SoundMAX® Help – Frequently Asked Questions

Note: For the latest news and updates, please check the SoundMAX web site at www.soundmax.com.

CONTROL PANEL MICROPHONE TAB

What is ‘Microphone Setup’ and which one should I use?

‘Microphone Setup’ allows you to optimize the microphone input settings for your particular configuration. Choose ‘Standard Microphone’ if you have an ordinary desktop microphone. Choose ‘Headset’ if you have a wearable microphone that is positioned directly in front of your mouth. Please choose ‘SoundMAX Superbeam™ microphone’ if you own one and have stereo microphone input capabilities.

What is an ‘SoundMAX Superbeam™ microphone’ and what is it used for?

The SoundMAX Superbeam microphone is a specialized stereo microphone array for enhanced high-quality voice input. This device is actually made of two microphone elements mounted a short distance apart in a single enclosure. The stereo signal is then fed through the Superbeam software built-into SoundMAX, which analyzes the signal and eliminates stray audio entering from the sides of the microphone. This creates a highly directional microphone that can pick up more accurate voice signals from a distance. You can use this microphone for headset-free, extended range voice input; for speech recognition / dictation, voice command & control, and Internet communication. Please click on the Andrea logo button in ‘Microphone Enhancements’ to find out how to purchase an SoundMAX Superbeam microphone. Please check your hardware specifications to make sure that you have a stereo microphone input jack either on your PC or on a Communications Network Riser (CNR) upgrade card.

What is ‘Noise Reduction’ in the ‘Microphone Enhancements’ section for?

The Noise Reduction enhancement helps to eliminate ambient noise from the voice input signal to provide a clean and clear signal to applications. This feature can be used with any microphone.

What does the ‘Microphone Setup Wizard’ do?

You can launch the ‘Setup Wizard’ from the Control Panel to help you to automatically set proper microphone input volumes and ensure that your voice input(s) are working correctly. As you speak into the microphone, the Sound Meter indicates the audio signal that your PC is receiving.

CONTROL PANEL LISTENING ENVIRONMENT TAB

Why are there no controls for 3D game audio?

All of SoundMAX’s 3D game audio capabilities are internal and are controlled directly by the game itself.

What is 'Speaker Setup' for and which 'Layout' should I use?

'Speaker Setup' allows you to optimize your audio listening environment for the best experience possible. Choose 'Stereo Headphones' if you will be listening on headphones or 'Stereo Speakers' if you have two speakers in front of you (on your desk, in your monitor, or in your laptop). If supported by your system, you can additionally select 'Quad Speakers (Multi-drive Surround)' if you have two speakers in front of you and two speakers behind you, or 'Surround Sound Speakers (5.1 Surround)' if you have a home theater setup with three speakers in front of you, two speakers behind you and a subwoofer for Low Frequency Effects (LFE). 

What is the difference between the two ‘Front Speaker Location’ settings in ‘Speaker Setup’?

The ‘Close Together’ selection optimizes the sound for laptop and monitor speakers, or if you have your speakers right next to your monitor; while the ‘Far Apart’ selection optimizes the sound for speakers spread out on your desktop or on a big home stereo system.

What is ‘Virtual Theater™ Surround’?

If you are watching movies with a multi-channel soundtrack and do not have a 4 or 5.1 channel speaker setup, SoundMAX will automatically create virtual speakers through your stereo speaker setup. If you do not want SoundMAX to automatically create virtual speakers, simply check the ‘Disable’ check-box. If you would like to have ‘Virtual Theater Surround’ for your headphones, you can purchase an upgrade by clicking on the Headphone icon button. After purchasing and installing this upgrade, this feature will work automatically every time you watch a movie and are listening on headphones.

What are ‘Acoustic Environments’?

Acoustic Environments are virtual places where you can listen to your sounds and music. Like sonic landscapes, these ‘Environment Models’ simulate everything from concert halls to tunnels. You can change your listening space by clicking on a new ‘Environment Model’ in the list provided. The models are the same ones that are used in games that take advantage of Environmental Audio™ (EAX™) and are automatically enabled and changed by your games.

What is ‘Virtual Ear™’?

