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The Sound Blaster® AWE64 Gold card is a 16-bit ISA audio board. This Plug and Play card comes equiped with an EMU8000 AWE Synthesizer chip, 4MB onboard RAM, and the WaveSynth/WaveGuide software. It provides options to upgrade with a Creative Memory upgrade module.

The Sound Blaster AWE64 Gold family of cards include the following models:

Model Numbers:

  • CT4390
  • CT4540

Note: The technical specifications are based model CT4390 only.

Hardware Specifications

    Wave-Table Synthesis

    • E-mu Systems EMU8000 wave-table synthesizer
    • Digital Effects engine for reverb, chorus, flange, and delay
    • 32-voice polyphony and multi-timbral capability
    • 128 GM & Gs compatible instruments and 10 drum kits
    • 16 MIDI channels
    • 1MB ROM of built-in sound samples

    Creative WaveSynth / WG

    • Physical modeling WaveGuide technology and WaveSynth software based music synthesis for highly expressive and natural sounding music reproductions
    • Adds additional 32 voice polyphony and multi-timbral capability

    Advanced Audio Technology

    • SoundFont downloadable samples allow new sounds and musical instruments to be added to the card
    • E-mu 3D Positional Audio positions sound in a 360 degree environment,providing an immersive audio experience with supported applications
    • Creative 3D Stereo Enhancement Technology expands the spaciousness of the sounds in a traditional two speaker system
    • Hardware acceleration of Microsoft?DirectSound?games and applications

    Memory Subsystem

  • 4MB onbaord RAM supports SoundFont banks and E-mu 3D Positional Audio
  • Expandable up to 24MB of RAM with memory upgrade module (sold separately)

CD-Quality, 16-Bit Stereo Digital Audio

  • 8 and 16-bit, mono and stereo recording and playback
  • User-selectable sample rates from the 5kHz to 44.1kHz
  • Full Duplex support enables simultaneous record and playback for Internel communications software

General Specifications

  • Signal to Noise: 90 dB
  • Frequency Response: 15Hz - 50KHz (+0/-1 dB)
  • Environment Temperature: (non-operating) -40C to 70C, (operating) 10C to 50C
  • Relative Humidity: (non-operating) 30% to 95%, (operating) 30% to 80%
  • Input: 2Vrms (maximum)
  • Output: 2Vrms (maximum)
  • THD+N: 0.005%
  • S/PDIF Output: 20Bit, 120dB Dynamic Range

Hardware Settings

Note: all settings are software selectable via Plug and Play.

  • Interrupt (IRQ): 2, 5, 7, 10
  • 8-bit DMA Channel: 0, 1, 3
  • 16-bit DMA Channel: 5, 6, 7
  • Joystick I/O Address: 200 Hex
  • Audio I/O Address: 220, 240, 260, 280 Hex
  • MPU-401 I/O Address: 300, 330 Hex
  • FM Synthesizer I/O Address: 388 Hex
  • Wave Synthesizer I/O Address: 6x0, Ax0, Ex0 Hex

Connectors

  • Line-In: Yes
  • Mic-In: Yes
  • Line-Out: Yes (Left and Right RCA jacks)
  • Amplified Speaker-Out: No
  • PC Speaker-In: No
  • SPDIF: Yes
  • Game/Joystick Port: Yes
  • CD-ROM Audio-In (SB Audio Socket): Yes
  • CD-ROM Audio-In (MPC2 Socket): Yes
  • CSP Chip Socket: No
  • Wave Blaster Daughter Board Connector: No
  • External CD-ROM: Not Applicable
  • Modem Feature Connector: Yes

Minimum System Requirement

  • 486/DX class proceesor running at 33MHz or faster
  • 8MB system RAM
  • DOS® 5.0, Windows® 3.1, or Windows NT®
  • Open, half-length 16-bit ISA slot
  • Passive speakers or headphones (Gold series requires amplifide speakers)
  • CD-ROM drive required for software installation on some versions of retail packaging

Requirements for Maximum Functionality

  • Intel Pentium® or AMD K5® series processor running at 90MHz or faster
  • 16MB system RAM
  • Windows® 9x
  • Open, half-length 16-bit ISA slot
  • Self-powered speakers or stand alone amplifier
  • Dynamic or electric microphone
  • CD-ROM drive required for software installation on some versions of retail packaging