This download is a driver providing Microsoft® Windows Vista® and Windows® XP support for Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy® series audio devices. For more details, read the rest of this web release note.
This download supports the following audio devices only:
- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy including Platinum and Platinum eX series
- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 including Platinum, Platinum eX, and Value series
- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS including Platinum and Platinum Pro series
- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro and Sound Blaster Audigy 4
- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook PCMCIA
Added Features:
To find out the Product ID of your audio device and if it supports the following features in Windows XP, click here.
For systems using Windows Vista
- Dolby® Digital and DTS® decode re-established for sound cards that included decoding in their Windows XP drivers.
- DVD-Audio playback re-established for sound cards that included the application in their Windows XP software suite (For Windows Vista 32-bit only).
Requires the latest Creative MediaSource DVD-Audio Player software. Click here to download.
Fixes:
- Resolves issues of intermittent and random application/system crash when playing games or running applications that use EAX®, DirectSound®, OpenAL and/or ASIO features.
- Resolves issue of system crash when running DTM – Device Path Exerciser test in Windows Vista 64-bit.
- Resolves issue of volume mapping leading to very soft volume level in systems using Windows Vista with Service Pack 1.
- Resolves issue with distortion and noise occuring in systems with 4 GB of RAM or greater.
- Resolves issue with OpenAL playback of multichannel formats.
- Resolves issue of system crash when performing immediate system shutdown after exiting Battlefield 2.
- Optimizations to OpenAL to improve performance in Unreal Tournament 3, DiRT, and other games.
Known Issues:
- Applications from the original Sound Blaster Audigy CD will not work with this download on Windows Vista.
- Users are advised to use Audio Console included in this download to change speaker configurations.
- Gameport is not supported in Windows Vista and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.
- 6.1 speaker mode is not supported by Windows Vista.
Requirements:
- Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) 2005 or Windows XP MCE 2004
- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy audio devices listed above.
Notes:
- DO NOT install this driver for Sound Blaster Audigy LS, Sound Blaster Audigy SE, or Sound Blaster Audigy Value.
- To install this driver
- Download the file onto your local hard disk.
- Double-click the downloaded file.
- Follow the instructions on the screen.
I’m going to whine about the 5.1 support.
I’ve tried this on two installs now.
The same Audio Console bug exists from the last Creative release.
Set speakers to 5.1 in console… watch for a few seconds.. it changes back to 2.1 of it’s own accord.
Genius! Just like the last official release!
Ok.. removing all the auto start Creative entries has allowed 5.1, but the centers and surrounds are super quiet!
The balance controls in Vista’s sound control panel reveal the problem, the inependant speaker volumes are all mixed up.
Placed back to 100% for L,R,C,RS,LS,SW reveals a working 5.1 driver.
Wow what a performance!
I’ll try on number 3 – lol
Hi.
Which driver is the best for Windows Vista x64 and Augidy 2 ZS? Newest from Creative website or maybe some unofficial?
At present, the latest official release offers the best sound quality by far.
It’s a typical Creative offering, and is bound to have unfixed features for some people.
As far as I can tell, it’s a pretty good driver. I’ve been running it now for 8 hours without annoyance. The install was very slow and of course installed problem entries. Once those start up entries are removed -everything worked great.
Oh and 24/96 stuff sounds amazing with no squeal bugs (so far)
Actually, I use Audigy Vista Support Pack with EQ and other useful soft by Daniel Kawakami (v2.15.0004EQ). Are you sure that this driver from Creative will be better?
I don’t use Vista 64, and for all I know; you might not have any speakers. So I can’t look in to my crystal ball and see if it will work for you, sorry. I’m good – but not that good.
The EQ will still work with the official driver, however the Crystalizer will no longer function correctly. Not that that’s an issue if you prefer quality.
After full analysis – 2.18.0001 is a really lovely driver for my Audigy family. Delete the buggy start-up entries and it’s awesome. The quality difference between 2.18 and 2.15 is huge.
EAX - PASS
Input Tests - PASS
Volume Levels – PASS
24bit CD AUDIO - PASS
dts Audio - PASS
dts Movie - ISSUES
PCM Optical – PASS
Vista Control Panel - PASS
CMSS / Decoders – PASS
Dolby Decoder - PASS
Studio Quality - PASS
First of all thanks for this superb blog! I got myself a second hand Audigy 4 and i’m glad google pointed me to this site. I’m on Vista 32bit and using the latest official driver. Overall the sound is very good. Though i’m hoping to play my music WITH my subwoofer in action… In the speakerconfig of Vista i do hear my sub when setting it to 5.1 en testing it. When playing an mp3 with Windows mediaplayer my sub keeps quiet
Does your sub do work playing mp3, nomoregoatsoup?
