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EAX

2026-04-14T13:18:28Z

Joseph Joestar: Additional references for X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, since the early 2000s, games could use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for utilizing EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilized EAX via DirectSound3D could no longer do that natively, and required a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this was the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilized EAX via OpenAL were unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E3 E3] in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Among other things, developers could more easily add interactive music to their games, use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices, and more accurately represent sounds passing very close to the player.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221075249/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5.asp EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is "attenuation" and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time - such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects (also known as Studio Effects) which were formerly only used in music creation can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. These effects are:
*'''EAX Autowah''' - Low pass filter, cut-off modulated by input level, with adjustable resonance.
*'''EAX Chorus''' - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-frequency_oscillation LFO] controlled chorus, with adjustable phase and wave shape.
*'''EAX Distortion''' - Guitar distortion pedal simulator, with adjustable gain, edge, and EQ.
*'''EAX Echo''' - Two-tap delay with adjustable delay time, damping and stereo spread.
*'''EAX EQ''' - Four band parametric EQ; two middle bands have adjustable frequency.
*'''EAX Flanger''' - LFO controlled flanger, with adjustable phase and wave shape
*'''EAX Frequency Shifter''' - Split stereo frequency shift.
*'''EAX Automatic Gain Control Compressor''' - Automatically evens out volume changes in an audio source.
*'''EAX Pitch Shifter''' - Pitch shifting with coarse and fine tune.
*'''EAX Ring Modulator''' - Ring modulation with adjustable modulator waveform and high pass filter.
*'''EAX Vocal Morpher''' - Vocal morpher with a pair of 4-band formant filters to impose vocal tract effects.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 26].</ref>

Each of the studio effects can be controlled with its own unique set of parameters, the equivalent of the environmental reverb’s low-level controls. For instance, the EAX 4.0 Chorus effect allows the developer to select a waveform, and set the effect’s phase, rate, depth, feedback, and delay.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 16].</ref> Among other things, this allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the "oldest" voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allowed developers to add even more sound detail into their games.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324183311/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects were added into the mix, could sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time could also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220153819/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051835/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref> Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051854/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051816/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051826/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create "best fit" versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM was provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It was 64MB in size and could only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers could improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM was available. X-RAM improved slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it could be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detected X-RAM could decompress its data at load time into it so that it didn't have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game could use higher quality audio assets that it might not have been able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM allowed developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone or X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1336767#p1336767 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1335596#p1335596 (screenshot)].</ref><ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1416702#p1416702 (screenshot)]</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual and X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1408321#p1408321 (screenshot)].</ref> Additionally, X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual can expand stereo sound to multichannel surround sound.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1416304#p1416304 (screenshot)]</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of surround speakers, X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround can upmix stereo sources into surround sound of up to 7.1 channels. It plays back stereo sound from each speaker pair, and redirects center-panned sounds into the Front Center and Rear Center speakers. The multichannel upmix depends on your speaker hardware and your speaker settings. The Stereo Xpand and Stereo Surround effects are available only in multichannel speaker configurations.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1416304#p1416304 (screenshot)]</ref>

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-04-11T20:12:56Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more info for X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual. Minor tweaks.

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, since the early 2000s, games could use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for utilizing EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilized EAX via DirectSound3D could no longer do that natively, and required a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this was the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilized EAX via OpenAL were unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E3 E3] in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Among other things, developers could more easily add interactive music to their games, use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices, and more accurately represent sounds passing very close to the player.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221075249/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5.asp EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is "attenuation" and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time - such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects (also known as Studio Effects) which were formerly only used in music creation can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. These effects are:
*'''EAX Autowah''' - Low pass filter, cut-off modulated by input level, with adjustable resonance.
*'''EAX Chorus''' - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-frequency_oscillation LFO] controlled chorus, with adjustable phase and wave shape.
*'''EAX Distortion''' - Guitar distortion pedal simulator, with adjustable gain, edge, and EQ.
*'''EAX Echo''' - Two-tap delay with adjustable delay time, damping and stereo spread.
*'''EAX EQ''' - Four band parametric EQ; two middle bands have adjustable frequency.
*'''EAX Flanger''' - LFO controlled flanger, with adjustable phase and wave shape
*'''EAX Frequency Shifter''' - Split stereo frequency shift.
*'''EAX Automatic Gain Control Compressor''' - Automatically evens out volume changes in an audio source.
*'''EAX Pitch Shifter''' - Pitch shifting with coarse and fine tune.
*'''EAX Ring Modulator''' - Ring modulation with adjustable modulator waveform and high pass filter.
*'''EAX Vocal Morpher''' - Vocal morpher with a pair of 4-band formant filters to impose vocal tract effects.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 26].</ref>

Each of the studio effects can be controlled with its own unique set of parameters, the equivalent of the environmental reverb’s low-level controls. For instance, the EAX 4.0 Chorus effect allows the developer to select a waveform, and set the effect’s phase, rate, depth, feedback, and delay.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 16].</ref> Among other things, this allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the "oldest" voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allowed developers to add even more sound detail into their games.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324183311/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects were added into the mix, could sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time could also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220153819/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051835/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref> Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051854/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051816/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051826/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create "best fit" versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM was provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It was 64MB in size and could only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers could improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM was available. X-RAM improved slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it could be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detected X-RAM could decompress its data at load time into it so that it didn't have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game could use higher quality audio assets that it might not have been able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM allowed developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone or X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1336767#p1336767 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1335596#p1335596 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual and X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1408321#p1408321 (screenshot)].</ref> Additionally, X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual can expand stereo sound to multichannel surround sound.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1416304#p1416304 (screenshot)]</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of surround speakers, X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround can upmix stereo sources into surround sound of up to 7.1 channels. It plays back stereo sound from each speaker pair, and redirects center-panned sounds into the Front Center and Rear Center speakers. The multichannel upmix depends on your speaker hardware and your speaker settings. The Stereo Xpand and Stereo Surround effects are available only in multichannel speaker configurations.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1416304#p1416304 (screenshot)]</ref>

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-04-11T19:08:58Z

Joseph Joestar: Even more info on X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, since the early 2000s, games could use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for utilizing EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilized EAX via DirectSound3D could no longer do that natively, and required a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this was the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilized EAX via OpenAL were unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E3 E3] in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Among other things, developers could more easily add interactive music to their games, use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices, and more accurately represent sounds passing very close to the player.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221075249/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5.asp EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is "attenuation" and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time - such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects (also known as Studio Effects) which were formerly only used in music creation can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. These effects are:
*'''EAX Autowah''' - Low pass filter, cut-off modulated by input level, with adjustable resonance.
*'''EAX Chorus''' - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-frequency_oscillation LFO] controlled chorus, with adjustable phase and wave shape.
*'''EAX Distortion''' - Guitar distortion pedal simulator, with adjustable gain, edge, and EQ.
*'''EAX Echo''' - Two-tap delay with adjustable delay time, damping and stereo spread.
*'''EAX EQ''' - Four band parametric EQ; two middle bands have adjustable frequency.
*'''EAX Flanger''' - LFO controlled flanger, with adjustable phase and wave shape
*'''EAX Frequency Shifter''' - Split stereo frequency shift.
*'''EAX Automatic Gain Control Compressor''' - Automatically evens out volume changes in an audio source.
*'''EAX Pitch Shifter''' - Pitch shifting with coarse and fine tune.
*'''EAX Ring Modulator''' - Ring modulation with adjustable modulator waveform and high pass filter.
*'''EAX Vocal Morpher''' - Vocal morpher with a pair of 4-band formant filters to impose vocal tract effects.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 26].</ref>

Each of the studio effects can be controlled with its own unique set of parameters, the equivalent of the environmental reverb’s low-level controls. For instance, the EAX 4.0 Chorus effect allows the developer to select a waveform, and set the effect’s phase, rate, depth, feedback, and delay.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 16].</ref> Among other things, this allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the "oldest" voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allowed developers to add even more sound detail into their games.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324183311/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects were added into the mix, could sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time could also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220153819/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051835/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref> Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051854/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051816/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051826/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create "best fit" versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM was provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It was 64MB in size and could only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers could improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM was available. X-RAM improved slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it could be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detected X-RAM could decompress its data at load time into it so that it didn't have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game could use higher quality audio assets that it might not have been able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM allowed developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1336767#p1336767 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1335596#p1335596 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1408321#p1408321 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of surround speakers, X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround can upmix stereo sources into surround sound of up to 7.1 channels. It plays back stereo sound from each speaker pair, and redirects center-panned sounds into the Front Center and Rear Center speakers. The multichannel upmix depends on your speaker hardware and your speaker settings. The Stereo Xpand and Stereo Surround effects are available only in multichannel speaker configurations.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1416304#p1416304 (screenshot)]</ref>

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-04-11T18:57:47Z

Joseph Joestar: Added a bit more info on X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, since the early 2000s, games could use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for utilizing EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilized EAX via DirectSound3D could no longer do that natively, and required a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this was the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilized EAX via OpenAL were unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E3 E3] in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Among other things, developers could more easily add interactive music to their games, use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices, and more accurately represent sounds passing very close to the player.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221075249/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5.asp EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is "attenuation" and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time - such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects (also known as Studio Effects) which were formerly only used in music creation can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. These effects are:
*'''EAX Autowah''' - Low pass filter, cut-off modulated by input level, with adjustable resonance.
*'''EAX Chorus''' - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-frequency_oscillation LFO] controlled chorus, with adjustable phase and wave shape.
*'''EAX Distortion''' - Guitar distortion pedal simulator, with adjustable gain, edge, and EQ.
*'''EAX Echo''' - Two-tap delay with adjustable delay time, damping and stereo spread.
*'''EAX EQ''' - Four band parametric EQ; two middle bands have adjustable frequency.
*'''EAX Flanger''' - LFO controlled flanger, with adjustable phase and wave shape
*'''EAX Frequency Shifter''' - Split stereo frequency shift.
*'''EAX Automatic Gain Control Compressor''' - Automatically evens out volume changes in an audio source.
*'''EAX Pitch Shifter''' - Pitch shifting with coarse and fine tune.
*'''EAX Ring Modulator''' - Ring modulation with adjustable modulator waveform and high pass filter.
*'''EAX Vocal Morpher''' - Vocal morpher with a pair of 4-band formant filters to impose vocal tract effects.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 26].</ref>

Each of the studio effects can be controlled with its own unique set of parameters, the equivalent of the environmental reverb’s low-level controls. For instance, the EAX 4.0 Chorus effect allows the developer to select a waveform, and set the effect’s phase, rate, depth, feedback, and delay.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 16].</ref> Among other things, this allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the "oldest" voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allowed developers to add even more sound detail into their games.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324183311/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects were added into the mix, could sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time could also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220153819/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051835/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref> Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051854/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051816/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051826/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create "best fit" versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM was provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It was 64MB in size and could only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers could improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM was available. X-RAM improved slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it could be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detected X-RAM could decompress its data at load time into it so that it didn't have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game could use higher quality audio assets that it might not have been able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM allowed developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1336767#p1336767 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1335596#p1335596 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1408321#p1408321 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of surround speakers, X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround can upmix stereo sources up to 7.1 channels. It plays back stereo sound from each speaker pair, and redirects center-panned sounds into the Front Center and Rear Center speakers. The multichannel upmix depends on your speaker hardware and your speaker settings. The Stereo Xpand and Stereo Surround effects are available only in multichannel speaker configurations.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1416304#p1416304 (screenshot)]</ref>

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-04-11T18:48:25Z

Joseph Joestar: Added info and reference for X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, since the early 2000s, games could use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for utilizing EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilized EAX via DirectSound3D could no longer do that natively, and required a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this was the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilized EAX via OpenAL were unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E3 E3] in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Among other things, developers could more easily add interactive music to their games, use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices, and more accurately represent sounds passing very close to the player.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221075249/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5.asp EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is "attenuation" and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time - such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects (also known as Studio Effects) which were formerly only used in music creation can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. These effects are:
*'''EAX Autowah''' - Low pass filter, cut-off modulated by input level, with adjustable resonance.
*'''EAX Chorus''' - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-frequency_oscillation LFO] controlled chorus, with adjustable phase and wave shape.
*'''EAX Distortion''' - Guitar distortion pedal simulator, with adjustable gain, edge, and EQ.
*'''EAX Echo''' - Two-tap delay with adjustable delay time, damping and stereo spread.
*'''EAX EQ''' - Four band parametric EQ; two middle bands have adjustable frequency.
*'''EAX Flanger''' - LFO controlled flanger, with adjustable phase and wave shape
*'''EAX Frequency Shifter''' - Split stereo frequency shift.
*'''EAX Automatic Gain Control Compressor''' - Automatically evens out volume changes in an audio source.
*'''EAX Pitch Shifter''' - Pitch shifting with coarse and fine tune.
*'''EAX Ring Modulator''' - Ring modulation with adjustable modulator waveform and high pass filter.
*'''EAX Vocal Morpher''' - Vocal morpher with a pair of 4-band formant filters to impose vocal tract effects.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 26].</ref>

Each of the studio effects can be controlled with its own unique set of parameters, the equivalent of the environmental reverb’s low-level controls. For instance, the EAX 4.0 Chorus effect allows the developer to select a waveform, and set the effect’s phase, rate, depth, feedback, and delay.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 16].</ref> Among other things, this allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the "oldest" voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allowed developers to add even more sound detail into their games.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324183311/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects were added into the mix, could sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time could also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220153819/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051835/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref> Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051854/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051816/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051826/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create "best fit" versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM was provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It was 64MB in size and could only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers could improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM was available. X-RAM improved slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it could be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detected X-RAM could decompress its data at load time into it so that it didn't have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game could use higher quality audio assets that it might not have been able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM allowed developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1336767#p1336767 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1335596#p1335596 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1408321#p1408321 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of surround speakers, CMSS-3D Surround can upmix stereo sources up to 7.1 channels. The multichannel upmix depends on your speaker hardware and your speaker settings. The Stereo Xpand and Stereo Surround effects are available only in multichannel speaker configurations.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1416304#p1416304 (screenshot)]</ref>

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

List of games with EAX support

2026-04-02T07:17:31Z

Joseph Joestar: Removed duplicate entry for Clive Barker's Undying.

This is a list of video games that support [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX Environmental Audio Extensions (EAX) technology].

