equal amount, disrupting
  the harmonic relationships and radically altering the
  sonic qualities of the signal. Applications of the
  Frequency Shifter include the creation of bizarre
  distortions, phaser, and rotating speaker effects.


3 A new feature is included to allow you to adjust the number of 
  software voices to use.         
       
  How to access this feature?               
  ----------------------------
	
  (Win95/98 users)        
   1. Click the Start button on the taskbar, point to Settings,
      and then click Control Panel.
   2. In the Control Panel window, double-click the System icon.
   3. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Device
      Manager tab.
   4. Double-click Sound, Video And Game Controllers, and then 
      select Creative SB Live!.
   5. Click the Synth Options tab, and then select the Number Of
      Synth Voices from the list.
   6. Click the Apply button for changes to take effect. 

   (WinNT4.0 users) 
   1. Click the Start button on the taskbar, point to Settings,
      and then click Control Panel.
   2. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Multimedia icon.
   3. In the Multimedia Properties dialog box, click the Devices tab.
   4. Double-click MIDI Devices and Instruments, and then 
      double-click MIDI For Creative S/W Synth.
   5. In the Creative S/W Synth Properties dialog box, click the
      General tab, and then click the Settings button.
   6. Select the Number Of Synth Voices from the list.
   7. Click the OK button for changes to take effect. 

   Note: No changes are allowed when the MIDI device is active, or 
         when SBEmulation (DOS box) is active.    

4 The version for the driver can be viewed in the AudioHQ About box.

5 The SB Live! MIDI Implementation Chart is found in the online 
  User's Guide. 
  If you cannot find the User's Guide icon in Creative Launcher, 
  navigate from the Start button in the taskbar to the Sound Blaster 
  Live!/Live! Value group.   

Improvements
============

1 Improves SoundFont Compatibility 


5.2 WebOct
    ======= 

Features Added
==============

1 32 Accelerated 3D Voices: This will extend Sound Blaster Live!
  or Sound Blaster Live! Value hardware acceleration support 
  from the existing 8 to 32 DirectSound3D streams.
  (For Windows 95/98 only).

2 Live!Surround for connectivity to home theater surround speaker
  systems: This feature allows you to connect your SB Live! and
  SB Live! Value audio cards to your existing home theater systems,
  thus allowing you to play your 3D audio games and
  Environmental Audio titles on your existing home receiver and
  speakers.

3 Auditioning of the Environmental Audio feature: This feature allows
  you to hear individual effects (e.g., Reverb) as you adjust
  the audio parameters of an environment.
       

Improvements 
============

1 Creative HansVision can now pronounce words in English with
  SB Live!.


5.3 WebSept
    =======

Features Added
==============
1. Front Rear Balance slider. This slider allows you to 
   "balance" the volume between the front and the rear 
   speakers. To view the balance slider in the Mixer applet, 
   make sure that the Advanced Control mode is selected. 
   The Front Rear Balance slider will appear next to the Master 
   Volume slider.
                                                                 
2. 512-voice software MIDI synth (up to 512 software voices, 
   depending on CPU)

3. Environment presets/Speaker setup import/export feature. 
   This feature allows you to import and export the environment presets
   and speaker setups that you have created.
   More information can be found in the respective online 
   help files. See the SB Live! User's Guide: Environmental
   Audio Control and Speaker Control.

4. Added environment presets: Dream Scape and H2S04 
   environment.

5. For Windows 95/98 only
   ----------------------
   A new SBESET.EXE utility to allow you to manually
   configure SB resources (I/O, IRQ, DMA) or disable
   SBEmulation, especially if there is conflict in DOS before it
   can boot to Windows. An updated SBEmulation driver file set  
   that recognizes settings from SBESET is also included.  
   For more information, see SBESET.TXT, which can be found in 
   the directory where all the DOS drivers are installed or 
   by default in the
   C:\Program Files\Creative\SBLive\DosDrv\ directory.


Improvements.
=============

1. SB Live! applets can now co-exist with graphics cards that use 
   the I740 chipset.

2. Resolves driver conflict that may occur with certain audio 
   USB devices.
 
3. Resolves SPDIF fade-in/fade-out problems in certain models
   of CD-ROM drives.
   
4. Fixed joystick support for Windows NT 4.0


SETTING UP JOYSTICK DRIVERS IN WINDOWS NT 4.0
=============================================

1. Log on to your computer as Administrator.
2. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click
   Control Panel.
3. Double-click the Multimedia icon, click the Devices tab,
   and then click the Add button.
4. In the List of Drivers box of the Add dialog box, select
   Unlisted Or Updated Driver, and then click the OK button.
5. Insert the Windows NT 4.0 CD-ROM which contains the JOYSTICK.SYS
   file into the CD-ROM drive.
6. In the Install Driver dialog box, type
   E:\DRVLIB\MULTIMED\JOYSTICK\X86
   if E:\ is the CD-ROM drive letter, and then click the OK button.
7. In the Add Unlisted Or Updated Driver dialog box, click
   Analog Joystick Driver, and then click the OK button.
8. In the Microsoft Joystick Configuration dialog box, click the
   OK button.
9. Restart your computer when prompted.


5.4 WebAug
    ======

Feature Added
==============

1. These new drivers enhance the performance of Sound Blaster Live!
   and open up more functionality for SPDIF In and SPDIF Out recording. 
   (for Windows 95/98/NT 4.0) 



                         *** End of Readme ***