Forgot to mention: my center speaker does work while playing mp3…
Yes my subwoofer works like a charm.
I’m using nomoregoatsoup’s “remix” of 2.18.0001 driver.
I hope to get the installer finished and get the driver uploaded this week!
I’m looking forward to your release! Thanks in advance!
Had a problem on Vista x64, I actually ended up with a driver dated from 2006 that cased plenty of BSODs.
Went back through the install and worked it out. I got a message asking me what do I want to do for the new device install. ( Please see this image: http://www.engeniustech.com/FCKEditor/UserFiles/Image/EUB%20Vista/Found%20New%20Hardware%20AR5523.jpg). Clicking install automatically gave me the 2006 driver, clicking “Ask me later” let the Creative installer do it’s business and installed the latest driver from this package.
Don’t know how useful this bit of info is to everyone but you all might want to check which driver version has been installed if you got messages like me.
As far as I can tell it’s a good driver and I’m looking forward to Goat’s remix pack.
Nomoregoatsoup, wich are the buggy start-up entryes you said? How to remove them? Thanks in advance and regards from Brasil!
run “msconfig”.
MarcusVR: You can find the instructions here.
Hope it helps!
There appears to be a link or information missing from the link, above.
What are the instructions?
Found this on Creative boards: This seems to be working for me (Klipsch 4.1 THX Analog, Audigy Platinum, July 17 Creative drivers, Nvidia 680i MOBO w/ RealTek Onboard & latest drivers)
I was running into an issue that whenever I pluged in my Headphones to the Front Panel (RealTek), My Audigy would switch from Quadraphonic to Stereo (4.1 to 2.1)
I use my Klipsch speakers for Gaming/MP3/etc, but like to have my IN GAME voice exclusively over the headphones. I have had nothing but problems w/ Vista/Creative until I found this blog.
Anyway.. here is what I found on the Creative forum. I presume it was posted by the Author of this blog:
—————————
after this driver installed my 4.1 speaker not working!!! only 2.1 worked..my rear speaker no sound at all
For everyone having problems with “2.1 speaker only bug” in Vista.
* Visit Control Panel (viewed control panel home, not classic view)
* Under Programs, select “Change Startup Programs”
* When Windows Defender pops up, scroll down to CtHelper Application (CtHelper.exe) and disable any entries regarding it. (by clicking disable button – there may be more than one CtHelper present too! Maybe disable all Creative start-up entries…)
* Go to Creative Audio Console & Set your speakers to 5.1 or whatever, then restart to test it.
Your Center Speaker and Surround may now function with reduced volume. If this is the case, do the following:
* Visit Control Panal (Classic View) and find “Sounds”
* Select “Speakers – Creative X-Fi / Audigy” and hit the “Properties” button
* Navigate to “Levels” and hit the “Balance” button
* Here you will find independant volume levels for your Creative soundcard
XP users wishing to fix 5.1 issues can type “msconfig” in a run command. Chosse start-up tab and disable CThelper.exe there.
Thanks for the answers, Nomoregoatsoup and Daniel. But I have a doubt: to disable CtHelper can’t prevent some software to work correctly, once it’s an interface for 3rd party programms to the drivers of creative soundcards?
Please, excuse some English error, ok?
Clarifying my last post a bit:
Basically,
Start -> Run -> msconfig
Uncheck any ‘Creative’ items on the ‘StartUp’ tab (CtHelper and CTXfiHlp for me on Vista w/ Audigy Platinum Drivers)
This will keep your speaker channels from auto-switching from 5.1 to 2.1 or similar.
Next goto Control Panel -> Sound -> Properties Button for Speakers on Playback tab -> Levels Tab -> BALANCE button
Make sure all of your speaker levels are correct.
On my machine, the AutoSwitching of Channels from Quadrophonic to Stereo set all but my FL and FR speakers to ZERO volume.
Since making this change w/ the latest (7/17/08) drivers, all of my problems seem to be behind me.
No more auto-switching and No more conflicts when using my Front Panel Headphones (RealTek Driver).
I have yet to find any drawbacks to having disabled CTHelper or CTXflHlp. CTHelper seems to be the root of multiple problems.
Cheers!
CThelper.exe just creates problems. You don’t have to remove; under Vista you can simply disable
Thanks, friends! I’ll do it!
