### SoundMAX® Help for Frequently Asked Questions

Note: For the latest news and updates, please check the SoundMAX web site.

#### CONTROL PANEL LISTENING ENVIRONMENT TAB

#### Why are there no controls for 3D game audio?

All of SoundMAX’s 3D game audio capabilities are internal and are controlled directly by the game itself.

#### What is 'Speaker Setup' for and which 'Layout' should I use?

'Speaker Setup' allows you to optimize your audio listening environment for the best experience possible. Choose 'Stereo Headphones' if you will be listening on headphones or 'Stereo Speakers' if you have two speakers in front of you (on your desk, in your monitor, or in your laptop). If supported by your system, you can additionally select 'Quad Speakers (Multi-drive Surround)' if you have two speakers in front of you and two speakers behind you, or 'Surround Sound Speakers (5.1 Surround)' if you have a home theater setup with three speakers in front of you, two speakers behind you and a subwoofer for Low Frequency Effects (LFE).

#### What is the difference between the two ‘Front Speaker Location’ settings in ‘Speaker Setup’?

The ‘Close Together’ selection optimizes the sound for laptop and monitor speakers, or if you have your speakers right next to your monitor; while the ‘Far Apart’ selection optimizes the sound for speakers spread out on your desktop or on a big home stereo system.

#### What are the specs on the bass boost enhancement?

If supported by your system, 'Bass Boost' increases bass output from 20 Hz to 100 Hz by 0 dB at 'Min' and +10 dB at 'Max'. To turn off the 'Bass Boost', select the 'Disable' check-box next to the slider.

#### What is ‘Virtual Theatre Surround’?

If you are watching movies with a multi-channel soundtrack and do not have a 4 or 5.1 channel speaker setup, SoundMAX will automatically create virtual speakers through your stereo speaker setup. If you do not want SoundMAX to automatically create virtual speakers, simply check the ‘Disable’ check-box. If you would like to have ‘Virtual Theatre Surround’ for your headphones, you can purchase an upgrade by clicking on the Headphone icon button. After purchasing and installing this upgrade, this feature will work automatically every time you watch a movie and are listening on headphones.

#### What are ‘Acoustic Environments’?

Acoustic Environments are virtual places where you can listen to your sounds and music. Like sonic landscapes, these ‘Environment Models’ simulate everything from concert halls to tunnels. You can change your listening space by clicking on a new ‘Environment Model’ in the list provided. The models are the same ones that are used in games that take advantage of Environmental Audio™ (EAX™) and are automatically enabled and changed by your games.

#### What is ‘Virtual Ear’?

Virtual Ear stores ‘Custom Ear Models’ for different individual users. These models are individually tailored to each listener. You can change the ear model being used by clicking on a new ‘Custom Ear Model’ in the list provided. A couple of generic example models are included for you to try; they simulate the ears of an 'Adult' or 'Child'. If you would like to create your own customized personal ear models to be used with SoundMAX, you can purchase the 'Virtual Ear' upgrade application by clicking on the Ear icon button. After purchasing and installing this upgrade, the Ear icon button will directly launch Virtual Ear.

#### In the 'Test Listening Environment', why does the 'Test Tone' sound like static?

This static is a special tone called Pink Noise. You can use this tone to make sure that all of your speakers are connected and positioned properly. The goal is to have the tone sound like it is the same loudness as it is played from each and every speaker. You can move your speakers until you get the optimal balance from your speakers.

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#### CONTROL PANEL MIDI MUSIC SYNTHESIZER TAB

#### What is MIDI?

MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It actually defines a language by which synthesizers talk to each other.

#### What is GeneralMIDI (GM)?

GeneralMIDI is a description of a sound set that contains 128 sounds and a drum kit. This way any standard GeneralMIDI file can be played with any GeneralMIDI synthesizer and they will produce similar results. The majority of the MIDI files found on the Internet conform to the GeneralMIDI format. While some soundcards use unrealistic GM instrument sounds, the SoundMAX synthesizer contains a large, professional, GeneralMIDI sound set.

#### What is a ‘.MID’ file?

This is a file that contains a MIDI sequence. A MIDI file stores instructions on how to play a synthesizer to recreate a musical (or sound) experience. It is similar to the way a word processor can recreate a document from a file of nothing but characters.

#### What is a ‘Synthesizer Default Sound Set’?

This allows you to customize the default sound set that the SoundMAX synthesizer will use to play GeneralMIDI (GM) as well as XG sound map compatible (XGlite) MIDI files. SoundMAX ships with a professional 4 MB GeneralMIDI sound set and a 1.2 MB XGlite sound set. If you wish to play MIDI files that are in the Yamaha XG format, please select the XGlite sound set. Please watch for new GeneralMIDI sound set upgrades available for download or purchase on the SoundMAX website.

#### What are the ‘Additional Reverb/Chorus Amount’ sliders for?

This is so you can add more reverb or chorus to the MIDI file that the SoundMAX Synthesizer is playing back. When the slider is set to ‘Normal’, the effects amount for each sound will be set to whatever amount the original composer chose. As the slider is moved towards ‘Maximum’, additional effect is added proportionately to each sound until all sounds have the maximum amount of reverb allowed. If you do not want any effects applied to your MIDI sequences, you can turn the 'Reverb' and/or 'Chorus' off by deselecting the check-box next to the appropriate effect.

#### What is a MIDI voice?

A MIDI voice is a single note or sound played on the SoundMAX synthesizer.

#### What is ‘Synthesizer MAXvoice’?

'MAXvoice' allows you to choose the maximum number of MIDI voices you need to playback complex MIDI sequences. The average MIDI sequence uses less than 32 voices and most sequences rarely use more than 64. MAXvoice has been set to an optimal 128 voices so that you never run out. If for any reason you need more, you can set it to whatever number you need. If you choose a really big number that is beyond your computer’s capabilities or maximum use percentage, you may here some clicks or pops. This is easily corrected by entering a smaller number.

#### What is 'Synthesizer CPU Maximum'?

'CPU Maximum' allows you to choose the maximum amount of your computer's processor that will be allowed to generate MIDI voices for the SoundMAX synthesizer. You will not be allowed to assign more than 80% of the processor to the synthesizer.

#### DLS LOADER APPLICATION

#### The SoundMAX synthesizer can play MIDI files that use custom DLS sound sets. What is DLS and how can I load DLS files into SoundMAX?

DLS stands for 'DownLoadable Sounds'. DLS allows you to load custom sound sets into the SoundMAX synthesizer. A musician usually creates these sound sets for use with specific MIDI files. You can also create your own MIDI sequences and DLS sound sets with some 3rd-party software applications. SoundMAX supports the newest Level 2 version of DLS in order to enhance your listening experience. To load and play a MIDI file with its associated DLS file, please launch the ‘DLS Loader’ application.

#### What is a .RMD file?

This is a single file that contains both a MIDI sequence and a custom DLS sound set that was created specifically for this MIDI sequence.

#### How do I use the ‘DLS Loader’ application?

There are two ways to automatically load and play a MIDI sequence in Windows Media Player using its associated DLS sound set. If you select a .RMD file, the self-contained DLS file will automatically be loaded. If you select a .MID file that has an associated .DLS file of the same name in the same directory, you can select either file and both files will be loaded automatically. In addition, you can manually load .MID and .DLS files and then press the ‘Run Windows Media Player’ button.