users of -< Santa Cruz >- OR -< Hercules GTXP >- are u satisfied?

error

Junior Member
Jul 21, 2000
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0
I have read some in this forum and it looks like Turtle Santa Cruz or Hercules Game TheathreXP is the card to buy... are u ppl satisfied with these cards?

I am gonna buy myself a new card, so I got some questions:
>-< when using it for games:
* which one shall I buy?
* which is stable?
* other suggestions instead of SC/HGTX?

>-< me and a friend will use the computer for some amatuer music production (midi+wav)
* which card is suggested here? (probably a more expensive one?)

------------------
thanks for any help
 

glenn1

Lifer
Sep 6, 2000
25,383
1,013
126
My Santa Cruz is undeniably one of the best component purchases i have ever made. It's utterly and totally stable, and W2K drivers are flawless. There are professional level sound cards which might be more appropriate for your needs if you're doing music production, but i'll leave it to others to make suggestions on that front. And yes, 'satisfied' with my SC is an understatement. This card rocks.
 

Wingznut

Elite Member
Dec 28, 1999
16,968
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If you like the Herc's breakout box, and the extra $50 is okay with you, then get the Herc GTXP.
If you don't care for the breakout box, or want to save some cash, then get the Santa Cruz.

I think that pretty much sums it up. :)
 

Yoshitoshi

Member
May 25, 2001
140
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I moved to a Santa Cruz after ditching my SBLive Platinum due to KT7A compatibility problems.

Sound quality: No noticable difference, MP3's used to skip when dialing up with the SBLive though.

Sound Effects: SBLive wins hands down for features. EAX is slightly more noticeable on SBLive, although I am getting used ot the subtlety of the SC.

Connectivity: SBLive gives you SPDIF Optical and a LiveDrive, no equivalent daughter board available on the SC. I got a Front-X for my SC but it's not a LiveDrive by any means. VersaJack on the SC is a good compromise though.

Software: More features with the SBLive. SC control panel is a little quirky. I found both had a few (tolerable) bugs.

Yoshi..
 

MrBond

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
9,911
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76
I'll agree about the Santa Cruz. Best $70 I ever spent. There's a 20% off code for Dell SB online, so you can get one for around $62 shipped, check Hot Deals for info on that. Expries tomorrow (6-19). I noticed a difference in sound quality right away

One thing thats giving me fits, I have my speakers plugged into speaker out, and my headphones plugged into the versa-jack out. The versa jack is supposed to be doing analog out, but I get no sound from my headphones. I can chage main output to &quot;VersaJack Out(headphones)&quot; but then I lose sound through my speakers. I'll just have to RTFM :D
 

Andy22

Golden Member
Jun 8, 2001
1,425
0
71
I read a comparison of the SC and Sound Blaster Live! a while back and it stated that the SC was a great card but when it came to games, the Live! had better sound. For games the Live! is the standard and while there may be other quality cards out there, for the best compatibility, I say go with the Live!.
 

Sugadaddy

Banned
May 12, 2000
6,495
0
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I switched from a Live to a GTXP, and it was one of the most satisfying upgrades I've done. :)


Both are pretty much the same, and drivers are stable in win98/me and win2k. The GTXP has more features like midi in and out, which could be useful if you want to do music like you said. It also has 1/4inch mic in and headphone out with their own volume control. The volume for the headphone jack is probably what I like the most about the rack.
 

Wingznut

Elite Member
Dec 28, 1999
16,968
2
0
I'm not sure which article you read, but the SC outshines the SBLive in gaming... by a lot. 3d positional audio is horrible on the SBLive.
 

NFS4

No Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
72,636
46
91


<< I read a comparison of the SC and Sound Blaster Live! a while back and it stated that the SC was a great card but when it came to games, the Live! had better sound. For games the Live! is the standard and while there may be other quality cards out there, for the best compatibility, I say go with the Live!. >>



First off, I'm VERY satisfied with my Santa Cruz. It sounds better than my Live! in everything from MP3's to CD music to games.