==Games==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Game<ref>[https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130702030043/http://connect.creativelabs.com/alchemy/Lists/Games/AllItems.aspx Creative support Games] </ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071118104848/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gamelist.asp Nov 2007 Archive of the Official Creative Soundblaster EAX website]</ref>
! EAX 1.0
! EAX 2.0
! EAX 3.0
! EAX 4.0
! EAX 5.0
! Notes
! ALchemy Support
|-
| ''25 to Life''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX references found in the game's executable. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''Abomination: The Nemesis Project''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0 (referenced in AgeOfConan.exe)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Alias''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Alias uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Alien Nations''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Alien Nations in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Aliens versus Predator''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Alpha Centauri''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Alpha Centauri readme.txt (Changes in Alpha Centauri version 2.0)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Alpha Prime''
|
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|-
| ''America's Army''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''America's Army 3''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>America's Army 3 manual, page 3 (Recommended System Requirements)</ref>
|
|-
| ''American McGee's Alice''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: American McGee's Alice in-game Audio Settings</ref> Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be needed for reverb<ref>Source: in-game console output [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1297697#p1297697 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''American McGee's Grimm''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>American McGee's Grimm uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
|''Anachronox''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Anachronox in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
|''Aquanox''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Aquanox in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Aquanox 2''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''ArmA: Armed Assault''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Source: arma.exe contains references to EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Armed Forces Corp.''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Armed Forces Corp. uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, the game's readme.txt and audio options specify that EAX 2.0 is the lowest supported version</ref>
|
|-
| ''Arx Fatalis''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified), A3D 2.0<ref>Arx Fatalis readme.txt (Recommended Requirements section, Troubleshooting section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Assassin's Creed''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Assassin's Creed uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Avencast: Rise of the Mage''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Avencast: Rise of the Mage uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Baldur's Gate''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 Sound Blaster Gaming - EAX to EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Baldur's Gate 2''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX® to EAX® 4.0 ADVANCED HD™ (archived)] See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050317075326/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/bgate2.asp Interview with Dave Chan (archived)]</ref> Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be needed for occlusion<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1317232#p1317232 (Audio recordings comparison)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battle for Middle-earth''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battle for Middle Earth 2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battle for Middle Earth 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battle for Middle Earth 2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battle for Middle-earth 2: The Rise of the Witch-king.''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battle for Middle Earth 2: The Rise of the Witch-king in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlestations: Midway''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Battlestations: Midway in-game Audio Settings. Additionally, the game's readme.rtf references EAX Advanced HD, and its executable references EAX 4.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlestrike: Force of Resistance''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Battlestrike: Force of Resistance uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlestrike: Shadow of Stalingrad''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Battlestrike: Shadow of Stalingrad uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, the game's readme.txt indicates that EAX 2.0 is the oldest supported version.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlezone''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Battlezone II: Combat Commander''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Battlefield Vietnam''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battlefield Vietnam in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battlefield 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216040950/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/battlefield2/ Xtreme Fidelity Audio in Battlefield 2 (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051210234150/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/battlefield2/ Soundblaster Gaming: Battlefield 2 (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324154937/http://soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=59610 EAX Featured Game: Battlefield 2: Special Forces Expansion Pack (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battlefield 2142''
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216044312/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=66954 EAX Featured Game: Battlefield 2142 (archived)]. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080922021659/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=66955&categoryID=13 Battlefield 2142 audio by DICE (archived)] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20071214052322/http://soundblaster.com/Applications/article.asp?articleID=68148&categoryID=13 Battlefield 2142 Audio Gaming Guide (archived)]</ref>

| X
|-
| ''Battlezone II''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Beowulf: The Game''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Beowulf readme.txt specifies EAX 4.0 support (PC hardware recommended requirements section). Additionally, the game uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 for supporting lower EAX versions.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Beyond Good & Evil''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Beyond Good and Evil readme.txt (Sound compatibility section)</ref>
|
|-
|''BioShock''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>BioShock manual, page 3 (Recommended System Requirements). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20080114235015/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=70882 EAX Featured Game: BioShock (archived)] as well as [https://web.archive.org/web/20090208071036/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=71545&categoryID=13 BioShock Audio Guide (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Black & White 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Black & White 2 executable contains references to EAX 3.0. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051212100850/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/blackandwhite2/ Sound Blaster Gaming: Black & White 2 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Blade of Darkness''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Blade of Darkness external setup utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Blair Witch Project Volume I-III''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Blood II: The Chosen & The Nightmare Levels''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Bloodrayne''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040710071129/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/bloodrayne.asp EAX Featured Game: Bloodrayne (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Brian Lara International Cricket 2007''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071106035359/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=68893 EAX Featured Game: Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0<ref>Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway executable and .dll files contain references to EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Call of Duty''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0. EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010020322/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=91&cat=3 The Sounds of War in Call of Duty (archived)]</ref> Note: needs patch 1.3
| X
|-
| ''Call of Duty 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0. EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0
| X
|-
| ''Call of Juarez''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Call of Juarez uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Carmageddon: The Death Race 2000''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Carnivores: Cityscape''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Carnivores: Ice Age''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Carnivores 2''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Chaser''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Chaser in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Chrome''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Chrome uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Chrome SpecForce''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Chrome SpecForce uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Civilization IV in-game audio options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV: Warlords''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV: Colonization''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''City of Heroes''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''City of Villains''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Clive Barker's Undying''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces Undying.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.x (or A3D 1.x/2.x) if the "Enable 3D Hardware" audio setting is on, and supported hardware is detected</ref>
|
|-
| ''Close Quarters Conflict''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: Close Quarters Conflict in-game audio options. Additionally, this game uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Cold War''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Colin McRae Rally 04''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164633/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53894&cat=1 Premier Racing Audio in Colin McRae Rally 04 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Colin McRae Rally 2005''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Source: in-game Sound options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20050413093433/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/colinmcrae2005.asp EAX Featured Game: Colin McRae Rally 2005 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Colin McRae: Dirt''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708062900/http://soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=70240 EAX Featured Game: Dirt (archived)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20090208070613/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=70294&categoryID=13 Turbo-charged audio in DIRT (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Colin McRae: Dirt 2''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: Colin McRae: Dirt 2 readme.html (Section XV: Problems with Hardware audio acceleration)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Combat: Task Force 121''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061216045358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=56155 EAX Featured Game: Combat: Task Force 121 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Command & Conquer: Generals''
|
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Command & Conquer: Renegade''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0. Also supports A3D and DirectSound3D<ref>Source: C&C Renegade in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Commandos: Strike Force''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061216045523/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=62414 EAX Featured Game: Commandos: Strike Force (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Company of Heroes''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.flt which ships with Company of Heroes supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20080105204720/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/companyofheroes/ Sound Blaster Gaming: Company of Heroes]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Condemned: Criminal Origins''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: in-game audio options. Additionally, Condemned: Criminal Origins uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Conflict: Global Storm''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>Source: Conflict: Global Storm in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Conflict: Vietnam''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>Source: Conflict: Vietnam in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Contract J.A.C.K.''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Contract J.A.C.K. readme.txt (System Requirements section)</ref>
|
|-
|''Counter-Strike''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Crime Cities''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Croc 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Crusaders of Might and Magic''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Source: Cryostasis game manual, page 5</ref>
|
|-
|''Crysis''
|
|
|
|
|
| Not all the sounds are reverbed, dialog plays fine.
| X
|-
| ''Crysis Warhead''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Daikatana''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dark and Light''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dark Vengeance''
|X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Day of Defeat''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dead Man's Hand''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Dead Man's Hand uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Demolition Racer''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Descent 3''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Descent Freespace''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Deus Ex''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0,<ref>Starting the game produces DeusEx.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.x if the "Hardware 3D Support" audio setting is on, and supported hardware is detected</ref> A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1295596#p1295596 Deus Ex log file and console output (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Diablo II''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050316091447/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/diablo2.asp Interview with Jon Stone, Game Programmer (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Divine Divinity''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dogs of War: Battle on Primus IV''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Doom 3''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL). Note: EAX support added in patch 1.3<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080213202624/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/doom3/ Doom 3 EAX Patch - SoundBlaster.com (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Dr. Brain: Action Reaction''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces a log file which indicates the use of EAX 1.x if supported [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1295506#p1295506 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Drakan''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Drakan configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dreamfall: The Longest Journey''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Dreamfall in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060906044044/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=62412 EAX Featured Game: Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Driver''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Driver 3''
|
|
|X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Driver: Parallel Lines''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Drome Racers''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Drome Racers uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Dronez''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dungeon Keeper II''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Dungeon Keeper II readme.txt</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dungeon Lords (video game)|Dungeon Lords''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which Dungeon Lords uses supports all EAX versions up to 4.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dungeon Siege''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Dungeon Siege 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which Dungeon Siege 2 uses supports all EAX versions up to 4.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has "Creative EAX" under Audio Settings. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''East Front''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''eRacer''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX references found in the game's executable. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''El Matador''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>El Matador uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0. Additionally, see page 22 of the game's manual</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Elite Warriors: Vietnam''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Enter the Matrix''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Enter the Matrix uses eax.dll version 3.0.0.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20031210221428/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/etm.asp EAX Featured Game: Enter The Matrix (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Eurofighter Typhoon''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Euro League Football''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''EverQuest''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''EverQuest 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which EverQuest 2 uses supports all EAX versions up to 4.0.</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Evil Dead: Hail to the King''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Evil Genius''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050323131640/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=115&page=2&cat=3 World Dominating Audio in Evil Genius (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Evolva''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Expendable''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Expendable configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''F.E.A.R.''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: F.E.A.R. in-game audio options. Additionally, F.E.A.R. uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Lastly, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20051027025836/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/fear/ F.E.A.R. at Soundblaster.com (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''F.E.A.R. Extraction Point''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: F.E.A.R. Extraction Point in-game audio options. Additionally, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216045528/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=66408 EAX Featured Game: F.E.A.R. - Extraction Point]</ref>
|
|-
| ''F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate in-game audio options. Additionally, F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified).</ref>
|
|-
| ''F1 Grand Prix 3 2000 Season''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified).<ref>Source: F1 Grand Prix 3 2000 Season in-game audio options. Additionally, F1 Grand Prix 3 2000 Season eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). Note: only the 2000 Season expansion supports EAX, the base game does not.</ref>
|
|-
| ''F1 Grand Prix 4''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''F1 2010''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Source: F1 2010 readme.html (Section XII: Problems with Hardware audio acceleration)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Fallout Tactics in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Far Cry''
|
|X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Far Cry in-game audio settings. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041009181927/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=110&cat=3 EAX Paradise in Far Cry (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Far Cry 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Far Cry 2 uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''FIFA 99''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Final Fantasy VIII''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Final Fantasy VIII uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Flying Heroes''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20040613054853/http://flyingheroes.pterodon.cz/engine.htm Flying Heroes Homepage - engine specifications (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ford Racing''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Freedom Fighters''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Freedom Fighters uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20031202141509/http://www.soundblaster.com/freedomfighters/interview.asp EAX ADVANCED HD Effects in Freedom Fighters (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Freedom Force''
|X
|X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Freedom Force in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
|''Freedom Force vs. The 3rd Reich''
|X
|X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Freedom Force vs. The 3rd Reich in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Freespace 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''From Dusk Till Dawn''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Frontlines: Fuel of War''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Frontlines: Fuel of War uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Full Spectrum Warrior''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Full Spectrum Warrior game manual, page 27. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20050112102610/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=119&cat=3 Intense Urban Combat Warfare in Full Spectrum Warrior (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613092123/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameid=61744 EAX Featured Game: Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Fur Fighters''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Future Beat 3D''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Gears of War''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=528608#p528608 Gears of War log file contents].</ref> Enable hardware OpenAL via [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=528586#p528586 this .ini edit]
| X
|-
| ''Ghost Master''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Ghost Master in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Giants: Citizen Kabuto''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0. Note: disabled by default, see readme.txt for instructions<ref>Source: Giants: Citizen Kabuto readme.txt (Troubleshooting Command Line Options section). Additionally, Occlusion is an EAX 2.0 feature</ref>
|
|-
| ''Global Operations''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Global Operations uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''Gothic''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Gothic in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Gothic 2''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Gothic 2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Gothic 3''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''GP 500''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto II''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Also supports A3D 2.0.
|
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto III''
| X
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Grand Theft Auto III in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City''
| X
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0,<ref>Source: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in-game Audio Settings</ref> Also supports A3D 2.0 via manual edit of the settings file
| X
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324154224/http://soundblaster.com/gaming/gta/ Soundblaster.com Gaming: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Spec Ops II: Green Berets''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Race Driver: Grid''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Race Driver: Grid readme.html (Audio section)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Guild Wars''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070715042723/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=68245 EAX Featured Game: Guild Wars Nightfall (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Gulf War: Operation Desert Hammer''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''GUN''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Half-Life''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Steam version does not support it anymore since the 2013 patch.
|
|-
| ''Half-Life: Blue Shift''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Steam version does not support it anymore since the 2013 patch.
|
|-
| ''Half-Life: Opposing Force''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Steam version does not support it anymore since the 2013 patch.
|
|-
| ''Halo: Combat Evolved''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1258111#p1258111 Halo.exe hex edit view (screenshot)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hardware''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.² in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Heli Heroes''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Hellgate: London''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of mss.dll which ships with Hellgate: London supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Heretic II''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000306192415/http://www.vortexofsound.com/techhelp/gm_h2.htm Tech Help: Heretic II - Vortex of Sound (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX support indicated in the game's config file. Supported EAX versions unknown.
|
|-
| ''Heroes of Might and Magic V''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Hidden & Dangerous 2''
|
|
|X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''High Heat Baseball 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''High Heat Baseball 2002''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Hitman: Codename 47''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Hitman: Codename 47 uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0. Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20041217063452/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/Hitman3.asp Interview with Martin Pollas (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hitman 2: Silent Assassin''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Hitman 2: Silent Assassin uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041012092831/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=73&cat=3 Talking to Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hitman: Contracts''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Hitman: Contracts uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041009182412/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=112&cat=3 Killer EAX ADVANCED HD Audio in Hitman: Contracts (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hitman: Blood Money''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Hitman: Blood Money supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0 (referenced in HitmanBloodMoney.exe). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060906222327/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=62815 EAX Featured Game: Hitman: Blood Money (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hostile Waters''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Icewind Dale''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050326180802/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/interplay.asp Interview with Charles Deenen and Craig Duman (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Icewind Dale 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030410140044/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/iwd2.asp EAX Featured Game: Icewind Dale II (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Starting IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 produces sound.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0 if the "Enable Extensions" audio setting is on, and supported hardware is detected</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Incoming Forces''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0 support referenced in forces.exe</ref>
|
|-
| ''Infernal''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Infernal uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Isabelle''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''James Bond 007: Nightfire''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Juiced''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Juiced uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Jurassic Park: Trespasser''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0 <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19991111043949/http://www.ctlsg.creaf.com/press/1998/p980812d.html DreamWorks Interactive To Use Creative’s Environmental Audio Standard In Ultimate New Game Trespasser - Creative Asia (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Kane & Lynch: Dead Men supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0 (referenced in kaneandlynch.exe). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20071204182010/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameid=72790 EAX Featured Game: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (archived)]</ref>

