Tag: #audio

Review – The Creative Soundblaster G6. #Tech #Gaming #Creative #SoundblasterG6

The first impressions of the SoundBlasterx G6, was very sleek but looked strong as compared to previous reviews on the Creative SoundBlaster X3 & G3. This is compact not too big or too small unlike the SoundBlaster x3 which was very nice but a bit too big or the sound blaster g3 which was very small. This sound card is just the right size while still appealing and very sleek with a nice shine to the eye. Once taken out of the box it has a solid balance weight to it and consists of a metal case and a rubber bottom to ensure it is anti-slip on a lot of surfaces which is very handy.

The controls are 1 switch to control gain in your headset or speaker which can be set to low or high frequency. There is the SBX button which is mostly for the surround sound and gives an easier sound when listening to music. There is also a scout mode button which is commonly used for gameplay as it intensifies sounds and frequencies. This setting is not practical for listening to music as it starts to break up, while this mode is great for a game experience as the surround sound has an advantage in gameplay as the scout mode, which gives a better idea of where players are around you. If you hold down the scout mode button then the sound card will go into a direct mode and the scout mode button will flash it is almost the same as the SBX mode but a bit less of a surround sound blast from your headphones.

The SoundBlaster G6 has a button/volume wheel to select different modes for your headphone/ speaker it will select headphone mode or just mic mode if you hold it for more than 3 seconds same as the scout mode button.

 

The kit looked impressive out of the box but got further engaging as you turn it on, and the LED lights turn on which is great as a gamer/twitch or blogger for a camera show. This gave further excitement to the game card as you can also edited and select colors with the software download.

Package contents,

  • Sound BlasterX G6
  • 1 x Optical Cable
  • 1 x MicroUSB Cable
  • Quick Start Leaflet
  • Warranty Leaflets

7.1 HD External Console Gaming DAC Amp with Xamp Discrete Headphone Bi-amp for PS4™, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC

The creative Family:

Techbuzz Ireland has also a review of the above G3 sound card and more search CREATIVE on homepage.

Software.

https://www.soundblaster.com/blasterx/software/

Once downloaded this will open up your experience to the sound blasterX G6.  As the software has all your controls for different modes like the SoundBlaster X3 but with a lot more programs for music and gaming, movies, etc.

 

Setup.

In the case of the PS4, the set up was very easy and simple connect the micro USB cable to the G6 and into the PlayStation and everything is connected up ready to go but unfortunately, there is no Bluetooth mode which is not great when you compare it to the two previous reviews of the SoundBlaster G3 and SoundBlaster X3 which are also done by us here at techbuzz Ireland.

Without the Bluetooth which is a shame you can’t connect to your phone like the G3 and X3, but you can set your game card to whichever setting you want on the software. Once set up this software complements the experience from gaming to programs to music. The software allows the option to change your voice and set it to a deeper, higher pitch and more even chipmunk sounding. Once completed you save your settings and voice, which is plugged back into the PlayStation/other devices listed all the settings will be saved on the SoundBlaster G6 and will work through your mic and headset.

Software Dashboard…

The software adjusts the sound frequency to whichever game/movie and music you’re listening to and can also self-adjust your sound wave which is very handy. It can also be tested on your headset for the full surround sound once the test in the settings is clicked.  This gave off a voice that will be in different spots around the room which will give you an idea of how much better quality this will make your headset for the gaming experience. It also has a light control panel that you can switch and move around the light settings on your SoundBlaster G6 can be set to fade in and out, strobe and much more.

 

Sound settings

 

Software voice options/control

Lighting options

 Setup

Overall:

Overall, it is a really enjoyable sound card which can be customized with a lot of positives and great features. There are 1 or 2 niggles where your mic will repeat back to your headphone what you say is an echo but can easily be adjusted. The missing Bluetooth option is a real niggle for us which was a positive on the previous models used,  This has the result if you wish to change the e.g. Morph voice during a game, the unit has to be plugged in an e.g. laptop to reconfigure the software to your chosen setting. This would have been great to allow a change via your phone removing the requirement to disconnect and reconnect. ( These are slight personal niggles as was  annoying to  have to move cables ) The morph voice changer is a personal favorite allowing the type of voice to suit the occasion, The option to change the colors and flicker speed is as a positive with the option to turn off the led if required. Once set up correctly the customizable in terms of audio experience has superb options albeit control via the software, this gives a unique experience of gaming, As always, a delight of an audio experience from Creative.

