Hello all. I have Audigy2 ZS SB 0350. Card is working but only when i manually install drivers in windows device manager. Problem is this is only way to get sound card working. I tried many downloaded install CD and nothing is working. I tried also DanielK driver and same problem. Everything end in installer with message "creative product not detected on your system" Tried 5 different computers, W98, ME and XP. Same problem. After manual installation still missing driver for firewire port. Impossible to install. Tried also snappy driver installer. Program not able install 1394 port and sound card aswell.
Tell me where is problem? Can be sound card damaged somehow? Like i said. after manual installation it working. But why not working any A2 installer?

I have followed this guide for my Audigy 2 (Platinum = with bay panel) in a VIA chipset P3 733. Everything OK (nice stereo sound in W98, SF2 support...), except for one thing: in pure DOS (W98-->restart in DOS mode) the SB16 emulation works, but I only have sound through the left channel. I've tested this with both the rear out 1 and the bay panel headphone out. As far as I could tell, all sounds goes through the left channel (including the right channel sound) but I'm not 100% sure, maybe the right channel is simply missing.

Any ideas how I can solve this?

I think we can rule out a hardware problem as I have nice stereo sound in Windows; it's only when running SB16 emulation in pure DOS that I only hear sound/music through the left channel.

Is there a dos config utility?

I'm assuming that you are running the sb16 drivers and I seem to remember them having one

I run Audigy12.exe when restarting in DOS mode. I don't know about a DOS config utility.

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-05-29, 08:51:

I think we can rule out a hardware problem as I have nice stereo sound in Windows; it's only when running SB16 emulation in pure DOS that I only hear sound/music through the left channel.

Out of curiosity, which game are you testing this with?

I recommend something that supports SB16 natively, and has a built-in stereo test in setup. Games like Descent and Duke3D are two such examples. The reason I'm mentioning this is because SB16 is not compatible with SBPro stereo, so older games may have issues.

I tested it with Tubular Worlds and Slicks n Slide.

I can test it with the Duke3D shareware.

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-05-29, 09:17:

I can test it with the Duke3D shareware.

Duke3D should be a good test, but note that it has a somewhat convoluted submenu for selecting SB16 cards.

Descent also has a shareware version, and a much more straightforward setup screen.

I have Descent 2 (I'd need to install it), any good for this test?

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-05-29, 09:27:

I have Descent 2 (I'd need to install it), any good for this test?

Yup. Select "Sound Blaster 16" for digital audio in setup, and then run the relevant test there.

Descent 2.

WINDOWS: all tests ok.
DOS: SB16 auto detected. 8 bit, 16 bit tests:
-both channels: I only hear left
-left channel: ok
-right channel: nothing.
-music: only left channel
-redbook cd audio: nothing, but that might be normal in emulation.

So the right channel is not working in pure dos...

The dosdrv folder has some programs, but nothing to set channel balance or anything. It also has a test mode, same result: right channel is silent.

This computer previously had a Live! Installed. Might be related? I uninstalled as much as possible before going audigy.

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-05-29, 19:42:

This computer previously had a Live! Installed. Might be related? I uninstalled as much as possible before going audigy.

It's possible. I've had all sorts of weird problems pop up when trying to install new Creative drivers over their old ones. That's one of the reasons why I recommend preforming a clean installation of Windows prior to using this guide.

That said, this stereo issue which only occurs in pure DOS is really odd, and I've never seen anything like that before. Other than trying a clean install, I have no other suggestions on how to fix it.

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-05-29, 19:42:

The dosdrv folder has some programs, but nothing to set channel balance or anything. It also has a test mode, same result: right channel is silent.

This computer previously had a Live! Installed. Might be related? I uninstalled as much as possible before going audigy.

I still remember mixerset /p /q.
What exe/com files do you have?

I'd have to check. Just everything that's on the ISO from post #1. All DOSdrv exe's start with SBE. One of them is called SBEmixer I think, but I did not know how to use it.

Exename /? Usually tells you

I'll investigate that mixer the next time. Perhaps he is using one of the other 5.1 channels for right?

I put left and right at 200 with sbemixer, doesn't help.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2020-01-18, 14:29:

Important: if you want to use an Audigy 2 or ZS card in pure DOS you will need to run C:\AUDIGY12\AUDIGY12.EXE each time you choose Restart in MS-DOS mode. This is only necessary in pure DOS, do not run that executable when playing games from within Win98SE/ME. Lastly, this step is not needed for Audigy 1 cards.

That maybe?

I do that; I have an Audigy2.