|
|-
| ''Killing Floor''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Killing Floor 2''
|
|
|
|
| X
|
|
|-
| ''Klingon Honor Guard''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0 <ref>Source: Klingon Honor Guard patch 1.1 notes</ref>
|
|-
| ''Lander''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Legends of Might and Magic''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Lego Island 2''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>The game's executable contains references to EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0 [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1296745#p1296745 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Lineage II''
|
|
|
|
|
| OpenAL
|
|-
| ''Line of Sight: Vietnam''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Lord of the Rings Online''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>The Lord of the Rings Online uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>The Return of the King uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.6 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Lost Pain: TakeDown''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050210041952/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/takedown.asp EAX Featured Game: Take Down Online - The Lost Pain (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter readme.txt (Sound section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Madden NFL 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Madden NFL 99''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Mafia''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Mafia ships with EAX3 Unified redist on CD3. Installing that provides eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Mage Knight: Apocalypse''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Mage Knight: Apocalypse uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0. Additionally, see the game's readme.txt (System Requirements section) as well as [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216044419/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=66943 EAX Featured Game: Mage Knight: Apocalypse (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Manhunt''
|
|
|X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Martian Gothic: Unification''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Mass Effect''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Mass Effect uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0. Additionally, see its in-game audio options and page 3 of its manual.</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Matrix Online''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Matrix: Path of Neo''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>The Matrix: Path of Neo uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref> To enable EAX, edit MatrixConfig.INI and set EAX_ENABLED=1
|
|-
| ''Max Payne 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Max Payne 2 uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0. (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
|''MDK2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''MechWarrior 4''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Medal of Honor Allied Assault''
| X
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130901055119/https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/creative_labs_sound_blaster_audigy_4_pro,8.html Guru3D.com: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro - Page 8 (archived)]</ref> Can be enabled in the launcher.
|
|-
| ''Medieval II: Total War''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Medieval II: Total War in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070119104500/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=67329 EAX Featured Game: Medieval II: Total War (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Men of War: Assault Squad''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Messiah''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0. Note: also supports A3D<ref>Source: Messiah in-game audio options. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050317041532/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/shiny.asp Interview with Tony Bennett (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Midnight GT''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Midnight Club II''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Midnight Club II in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Might and Magic VII configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Might and Magic VIII configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Might and Magic IX''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Might and Magic IX uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Mortyr 2093 - 1944''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Most Wanted''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Moto Racer 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Motocross Madness 2''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Motocross Madness 2 in-game Audio Settings. Hovering the mouse over the "Use EAX Extensions" button specifically mentions occlusion, which is an EAX 2.0 feature.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Motorhead''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Mutant Chronicles: Warzone Online''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Myst Online: Uru Live''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Myst V: End of Ages''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Myst V: End of Ages uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Myth II: Soulblighter''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Myth II readme.txt</ref>
|
|-
| ''Myth III''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''NASCAR Revolution''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed: Carbon''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Need For Speed: High Stakes''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0 Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be needed for proper EAX support<ref>Source: Phil's Computer Lab - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-HiLp5p820&t=441s Sound Blaster Live! Review (video)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has D3D/EAX under audio options. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed: Most Wanted''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed: Underground 2''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Nerf Arena Blast''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Neverwinter Nights (2002)''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Neverwinter Nights in-game Advanced Sound Options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Neverwinter Nights 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0.<ref>Source: Neverwinter Nights 2 in-game Gameplay/Audio options</ref> For 5.1 surround, set Speaker Type=4 in nwn2.ini<ref>See [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1313683#p1313683 this Vogons forum post] for more details</ref>
| X
|-
| ''New York Race''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''NHL 2000''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''No One Lives Forever''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>No One Lives Forever (GOTY) uses msseax.m3d, msseax2.m3d, mssa3d.m3d and mssa3d2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: No One Lives Forever 2 readme.txt (System Requirements section). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20030410140605/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/nolf2.asp EAX Featured Game: No One Lives Forever 2 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
|''Nocturne''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Off Road''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX can be enabled in-game under Audio Options. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''Operation Flashpoint: Resistance''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Operation Flashpoint 2''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Operation Thunderstorm''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Operation Thunderstorm uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0. (EAX Unified) Readme file specifies no EAX 1.0 support</ref>
|
|-
| ''Outcast''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Pac-Man: Adventures in Time''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Pac-Man: Adventures in Time readme.txt (Pac-Man configuration & Advanced Game Options)</ref> Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be required to enable EAX support
|
|-
| ''Pac-Man All-Stars''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Pac-Man All-Stars uses msseax.m3d, msseax2.m3d, mssa3d.m3d and mssa3d2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Painkiller in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller: Overdose''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Painkiller Overdose in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller: Resurrection''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Painkiller Resurrection in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller: Redemption''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Painkiller Redemption in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1291888#p1291888 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Panzer Elite''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Pariah''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Pariah uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Paris Dakar Rally''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Peter Jackson's King Kong''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>Peter Jackson's King Kong manual, page 3 (Ideal Configuration)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Planescape: Torment''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''PlanetSide''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Play Online''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Populous: The Beginning''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Postal 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Postal 2 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Powerslide''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Prey (2006)''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: Prey in-game console output [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1310637#p1310637 (screenshot)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20061107081802/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/prey/ Hardware Accelerated Audio in Prey (archived)] as well as [https://web.archive.org/web/20070210220103/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=63916 EAX Featured Game: Prey (archived)] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20080922021654/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=65937&categoryID=13 Maximize your audio in Prey (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: 3D''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified) See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20040623055348/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/princeofpersia.asp EAX Featured Game: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: Warrior Within''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia: Warrior Within uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia (2008)''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia (2008) uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Project Eden''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Project I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Project I.G.I.-2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
|''Psychonauts''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Psychonauts uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Quake 4''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324162911/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/quake4/ Sound Blaster X-Fi Audio in QUAKE 4 (archived)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324161138/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=59528 EAX Featured Game: Quake 4 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Rage Rally''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Rail Simulator''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080205184049/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameid=71485 EAX Featured Game: Rail Simulator (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Railroad Tycoon 3''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Railroad Tycoon 3 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Rally Championship 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Rally Championship 2000 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rally Trophy''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Rally Trophy external configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rayman Raving Rabbids''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rayman Raving Rabbids uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Re-Volt''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Red Faction''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Red Faction uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Redline Racer''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Regiment''
|
|
|
|
|X
| EAX 5.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613094955/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=61018 EAX Featured Game: The Regiment (archived)]</ref> (via OpenAL)
| X
|-
| ''Requiem: Avenging Angel''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Resident Evil 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Revenant''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Revolution''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Revolution ships with EAX3 Unified redist on the disc. Installing that provides eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rent a Hero''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Richard Burns Rally''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Richard Burns Rally readme_eng.txt (Frequently Asked Questions section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2007''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071106035404/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=68899 EAX Featured Game: Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2007 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Road Wars''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''RollerCoaster Tycoon 3''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050211000628/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/rollercoastertycoon/ SoundBlaster.com - RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Rollcage''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Rollcage Stage II''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Rome: Total War''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Rome: Total War in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060509175704/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53836&cat=1 Epic, Cinematic Audio in Rome: Total War (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Rune: The Halls of Valhalla''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref> EAX works through OpenAL. Do not use ALchemy.
|
|-
| ''S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified) EAX works through OpenAL. Do not use ALchemy.
|
|-
| ''S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified) EAX works through OpenAL. Do not use ALchemy.
|
|-
|''Sacred 2''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Sacred 2 Readme.html (System Requirements section, Recommended requirements)</ref>
|
|-
|''Sacrifice''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sammy Sosa: Softball Slam''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sanity: Aiken's Artifact''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Scarface: The World Is Yours''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Screamer 4x4''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Screamer 4x4 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Secret Service: In Harm’s Way''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sega Rally Championship''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Serious Sam: The First Encounter''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Serious Sam: The First Encounter in-game Audio Options. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041214224151/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/serioussam2.asp Interview with Damjan Mravuanc (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Serious Sam: The Second Encounter''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Serious Sam: The Second Encounter in-game Audio Options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Serious Sam 2''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Serious Sam 2 ReadMe_ENU.html (System requirements section)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Shade: Wrath of Angels''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050210042206/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/shade.asp EAX Featured Game: Shade: Wrath of Angels (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Shadow Ops: Red Mercury''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060324154104/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53877&cat=1 Explosive audio in Shadow Ops: Red Mercury (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Shadow Force: Razor Unit''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Shogo: Mobile Armor Division''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sid Meier's Pirates!''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which Sid Meier's Pirates! uses supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Sid Meier's Railroads!''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Silent Hunter 3''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Silent Hunter 3 uses EaxMan.dll version 2.0.1.3</ref>
|
|-
| ''Silkroad Online''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Sims 2 Seasons''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SimCity 3000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SimTheme Park''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''SiN''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>SiN readme.txt (Technical Issues section) Note: A3D and EAX support was removed with patch 1.13</ref>
|
|-
| ''SiN: Wages of Sin''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Wages of Sin readme.txt (Technical Issues section). Note: A3D and EAX support was removed with patch 1.13</ref>
|
|-
| ''Slave Zero''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sniper: Art of Victory''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Sniper: Art of Victory uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Soldier of Fortune''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Soldier of Fortune uses eax.dll version 2.4.0.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, see the game's readme.txt (Special Features section)</ref> Also supports A3D
|
|-
| ''Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Soldner: Secret Wars''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060114201132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53827&cat=1 EAX ADVANCED HD battlefield audio in Soldner: Secret Wars (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Soulbringer''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: Soulbringer launcher Advanced Options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Space Force: Rogue Universe''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Space Force: Rogue Universe readme.txt (System Requirements section). Additionally, EAX 3.0 support is specified in the Audio tab of the game's external configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Spec Ops 2: Green Berets''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: SpellForce 2 in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Spider-Man 2: The Game''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Spider-Man 2 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>. To enable EAX edit Webhead.ini and set UseEAX=True
|
|-
| ''Spirit of Speed''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Starlancer''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Starlancer in-game audio options. Furthermore, the game uses msseax.m3d, msseax2.m3d, mssa3d.m3d and mssa3d2.m3d.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Bridge Commander''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0.<ref>Star Trek: Bridge Commander uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref> Also supports A3D and DirectSound3D
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0 and DirectSound3D are all supported<ref>Source: Star Trek DS9 The Fallen in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1099361#p1099361 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Elite Force II''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, A3D<ref>Source: Elite Force II in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1099381#p1099381 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Next Generation Klingon Honor Guard''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Star Wars: Battlefront''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Star Wars: Battlefront uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Wars Battlefront 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Star Wars: Battlefront II uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Wars: Empire at War''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Empire at War in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1280842#p1280842 (screenshot)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Forces of Corruption in-game audio options</ref>

|
|-
| ''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Star Wars Galaxies''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Jedi Outcast uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0. Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20031003092920/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=49&cat=3 Secrets behind the Sound: Part I (archived)]</ref> Support added in patch 1.03
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Jedi Academy uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0. Additionally, see game manual page 6 and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010012242/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=89&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD in Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Knights of the Old Republic in-game Advanced Sound Options menu. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010024651/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=99&cat=3 The Star Wars Sound Experience (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Knights of the Old Republic 2 in-game Advanced Sound Options menu</ref> Note: EAX Support removed in latest Steam version.
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars: Republic Commando''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Star Wars: Republic Commando in-game Sound Options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Stolen''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Stolen uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Street Racing Syndicate''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Street Racing Syndicate uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Stronghold''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse manual, page 22</ref>
|
|-
| ''Stunt GP''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Stunt GP readme.rtf (Section 2.4 - Microsoft DirectSound3D / EAX Support)</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Suffering''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has "Enable EAX" in the configuration utility. Supported EAX versions unknown.<ref>Source: The Suffering configuration utility [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1297894#p1297894 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Suffering: Ties That Bind''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has "Enable EAX" in the configuration utility. Supported EAX versions unknown.
|
|-
| ''The Sum of All Fears''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>The Sum of All Fears uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Summoner''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Summoner uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Superbike 2001''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Supreme Commander''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SWAT 4''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>SWAT 4 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Swedish Touring Car Championship''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Swedish Touring Car Championship 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''System Shock 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|For further info, refer to [http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117175 this thread] on the TTLG forums
|
|-
| ''Tarzan''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Tarzan in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Club''
|
| X
|
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0<ref>The Club executable contains references to EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0 (via EFX). As a fallback, EAX 2.0 can be used as well.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Terminus''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Test Drive''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Test Drive 6''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Test Drive Rally''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Devil Inside''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Wheel Of Time''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Theme Park World''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Thief: The Dark Project''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>A3D 1.0 support is present in the retail release of Thief: The Dark Project (source: Readme.wri, Sound Acceleration and 3D Sound section). EAX 1.0 support was added in patch 1.33 (source: thiefpat.txt, New Features section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Thief II: The Metal Age''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Support for EAX 1.0 was added in Thief II patch 1.18. Source: patch.wri (Programming fixes section)</ref><ref>EAX 2.0 support is present in the retail release of Thief II. Source: Readme.wri (System Requirements section)</ref> Note: support for A3D 2.0 was removed before release<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=645476#p645476 SB Live! and A3D 1.0 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Thief: Deadly Shadows''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0 support is specifically mentioned in the game's readme.rtf (Section 2.5 - Manual Additions). Additionally, Thief: Deadly Shadows uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164553/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53835&cat=1 Discovering EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD in Thief: Deadly Shadows (archived)] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20041207070023/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=107&cat=3 Stealthy Sounds in Thief: Deadly Shadows (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
|''TimeShift''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0<ref>Timeshift manual, page 1 (An Important Note Regarding Graphics and Having the Best
Possible Experience)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Titan Quest''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which ships with Titan Quest supports all EAX versions up to 4.0. Additionally, see the developer comments at [https://web.archive.org/web/20060928212242/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/titanquest/ (archive of Soundblaster.com)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Titan Quest: Immortal Throne''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''TMNT''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>TMNT uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''TNN Outdoors Pro Hunter''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''TOCA Race Driver''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''TOCA Race Driver 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041204151702/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/tocarace2.asp EAX Featured Game: TOCA Race Driver 2 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Desert Siege''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Desert Siege uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Island Thunder uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1256985#p1256985 Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter audio options menu (screenshot)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1257386#p1257386 Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 audio options menu (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six: Lockdown uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
|''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Rogue Spear & Black Thorn''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six: Vegas uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
|EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Splinter Cell uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20021201130533/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/splinter.asp EAX Featured Game: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20050307195753/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=117&cat=3 Deadly Hide & Seek in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory''
|X
|X
|X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Readme.txt (PC hardware recommended requirements section). Additionally, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: Splinter Cell: Double Agent Readme.txt (PC hardware recommended requirements section). Additionally, Splinter Cell: Double Agent uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's The Sum Of All Fears''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tomb Raider: Anniversary''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tomb Raider: Legend''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (requires EAX Unified)<ref>The Angel of Darkness in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1099228#p1099228 (screenshot)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010062222/http://soundblaster.com/tombraider/interview.asp EAX ADVANCED HD in Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''TrackMania Nations Forever''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>TrackMania Nations Forever uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''TrackMania United Forever''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>TrackMania United Forever uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Trackmania Original''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Trespasser: Jurassic Park''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tribes 2''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Tribes 2 in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Triple Play 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tron 2.0''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Tron 2.0 in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20051212173728/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53876&cat=1 Disney's Tron 2.0 Audio (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
|''Tzar: The Burden of the Crown''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Tzar configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''UFO: Aftermath''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which UFO: Aftermath uses supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''UFO: Aftershock''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>UFO: Aftershock uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ultim@te Race Rally''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Ultim@te Race Pro''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0. Note: use the -SB32 command line parameter to enable 32 voices<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19990428154026/http://www.ultimaterace.com/cgi-bin/techsup.dll Ultim@te Race Pro Technical Support (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ultima: Ascension''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Universe at War: Earth Assault''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Universe at War in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Unreal''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0, DS3D<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 Sound Blaster Gaming - EAX to EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1158619#p1158619 Unreal 1 and A3D cards (screenshot)]</ref> Note: Unreal was the very first game that implemented EAX support.
|
|-
| ''Unreal II: The Awakening''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Unreal II uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces UnrealTournament.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.x/2.x (or A3D 1.x/2.x) if the "Use Hardware 3D Sound" setting is on, and supported hardware is detected.</ref><ref>Support for EAX 2.0 was added through the Unreal Tournament EAX Library Patch and Deathmatch Enhancements [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1296855#p1296855 (Vogons forum post)].</ref>
|
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament 2003''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Unreal Tournament 2003 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0. Additionally, see the game's Readme.txt (Section 3.2 Sound issues)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament 2004''
|
|
| X
|
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216041050/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/ut2004/ Sound Blaster X-Fi - Unreal Tournament 2004 (archived)]</ref> Note: EAX 5.0 support was added with [http://www.gamewatcher.com/mods/unreal-tournament-2004-mod/soundblaster-x-fi-patch# this patch]
| X
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament 3''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1310633#p1310633 Unreal Tournament 3 Launch.log file contents]. Additionally see: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080202034140/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=72840 EAX Featured Game: Unreal Tournament 3 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Uprising 2: Lead and Destroy''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Urban Chaos''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Uru: Ages Beyond Myst''
|X
|X
|X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Uru: Ages Beyond Myst uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.5 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010023552/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=98&cat=3 Discovering Uru: Ages Beyond Myst (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Vanguard: Saga of Heroes''
|
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
|''Vietcong''
| X
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Vietcong 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Vivisector: Beast Inside''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050904102525/http://www.soundblaster.com/mailer/welcome.asp?mon=2005mar05 Soundblaster.com Newsletters, Featured Game: Vivisector: Beast Inside (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warcraft III''
|
| X
|
|
|
| ALchemy/EAX support removed with 1.30 update
| X
|-
| ''Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Fire Warrior configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warhammer: Mark of Chaos''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Warhammer Mark of Chaos in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.flt which ships with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warlords Battlecry''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Warlords Battlecry II''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Warlords Battlecry II uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warmonger: Operation Downtown Destruction''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Warmonger: Operation Downtown Destruction uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warpath''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Warpath uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Way Point Zeta''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Wild Metal Country''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Wild Wild West: The Steel Assassin''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Witcher''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0 only<ref>Source: The Witcher readme.rtf (Section 5. Known Issues). See also [https://forums.cdprojektred.com/index.php?threads/eax-and-x-fi-alchemy.15484/#post-557372 CD Project forums, The Witcher patch notes]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Wizardry 8''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''World of Warcraft''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707001747/http://www.soundblaster.com/worldofwarcraft/ SoundBlaster.com - World of Warcraft (archived)]</ref> Note: EAX isn't supported in the 64-bit build of the game
| X
|-
| ''WWII Combat: Road to Berlin''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>WWII Combat: Road to Berlin uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''WWII Combat: Iwo Jima''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>WWII Combat: Iwo Jima uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''WWII Tank Commander''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>WWII Tank Commander uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). Additionally, the game's readme.txt specifies EAX 4.0 support (System Requirements section). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070101123211/http://soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=55428 EAX Featured Game: World War II Tank Commander (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''X2: The Threat''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: X2 Readme15.rtf (Section 22)</ref>
|
|-
| ''X3 Reunion''
|
|
|
| X
|
|
|-
| ''X-COM: Enforcer''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces a log file which indicates the use of EAX 1.x if supported [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1295506#p1295506 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Xpand Rally''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Xpand Rally DXDiags.txt (this file is created after starting the game for the first time)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim configuration utility (Sound tab)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ys: The Oath in Felghana''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Ys: Origin''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|}

==Related links==
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX Environmental Audio eXtensions]
* [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound DirectSound]

==References==

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

List of games with EAX support

2026-03-20T10:45:45Z

Joseph Joestar: Added notes and references to Mass Effect.

This is a list of video games that support [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX Environmental Audio Extensions (EAX) technology].