To: nomoregoatsoup
I know when you change SBAX_PCDRV_LB_2_18_0001.exe of uncompression.
must copy folder to c:\windows\temp\XXX then execute “setup.exe”.
if not can’t installation fullly function.
cmhdream… umm.. I’m sorry I don’t understand.
Doesn’t the installer install to C:\Windows\Temp\ ?
Mine does in Vista.
:confused:
To: nomoregoatsoup
If you have to change the content of inside, must be uncompress SBAX_PCDRV_LB_2_18_0001 with winrar.
if you execute “\SBAX_PCDRV_LB_2_18_0001\setup.exe” will show error “dirver version not found”
If put the folder to c:\windows\temp\SBAX_PCDRV_LB_2_18_0001\setup.exe, like this will not have problems.
Hmm… I’ve installed on several OS now and I haven’t come across that bug once. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this bug wasn’t related to previous driver files on the hard disk.
Thanks for sharing your findings -I’m sure you won’t be the only one to get this…
Cheers
For anyone else having issues with previous drivers NOT uninstalling, see this post!
Out of curiousity does anyone know whether linux has better options than windows for Creative soundcards?
Nice drivers so far. If it’s not too rude, how is the remix going nomoregoatsoup?
-Sam, ALSA supports creative sound cards fairly well in most Linux distros . Great sound, analogue/digital surround. You can find volume controls for surround (center, rear, sub, side, front), as well as analogue/digital switch in preferences for the volume manager.
nerdgnu: No it’s not at all rude.
It’s going very slowly. Creative have changed quite a lot with the new drivers, as I mentioned. We have completed a 2.18.0001 revised installer – it has fixed microphone issues many of us have been suffering with. However the dts decoder on 2.18.0001 drivers is buggy and doesn’t work for a lot of people! The strange part is; it’s old files that never had issues before -so obviously something else is causing the dts support to vanish. We’re also experimenting with lots of X-Fi 2.18.0004 files which is fun – but we have to be careful not to add any unsupported or unlicenced features. It’s a shame because the 2.18.0004 driver contains many more fixes, yet at the same time conflicts with ALchemy sometimes!
I know I keep promising it, but it really is worth waiting for something fully tested! Everytime I say it’s almost done -we find a new issue.
At present, the best working driver for Audigy owners is the 2.18.0001. Sadly it has mic issues and minor decoding issues.
Until we can beat that, I won’t post anything -sorry. I don’t want to fix one issue and create two more. I’ll only get a page of comments with people saying “The ALchemy isn’t working on CS:S” or “WTF happened to my dts”.
We are working on them at every available free moment, but it’s time consuming to uninstall & reinstall every driver change we test.
I have to say though, the new breed of drivers do sound quite nice… when they work!
Hi there, would anyone be able to tell me if i can install this driver for Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX?
I don’t think the A2NX is supported, sorry. Only one true way to find out though!
oh alright
but would you by any chance know which driver would probably support A2NX? would really appreciate if you could suggest me a driver to use with Vista. thanks!
I recommend you visit creative website for your A2NX and download drivers from there. There is an earlier driver (WHQL too I think, maybe you can get it from microsoft also) which supports your card. This driver is also causing issues for some people with recent nvidia drivers when playing games (crashes with physx enabled on GPU). Those nvidia drivers seem to be causing all sorts of problems for people running different hardware and drivers though so who knows. I turned off PhysX on GPU and they seem to work OK for now.
Audigy Series Vista Driver Installer Version 2
2.15.0003
http://nomoregoatsoup.wordpress.com/2007/10/02/audigy-series-vista-driver-pack-2/
or
P17X_PCDVT_LB_1_04_0079 may work, there is a link for them in the comments below the driver.
Thanks for the drivers nomoregoatsoup, I’m downloading your latest 2.15.0003 again to test against the 2.18.0001 drivers with old games. Maybe your release will be more compatible with older games and recent graphics/physx drivers. I was running your packaged 2.15.0003 before I installed creatives’s 2.18.0001 and they were very good quality.
Sorry for double post guys.
I installed these drivers because my old ones were extremely out of date [almost 3 years] and I thought it might be one of the reasons I was having problems with a particularly buggy game. After I installed them I have no sound and I’m not even sure my Windows XP is detecting I have a sound card. It shows up in my device manager and everything but I am completely unable to adjust anything without the Creative’s program package crashing on me. It won’t even properly roll back to the time when my sound was working. I’m not coming across anyone else having this problem either.
Battlefield 2? crashed with this drivers on vista 64bit
annoyed: I think these drivers were aimed more at the Vista crowd. They are a great improvement for us.