 BUY HERE 

 

 

Review – The SADES Wings 10 Gaming Earbuds. #Tech #Gaming #SADES

If you are looking for an affordable pair of gaming earbuds these are something to consider and not only for gaming they do a decent job on listening to music too, These are a wired pair of earbuds which again brings up the argument of which is better “wired or wireless”.

The design is simple and straight forward and overall these done a good job during my testing both on Gaming and music with a well balanced sound and some decent bass with decent volume too, with the built in in-line control they are easy to use and offer good isolation out of the box and of course you get extra tips to get the correct fit. Tested on my Xbox PS4 and mobile they did a real good job overall and I was pleased with the sound coming in at the price they are being sold for, you also have magnetic tips so they will not be moving around when not in use and you also get a carry case included which is something you don’t see at this price point which makes the deal more sweet. See the video review for more.

Features

  • 【IMMERSIVE GAMING AUDIO 】WINGS delivers an impressive and balanced sound and performs excellently in mobile games.
  • 【CONVENIENT IN-LINE CONTROL】WINGS equipped with a microphone inside the in-line remote control, which allows you to pick up/ hang-up calls, play/ pause music, and cycle through tracks by pressing one button.
  • 【NOISE ISOLATION EARPHONES】WINGS Earphones equipped with noise isolating and ergonomically to keep unwanted surrounding noise to a minimum. Provide a truly immersive experience.
  • 【WIDE COMPATIBILITY】WINGS is designed for PS4 Pro & PS4 controllers with a 3.5mm jack and also compatible with Xbox One & Xbox One S, Nintendo Switch, Mac & VR devices, especially for mobile phone gaming.
  • 【MAGNETIC DESIGN & EASY TO CARRY】WINGS Earbuds Only weigh 15 grams, you can attach the earphones together when not using, or put your WINGS in the EVA box and carry on it, you could game on everywhere.

BUY HERE https://www.amazon.co.uk/SADES-Headphones-Sensitivity-Microphone-Compatible-Black/dp/B0885VL76Z

 

SHURE Partners with Adobe to provide mobile creators with two month Adobe premiere rush subscription Motiv purchases. #Shure #Adobe

Shure has partnered with Adobe to offer a two-month subscription of Adobe Premiere Rush for customers who purchase a Shure MOTIV ™ Microphone starting July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Specifically designed for mobile creators, Adobe Premiere Rush is a premium video editing software that gives users the flexibility to record and edit pro-quality video content on their mobile devices wherever they are. When used together with MOTIV microphones, content creators can record professional quality audio right out of the box.

“By partnering with Adobe, MOTIV customers now have full video editing capabilities at their fingertips,” said Paul Crognale, Senior Marketing Manager of Musician and Consumer Audio, at Shure. “They can easily create a professional production on the go while also saving valuable time with the intuitive Adobe Premiere Rush software.”

To inspire content creators, Shure enlisted professional videographer Paul Hüttemann to produce the cinematic short film, "The Sounds Of India & Sri Lanka," using only his mobile device, the Shure MV88+ Video Kit, and Adobe Premiere Rush. Watch the film here and learn how he created the film with behind-the-scenes footage here.

“The MOTIV x Rush combination is a perfect set up for filmmakers,” said Hüttemann of huettehuette. “You can record great sounds, customize the file names in ShurePlus MOTIV app, and sync shots to accelerate and finalize footage on the go with Adobe Premiere Rush.”

Shure’s award-winning MOTIV line of microphones enables creators to produce high-quality audio with ease. Now users can take their professional-grade content captured with MOTIV, edit the footage directly in Adobe Rush Premiere, and share to all social channels on the go. Available on both mobile and desktop, the software syncs all content to the cloud, making it easy to work across mobile and desktop platforms. The microphones that are part of the promotion include:

MV88+ Video Kit – Portable audio and video recording kit features a digital stereo condenser microphone, a Manfrotto ® PIXI tripod, phone clamp, and mount as well as Lightning and USB-C cables for next-level compatibility and connectivity. Just add phone to capture content wherever.
MV88 Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone – Connected via the Lightning port on iOS, the MV88 records video with crystal clear sound and captures the performance of a lifetime. This multi-directional masterpiece tilts, rotates, and is made to withstand demanding conditions, producing best-in-class stereo audio.
MV51 Digital Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone – The MV51 offers unparalleled audio in all- metal construction with simple touch panel controls. Deny distortion and enjoy sound excellence in every environment, from demo sessions to field recordings.
MV5 Digital Condenser Microphone – The MV5 delivers pristine sound recording via Lightning or USB directly to your mobile or desktop, without sound distortion. Use vocal, instrument, or flat settings to customize recordings.