==Games==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Game<ref>[https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130702030043/http://connect.creativelabs.com/alchemy/Lists/Games/AllItems.aspx Creative support Games] </ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071118104848/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gamelist.asp Nov 2007 Archive of the Official Creative Soundblaster EAX website]</ref>
! EAX 1.0
! EAX 2.0
! EAX 3.0
! EAX 4.0
! EAX 5.0
! Notes
! ALchemy Support
|-
| ''25 to Life''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX references found in the game's executable. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''Abomination: The Nemesis Project''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0 (referenced in AgeOfConan.exe)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Alias''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Alias uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Alien Nations''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Alien Nations in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Aliens versus Predator''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Alpha Centauri''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Alpha Centauri readme.txt (Changes in Alpha Centauri version 2.0)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Alpha Prime''
|
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|-
| ''America's Army''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''America's Army 3''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>America's Army 3 manual, page 3 (Recommended System Requirements)</ref>
|
|-
| ''American McGee's Alice''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: American McGee's Alice in-game Audio Settings</ref> Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be needed for reverb<ref>Source: in-game console output [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1297697#p1297697 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''American McGee's Grimm''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>American McGee's Grimm uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
|''Anachronox''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Anachronox in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
|''Aquanox''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Aquanox in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Aquanox 2''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''ArmA: Armed Assault''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Source: arma.exe contains references to EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Armed Forces Corp.''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Armed Forces Corp. uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, the game's readme.txt and audio options specify that EAX 2.0 is the lowest supported version</ref>
|
|-
| ''Arx Fatalis''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified), A3D 2.0<ref>Arx Fatalis readme.txt (Recommended Requirements section, Troubleshooting section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Assassin's Creed''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Assassin's Creed uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Avencast: Rise of the Mage''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Avencast: Rise of the Mage uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Baldur's Gate''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 Sound Blaster Gaming - EAX to EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Baldur's Gate 2''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX® to EAX® 4.0 ADVANCED HD™ (archived)] See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050317075326/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/bgate2.asp Interview with Dave Chan (archived)]</ref> Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be needed for occlusion<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1317232#p1317232 (Audio recordings comparison)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battle for Middle-earth''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battle for Middle Earth 2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battle for Middle Earth 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battle for Middle Earth 2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battle for Middle-earth 2: The Rise of the Witch-king.''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battle for Middle Earth 2: The Rise of the Witch-king in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlestations: Midway''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Battlestations: Midway in-game Audio Settings. Additionally, the game's readme.rtf references EAX Advanced HD, and its executable references EAX 4.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlestrike: Force of Resistance''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Battlestrike: Force of Resistance uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlestrike: Shadow of Stalingrad''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Battlestrike: Shadow of Stalingrad uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, the game's readme.txt indicates that EAX 2.0 is the oldest supported version.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlezone''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Battlezone II: Combat Commander''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Battlefield Vietnam''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battlefield Vietnam in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battlefield 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216040950/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/battlefield2/ Xtreme Fidelity Audio in Battlefield 2 (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051210234150/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/battlefield2/ Soundblaster Gaming: Battlefield 2 (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324154937/http://soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=59610 EAX Featured Game: Battlefield 2: Special Forces Expansion Pack (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battlefield 2142''
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216044312/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=66954 EAX Featured Game: Battlefield 2142 (archived)]. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080922021659/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=66955&categoryID=13 Battlefield 2142 audio by DICE (archived)] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20071214052322/http://soundblaster.com/Applications/article.asp?articleID=68148&categoryID=13 Battlefield 2142 Audio Gaming Guide (archived)]</ref>

| X
|-
| ''Battlezone II''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Beowulf: The Game''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Beowulf readme.txt specifies EAX 4.0 support (PC hardware recommended requirements section). Additionally, the game uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 for supporting lower EAX versions.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Beyond Good & Evil''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Beyond Good and Evil readme.txt (Sound compatibility section)</ref>
|
|-
|''BioShock''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>BioShock manual, page 3 (Recommended System Requirements). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20080114235015/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=70882 EAX Featured Game: BioShock (archived)] as well as [https://web.archive.org/web/20090208071036/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=71545&categoryID=13 BioShock Audio Guide (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Black & White 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Black & White 2 executable contains references to EAX 3.0. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051212100850/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/blackandwhite2/ Sound Blaster Gaming: Black & White 2 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Blade of Darkness''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Blade of Darkness external setup utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Blair Witch Project Volume I-III''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Blood II: The Chosen & The Nightmare Levels''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Bloodrayne''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040710071129/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/bloodrayne.asp EAX Featured Game: Bloodrayne (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Brian Lara International Cricket 2007''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071106035359/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=68893 EAX Featured Game: Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0<ref>Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway executable and .dll files contain references to EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Call of Duty''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0. EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010020322/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=91&cat=3 The Sounds of War in Call of Duty (archived)]</ref> Note: needs patch 1.3
| X
|-
| ''Call of Duty 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0. EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0
| X
|-
| ''Call of Juarez''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Call of Juarez uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Carmageddon: The Death Race 2000''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Carnivores: Cityscape''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Carnivores: Ice Age''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Carnivores 2''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Chaser''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Chaser in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Chrome''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Chrome uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Chrome SpecForce''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Chrome SpecForce uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Civilization IV in-game audio options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV: Warlords''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV: Colonization''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''City of Heroes''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''City of Villains''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Clive Barker's Undying''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces Undying.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.x (or A3D 1.x/2.x) if the "Enable 3D Hardware" audio setting is on, and supported hardware is detected</ref>
|
|-
| ''Close Quarters Conflict''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: Close Quarters Conflict in-game audio options. Additionally, this game uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Cold War''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Colin McRae Rally 04''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164633/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53894&cat=1 Premier Racing Audio in Colin McRae Rally 04 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Colin McRae Rally 2005''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Source: in-game Sound options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20050413093433/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/colinmcrae2005.asp EAX Featured Game: Colin McRae Rally 2005 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Colin McRae: Dirt''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708062900/http://soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=70240 EAX Featured Game: Dirt (archived)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20090208070613/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=70294&categoryID=13 Turbo-charged audio in DIRT (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Colin McRae: Dirt 2''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: Colin McRae: Dirt 2 readme.html (Section XV: Problems with Hardware audio acceleration)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Combat: Task Force 121''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061216045358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=56155 EAX Featured Game: Combat: Task Force 121 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Command & Conquer: Generals''
|
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Command & Conquer: Renegade''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0. Also supports A3D and DirectSound3D<ref>Source: C&C Renegade in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Commandos: Strike Force''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061216045523/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=62414 EAX Featured Game: Commandos: Strike Force (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Company of Heroes''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.flt which ships with Company of Heroes supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20080105204720/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/companyofheroes/ Sound Blaster Gaming: Company of Heroes]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Condemned: Criminal Origins''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: in-game audio options. Additionally, Condemned: Criminal Origins uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Conflict: Global Storm''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>Source: Conflict: Global Storm in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Conflict: Vietnam''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>Source: Conflict: Vietnam in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Contract J.A.C.K.''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Contract J.A.C.K. readme.txt (System Requirements section)</ref>
|
|-
|''Counter-Strike''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Crime Cities''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Croc 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Crusaders of Might and Magic''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Source: Cryostasis game manual, page 5</ref>
|
|-
|''Crysis''
|
|
|
|
|
| Not all the sounds are reverbed, dialog plays fine.
| X
|-
| ''Crysis Warhead''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Daikatana''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dark and Light''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dark Vengeance''
|X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Day of Defeat''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dead Man's Hand''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Dead Man's Hand uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Demolition Racer''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Descent 3''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Descent Freespace''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Deus Ex''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0,<ref>Starting the game produces DeusEx.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.x if the "Hardware 3D Support" audio setting is on, and supported hardware is detected</ref> A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1295596#p1295596 Deus Ex log file and console output (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Diablo II''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050316091447/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/diablo2.asp Interview with Jon Stone, Game Programmer (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Divine Divinity''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dogs of War: Battle on Primus IV''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Doom 3''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL). Note: EAX support added in patch 1.3<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080213202624/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/doom3/ Doom 3 EAX Patch - SoundBlaster.com (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Dr. Brain: Action Reaction''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces a log file which indicates the use of EAX 1.x if supported [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1295506#p1295506 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Drakan''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Drakan configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dreamfall: The Longest Journey''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Dreamfall in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060906044044/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=62412 EAX Featured Game: Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Driver''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Driver 3''
|
|
|X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Driver: Parallel Lines''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Drome Racers''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Drome Racers uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Dronez''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dungeon Keeper II''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Dungeon Keeper II readme.txt</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dungeon Lords (video game)|Dungeon Lords''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which Dungeon Lords uses supports all EAX versions up to 4.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dungeon Siege''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Dungeon Siege 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which Dungeon Siege 2 uses supports all EAX versions up to 4.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has "Creative EAX" under Audio Settings. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''East Front''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''eRacer''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX references found in the game's executable. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''El Matador''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>El Matador uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0. Additionally, see page 22 of the game's manual</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Elite Warriors: Vietnam''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Enter the Matrix''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Enter the Matrix uses eax.dll version 3.0.0.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20031210221428/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/etm.asp EAX Featured Game: Enter The Matrix (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Eurofighter Typhoon''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Euro League Football''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''EverQuest''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''EverQuest 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which EverQuest 2 uses supports all EAX versions up to 4.0.</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Evil Dead: Hail to the King''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Evil Genius''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050323131640/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=115&page=2&cat=3 World Dominating Audio in Evil Genius (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Evolva''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Expendable''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Expendable configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''F.E.A.R.''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: F.E.A.R. in-game audio options. Additionally, F.E.A.R. uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Lastly, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20051027025836/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/fear/ F.E.A.R. at Soundblaster.com (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''F.E.A.R. Extraction Point''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: F.E.A.R. Extraction Point in-game audio options. Additionally, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216045528/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=66408 EAX Featured Game: F.E.A.R. - Extraction Point]</ref>
|
|-
| ''F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate in-game audio options. Additionally, F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified).</ref>
|
|-
| ''F1 Grand Prix 3 2000 Season''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified).<ref>Source: F1 Grand Prix 3 2000 Season in-game audio options. Additionally, F1 Grand Prix 3 2000 Season eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). Note: only the 2000 Season expansion supports EAX, the base game does not.</ref>
|
|-
| ''F1 Grand Prix 4''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''F1 2010''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Source: F1 2010 readme.html (Section XII: Problems with Hardware audio acceleration)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Fallout Tactics in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Far Cry''
|
|X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Far Cry in-game audio settings. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041009181927/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=110&cat=3 EAX Paradise in Far Cry (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Far Cry 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Far Cry 2 uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''FIFA 99''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Final Fantasy VIII''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Final Fantasy VIII uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Flying Heroes''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20040613054853/http://flyingheroes.pterodon.cz/engine.htm Flying Heroes Homepage - engine specifications (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ford Racing''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Freedom Fighters''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Freedom Fighters uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20031202141509/http://www.soundblaster.com/freedomfighters/interview.asp EAX ADVANCED HD Effects in Freedom Fighters (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Freedom Force''
|X
|X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Freedom Force in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
|''Freedom Force vs. The 3rd Reich''
|X
|X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Freedom Force vs. The 3rd Reich in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Freespace 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''From Dusk Till Dawn''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Frontlines: Fuel of War''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Frontlines: Fuel of War uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Full Spectrum Warrior''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Full Spectrum Warrior game manual, page 27. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20050112102610/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=119&cat=3 Intense Urban Combat Warfare in Full Spectrum Warrior (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613092123/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameid=61744 EAX Featured Game: Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Fur Fighters''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Future Beat 3D''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Gears of War''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=528608#p528608 Gears of War log file contents].</ref> Enable hardware OpenAL via [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=528586#p528586 this .ini edit]
| X
|-
| ''Ghost Master''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Ghost Master in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Giants: Citizen Kabuto''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0. Note: disabled by default, see readme.txt for instructions<ref>Source: Giants: Citizen Kabuto readme.txt (Troubleshooting Command Line Options section). Additionally, Occlusion is an EAX 2.0 feature</ref>
|
|-
| ''Global Operations''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Global Operations uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''Gothic''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Gothic in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Gothic 2''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Gothic 2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Gothic 3''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''GP 500''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto II''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Also supports A3D 2.0.
|
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto III''
| X
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Grand Theft Auto III in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City''
| X
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0,<ref>Source: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in-game Audio Settings</ref> Also supports A3D 2.0 via manual edit of the settings file
| X
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324154224/http://soundblaster.com/gaming/gta/ Soundblaster.com Gaming: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Spec Ops II: Green Berets''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Race Driver: Grid''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Race Driver: Grid readme.html (Audio section)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Guild Wars''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070715042723/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=68245 EAX Featured Game: Guild Wars Nightfall (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Gulf War: Operation Desert Hammer''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''GUN''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Half-Life''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Steam version does not support it anymore since the 2013 patch.
|
|-
| ''Half-Life: Blue Shift''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Steam version does not support it anymore since the 2013 patch.
|
|-
| ''Half-Life: Opposing Force''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Steam version does not support it anymore since the 2013 patch.
|
|-
| ''Halo: Combat Evolved''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1258111#p1258111 Halo.exe hex edit view (screenshot)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hardware''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.² in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Heli Heroes''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Hellgate: London''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of mss.dll which ships with Hellgate: London supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Heretic II''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000306192415/http://www.vortexofsound.com/techhelp/gm_h2.htm Tech Help: Heretic II - Vortex of Sound (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX support indicated in the game's config file. Supported EAX versions unknown.
|
|-
| ''Heroes of Might and Magic V''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Hidden & Dangerous 2''
|
|
|X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''High Heat Baseball 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''High Heat Baseball 2002''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Hitman: Codename 47''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Hitman: Codename 47 uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0. Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20041217063452/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/Hitman3.asp Interview with Martin Pollas (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hitman 2: Silent Assassin''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Hitman 2: Silent Assassin uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041012092831/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=73&cat=3 Talking to Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hitman: Contracts''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Hitman: Contracts uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041009182412/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=112&cat=3 Killer EAX ADVANCED HD Audio in Hitman: Contracts (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hitman: Blood Money''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Hitman: Blood Money supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0 (referenced in HitmanBloodMoney.exe). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060906222327/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=62815 EAX Featured Game: Hitman: Blood Money (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hostile Waters''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Icewind Dale''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050326180802/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/interplay.asp Interview with Charles Deenen and Craig Duman (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Icewind Dale 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030410140044/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/iwd2.asp EAX Featured Game: Icewind Dale II (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Starting IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 produces sound.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0 if the "Enable Extensions" audio setting is on, and supported hardware is detected</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Incoming Forces''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0 support referenced in forces.exe</ref>
|
|-
| ''Infernal''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Infernal uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Isabelle''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''James Bond 007: Nightfire''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Juiced''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Juiced uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Jurassic Park: Trespasser''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0 <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19991111043949/http://www.ctlsg.creaf.com/press/1998/p980812d.html DreamWorks Interactive To Use Creative’s Environmental Audio Standard In Ultimate New Game Trespasser - Creative Asia (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Kane & Lynch: Dead Men supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0 (referenced in kaneandlynch.exe). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20071204182010/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameid=72790 EAX Featured Game: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (archived)]</ref>