B2: I still don’t understand why anyone would want to play B2 anyway. Creative did you a favour if you ask me. If there’s a game that will have hardware/software issues -it’s always going to be B2! :p
These drivers are amazing. They solved many BSOD problems I was having with Alchemy.
I am running Vista x64 btw.
If you install this driver without any of the applications, how do you enable bass rediction to your subwoofer? Also, in the audio console, only CMSS was available, and my previously available CMSS2 and Stereo Surround from the DanielK Eq driver set was missing.
Zan2828: Yep they sound much better than previous homebrew.
EPalpatine: CMSS2 and Stereo Surround are easily emulated with AC3Filter for most movie & music things. It’s no big loss considering how much better the quality is.
It will also handle your bass redirection… though my subwoofer is working just fine without any option……. Vista has settings to select (in sound properties/control panel/configuration) for full range speakers or otherwise.
Thanks for the reply, nomoregoatsoup.
I am using the analog 5.1 output of my Audigy into the 5.1 input of a receiver (i.e. not using a set of speakers with bass management). If I cannot enable bass redirection in speaker settings or ctpanel, my subwoofer does not produce sound while playing music or games (but the “TEST” works. This is even with setting all speaks as non-full range speakers.
Regarding AC3filter, can this be applied globally to windows, so that all sounds are affected rather than on a program by program basis?
Ok, regarding AC3Filter
Set the speakers to 5.1 on “main” tab
Now on the “System” tab you have several options.
AC3Filter can handle the following things:
PCM (Stereo digital sound)
AC3 (5.1 surround)
DTS (for DVD and Audio playback)
MPEG Audio
DVD Audio
SPDIF
You tick the ones you want to be forced in to 5.1.
On the mixer tab you will also find lots of handy options. There’s even one for bass redirection cut-off frequency!
Hope it works for you!
Apparently these drivers crash Race Driver GRID, but a lot of things seem to crash that game. I will confirm if this is true or not as I would like to get hardware support working for my Audigy 2 Value in Grid’s sound settings (I think it works if you set audio mixing=”default” in hardware_settings_config.xml though). I’ve been running some earlier drivers on XP and would rather update to newer drivers but I don’t know where I put the last drivers I had before 2.18.0001. Creative should really do something with their site as they seem not to give a care for older cards running on XP. I get heaps of complaints from customers about Creative and their poor support and some of these customers don’t want to use anything they didn’t get from the Creative site unfortunately. I guess if I find a good recent XP driver again maybe they might use it.
Any news on the ‘remix’?
I really need my sub in action while listening to music…. And i don’t feel like using a software solution when i have the hardware for it
remix drivers plz? any
Well, it seems i have got everything working fine now
I found nomoregoatsoups article about enabling windows media player enhancements:
http://nomoregoatsoup.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/enable-windows-media-player-enhancements-to-vista/
Unbelievable Creative has disabled those settings in their drivers…. i cannot understand why those lamers did that…
After installing these drivers on my Audigy ZS Notebook , the system is not detecting my microphone input anymore , is appears greyed in Surround Mixer , i switched back to older drivers and everything works again , any ideas whats wrong ?
Does anyone knows how to use Equalizer with the latest 2.18.001 ? not daniel_k or older Equalizers seems to be working, I get “unsupported device” and I really need the equalizer.
sorry about the miss, using vista64
any news remix pack
Heh. Yes there’s some news. In a couple of words, It’s screwed.
Creative have decided to lock out many features previously available.
It’s becoming clear that instead of publicly shaming driver modders; they lock everything instead.
However, the mic unavailable issue has been detected and fixed. We’ve also found a way to get lots of Windows XP applications to work.
We’re working on “What you hear” and “Line-In” at the moment. CMSS is only upmixing from certain sources. For example; Stereo jack “Line-In” isn’t being converted into CMSS speaker fill etc. It’s quite normal for this to be the case, but the same card provides 5.1 upmix with kX Project drivers…
Also we finally understand why CMSS2 isn’t being listed. Kinda crazy because it’s actually part of the driver -but not the Audio Console!
Until we can fix these properly, and tied up simply in to one installer -the Official drivers are the best yet (especially for Vista).
If you’re not in to gaming -we strongly suggest kX-Project instead.
tnx for the info
whats the different between kx and the officiall driver? whre to download kx project?
Have you tried Daniel_K’s latest driver based on the beta?
http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=soundblaster&thread.id=130133
not yet but it seems like it has many bugs based on forums
Hi! Goat, thanks for the great site on the Audigy for Vista issues.