Secondly, as far as compatibility, look no further than the Live! for sound pops, failing SMP support in Win2k, and the headaches it causes with the 686B southbridge. The Live! sounds &quot;muddy&quot; in comparison to the SC and the GTXP. If you were going to buy a new sound card today, it makes no sense to get the Live!
 

nortexoid

Diamond Member
May 1, 2000
4,096
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games?...the live doesn't support A3D, the SC does - the SC supports EAX, it supports sensaura FX engines, etc...talk about better gaming sound than the live...

compatibility?...like NFS4 said...

i love my SC...one of the best soudn cards i've ever owned (pay homage to my dead MX300!)
 

NFS4

No Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
72,636
46
91


<< games?...the live doesn't support A3D, the SC does - the SC supports EAX, it supports sensaura FX engines, etc...talk about better gaming sound than the live...

compatibility?...like NFS4 said...

i love my SC...one of the best soudn cards i've ever owned (pay homage to my dead MX300!)
>>


The only thing that upsets me is that I may get rid of my SC depending on how well the sound on the nForce sounds;)
 

MrBond

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
9,911
0
76
nfs4, bah, I don't expect much out of the nforce sound. All in one solutions never really impressed me.

I could be wrong, but my Santa Cruz is staying in my PC until the next big jump in technology (I used a awe32 up until last week :p)
 

Blayze

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2000
6,152
0
0
I love my santa cruz
although I have only been using it since last thursday, it is a great upgrade from my dead SB Live Value
 

NFS4

No Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
72,636
46
91


<< nfs4, bah, I don't expect much out of the nforce sound. All in one solutions never really impressed me.

I could be wrong, but my Santa Cruz is staying in my PC until the next big jump in technology (I used a awe32 up until last week :p)
>>


We may be surprised. It has the most powerful audio processor yet for a sound card and it looks pretty advanced and supports all of the good API's.

But I'll just wait and see. I probably will keep the Santa Cruz anyway if I happen to change motherboards down the road.
 

spanner

Senior member
Jun 11, 2001
464
0
0
Are you kidding, the live 3d positional audio rocks, it rivals my old vortex 2 with less CPU. From what I have heard and seen with my room mates GTXP is that the GTXP is not quite as good as my livemp3 5.1 on midiland 7100 speakers when it comes to gaming but its good, I think the live is the only card that delivers 5.1 sound from eax games by panning as opposed to mixing the left and right channels. The lives major weakness is it is really crap at emulating 3d sound on a 2 speaker setup but with my 5.1 setup I really don't care. My old SC was a really bad match with my speakers because of bass management but otherwise its a good card. Anyone notice how the new sound card offerings are going to crap? the audigy is a joke, I don't need any of its new features or its marginally less CPU utilization and it doesn't enen have a game port, the nforce looks cool but again I don't need hardware dd encoding and its only onboard, thats only usefull for console's or PC based home theatre's. I am hoping for a GTXP2 with better gaming on my midiland 7100's. All this may change once openAL is complete, Creative is pushing it and since it is free and open i bet most other cards and will support it.
 

Syn

Senior member
Oct 10, 1999
214
0
0
I replaced my SB Live! value with the TB Santa Cruz.It's a step up IMHO.I use it for games and music(mp3's,cd,guitar)and it sounds great paired with my BA4800's.Cleaner sound IMHO.
 

error

Junior Member
Jul 21, 2000
11
0
0
woha! talk about many replies in short time :)

thx, I feel more enlightened now
btw... I got the 686B southbridge... no sblive! for me :)

oh, and btw... any ideas on more 'pro' cards? (for music production)

----------
thx again
 

spanner

Senior member
Jun 11, 2001
464
0
0
What northbridge you got, I believe the problem only arrises when is combined with a VIA northbridge and you DON'T have the new 4 in ones. I have a via southbridge, not sure which one but I have no probs, hopefully I don't get any probs when my epox 87KA arives otherwise I'll be stuck with onboard audio until I can afford a GTXP and hopefully it has good bass management
 

HansXP

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2001
3,093
0
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<< look no further than the Live! for sound pops... >>



Yup. Ever since I got the Live! my sound has been popping like crazy, it drives me nuts! 2 more weeks and I get a GTXP, woohoo!