|
|-
| ''Killing Floor''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Killing Floor 2''
|
|
|
|
| X
|
|
|-
| ''Klingon Honor Guard''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0 <ref>Source: Klingon Honor Guard patch 1.1 notes</ref>
|
|-
| ''Lander''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Legends of Might and Magic''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Lego Island 2''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>The game's executable contains references to EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0 [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1296745#p1296745 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Lineage II''
|
|
|
|
|
| OpenAL
|
|-
| ''Line of Sight: Vietnam''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Lord of the Rings Online''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>The Lord of the Rings Online uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>The Return of the King uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.6 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Lost Pain: TakeDown''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050210041952/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/takedown.asp EAX Featured Game: Take Down Online - The Lost Pain (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter readme.txt (Sound section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Madden NFL 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Madden NFL 99''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Mafia''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Mafia ships with EAX3 Unified redist on CD3. Installing that provides eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Mage Knight: Apocalypse''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Mage Knight: Apocalypse uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0. Additionally, see the game's readme.txt (System Requirements section) as well as [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216044419/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=66943 EAX Featured Game: Mage Knight: Apocalypse (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Manhunt''
|
|
|X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Martian Gothic: Unification''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Mass Effect''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Mass Effect uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0. Additionally, see its in-game audio options and page 3 of its manual.</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Matrix Online''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Matrix: Path of Neo''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>The Matrix: Path of Neo uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref> To enable EAX, edit MatrixConfig.INI and set EAX_ENABLED=1
|
|-
| ''Max Payne 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Max Payne 2 uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0. (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
|''MDK2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''MechWarrior 4''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Medal of Honor Allied Assault''
| X
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130901055119/https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/creative_labs_sound_blaster_audigy_4_pro,8.html Guru3D.com: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro - Page 8 (archived)]</ref> Can be enabled in the launcher.
|
|-
| ''Medieval II: Total War''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Medieval II: Total War in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070119104500/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=67329 EAX Featured Game: Medieval II: Total War (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Men of War: Assault Squad''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Messiah''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0. Note: also supports A3D<ref>Source: Messiah in-game audio options. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050317041532/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/shiny.asp Interview with Tony Bennett (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Midnight GT''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Midnight Club II''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Midnight Club II in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Might and Magic VII configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Might and Magic VIII configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Might and Magic IX''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Might and Magic IX uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Mortyr 2093 - 1944''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Most Wanted''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Moto Racer 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Motocross Madness 2''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Motocross Madness 2 in-game Audio Settings. Hovering the mouse over the "Use EAX Extensions" button specifically mentions occlusion, which is an EAX 2.0 feature.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Motorhead''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Mutant Chronicles: Warzone Online''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Myst Online: Uru Live''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Myst V: End of Ages''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Myst V: End of Ages uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Myth II: Soulblighter''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Myth II readme.txt</ref>
|
|-
| ''Myth III''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''NASCAR Revolution''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed: Carbon''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Need For Speed: High Stakes''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0 Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be needed for proper EAX support<ref>Source: Phil's Computer Lab - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-HiLp5p820&t=441s Sound Blaster Live! Review (video)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has D3D/EAX under audio options. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed: Most Wanted''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed: Underground 2''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Nerf Arena Blast''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Neverwinter Nights (2002)''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Neverwinter Nights in-game Advanced Sound Options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Neverwinter Nights 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0.<ref>Source: Neverwinter Nights 2 in-game Gameplay/Audio options</ref> For 5.1 surround, set Speaker Type=4 in nwn2.ini<ref>See [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1313683#p1313683 this Vogons forum post] for more details</ref>
| X
|-
| ''New York Race''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''NHL 2000''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''No One Lives Forever''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>No One Lives Forever (GOTY) uses msseax.m3d, msseax2.m3d, mssa3d.m3d and mssa3d2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: No One Lives Forever 2 readme.txt (System Requirements section). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20030410140605/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/nolf2.asp EAX Featured Game: No One Lives Forever 2 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
|''Nocturne''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Off Road''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX can be enabled in-game under Audio Options. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''Operation Flashpoint: Resistance''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Operation Flashpoint 2''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Operation Thunderstorm''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Operation Thunderstorm uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0. (EAX Unified) Readme file specifies no EAX 1.0 support</ref>
|
|-
| ''Outcast''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Pac-Man: Adventures in Time''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Pac-Man: Adventures in Time readme.txt (Pac-Man configuration & Advanced Game Options)</ref> Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be required to enable EAX support
|
|-
| ''Pac-Man All-Stars''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Pac-Man All-Stars uses msseax.m3d, msseax2.m3d, mssa3d.m3d and mssa3d2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Painkiller in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller: Overdose''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Painkiller Overdose in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller: Resurrection''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Painkiller Resurrection in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller: Redemption''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Painkiller Redemption in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1291888#p1291888 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Panzer Elite''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Pariah''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Pariah uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Paris Dakar Rally''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Peter Jackson's King Kong''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>Peter Jackson's King Kong manual, page 3 (Ideal Configuration)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Planescape: Torment''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''PlanetSide''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Play Online''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Populous: The Beginning''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Postal 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Postal 2 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Powerslide''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Prey (2006)''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: Prey in-game console output [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1310637#p1310637 (screenshot)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20061107081802/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/prey/ Hardware Accelerated Audio in Prey (archived)] as well as [https://web.archive.org/web/20070210220103/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=63916 EAX Featured Game: Prey (archived)] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20080922021654/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=65937&categoryID=13 Maximize your audio in Prey (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: 3D''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified) See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20040623055348/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/princeofpersia.asp EAX Featured Game: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: Warrior Within''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia: Warrior Within uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia (2008)''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia (2008) uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Project Eden''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Project I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Project I.G.I.-2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
|''Psychonauts''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Psychonauts uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Quake 4''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324162911/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/quake4/ Sound Blaster X-Fi Audio in QUAKE 4 (archived)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324161138/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=59528 EAX Featured Game: Quake 4 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Rage Rally''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Rail Simulator''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080205184049/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameid=71485 EAX Featured Game: Rail Simulator (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Railroad Tycoon 3''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Railroad Tycoon 3 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Rally Championship 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Rally Championship 2000 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rally Trophy''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Rally Trophy external configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rayman Raving Rabbids''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rayman Raving Rabbids uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Re-Volt''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Red Faction''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Red Faction uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Redline Racer''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Regiment''
|
|
|
|
|X
| EAX 5.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613094955/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=61018 EAX Featured Game: The Regiment (archived)]</ref> (via OpenAL)
| X
|-
| ''Requiem: Avenging Angel''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Resident Evil 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Revenant''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Revolution''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Revolution ships with EAX3 Unified redist on the disc. Installing that provides eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rent a Hero''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Richard Burns Rally''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Richard Burns Rally readme_eng.txt (Frequently Asked Questions section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2007''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071106035404/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=68899 EAX Featured Game: Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2007 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Road Wars''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''RollerCoaster Tycoon 3''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050211000628/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/rollercoastertycoon/ SoundBlaster.com - RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Rollcage''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Rollcage Stage II''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Rome: Total War''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Rome: Total War in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060509175704/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53836&cat=1 Epic, Cinematic Audio in Rome: Total War (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Rune: The Halls of Valhalla''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref> EAX works through OpenAL. Do not use ALchemy.
|
|-
| ''S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified) EAX works through OpenAL. Do not use ALchemy.
|
|-
| ''S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified) EAX works through OpenAL. Do not use ALchemy.
|
|-
|''Sacred 2''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Sacred 2 Readme.html (System Requirements section, Recommended requirements)</ref>
|
|-
|''Sacrifice''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sammy Sosa: Softball Slam''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sanity: Aiken's Artifact''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Scarface: The World Is Yours''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Screamer 4x4''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Screamer 4x4 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Secret Service: In Harm’s Way''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sega Rally Championship''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Serious Sam: The First Encounter''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Serious Sam: The First Encounter in-game Audio Options. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041214224151/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/serioussam2.asp Interview with Damjan Mravuanc (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Serious Sam: The Second Encounter''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Serious Sam: The Second Encounter in-game Audio Options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Serious Sam 2''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Serious Sam 2 ReadMe_ENU.html (System requirements section)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Shade: Wrath of Angels''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050210042206/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/shade.asp EAX Featured Game: Shade: Wrath of Angels (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Shadow Ops: Red Mercury''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060324154104/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53877&cat=1 Explosive audio in Shadow Ops: Red Mercury (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Shadow Force: Razor Unit''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Shogo: Mobile Armor Division''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sid Meier's Pirates!''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which Sid Meier's Pirates! uses supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Sid Meier's Railroads!''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Silent Hunter 3''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Silent Hunter 3 uses EaxMan.dll version 2.0.1.3</ref>
|
|-
| ''Silkroad Online''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Sims 2 Seasons''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SimCity 3000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SimTheme Park''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''SiN''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>SiN readme.txt (Technical Issues section) Note: A3D and EAX support was removed with patch 1.13</ref>
|
|-
| ''SiN: Wages of Sin''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Wages of Sin readme.txt (Technical Issues section). Note: A3D and EAX support was removed with patch 1.13</ref>
|
|-
| ''Slave Zero''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sniper: Art of Victory''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Sniper: Art of Victory uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Soldier of Fortune''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Soldier of Fortune uses eax.dll version 2.4.0.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, see the game's readme.txt (Special Features section)</ref> Also supports A3D
|
|-
| ''Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Soldner: Secret Wars''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060114201132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53827&cat=1 EAX ADVANCED HD battlefield audio in Soldner: Secret Wars (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Soulbringer''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: Soulbringer launcher Advanced Options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Space Force: Rogue Universe''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Space Force: Rogue Universe readme.txt (System Requirements section). Additionally, EAX 3.0 support is specified in the Audio tab of the game's external configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Spec Ops 2: Green Berets''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: SpellForce 2 in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Spider-Man 2: The Game''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Spider-Man 2 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>. To enable EAX edit Webhead.ini and set UseEAX=True
|
|-
| ''Spirit of Speed''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Starlancer''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Starlancer in-game audio options. Furthermore, the game uses msseax.m3d, msseax2.m3d, mssa3d.m3d and mssa3d2.m3d.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Bridge Commander''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0.<ref>Star Trek: Bridge Commander uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref> Also supports A3D and DirectSound3D
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0 and DirectSound3D are all supported<ref>Source: Star Trek DS9 The Fallen in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1099361#p1099361 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Elite Force II''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, A3D<ref>Source: Elite Force II in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1099381#p1099381 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Next Generation Klingon Honor Guard''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Star Wars: Battlefront''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Star Wars: Battlefront uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Wars Battlefront 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Star Wars: Battlefront II uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Wars: Empire at War''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Empire at War in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1280842#p1280842 (screenshot)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Forces of Corruption in-game audio options</ref>

|
|-
| ''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Star Wars Galaxies''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Jedi Outcast uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0. Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20031003092920/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=49&cat=3 Secrets behind the Sound: Part I (archived)]</ref> Support added in patch 1.03
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Jedi Academy uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0. Additionally, see game manual page 6 and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010012242/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=89&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD in Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Knights of the Old Republic in-game Advanced Sound Options menu. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010024651/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=99&cat=3 The Star Wars Sound Experience (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Knights of the Old Republic 2 in-game Advanced Sound Options menu</ref> Note: EAX Support removed in latest Steam version.
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars: Republic Commando''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Star Wars: Republic Commando in-game Sound Options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Stolen''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Stolen uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Street Racing Syndicate''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Street Racing Syndicate uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Stronghold''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse manual, page 22</ref>
|
|-
| ''Stunt GP''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Stunt GP readme.rtf (Section 2.4 - Microsoft DirectSound3D / EAX Support)</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Suffering''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has "Enable EAX" in the configuration utility. Supported EAX versions unknown.<ref>Source: The Suffering configuration utility [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1297894#p1297894 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Suffering: Ties That Bind''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has "Enable EAX" in the configuration utility. Supported EAX versions unknown.
|
|-
| ''The Sum of All Fears''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>The Sum of All Fears uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Summoner''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Summoner uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Superbike 2001''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Supreme Commander''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SWAT 4''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>SWAT 4 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Swedish Touring Car Championship''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Swedish Touring Car Championship 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''System Shock 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|For further info, refer to [http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117175 this thread] on the TTLG forums
|
|-
| ''Tarzan''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Tarzan in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Club''
|
| X
|
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0<ref>The Club executable contains references to EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0 (via EFX). As a fallback, EAX 2.0 can be used as well.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Terminus''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Test Drive''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Test Drive 6''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Test Drive Rally''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Devil Inside''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Wheel Of Time''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Theme Park World''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Thief: The Dark Project''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>A3D 1.0 support is present in the retail release of Thief: The Dark Project (source: Readme.wri, Sound Acceleration and 3D Sound section). EAX 1.0 support was added in patch 1.33 (source: thiefpat.txt, New Features section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Thief II: The Metal Age''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Support for EAX 1.0 was added in Thief II patch 1.18. Source: patch.wri (Programming fixes section)</ref><ref>EAX 2.0 support is present in the retail release of Thief II. Source: Readme.wri (System Requirements section)</ref> Note: support for A3D 2.0 was removed before release<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=645476#p645476 SB Live! and A3D 1.0 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Thief: Deadly Shadows''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0 support is specifically mentioned in the game's readme.rtf (Section 2.5 - Manual Additions). Additionally, Thief: Deadly Shadows uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164553/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53835&cat=1 Discovering EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD in Thief: Deadly Shadows (archived)] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20041207070023/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=107&cat=3 Stealthy Sounds in Thief: Deadly Shadows (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
|''TimeShift''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0<ref>Timeshift manual, page 1 (An Important Note Regarding Graphics and Having the Best
Possible Experience)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Titan Quest''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which ships with Titan Quest supports all EAX versions up to 4.0. Additionally, see the developer comments at [https://web.archive.org/web/20060928212242/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/titanquest/ (archive of Soundblaster.com)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Titan Quest: Immortal Throne''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''TMNT''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>TMNT uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''TNN Outdoors Pro Hunter''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''TOCA Race Driver''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''TOCA Race Driver 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041204151702/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/tocarace2.asp EAX Featured Game: TOCA Race Driver 2 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Desert Siege''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Desert Siege uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Island Thunder uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1256985#p1256985 Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter audio options menu (screenshot)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1257386#p1257386 Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 audio options menu (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six: Lockdown uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
|''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Rogue Spear & Black Thorn''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six: Vegas uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
|EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Splinter Cell uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20021201130533/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/splinter.asp EAX Featured Game: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20050307195753/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=117&cat=3 Deadly Hide & Seek in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory''
|X
|X
|X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Readme.txt (PC hardware recommended requirements section). Additionally, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: Splinter Cell: Double Agent Readme.txt (PC hardware recommended requirements section). Additionally, Splinter Cell: Double Agent uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's The Sum Of All Fears''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tomb Raider: Anniversary''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tomb Raider: Legend''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (requires EAX Unified)<ref>The Angel of Darkness in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1099228#p1099228 (screenshot)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010062222/http://soundblaster.com/tombraider/interview.asp EAX ADVANCED HD in Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''TrackMania Nations Forever''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>TrackMania Nations Forever uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''TrackMania United Forever''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>TrackMania United Forever uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Trackmania Original''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Trespasser: Jurassic Park''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tribes 2''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Tribes 2 in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Triple Play 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tron 2.0''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Tron 2.0 in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20051212173728/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53876&cat=1 Disney's Tron 2.0 Audio (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
|''Tzar: The Burden of the Crown''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Tzar configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''UFO: Aftermath''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which UFO: Aftermath uses supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''UFO: Aftershock''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>UFO: Aftershock uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ultim@te Race Rally''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Ultim@te Race Pro''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0. Note: use the -SB32 command line parameter to enable 32 voices<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19990428154026/http://www.ultimaterace.com/cgi-bin/techsup.dll Ultim@te Race Pro Technical Support (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ultima: Ascension''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Undying''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Universe at War: Earth Assault''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Universe at War in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Unreal''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0, DS3D<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 Sound Blaster Gaming - EAX to EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1158619#p1158619 Unreal 1 and A3D cards (screenshot)]</ref> Note: Unreal was the very first game that implemented EAX support.
|
|-
| ''Unreal II: The Awakening''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Unreal II uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces UnrealTournament.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.x/2.x (or A3D 1.x/2.x) if the "Use Hardware 3D Sound" setting is on, and supported hardware is detected.</ref><ref>Support for EAX 2.0 was added through the Unreal Tournament EAX Library Patch and Deathmatch Enhancements [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1296855#p1296855 (Vogons forum post)].</ref>
|
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament 2003''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Unreal Tournament 2003 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0. Additionally, see the game's Readme.txt (Section 3.2 Sound issues)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament 2004''
|
|
| X
|
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216041050/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/ut2004/ Sound Blaster X-Fi - Unreal Tournament 2004 (archived)]</ref> Note: EAX 5.0 support was added with [http://www.gamewatcher.com/mods/unreal-tournament-2004-mod/soundblaster-x-fi-patch# this patch]
| X
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament 3''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1310633#p1310633 Unreal Tournament 3 Launch.log file contents]. Additionally see: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080202034140/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=72840 EAX Featured Game: Unreal Tournament 3 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Uprising 2: Lead and Destroy''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Urban Chaos''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Uru: Ages Beyond Myst''
|X
|X
|X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Uru: Ages Beyond Myst uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.5 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010023552/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=98&cat=3 Discovering Uru: Ages Beyond Myst (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Vanguard: Saga of Heroes''
|
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
|''Vietcong''
| X
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Vietcong 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Vivisector: Beast Inside''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050904102525/http://www.soundblaster.com/mailer/welcome.asp?mon=2005mar05 Soundblaster.com Newsletters, Featured Game: Vivisector: Beast Inside (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warcraft III''
|
| X
|
|
|
| ALchemy/EAX support removed with 1.30 update
| X
|-
| ''Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Fire Warrior configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warhammer: Mark of Chaos''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Warhammer Mark of Chaos in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.flt which ships with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warlords Battlecry''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Warlords Battlecry II''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Warlords Battlecry II uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warmonger: Operation Downtown Destruction''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Warmonger: Operation Downtown Destruction uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warpath''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Warpath uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Way Point Zeta''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Wild Metal Country''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Wild Wild West: The Steel Assassin''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Witcher''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0 only<ref>Source: The Witcher readme.rtf (Section 5. Known Issues). See also [https://forums.cdprojektred.com/index.php?threads/eax-and-x-fi-alchemy.15484/#post-557372 CD Project forums, The Witcher patch notes]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Wizardry 8''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''World of Warcraft''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707001747/http://www.soundblaster.com/worldofwarcraft/ SoundBlaster.com - World of Warcraft (archived)]</ref> Note: EAX isn't supported in the 64-bit build of the game
| X
|-
| ''WWII Combat: Road to Berlin''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>WWII Combat: Road to Berlin uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''WWII Combat: Iwo Jima''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>WWII Combat: Iwo Jima uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''WWII Tank Commander''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>WWII Tank Commander uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). Additionally, the game's readme.txt specifies EAX 4.0 support (System Requirements section). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070101123211/http://soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=55428 EAX Featured Game: World War II Tank Commander (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''X2: The Threat''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: X2 Readme15.rtf (Section 22)</ref>
|
|-
| ''X3 Reunion''
|
|
|
| X
|
|
|-
| ''X-COM: Enforcer''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces a log file which indicates the use of EAX 1.x if supported [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1295506#p1295506 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Xpand Rally''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Xpand Rally DXDiags.txt (this file is created after starting the game for the first time)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim configuration utility (Sound tab)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ys: The Oath in Felghana''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Ys: Origin''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|}

==Related links==
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX Environmental Audio eXtensions]
* [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound DirectSound]

==References==

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-03-04T20:07:20Z

Joseph Joestar: Additional references and minor tweaks.

