Display article   Subject:  SoundBlaster Pro Basic
   04/30/97   19:27:07


SOUNDBLASTER PRO BASIC

New Multimedia Sound Board

From the folks at Creative Labs, creators of the SoundBlaster,
comes the SoundBlaster Pro Basic board.  The SoundBlaster Pro
Basic (25-1097) is a full-featured multimedia sound card for your
computer.  It comes with many hardware features, including:

-- An enhanced 4-Operator OPL-3 Stereo FM Synthesizer -- This
   synthesizer allows your customer to hear 20-Voice FM
   synthesized sound and 4-operator FM synthesis.  It uses eight
   different waveforms and four algorithms for maximum sound
   definition, providing professional quality sound.

-- Has power-on default to mono mode for full compatibility with
   SoundBlaster and AdLib sound cards.

-- Stereo DACs are built in with music compression hardware that
   can decompress music files which have been stored at a 2:1,
   3:1, or 4:1 compression rate.

-- Stereo line-in and CD audio-in ports.

-- Standard IBM PC joystick port for 1 or 2 joysticks (Y-cable
   optional).

-- Panasonic CD-ROM interface built-in.

-- A digital and analog mixer with programmable individual and
   master volume control allows you to mix audio sources together
   in several different ways.  The audio sources include stereo
   DAC, stereo FM, microphone, stereo line-in, CD audio-in and
   sounds from the PC's internal speaker.

-- Full software control of fade-in, fade-out, pan, volume,
   left/right steering and microphone mixing, with multiple level
   volume controls on digitized sound.

-- Built-in power amplifier delivers 4 Watts per channel at
   4 ohms (2 Watts at 8 ohms).

-- Mini stereo jack to RCA conversion cable.

While the hardware is impressive, the SoundBlaster Pro Basic also
comes with some solid multimedia software.

-- FM Intelligent Organ -- This powerful, easy to use organ
   software lets you play and learn to play orchestra-like music
   using only one finger.  Play sophisticated music from your
   PC's keyboard.  Background accompaniments and rhythms are
   added automatically.  No musical knowledge is required.

-- Voice Editor II and Utilities -- This powerful program
   supports stereo recording, compression, and editing of voice
   files of unlimited size.  It displays the waveform with
   zooming capabilities and allows cutting and pasting.  It
   creates echo and reverb.  It can also insert marker and
   repeat commands.  Playback of voice files in the background is
   possible using the utilities.

-- CD Music Player -- Controls the playing of standard compact
   discs with a CD-ROM drive.  This program comes with a
   full-feature control panel, with Play, Next/Last Track, Pause,
   Fast Forward, Rewind and Stop.

-- MMPlay Presentation -- MMPlay integrates graphic animations
   with the sound capabilities of the SoundBlaster Pro.  This
   utility also supports synchronization, fading and mixing.

-- SBSIM --  A SoundBlaster Standard Programming Tool -- SBSIM
   (SoundBlaster Standard Interface Module) makes it easier than
   ever to add sound to those spectacular multimedia
   presentations.  Besides being simple and flexible, SBSIM's
   programming method lets applications share access to all
   SoundBlaster drivers.  As a resident memory program, SBSIM
   supports extended memory and relieves you of the drudgery of
   loading the various SoundBlaster drivers.  SBSIM takes care of
   starting up, initializing and terminating drivers along with
   loading music and voice files.

-- SBTALKER -- A text-to-speech driver with Dr. Sbaitso -- A high
   value memory resident module that makes your computer talk
   directly from whatever ASCII text is supplied.  It speaks
   English from an unlimited vocabulary dictionary.  SBTALKER
   comes with the inscrutable Dr. Sbaitso Artificial Intelligence
   software.  Consult Dr. Sbaitso about any of your problems and
   hear him reply!

The SoundBlaster Pro Basic is downward compatible with
SoundBlaster.  It only differs from the SoundBlaster Pro in that
it does not come with the MIDI kit or MIDI sequencer software.
It does come with drivers for use with Windows 3.1 or DOS, and it
is MPC compatible.

Sound cards are predicted to be a big seller this Christmas, and
SoundBlaster cards are recognized world-wide as the leader in
sound card technology.