MVL Lavalier Microphone – Compatible with smartphones and tablets, this omnidirectional condenser microphone connects to portable devices for interviews, videography, and more with superior acoustic clarity.

This limited-time offer gives customers an added value of $28 USD with every purchase and is available worldwide in all countries where Adobe is permitted. Customers can sign up and register for their Premiere Rush subscription at: www.shure.com/adobe.

Creative SXFI TRIO: USB-C In-ears with the Super X-Fi Difference. #Creative #SFXITRIO

Creative Technology today announced the launch of the Creative SXFI TRIO, triple-driver USB-C in-ear headphones, designed to deliver high-quality holographic audio with all-day comfort on Android phones, PCs and laptops.

 

Implemented with the latest Super X-Fi Gen2 technology, users can expect greater accuracy in personalisation and a better all-round audio experience. Powered by the same triple-driver system as the well-received Aurvana Trio and fitted with a custom-designed Kevlar USB-C cable, SXFI TRIO sets to exceed expectations with balanced, accurate, and natural-sounding digital audio for users on the go.

Wired for Pristine Digital Audio

SXFI TRIO delivers pristine digital audio and great performance powered by an in-house tuned, hybrid triple-driver system. Each of the three drivers (two precision balanced armature drivers for detailed mids and highs, and a bio-cellulose driver for powerful yet clean bass) plays an important part to achieve maximum audio fidelity. Yielding up to 100 dB SNR and 0.008% IMD, SXFI TRIO offers users exceptional audio clarity with balanced and accurate audio that is natural sounding.

 

Intricately designed and engineered, SXFI TRIO is also fitted with a custom-designed, Kevlar-reinforced cable for exceptional tensile strength, and wrapped in an aluminium and copper shield for higher durability. Its all-round superior quality makes it perfect for use on mobile devices while on the go.

 

The cream of the features crop is the critically-acclaimed Super X-Fi technology, which is incorporated through an attached in-line SXFI WIRE, which is a 40% smaller version of the already finger-sized SXFI AMP, the first-ever Super X-Fi product and an icon in its own right. Users can enjoy holographic audio which is personalized for an all-natural surround audio experience, that can rival a high-end 7.1 surround sound system.

Work-Learn-Play from Home All Day

SXFI TRIO truly sets itself apart with a new level of audio realism for calls, and makes video calls with family and friends more intimate. It’s also excellent for long calls, where the spatialisation of Super X-Fi eliminates the fatigue associated with conventional headphones.

As such, SXFI TRIO is the perfect companion to Work-Learn-Play from home with, instead of bulky headphones.

SXFI TRIO’s angled earbuds are intricately designed and fine-tuned for long-lasting comfort, and it comes with 6 pairs of different silicone ear tip sizes, so it will be a breeze to find the perfect fit.

Creative’s CEO Sim Wong Hoo said, “The SXFI TRIO is an all-rounder, ideal for all day in all places. It’s a miniaturised wonder. The triple-driver performance can rival high-end, bulky headphones; with Super X-Fi integrated, I believe it will be very hard to match. Moreover, you are getting two products for the price of one, because it basically integrates the SXFI AMP and the Aurvana Trio into one – their combined price is twice that of SXFI TRIO.”

Pricing and Availability

SXFI TRIO is priced at £124.99 and is available at Creative.com.

For more information, visit creative.com/sxfitrio.

Big data to make a big impact in audio-tech at CES 2020. #CES2020 #SoundID #BigData

Sonarworks, the award-winning audio-tech specialists, announce SoundID – enabling personalised audio perfected for each listener across any device in 2020. 

An early demonstration of SoundID will be debuted at CES, and starting today Beta version will be available on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, ahead of the full roll-out in Q2 2020. Headphone manufacturer 1MORE will also be showcasing SoundID integration at CES, ahead of further 1MORE hardware and software integration in 2020. 

This transformative SoundID technology has been developed by the same Sonarworks team that is behind the precision audio software used by Grammy-Award winning producers in over 45,000 professional recording studios in the world. Based on the biggest ever research into sound preferences – a 39,000 sample size – Sonarworks have developed a unique method of analysing and augmenting sound using machine learning and big data based sound preference and hearing tests. By comparison, conventional audio-tech companies would develop their software solutions based on a pool of a few hundred respondents. 