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, since the early 2000s, games could use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for utilizing EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilized EAX via DirectSound3D could no longer do that natively, and required a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this was the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilized EAX via OpenAL were unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E3 E3] in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Among other things, developers could more easily add interactive music to their games, use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices, and more accurately represent sounds passing very close to the player.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221075249/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5.asp EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is "attenuation" and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time - such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects (also known as Studio Effects) which were formerly only used in music creation can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. These effects are:
*'''EAX Autowah''' - Low pass filter, cut-off modulated by input level, with adjustable resonance.
*'''EAX Chorus''' - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-frequency_oscillation LFO] controlled chorus, with adjustable phase and wave shape.
*'''EAX Distortion''' - Guitar distortion pedal simulator, with adjustable gain, edge, and EQ.
*'''EAX Echo''' - Two-tap delay with adjustable delay time, damping and stereo spread.
*'''EAX EQ''' - Four band parametric EQ; two middle bands have adjustable frequency.
*'''EAX Flanger''' - LFO controlled flanger, with adjustable phase and wave shape
*'''EAX Frequency Shifter''' - Split stereo frequency shift.
*'''EAX Automatic Gain Control Compressor''' - Automatically evens out volume changes in an audio source.
*'''EAX Pitch Shifter''' - Pitch shifting with coarse and fine tune.
*'''EAX Ring Modulator''' - Ring modulation with adjustable modulator waveform and high pass filter.
*'''EAX Vocal Morpher''' - Vocal morpher with a pair of 4-band formant filters to impose vocal tract effects.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 26].</ref>

Each of the studio effects can be controlled with its own unique set of parameters, the equivalent of the environmental reverb’s low-level controls. For instance, the EAX 4.0 Chorus effect allows the developer to select a waveform, and set the effect’s phase, rate, depth, feedback, and delay.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 16].</ref> Among other things, this allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the "oldest" voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allowed developers to add even more sound detail into their games.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324183311/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects were added into the mix, could sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time could also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220153819/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051835/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref> Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051854/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051816/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051826/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create "best fit" versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM was provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It was 64MB in size and could only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers could improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM was available. X-RAM improved slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it could be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detected X-RAM could decompress its data at load time into it so that it didn't have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game could use higher quality audio assets that it might not have been able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM allowed developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1336767#p1336767 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1335596#p1335596 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1408321#p1408321 (screenshot)].</ref>

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-03-04T19:45:25Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more info and references to the ExtendedFX section.

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, since the early 2000s, games could use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for utilizing EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilized EAX via DirectSound3D could no longer do that natively, and required a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this was the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilized EAX via OpenAL were unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E3 E3] in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Among other things, developers could more easily add interactive music to their games, use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices, and more accurately represent sounds passing very close to the player.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221075249/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5.asp EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is "attenuation" and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time - such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects (also known as Studio Effects) which were formerly only used in music creation can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref> These effects are:
*'''EAX Autowah''' - Low pass filter, cut-off modulated by input level, with adjustable resonance.
*'''EAX Chorus''' - LFO controlled chorus, with adjustable phase and wave shape.
*'''EAX Distortion''' - Guitar distortion pedal simulator, with adjustable gain, edge, and EQ.
*'''EAX Echo''' - Two-tap delay with adjustable delay time, damping and stereo spread.
*'''EAX EQ''' - Four band parametric EQ; two middle bands have adjustable frequency.
*'''EAX Flanger''' - LFO controlled flanger, with adjustable phase and wave shape
*'''EAX Frequency Shifter''' - Split stereo frequency shift.
*'''EAX Automatic Gain Control Compressor''' - Automatically evens out volume changes in an audio source.
*'''EAX Pitch Shifter''' - Pitch shifting with coarse and fine tune.
*'''EAX Ring Modulator''' - Ring modulation with adjustable modulator waveform and high pass filter.
*'''EAX Vocal Morpher''' - Vocal morpher with a pair of 4-band formant filters to impose vocal tract effects.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 26].</ref>

Each of the studio effects can be controlled with its own unique set of parameters, the equivalent of the environmental reverb’s low-level controls. For instance, the EAX 4.0 Chorus effect allows the developer to select a waveform, and set the effect’s phase, rate, depth, feedback, and delay.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 16].</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the "oldest" voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allowed developers to add even more sound detail into their games.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324183311/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects were added into the mix, could sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time could also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220153819/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051835/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref> Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051854/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051816/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051826/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create "best fit" versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM was provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It was 64MB in size and could only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers could improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM was available. X-RAM improved slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it could be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detected X-RAM could decompress its data at load time into it so that it didn't have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game could use higher quality audio assets that it might not have been able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM allowed developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1336767#p1336767 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1335596#p1335596 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1408321#p1408321 (screenshot)].</ref>

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-25T20:55:39Z

Joseph Joestar: Added reference for CMSS-3D Virtual. Minor tweaks.

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, since the early 2000s, games could use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for utilizing EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilized EAX via DirectSound3D could no longer do that natively, and required a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this was the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilized EAX via OpenAL were unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E3 E3] in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Among other things, developers could more easily add interactive music to their games, use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices, and more accurately represent sounds passing very close to the player.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221075249/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5.asp EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is "attenuation" and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time - such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the "oldest" voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allowed developers to add even more sound detail into their games.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324183311/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects were added into the mix, could sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time could also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220153819/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051835/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref> Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051854/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051816/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051826/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create "best fit" versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM was provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It was 64MB in size and could only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers could improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM was available. X-RAM improved slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it could be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detected X-RAM could decompress its data at load time into it so that it didn't have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game could use higher quality audio assets that it might not have been able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM allowed developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1336767#p1336767 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1335596#p1335596 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1408321#p1408321 (screenshot)].</ref>

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-25T18:50:57Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more references to the CMSS section. Minor tweaks.

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, since the early 2000s, games could use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for utilizing EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilized EAX via DirectSound3D could no longer do that natively, and required a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this was the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilized EAX via OpenAL were unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E3 E3] in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Among other things, developers could more easily add interactive music to their games, use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices, and more accurately represent sounds passing very close to the player.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221075249/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5.asp EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is "attenuation" and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time - such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the "oldest" voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allowed developers to add even more sound detail into their games.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324183311/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects were added into the mix, could sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time could also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220153819/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051835/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref> Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051854/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051816/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051826/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM was provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It was 64MB in size and could only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers could improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM was available. X-RAM improved slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it could be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detected X-RAM could decompress its data at load time into it so that it didn't have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game could use higher quality audio assets that it might not have been able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM allowed developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.<ref>Source: [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1336767#p1336767 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1335596#p1335596 Sound Blaster X-Fi Demo Disc]. Relevant [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1336767#p1336767 (screenshot)].</ref>

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-25T16:46:03Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more info to the EAX 5.0 section and updated references

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, newer games can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for enabling EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D can no longer do that natively, and require a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this is the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at E3 in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Among other things, developers could more easily add interactive music to their games, use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices, and more accurately represent sounds passing very close to the player.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221075249/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5.asp EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is 'attenuation' and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324183311/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220153819/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051835/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051854/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051816/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060216051826/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/lastinfo/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-25T15:54:55Z

Joseph Joestar: Additional info regarding EAX 1.0. Minor formatting adjustments.

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, newer games can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for enabling EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D can no longer do that natively, and require a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this is the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released. The very first game to use EAX was Unreal, as presented at E3 in May of 1998.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions and exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is "leaking" around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual "borders" separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a "border" can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is 'attenuation' and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object's sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX Advanced HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-25T15:20:56Z

Joseph Joestar: Additional references for Occlusion and Environment Morphing

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, newer games can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for enabling EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D can no longer do that natively, and require a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this is the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that's what occlusion represents. In the game world, there will be times when the listener is in one room and an audible sound source is in another room. In that case, the listener hears an occluded sound source transmitted through the wall between rooms. The sound designer decides what kind of material makes up each partition between adjacent environments: how transmissive it is, how it attenuates high and low frequencies.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 11]</ref> Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments).<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is 'attenuation' and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-25T14:36:58Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more info on EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0, including additional references to various EAX features. Minor tweaks.

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, newer games can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for enabling EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D can no longer do that natively, and require a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this is the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 3.0 API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. It was also known as "EAX Advanced HD" and remained exclusive to Creative's audio solutions. Other sound card manufacturers weren't able to utilize any EAX versions above 2.0.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202124127/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/pr.asp Creative shatters PC sound barrier with Sound Blaster Audigy (archived)]</ref> With EAX 3.0, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of "morphing" from one effect to another became possible. Additionally, Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX Advanced HD Reverberation Engine offered a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This was in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20020207171054/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/morphing.asp Environment Morphing (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering accurately simulates the propagation of sound.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202080456/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/filtering.asp Environment Filtering (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref> It offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is 'attenuation' and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202081743/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/panning.asp Environment Panning (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011202082945/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/reflections.asp Environment Reflections (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010818021346/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/multi-env.asp Multi-Environment (archived from Soundblaster.com)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-25T12:34:47Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more references for EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0. Minor tweaks.

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. However, newer games can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for enabling EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D can no longer do that natively, and require a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this is the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> Games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20011204183657/http://www.soundblaster.com/audigy/eax.asp Welcome to the next generation of EAX (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003, following the release of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030206101150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2/ Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (archived)]</ref> The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-25T11:49:32Z

Joseph Joestar: Additional info regarding EAX on Windows Vista and onward. MInor tweaks.

== About EAX ==

'''E'''nvironmental '''A'''udio e'''X'''tensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D#DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Newer games can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D for enabling EAX. This is relevant, because starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D can no longer do that natively, and require a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. The root cause for this is the removal of the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080912204543/http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/OpenAL%C2%AE%20and%20Windows%20Vista%E2%84%A2.aspx OpenAL and Windows Vista (archived)].</ref><ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> However, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-20T22:20:39Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more info and referenes to the EAX 4.0 section

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. Starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D can no longer do that natively, and require a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. This is because the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) has been removed from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> However, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. A multi-environment implementation can provide a more realistic experience by enabling the user to hear acoustic information from rooms other than the one occupied by the listener. Environmental reverbs can be rendered for several locations, and filtering effects applied to correctly muffle direct and reflected sound, which results in an extremely lifelike aural simulation.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 13].</ref> In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-20T19:05:04Z

Joseph Joestar: Additional clarification regarding EAX, DirectSound3D and OpenAL on Windows Vista and up. Minor tweaks.

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. Starting with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Windows Vista], games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D can no longer do that natively, and require a wrapper such as [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/68-creative-alchemy/ Creative ALchemy] for proper EAX functionality. This is because the DirectSound Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) has been removed from Windows Vista onwards.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref> However, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected by this change, and continue to work fine even on modern Windows versions.

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included Neverwinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-20T12:33:42Z

Joseph Joestar: Added another reference to the EAX Unified section. Minor tweaks.

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Vista] and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 introduced the following features:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 introduced the following features:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 introduced the following features:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1407160#p1407160 The EAX Unified Interface]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-20T11:59:51Z

Joseph Joestar: Updated references to EAX 2.0 SDK. Added more info to the EAX 2.0 section based on the contents of the SDK.

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Vista] and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> Additionally, EAX 2.0 provides developers with more environmental reverberation control, offering a complete set of reverberation parameters that allow them to control the intensity and delay of reflections, to continuously adjust the environment size, and to set the direct path and reverberation filters for each sound source.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 4]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%202.0%20(1999).pdf EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-20T11:15:21Z

Joseph Joestar: Minor style and formatting tweaks

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Vista] and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. With control of the LFE channel, game developers can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However they couldn't properly handle effects that were extremely close to the player's position. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, and so on. EAX MacroFX, changes that, and allows for accurate representation of close up sounds. For example, bullets and laser blasts can now sound as if they were only centimeters away from the player's head.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environments.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-20T08:19:06Z

Joseph Joestar: Added the EAX Unified section

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Vista] and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the LFE channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Unified ==

The EAX Unified interface is an automatic translation mechanism, which helps developers to enable higher tier EAX effects to be rendered on systems with less capable audio hardware. At run-time, EAX Unified intelligently adapts EAX parameters to create ‘best fit’ versions of your effects on legacy systems. EAX Unified is available for DirectSound and OpenAL, and provides a graceful fallback from one version of EAX to a lesser version.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Programmer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Programmer's Guide, Page 49]</ref> Certain games require EAX Unified to be installed, in order to provide any EAX functionality. A standalone version of EAX Unified can be downloaded [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2226&menustate=0 here].

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-20T08:04:04Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more info to the About EAX section, based on the EAX 4.0 SDK

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> EAX allows applications to apply digital effects processing to 3D sounds. These include both effects for 3D audio, such as environmental reverberation, reflection, occlusion, obstruction, and some studio-style effects like chorus, flanger, echo, EQ, and distortion.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Introduction%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Introduction, Page 7].</ref> As the name suggests, EAX was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista Vista] and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the LFE channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-20T07:51:47Z

Joseph Joestar: Added references to the EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK. Added more info to Environment Filtering based on the EAX 4.0 SDK.

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of Vista and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here]). Additionally, the [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/tree/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX EAX 1.0/2.0/4.0 SDK] was consulted as well.