Virtual Ear stores ‘Custom Ear Models’ for different individual users. These models are individually tailored to each listener. You can change the ear model being used by clicking on a new ‘Custom Ear Model’ in the list provided. A couple of generic example models are included for you to try; they simulate the ears of an 'Adult' or 'Child'. If you would like to create your own customized personal ear models to be used with SoundMAX, you can purchase the Virtual Ear upgrade application by clicking on the Ear icon button. After purchasing and installing this upgrade, the Ear icon button will directly launch Virtual Ear.

In the 'Test Listening Environment', why does the 'Test Tone' sound like static?

This static is a special tone called Pink Noise. You can use this tone to make sure that all of your speakers are connected and positioned properly. The goal is to have the tone sound like it is the same loudness as it is played from each and every speaker. You can move your speakers until you get the optimal balance from your speakers.

CONTROL PANEL MIDI MUSIC SYNTHESIZER TAB

What is MIDI?

MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It actually defines a language by which synthesizers talk to each other.

What is General MIDI (GM)?

GeneralMIDI is a description of a sound set that contains 128 sounds and a drum kit. This way any standard GeneralMIDI file can be played with any GeneralMIDI synthesizer and they will produce similar results. The majority of the MIDI files found on the Internet conform to the GeneralMIDI format. While some soundcards use unrealistic GM instrument sounds, the SoundMAX synthesizer contains a large, professional, GeneralMIDI sound set.

What is a ‘.MID’ file?

This is a file that contains a MIDI sequence. A MIDI file stores instructions on how to play a synthesizer to recreate a musical (or sound) experience. It is similar to the way a word processor can recreate a document from a file of nothing but characters.

What is a ‘Synthesizer Default Sound Set’?

This allows you to customize the default sound set that the SoundMAX synthesizer will use to play GeneralMIDI (GM) as well as XG sound map compatible (XGlite™) MIDI files. SoundMAX ships with a professional 4 MB GeneralMIDI sound set and a 1.2 MB XGlite sound set. If you wish to play MIDI files that are in the Yamaha XG format, please select the XGlite sound set. Please watch for new GeneralMIDI sound set upgrades available for download or purchase on the SoundMAX website.

What is a MIDI voice?

A MIDI voice is a single note or sound played on the SoundMAX synthesizer.

What is the maximum number of voices that the SoundMAX synthesizer can play simultaneously?

The SoundMAX synthesizer has a scalability feature called MAXvoice™. MAXvoice automatically gives you the maximum number of synthesis voices available with your CPU and system configuration. In actuality, the average MIDI sequence uses less than 32 voices and most sequences rarely use more than 64.

DLS LOADER APPLICATION

The SoundMAX synthesizer can play MIDI files that use custom DLS sound sets. What is DLS and how can I load DLS files into SoundMAX?

DLS stands for 'DownLoadable Sounds'. DLS allows you to load custom sound sets into the SoundMAX synthesizer. A musician usually creates these sound sets for use with specific MIDI files. You can also create your own MIDI sequences and DLS sound sets with some 3rd-party software applications. SoundMAX supports the newest Level 2 version of DLS in order to enhance your listening experience. To load and play a MIDI file with its associated DLS file, please launch the ‘DLS Loader’ application.

What is a .RMI file?

This is a single file that contains both a MIDI sequence and a custom DLS sound set that was created specifically for this MIDI sequence.

How do I use the ‘DLS Loader’ application?

There are two ways to automatically load and play a MIDI sequence in Windows Media Player using its associated DLS sound set. If you select a .RMI file, the self-contained DLS file will automatically be loaded. If you select a .MID file that has an associated .DLS file of the same name in the same directory, you can select either file and both files will be loaded automatically. In addition, you can manually load .MID and .DLS files and then press the ‘Run Windows Media Player’ button.

SoundMAX and the SoundMAX logo are registered trademarks of Analog Devices, Inc. PureAudio and Superbeam are trademarks of Andrea Electronics. The Sensaura logo, Virtual Theater and Virtual Ear are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Sensaura Limited.Yamaha XGlite is a trademark of Yamaha Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All Specifications Subject to Change without Notice. © 2002 Analog Devices, Inc. All Rights Reserved.