Creative Unveils Sound Core3D Multi-Core Sound and Voice Processor

Creative Technology today announced its new Sound Core3D multi-core sound and voice processor. It offers high-quality analog playback and recording and low power consumption, all integrated in a low-cost solution. Sound Core3D is available in two configurations: an HD audio configuration for PCs and an embedded configuration for consumer electronics.

The novelty is Creative's first sound and voice processor to integrate an array of high-performance digital signal processor (DSP) cores and a high-quality HD audio codec on one chip. Sound Core3D incorporates Creative's Quartet DSP with four independent processor cores, 6-channel 24-bit 102-dB digital-to-analog converters, 4-channel 24-bit 101-dB analog-to-digital converters, integrated headphone amplifier-out, digital microphone interface, S/PDIF inputs and outputs, and general purpose inputs and outputs (GPIO) — all in a compact 56-pin QFP package. Sound Core3D has been certified for Dolby Digital decoding, which is available on a product-by-product basis depending upon specific customer implementation of the chip.

Sound Core3D powers DSP algorithms to drive CrystalVoice processing, THX TruStudio Pro playback enhancement and an additional advanced audio toolbox of algorithms.

CrystalVoice features technologies for improving vocal fidelity in video conferencing, multiplayer games and online chats. It's comprised of:

• Acoustic Echo Cancellation — eliminates echoes and enables the talker to listen to the other party clearly.
• Focus — beam-forming creates a zone and suppresses noise outside it to enable the talker to be heard better. Multiple microphones are used to focus, enhance voice, and eliminate sounds outside the zone.
• Noise Reduction — enables the talker to be heard clearly over background noise by constantly monitoring the environment and eliminating the unwanted noise that interferes with the conversation.
• Smart Volume — automatically adjusts voice loudness to maintain a consistent volume level.
• FX — enables voice alteration with a variety of effects, which can be used to enhance the tone of a voice, create interesting accents, or enable someone to sound like a completely different person.
• EQ — enables adjustment of the frequency response to compensate for poor microphone performance and improve the voice quality.

THX TruStudio Pro is a suite of audio enhancements developed by the collaborative expertise of Creative and THX audio engineers to enhance games, music and movies.

It features:

• Crystalizer — enhances in-game sound, music and movies by restoring low and high end frequency curves lost to compression.
• Surround — delivers a 360-degree surround sound gaming experience so gamers can hear sounds clearly from the front, back, above and below.
• Smart Volume — addresses the problem of abrupt volume level changes in games, music and movies by intelligently applying gain and attenuation to deliver consistent volume levels.
• Dialog Plus — enhances voices in games and movies for clearer dialog, allowing the listener to hear the dialog over the rest of sound track and over ambient noise in the listening environment.
• Bass — fills in the missing low frequency tones and gives the extra impact for better experience.

Additional audio toolbox algorithms include a 10-band graphic EQ, bass management, speaker calibration, limiter, reverb and a pitch shifter.

Source: Creative Technology

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