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source. The appropriate modifications for each situation are gathered together under EAX 4.0 source properties Occlusion, Obstruction, and Exclusion. These are high-level controls, allowing the developer to apply the correct filtering effects on a per-source basis using simple commands, without having to calculate and manipulate the attenuation and filtering properties themselves.<ref>Source: [https://github.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/blob/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%204.0%20Sound%20Designer's%20Guide%20(2003).pdf EAX 4.0 Sound Designer's Guide, Page 15]</ref>

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the LFE channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-20T00:24:34Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more info and references to the CMSS section

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of Vista and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here])

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the LFE channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> Using sophisticated HRTFs and new processing algorithms, CMSS 3D makes more effective use of surround channels for music listening and movie playback. Unlike other upmix technologies, the new CMSS algorithm does not simply replicate the center channel or use some frequencies of the audio to reproduce the signal in the up-mixed channels, which often ruins the listening experience. Instead, the new CMSS 3D algorithm places center channel signals like vocal and movie dialogue in the center channel, leaving the rest of the speakers to handle the realistic front and surround channel signals. CMSS 3D also has the ability to better spatialize audio over a two speaker setup or a pair of headphones, giving you 3D spatialization effects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Creative Multi-Speaker Surround 3D (archived)]</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-20T00:02:14Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more references for EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0. Updated several EAX 3.0 features with new descriptions based on Creative's archived pages

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of Vista and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20000815212503/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/eax_pg2.asp Beneath the Blaster - Live! Development].</ref> With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> The EAX ADVANCED HD Reverberation Engine offers a complete set of environment parameters for reflection intensity and delay control, environment size adjustment, and direct path and reverberation setting for each sound source. This is in addition to extreme environment effects and dynamic occlusions, obstructions & exclusions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp Redefining The Audio Experience! (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX pages (archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20030208004527/http://eax.creative.com/advanceeax.asp here] and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ here])

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. This technology simulates a continuous and seamless audio transition as a listener walks from one room to another. A gradual transition between any two environments is created by interpolating the value of each environment's properties (or put another way, by defining an environment as a weighted combination of two different environments). When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces. Attenuation and filtering effects are applied according to the distance between the listener and a sound source. By adding new high pass filter components, even more detailed simulations of acoustic spaces, including outdoor environments, are made possible. Environment Filtering helps you determine the distance between you and the sound source.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning simulates an approaching or distant environment by creating a reverberant space and panning it in a given direction within a scene. Acutely localized reverb effects are created by spatializing the environment in 3D on multiple speaker set-ups. This feature lets you hear the echoes of a train coming from a tunnel, with the acoustic properties of the tunnel correctly positioned in 3D space. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections simulates early reflections and echoes from walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces. The resulting reflections can be panned and spatialized in 3D. This feature controls both perceived direction and the "divergence" of the initial reflections and later reverberation decay. This EAX ADVANCED HD feature is effective for creating proximity effects such as the sound of a car engine reflected off an adjacent wall, letting you hear both the primary sound and the later decays, as the sound bounces off the reflected surface. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Multi-Environments renders multiple audio environments and effects simultaneously in real time. Each environment's acoustical energy can feed the others, allowing tremendously rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. Among other things, this allows you to hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the LFE channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T23:20:11Z

Joseph Joestar: Added references to Multi-Environments and ExtendedFX

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of Vista and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created. This is a substantial upgrade for EAX since it can now support 3 reverberation effects at once or up to 4 of the new Studio FXs at once.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022091806/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53905&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD: Multi-Environment and Studio FXs (archived)]</ref>

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070522015358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/extendedfx/ EAX ExtendedFX - Jaw-Dropping Audio Effects! (archived)]</ref>

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the LFE channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T23:06:21Z

Joseph Joestar: Minor tweaks

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of Vista and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the LFE channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T23:02:09Z

Joseph Joestar: Swapped a few paragraphs around for better readability

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of Vista and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the LFE channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T22:56:32Z

Joseph Joestar: Formatting and style adjustments

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of Vista and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the area you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies - in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and obstruction effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the LFE channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This feature supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than past versions. Previous iterations of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. Additionally, such a game can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on this effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks.<ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. Essentially, headphone users can enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T22:04:18Z

Joseph Joestar: Fixed a typo

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of Vista and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the environment you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies – in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and occlusion effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the Low Frequency Enhancement (LFE) channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This features supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than previous versions. Previous versions of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. A game that detects X-RAM can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on the Elevation Filter effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks. <ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. You might be wearing headphones, but you’ll enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T21:44:01Z

Joseph Joestar: Added a note regarding EAX on Vista and up

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware. As of Vista and newer Windows versions, games which utilize EAX via DirectSound3D will no longer work natively, and need a wrapper such as Creative ALchemy to restore EAX functionality. In contrast, games which utilize EAX via OpenAL are unaffected, and will work fine even on modern Windows versions.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environment Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the environment you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies – in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Environment Reflections allows developers to model such different environments modeled. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and occlusion effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the Low Frequency Enhancement (LFE) channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This features supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than previous versions. Previous versions of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. A game that detects X-RAM can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on the Elevation Filter effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks. <ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. You might be wearing headphones, but you’ll enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T21:08:38Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more references to Obstruction and Occlusion effects

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environmental Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the environment you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source. EAX obstruction properties can simulate sound diffraction around the obstacle or sound transmission through the obstacle, which provide rich aural cues about the nature of the obstruction.You can, for example, use obstruction properties to make a voice sound as if it were coming through a thin curtain or from behind a large pillar.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820193609/https://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx EAX 2.0 SDK, Page 6 (archived)]</ref>

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. EAX occlusion properties provide parameters that adjust wall transmission characteristics to simulate different wall materials and thickness. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies – in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Environment Reflections allows developers to model such different environments modeled. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and occlusion effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the Low Frequency Enhancement (LFE) channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This features supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than previous versions. Previous versions of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. A game that detects X-RAM can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on the Elevation Filter effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks. <ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. You might be wearing headphones, but you’ll enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T20:57:01Z

Joseph Joestar: Streamlined EAX features summary to match Creative's official documentation

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Environment Reverb Effects]

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref> EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous hardware voices
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environmental Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref> EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous hardware voices]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion]

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the environment you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source.

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies – in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Environment Reflections allows developers to model such different environments modeled. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and occlusion effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the Low Frequency Enhancement (LFE) channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This features supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than previous versions. Previous versions of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. A game that detects X-RAM can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on the Elevation Filter effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks. <ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. You might be wearing headphones, but you’ll enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T20:27:46Z

Joseph Joestar: Added reference details to the CMSS section

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* 32 individual 3D voices
* Environmental Effect Presets (including [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb])
* Per-channel individual environmental presets
* Hardware DSP rendering
* Specification released in 1998

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2. EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]
* Material-specific reverb parameters
* Specification released in 1999<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environmental Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]
* 'Smoothing' between 3D audio environments
* Direct access to all reverb parameters
* New reverb engine
* Beginning of the AdvancedHD Designation from new reverb engine
* Specification released in 2001

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04. EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]
* Real-time hardware effects
* Flanger
* Echo
* Distortion
* Ring modulation effects
* Specification released in 2003<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous voices] processable in hardware and up to 4 effects on each
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice] (processing of microphone input signal)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath] (EAX Sound effects can originate from one speaker only)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX] (four available effects slots per channel)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX] (realistic positional effects at close range)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion] (sound from adjacent environments can pass through walls)
* Specification released in 2005<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the environment you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source.

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies – in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Environment Reflections allows developers to model such different environments modeled. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and occlusion effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the Low Frequency Enhancement (LFE) channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This features supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than previous versions. Previous versions of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. A game that detects X-RAM can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on the Elevation Filter effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks. <ref>Source: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 help file, page 48. Available on the [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=544&menustate=0 Audigy 2 installation CD]></ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. You might be wearing headphones, but you’ll enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T20:16:51Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more info to the CMSS section

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* 32 individual 3D voices
* Environmental Effect Presets (including [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb])
* Per-channel individual environmental presets
* Hardware DSP rendering
* Specification released in 1998

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2. EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]
* Material-specific reverb parameters
* Specification released in 1999<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environmental Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]
* 'Smoothing' between 3D audio environments
* Direct access to all reverb parameters
* New reverb engine
* Beginning of the AdvancedHD Designation from new reverb engine
* Specification released in 2001

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04. EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]
* Real-time hardware effects
* Flanger
* Echo
* Distortion
* Ring modulation effects
* Specification released in 2003<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous voices] processable in hardware and up to 4 effects on each
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice] (processing of microphone input signal)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath] (EAX Sound effects can originate from one speaker only)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX] (four available effects slots per channel)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX] (realistic positional effects at close range)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion] (sound from adjacent environments can pass through walls)
* Specification released in 2005<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the environment you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source.

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies – in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Environment Reflections allows developers to model such different environments modeled. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and occlusion effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the Low Frequency Enhancement (LFE) channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This features supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than previous versions. Previous versions of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. A game that detects X-RAM can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on the Elevation Filter effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

Creative Multi-Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D makes ordinary two-channel (Left and Right Stereo) sound seem to surround you, even through only two speakers. For users with 5.1 or 6.1 multichannel speaker systems, CMSS can also simulate surround sound from ordinary stereo. This is useful for watching DVDs and VCDs, which contain only stereo soundtracks. <ref>Source: Sound Blater Audigy 2 help file, page 48</ref> On Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, CMSS has additional modes, as described below.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. You might be wearing headphones, but you’ll enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T19:59:27Z

Joseph Joestar: Added the Elevation Filter section

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* 32 individual 3D voices
* Environmental Effect Presets (including [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb])
* Per-channel individual environmental presets
* Hardware DSP rendering
* Specification released in 1998

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2. EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]
* Material-specific reverb parameters
* Specification released in 1999<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environmental Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]
* 'Smoothing' between 3D audio environments
* Direct access to all reverb parameters
* New reverb engine
* Beginning of the AdvancedHD Designation from new reverb engine
* Specification released in 2001

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04. EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]
* Real-time hardware effects
* Flanger
* Echo
* Distortion
* Ring modulation effects
* Specification released in 2003<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous voices] processable in hardware and up to 4 effects on each
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice] (processing of microphone input signal)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath] (EAX Sound effects can originate from one speaker only)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX] (four available effects slots per channel)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX] (realistic positional effects at close range)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion] (sound from adjacent environments can pass through walls)
* Specification released in 2005<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the environment you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source.

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies – in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Environment Reflections allows developers to model such different environments modeled. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and occlusion effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the Low Frequency Enhancement (LFE) channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This features supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than previous versions. Previous versions of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. A game that detects X-RAM can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

=== Elevation Filter ===

This option can be used when playing DirectSound or OpenAL games, or 3DMIDI sources, in headphone, 2-speaker, or 4-speaker configurations. Turning on the Elevation Filter effect enables the elevation filter for all game sounds located above or below the listener's horizontal plane. The Elevation Filter effect is useful, for instance, in first-person 3D games. For third-person games, it might be better do disable this option.<ref>Source: X-Fi Creative Console Launcher help file [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1337747#p1337747 (screenshot)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

CMSS (Creative Multi-Speaker Surround).

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. You might be wearing headphones, but you’ll enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T19:36:09Z

Joseph Joestar: Added a section for X-Fi specific features (e.g. X-RAM)

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* 32 individual 3D voices
* Environmental Effect Presets (including [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb])
* Per-channel individual environmental presets
* Hardware DSP rendering
* Specification released in 1998

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2. EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]
* Material-specific reverb parameters
* Specification released in 1999<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environmental Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]
* 'Smoothing' between 3D audio environments
* Direct access to all reverb parameters
* New reverb engine
* Beginning of the AdvancedHD Designation from new reverb engine
* Specification released in 2001

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04. EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]
* Real-time hardware effects
* Flanger
* Echo
* Distortion
* Ring modulation effects
* Specification released in 2003<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous voices] processable in hardware and up to 4 effects on each
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice] (processing of microphone input signal)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath] (EAX Sound effects can originate from one speaker only)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX] (four available effects slots per channel)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX] (realistic positional effects at close range)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion] (sound from adjacent environments can pass through walls)
* Specification released in 2005<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the environment you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source.

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies – in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Environment Reflections allows developers to model such different environments modeled. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and occlusion effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the Low Frequency Enhancement (LFE) channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This features supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than previous versions. Previous versions of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== X-Fi Specific Features ==

=== X-RAM ===

X-RAM is provided on the top-end Sound Blaster X-Fi solutions (Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro). It is 64MB in size and can only be used for audio purposes. With the availability of X-RAM, developers can now improve performance issues related to playing audio in their applications and increase the overall quality of their sound when X-RAM is available. X-RAM improves slow memory access due to paging by allowing the driver or the game to load its audio data on to the sound card itself, where it can be accessed by the audio processor at the highest possible speeds. A game that detects X-RAM can decompress its data at load time into it so that it does not have to spend processor cycles decompressing data during runtime. A game that detects X-RAM can use higher quality audio assets that it might not be able to use otherwise. In essence, X-RAM will allow developers to deliver the highest quality gaming audio and/or reduce the impact on performance of handling the gaming audio assets.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070523103150/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/X-Fi/technology/x-ram/gamingXram.asp?page=3 X-RAM - Xtreme Fidelity RAM (archived)]</ref>

=== X-Fi S-SRC ===

X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) was introduced with Sound Blaster X-Fi sound cards. Sample rate conversion plays an important role in digital connectivity, 3D audio modeling, music synthesis and the ability to play and mix multiple sounds recorded at differing sample rates. The X-Fi Sample Rate Converter engine is incredibly powerful at over 7,000 MIPS equivalent processing power and has a new and unique hybrid architecture that produces outstanding audio quality. An audio clip could actually be converted many times with no detectable degradation. Despite the transparent sample-rate conversion qualities of X-Fi we recognized that there would still be applications that don't require sample rate conversion of any kind and therefore the flexible routing architecture of X-Fi allows the sample rate conversion to be bypassed when not needed. Advanced caching technology is also used for low latency and excellent PCI bandwidth utilization, and the architecture is optimized such that there is near zero device driver overhead to control the sample rate converters.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102152032/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/architecture/ssrc.asp X-Fi S-SRC (Super Sample-Rate Conversion) (archived)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

CMSS (Creative Multi-Speaker Surround).

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3D Headphone or CMSS-3D Virtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. You might be wearing headphones, but you’ll enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T19:20:30Z

Joseph Joestar: Added a new section for CMSS

== About EAX ==

Environmental Audio eXtensions (EAX) is a collection of audio technologies designed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Technology Creative Labs] to bring interactive 3D audio to PC gaming.<ref>Source: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kxproject/kX-Audio-driver-Documentation/master/3rd%20Party%20Docs/EAX/EAX%201.0%20(1998).PDF Environmental Audio eXtensions].</ref> As the name suggests, it was originally built as a set of extensions for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound3D DirectSound3D]. Later versions of EAX can use [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL] instead of DirectSound3D to directly access the sound card hardware.<ref>Source: [https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ].</ref>

== EAX 1.0 ==

Introduced in 1998 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Live Sound Blaster Live!] sound card.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ About EAX (archived)]</ref> It was the first API for enabling real time environment effects for PC games. Developers writing to Microsoft's DirectSound API used its property set mechanism to gain access to the real-time on-board processing capabilities of the Sound Blaster Live! via the EAX 1.0 API. They would first query the system to see if EAX was available on the audio device. If it was, they were then able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. The first sound card to support EAX 1.0 was the original Sound Blaster Live!, but other audio solutions soon appeared that supported EAX 1.0 via software emulation. This was by design, as Creative Labs made the API specification public shortly after Sound Blaster Live! was released.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax1/welcome.asp EAX 1.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 1.0 included Unreal, Half-Life, Sim City 3000, Aliens versus Predator and Baldur's Gate. EAX 1.0 features include:

* 8 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* 32 individual 3D voices
* Environmental Effect Presets (including [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Reverb Reverb])
* Per-channel individual environmental presets
* Hardware DSP rendering
* Specification released in 1998

== EAX 2.0 ==

Introduced in 1999 alongside the updated drivers for the Sound Blaster Live! sound card. With EAX 2.0, Creative presented the concept of a "listener" object and a number of "source" objects for sound. Sources could be "occluded" or "obstructed" depending on their position relative to the listener and any objects in the game, such as walls, pillars etc., that lay between. EAX 2.0 can also be used to recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708233534/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax2/welcome.asp EAX 2.0 (archived)]</ref> As with EAX 1.0, Creative decided to make the EAX 2.0 specification public, allowing other sound card manufacturers to support EAX 2.0 via software. Notable game titles supporting EAX 2.0 included Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2 and No One Lives Forever 2. EAX 2.0 features include:

* 32 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Obstruction Obstruction Effects]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Occlusion Occlusion Effects]
* Material-specific reverb parameters
* Specification released in 1999<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 1 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX 3.0 ==

Introduced in 2001 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy Sound Blaster Audigy] sound card. The API was developed around a completely redesigned environmental reverb engine, more sophisticated than its predecessor thanks to the increased DSP power that the Audigy processor offered. Now, rather than simply switching from one environment to another as the player moved around the game world, the technique of “morphing” from one effect to another became possible. Environment Panning allowed developers to place both the early reflections and the late reverb components of an environment anywhere in 3D space.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707002113/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax3ahd/welcome.asp EAX 3.0 (archived)]</ref> Notable game titles supporting EAX 3.0 included NeverWinter Nights, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Call of Duty, Splinter Cell, and Knights of the Old Republic. EAX 3.0 features include:

* 64 simultaneous voices processable in hardware
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Morphing Environment Morphing]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Filtering Environment Filtering]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Panning Environmental Panning]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Reflections Environment Reflections]
* 'Smoothing' between 3D audio environments
* Direct access to all reverb parameters
* New reverb engine
* Beginning of the AdvancedHD Designation from new reverb engine
* Specification released in 2001

== EAX 4.0 ==

Introduced in 2003 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_Audigy#Sound_Blaster_Audigy_2_series Sound Blaster Audigy 2] sound card. The EAX 4.0 API provided developers with access to additional processing power of the DSP, and even Audigy 1 owners were able to download and install an updated driver that supported it.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011733/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax4ahd/welcome.asp EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref> With EAX 4.0, developers could build incredibly sophisticated soundscapes using "Multi-Environment" effects. In addition to reverb effects, EAX 4.0 also provided access to special effects, including distortion, flanger and auto wah. Notable game titles supporting EAX 4.0 included Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and Colin McRae Rally 04. EAX 4.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Multi-Environments Multi-Environments]
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#ExtendedFX ExtendedFX]
* Real-time hardware effects
* Flanger
* Echo
* Distortion
* Ring modulation effects
* Specification released in 2003<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164453/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1&page=2 EAX to EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, Page 2 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX 5.0 ==

Introduced in 2005 alongside the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi] sound card. EAX 5.0 increased the hardware voice count to 128, added a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 voices and introduced several new features which allowed game developers to create an even more realistic soundstage. Notable game titles supporting EAX 5.0 included Quake 4, Prey, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Colin McRae: DiRT. EAX 5.0 features include:

* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#128_Hardware_Voices 128 simultaneous voices] processable in hardware and up to 4 effects on each
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_Voice EAX Voice] (processing of microphone input signal)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_PurePath EAX PurePath] (EAX Sound effects can originate from one speaker only)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_FlexiFX Environment FlexiFX] (four available effects slots per channel)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#EAX_MacroFX EAX MacroFX] (realistic positional effects at close range)
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX#Environment_Occlusion Environment Occlusion] (sound from adjacent environments can pass through walls)
* Specification released in 2005<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708162747/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/ EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (archived)]</ref>

== EAX Features ==

This section will cover various EAX features in more detail. The primary source of information for how these features work is the material included on Creative's [https://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1688&menustate=0 X-Fi Demo Disc], as well as Creative's old EAX website ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070629195032/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/ archived here]).