 

SoundID solves a long-standing problem in the audio-tech space. Until now, manufacturers have applied a ‘one size fits all’ approach regardless of the many variables – hardware options, audio formats, while not taking into account the variable of the end user – all of whom hear differently and have their individual preferences. 

 

Subsequently audio manufacturers have targeted sound profiles that are favoured by less than 20% of the overall market as the latest identifiable group. By contrast, SoundID enabled audio is favoured by over 78% of listeners in blind testing. 

 

SoundID will transform the way listeners enjoy audio – a quick one-time in-app hearing test that includes age, musical preferences, and hardware configuration will create your SoundID profile. That profile will eventually be automatically enabled across all your devices – including portables, creating a seamless listening experience for the end-user that is individually perfected every time. 

 

Martins Popelis, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Sonarworks, said: In 2012 we transformed the professional audio market with our products that are now used wider as a key tool of the creation process. Now, we are putting a stake in the ground to do the same in the consumer audio sector. Bespoke audio personalised to each listener is now a reality with Sonarworks’ SoundID. Audio profiles have been an issue for the market for decades, having to target the preferences for less than 20% of the market. Now we have a seamless experience in SoundID that is measurably better than the current products on the market.

See SoundID for more and check out the app.

Samsung buys Harman International, one of the largest audio and connected tech companies.

At the beginning of the week, we found out that the South Korea company had bought the audio leader Harman for about $8.0 billion.

Paying $112.00 per share in cash, the well-known phone and electronics manufactures decided this November 14th to enter on a definite agreement with the audio expert.

The connected car solutions Harman offer and well-known for everyone and gives Samsung access to JBL, Harman Kardon and others.

“HARMAN perfectly complements Samsung in terms of technologies, products and solutions, and joining forces is a natural extension of the automotive strategy we have been pursuing for some time,” said Oh-Hyun Kwon, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Electronics.  “As a Tier 1 automotive supplier with deep customer relationships, strong brands, leading technology and a recognized portfolio of best-in-class products, HARMAN immediately establishes a strong foundation for Samsung to grow our automotive platform. Dinesh Paliwal is a proven global leader and, in our extensive discussions, we have developed deep respect for him, his strong senior leadership team and HARMAN’s talented employees.  HARMAN’s sustained track record of rapid growth fueled by technology leadership and an unmatched automotive order pipeline reflects its commitment to innovation and customers.”

Samsung is aiming really hard at the automotive market with this deal, but we can expect some proper audio expertise on the company connected home and mobile technologies.

There are several expectations on the automotive, audio and connected technology part about it. All of which can be read on the link at the end.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think Samsung is going to improve the sound quality on its products? Or is just going to focus on the automotive market?

Sound off below and let us know

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#Youtube adds Spatial Audio on-demand to their 360° videos By @VicenteA_George #spatialaudio #Google

 

360° videos where added to YouTube last year as impulse for VR technology, with their very own Spotlight Stories and some other extras, the 360-degree live streaming will now be way more immersive thanks to the addition of Spatial Audio.

With Spatial audio build in, the streaming transform into an almost “live experience.

From the announcement we know that some of the artists performing this weekend at Coachella are going to have this almost “7.1 audio” capability.

But for your own enjoyment here’s a sample of what would it sound like:

YouTube has been working with companies like VideoStitch, Two Big Ears, ALLie, Vahana VR and Orah 4i to assure their software if totally compatible with the platform.

So, it will be available on more videos and locations to allow people from all around the globe to enjoy this.

The goal is no just entertainment, as the company also aims to make tours and travel-like experiences available, students can have a tour around the pyramids without leaving the classroom.

We’ve been having 360° videos for long, but now those videos are going to be way more useful for other things besides entertainment.

Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer of YouTube says:

What excites me most about 360-degree storytelling is that it lets us open up the world’s experiences to everyone. Students can now experience news events in the classroom as they unfold. Travelers can experience faraway sites and explorers can deep-sea dive, all without the physical constraints of the real world. And today’s kids dreaming of going to a basketball game or a concert can access those experiences firsthand, even if they’re far away from the court. What were once limited experiences are now available to anyone, anywhere, at any time.

In addition to this incredible feature, the usual live streaming video can now be made in 360 degrees.

Now user will be allowed to stream in high quality thanks to the new support fpr 1440p at 60fps resolution, leaving no room to complain about it.

User just need to have a compatible hardware and they are ready to roll.

What are your thoughts on VR? Do you think we are there yet? Which video you would to experience on 360° spatial audio form? Let us know in the comment section below

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