I’m running dual-boot (XP + Vista SP1), with Audigy Gamer (v1) with Inspire 5700 digital. The sound card digitally outputs to the Digital-In of Inspire 5700 decoder
I’ve been using the previous version of official creative driver. Until today only I realized that there is no sound from the center, subWoofer, and 2 rear speakers, even though I have selected 5.1 Speaker under Windows > Sound.
I have the same issues spelled out here, and to make the thing more complicated, there’s a Digital Output checkbox in Windows > Sound properties which seems conflict with the Creative Audio Console. I have been trying different settings this whole morning but in vain.
Thank goodness I found this site and learned lots of things about Audigy in Vista. First thing I will do next is to perform a clean removal of all Creative drivers and install this latest official update. Hopefully this can solve my issue.
I have tried to install this version of creative driver, but after the intallation and removal of cthelper from autostart, I am still unable to get sound from Center, SubWoofer, Rear left and right.
Both Creative audio console and windows Sound config have been set to 5.1 surround, and the Digital Output has been enabled.
anyone can shed some light on this? Could it be due to the ‘digital out’?
After reading all the useful info here, I tried to uninstall my audigy driver on my vista32bit.
First of all, the Creative Control Panel name under the add/remove applications (in Control panel) is still there, however I could not remove it.
Then I installed Driver Sweeper 1.5.5 and tried the uninstallation.
However there are the following files still couldn’t be removed by Driver Sweeper, which is listed as:
program files/installshield installation information/creative
windows/system32/data/
program files/creative
windows/{xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx}
hklm/system/currentcontrolset/control/creative tech/
hklm/software/microsoft/windows/currentversion/runctxfihlp
hklm/software/microsoft/windows/currentversion/runcthelper
hklm/software/creative tech/
hklm/system/controlset002/control/creative tech/
hklm/system/controlset001/control/creative tech/
all along i was just getting the same message everytime I tried to click the creative latest driver: SBAX_PCDRV_LB_2_18_0001.exe, saying I have previous sound drivers installed, please reboot ….
I believe my audigy2 ZS card is better than the onboard sound effect (motherboard is asusP5Q deluxe, but I just couldn’t get the thing right…
Originally Vista detected the audigy2 card and gave me a preliminary driver which produces sound, but I am sure that’s not a decent driver for the soundcard. So, perhaps I would just stick to the onboard sound for the time being.
Appreciate if anyone that could give me some advices.
Thanks.
any info on remix pack?
i fixed the robotic voice mic issue:
go into sound properties, recording, double click microphone and go to advanced. select the first option on the list under default format (CD quality).
mine was set to dvd quality and i had the robot voice. after i set it to cd it went back to normal.
@ Neo SK:
Check this article:
http://nomoregoatsoup.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/enable-windows-media-player-enhancements-to-vista/
This did the trick for me!
Just thought I’d let people know that I’m using Daniel K’s drivers linked above (http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=soundblaster&thread.id=130133)
On Windows 7 (x64 6801 pre-beta). And they’re working fine.
That was a decision that would have stopped me trying it,
But it’s fully compatible with the same drivers and daniel k’s modded ones.
I haven’t come across the robotic mic issue yet. maybe it was a vista/creative specific problem.
I would like to say i have enjoyed all your releases Goat. I’m not fond of installing the beta driver by Creative as they seem to lock alot of features, which i believe i’ve paid for, and i’ll add i brought the Audigy 2zs Platium back in the day… Sigh
I would love to have my IF port working in my drive bay again… haha well maybe Asus will get my next bid. Anyways, is there any hope of modding these drivers?
Keep up the great work
I’ve notice new drivers are avaliable from this link 2_18_004 www dot pcsofts.cn/drivers/creative-sound-blaster-audigy-series-driver-2180004.html
Those are X-Fi drivers I believe, and the latest version of those are actually 2.18.0008.
Hi,
Please help me. I’ve install everything. Every version of drivers and it didn’t work:( I had Creative Audigy Platinum EX and Vista x64. After I installed this drivers sound is workin, on sound graph in windows I see that sound work corectly, but in my speakers I didn’t hear anything… Where is the problem… Anybody knows? I’m sorry of my english…
Sometimes the driver installs “Digital Output Only” as default. Check the sound control panel.
Control Panel (Classic View) > Sounds > Properties > Custom
Uncheck the box for “Digital Output Only”.
Hope this helps
Ok, everything is great. I’ve installed XP Pro and everything is ok, but… One of my speakers isn’t work, it’s mute, all the time. This’s first problem, second… I can listen only music plain’ in my winamp… In movies or something like that I can’t hear anything… Please help…
looking for good Viata drivers for my Creative SB Audigy 2 ZS