=== Reverb ===

First introduced in EAX 1.0. Environment Reverb allows audio environments to be created by using reverbs that profile the environment you are in, for example a cave, cathedral, cavern, corridor or room. They can be of varying proportions. Without reverb, a listener can tell where each sound source is located, but has no idea of the environment in which the sources are located. For example, a sword clanked in a small padded cell should sound much different than the same sword clanked in a large cathedral. Using this EAX feature, developers were able to choose from, and switch between the various factory-preset environments, designed to simulate different acoustic spaces such as "bathroom", "hall" and "cave". In addition to the preset environments, EAX 1.0 also allowed developers to customize the presets, such as controlling the reverb send level and reverb volumes. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptoFrSnvdY video] showcases the use of EAX Reverb in-game.

=== Obstruction ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. As its name implies Obstruction recreates the effect of sound being partially blocked by a solid object, such as a large pillar or short wall. When sound is obstructed you can hear it, but it’s not the same as if there were no obstacle, nor is it as muffled as if the obstacle was a closed room between you and the sound. This is because the direct sound is being only partially blocked by the obstacle, some of the sound is ‘leaking’ around and over the top of the obstacle. The sound therefore is only partially muffled while a pure version can be heard, but does not seem to be coming from the sound source.

=== Occlusion ===

First introduced in EAX 2.0. Occlusion recreates the effect of sound being completely blocked by a solid object. Audio can be affected by walls, windows and doors in the game levels. It can even recreate the effect of varying types of materials, such as wood, glass or concrete, accurately recreating how the sounds would be masked. However unlike Obstruction, the object is all encompassing, like a room. Think of times when you have been inside your home and someone outside has been trying to speak to you through a closed window or door. Their voice sounded slightly muffled, and that’s what occlusion represents. Different materials affect sound more or less, depending on how dense they are. Technically high-frequency sound waves are affected more by obstacles than low-frequency waves. That’s why the thicker or denser the obstacle is (brick instead of glass, perhaps) the more muffled the sound gets. What’s happening is that the high frequencies are not getting through but the bass is. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5AcT3BuTU video] showcases the use of EAX Occlusion in-game.

=== Environment Morphing ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Morphing delivers seamless transitions between environments. When game developers create the worlds that gamers explore, virtual ‘borders’ separate the different rooms and areas. Without Environment Morphing, crossing over a ‘border’ can cause an abrupt change in the audio: when moving from a large cavern to a small room the reverb and echoes of the cavern would suddenly stop. Environment Morphing smoothly transitions the listener from one environment to another, just as in real life. This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dW5Zyv8Kc video] showcases the use of various EAX 3.0 features, including Environment Morphing.

=== Environment Filtering ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Filtering offers more precise modelling of high and low frequencies in an environment to recreate how sound is affected as it passes through the air. The air is absorbing higher frequencies so sounds not only become quieter but more muffled. The technical name for this is ‘attenuation’ and Environment Filtering recreates this very accurately. Environment Filtering also supports the creation of more accurate audio environments. It takes into account the type of objects in your surroundings and what they are made of. Different materials will absorb or reflect certain frequencies – in outdoor environments high frequencies are more likely to be reflected than low frequencies, and low frequencies will be reduced in level due to the lack of surrounding reflective surfaces.

=== Environment Panning ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Panning gives developers the ability to accurately position not only an object’s sound in 3D but also its environment. This provides the realistic delivery of 3D audio environments. Imagine you are walking along a corridor, and you notice a doorway to your right. The doorway leads into a room containing a noisy, clanking machine. While your footsteps echo all around you in the corridor, you can also distinctly hear a different reverberation emanating from the room. Obviously, you can hear that the machinery is on your right. But crucially you can also hear the acoustic reverberation from the room reaching you through the opening on the right-hand side of the passageway. In the gaming world, you can often hear sounds from several distinct environments. With EAX 4.0, these environments can be rendered simultaneously, and each one localized to indicate the positions of the different acoustic spaces. Environmental Panning enables the game developer to accurately pan and focus each environmental reverberation effect, simulating reverb reaching you from any type of opening, anywhere around your head.

=== Environment Reflections ===

First introduced in EAX 3.0. Environment Reflections allows the simulation of the reflection of sound waves bouncing off objects in a gaming environment. Environments truly come alive as the reflections in a vast space or even small corridor can be added to deliver that extra element of realism. The Environment Reflections feature simulates early reflections (the first reflections of a sound) from walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces. These reflections give important clues about the surrounding environment. In small, enclosed spaces walls are close to the listener and sound reflections will be bounced back to the listener quickly and loudly. In large spaces sound must travel further to reach a reflecting object, and will therefore be delayed and quieter. Environment Reflections allows developers to model such different environments modeled. Together with Environment Panning the direction of sound reflections can also be controlled.

=== Multi-Environments ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. This feature has the ability to recreate multiple environments simultaneously, so you can hear an opponent’s sounds coming from the correct environment. For example, if you are in a corridor and the enemy is in a cave and shoots at you, you will hear the reverb of the cave as well as the shot. The second feature allows developers to use the full range of hardware effects in real time – such as, to recreate varying degrees of radio static via the distortion hardware effect. Multi-Environment achieves this by feeding each environment's acoustical energy into the others, allowing rich and highly defined audio landscapes to be created.

=== ExtendedFX ===

First introduced in EAX 4.0. Extended effects, which were formerly only used in music creation (Flanger, Echo, Distortion and Ring Modulation) can now be used for real-time manipulation of audio streams. This allows developers to create new and unique audio effects, such as alien voices or robotic sounds, in real-time.

=== 128 Hardware Voices ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. The initial version of EAX supported 8 simultaneous voices (sounds). If more were required then the 'oldest' voice (the one that had been playing longest) was shut-off. With the introduction of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, the number of simultaneous hardware voices was increased to 128. This allows developers to add even more sound detail into their games. Actions such as firing a machine gun in a cave environment, where reverb and occlusion effects are added into the mix, will sound richer due to the increased number of hardware voices. Multiplayer games with a large number of combatants firing their weapons at the same time can also benefit from this feature. Notable examples include Battlefield 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716113529/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_1.asp 128 Voices More Audio Detail Than Ever Before! (archived)]</ref> <ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1403013#p1403013 Battlefield 2142 using over 100 simultaneous hardware voices (screenshot)]</ref>

=== EAX Voice ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Using a microphone connected to an EAX 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game title supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction. EAX Voice works by feeding the microphone input into the EAX hardware effects engine and at that point becomes another gaming sound element which you can hear. It is then transmitted along with the environment properties over the LAN and when it reaches another players PC system their EAX 5.0 compliant card translates the environment properties and adds them to your voice in real-time. In order for this feature to work the game must support the 3D voice transmission and EAX 4.0 or above.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131521/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_2.asp EAX Voice Get Inside The Game! (archived)]</ref> This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fTc5t5QNU video] showcases the use of EAX Voice in-game.

=== EAX PurePath ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. EAX PurePath delivers delivers the same level of precision surround as you would experience in a DTS or Dolby Digital encoded movie. This technology has been used for many years in movie sound, but is relatively new to gaming audio. In previous versions of EAX, developers could specify where, in a 360 degree space a particular sound should come from. The sound card would then map the sound to the correct position within the current speaker array. However, there was no way to specify a specific speaker, or combination of speakers that a sound should come from other than by using 3D positional coordinates. With EAX PurePath, developers now have total control over exactly which speaker (or speakers) the sound should be played through. This is particularly useful, for instance, for controlling bass reproduction through the subwoofer for Low Frequency Enhancement. Additionally, EAX PurePath gives control of the Low Frequency Enhancement (LFE) channel to game developers, so they can now feed as many or as few of the 128 available voices to the subwoofer. This means a far more powerful bass for those sounds that need it, and beautifully precise highs for those sounds that don't. Among other things, this can add more realism to in-game explosions.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618160343/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_3.asp EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment FlexiFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. Environment FlexiFX gives developers total access to the hardware effects engine of the X-Fi Processor, which allows them to deliver the ultimate audio experience. With previous versions of EAX ADVANCED HD, developers had to live with some restrictions. For example, there were limits on the number of hardware effects they could use to create the game's audio environment. They had four effects slots available, but two of those had to be used for Environment Reverb and Chorus. This meant that they only had two slots left to use for additional effects. EAX 5.0 has completely re-designed how the effects engine operates and therefore provides developers with 4 fully flexible slots to use. This means that if they want to create audio for a level that has no reverbs (for example, if you are outside in an open area) but they want to add other sound effects to the weapons or monsters, then they can. This features supersedes EAX ExtendedFX, Environment Reverb and Multi-Environment.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_4.asp Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== EAX MacroFX ===

First introduced in EAX 5.0. With EAX MacroFX, close-up audio can be very accurately recreated, so bullets and laser blasts will never have sounded so frightening as they zip past your head only centimeters away. Previous versions of EAX were very good at recreating medium-range and long-distance sounds. However it couldn't handle close-up sounds - effects that could sound as though they were just 20cm away from your ears. Someone whispering in your ear, a sword slashing just past your head, or a laser blast zipping past your ear. Now, with EAX MacroFX, developers can recreate the sound of a machine-gun firing from a distance and have the bullets whizzing past your head, for example.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_5.asp EAX MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! (archived)]</ref>

=== Environment Occlusion ===

This feature makes gaming audio more realistic by recreating the effect of sound from adjacent environments passing through solid objects. It can even recreate how different materials affect sound, such as wood vs. brick vs. stone and has been enhanced to be even more realistic than previous versions. Previous versions of EAX supported a feature called occlusion. This feature recreated the effect of sound passing through a solid object. However the basic Occlusion effect only occluded the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. This reduced the effectiveness and impact of the overall effect. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects.<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618162217/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/abouteax/eax5ahd/eax5_6.asp Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! (archived)]</ref>

== CMSS ==

CMSS (Creative Multi-Speaker Surround).

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Interactive ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. CMSS-3D Interactive is a 3D positional audio engine that allows you to hear up to 128 simultaneous sound sources moving around you in 3D space. When combined with CMSS-3DHeadphone or CMSS-3DVirtual, this allows you to hear your enemies coming at you from behind, above or below, regardless of the number and location of your speakers. This means that whether you are using headphones or any type of speakers from 2.1 to 7.1, X-Fi Technology will simultaneously deliver audio from to up to 128 virtual positions anywhere around you.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at headphone users, CMSS-3D Headphone reproduces the sound of a multi-speaker audio implementation using advanced 3D audio algorithms. Combined with CMSS-3D Interactive, it provides seamless reproduction of all audio positions in 3D space. You might be wearing headphones, but you’ll enjoy the equivalent of a virtual multi-channel speaker experience.

=== X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual ===

Exclusive to Sound Blaster X-Fi cards. Aimed at users of desktop stereo speakers, CMSS-3D Virtual turns your two-channel speaker system into a virtual surround-sound system. It uses advanced algorithms to achieve a highly convincing surround-sound effect. CMSS-3D Interactive™ extends this surround-sound experience to achieve seamless full-sphere 3D audio. The combination of CMSS-3D Virtual and CMSS-3D Interactive can provide a vivid illusion of sounds above, below or near the head.

==Related links==
*[https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_games_with_EAX_support List of games with EAX support]
*[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T18:44:10Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more references to EAX 1.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0. Minor formatting adjustments.

EAX

2026-02-19T17:07:44Z

Joseph Joestar: A few minor adjustments

List of games with EAX support

2026-02-19T17:05:14Z

Joseph Joestar: Added links to the new Vogons wiki EAX page

This is a list of video games that support [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX Environmental Audio Extensions (EAX) technology].

==Games==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Game<ref>[https://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=28967 Creative ALchemy FAQ]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130702030043/http://connect.creativelabs.com/alchemy/Lists/Games/AllItems.aspx Creative support Games] </ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071118104848/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gamelist.asp Nov 2007 Archive of the Official Creative Soundblaster EAX website]</ref>
! EAX 1.0
! EAX 2.0
! EAX 3.0
! EAX 4.0
! EAX 5.0
! Notes
! ALchemy Support
|-
| ''25 to Life''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX references found in the game's executable. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''Abomination: The Nemesis Project''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0 (referenced in AgeOfConan.exe)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Alias''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Alias uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Alien Nations''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Alien Nations in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Aliens versus Predator''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Alpha Centauri''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Alpha Centauri readme.txt (Changes in Alpha Centauri version 2.0)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Alpha Prime''
|
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|-
| ''America's Army''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''America's Army 3''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>America's Army 3 manual, page 3 (Recommended System Requirements)</ref>
|
|-
| ''American McGee's Alice''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: American McGee's Alice in-game Audio Settings</ref> Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be needed for reverb<ref>Source: in-game console output [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1297697#p1297697 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''American McGee's Grimm''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>American McGee's Grimm uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
|''Anachronox''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Anachronox in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
|''Aquanox''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Aquanox in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Aquanox 2''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''ArmA: Armed Assault''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Source: arma.exe contains references to EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Armed Forces Corp.''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Armed Forces Corp. uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, the game's readme.txt and audio options specify that EAX 2.0 is the lowest supported version</ref>
|
|-
| ''Arx Fatalis''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified), A3D 2.0<ref>Arx Fatalis readme.txt (Recommended Requirements section, Troubleshooting section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Assassin's Creed''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Assassin's Creed uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Avencast: Rise of the Mage''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Avencast: Rise of the Mage uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Baldur's Gate''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 Sound Blaster Gaming - EAX to EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Baldur's Gate 2''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 EAX® to EAX® 4.0 ADVANCED HD™ (archived)] See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050317075326/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/bgate2.asp Interview with Dave Chan (archived)]</ref> Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be needed for occlusion<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1317232#p1317232 (Audio recordings comparison)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battle for Middle-earth''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battle for Middle Earth 2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battle for Middle Earth 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battle for Middle Earth 2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battle for Middle-earth 2: The Rise of the Witch-king.''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battle for Middle Earth 2: The Rise of the Witch-king in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlestations: Midway''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Battlestations: Midway in-game Audio Settings. Additionally, the game's readme.rtf references EAX Advanced HD, and its executable references EAX 4.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlestrike: Force of Resistance''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Battlestrike: Force of Resistance uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlestrike: Shadow of Stalingrad''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Battlestrike: Shadow of Stalingrad uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, the game's readme.txt indicates that EAX 2.0 is the oldest supported version.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Battlezone''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Battlezone II: Combat Commander''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Battlefield Vietnam''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Battlefield Vietnam in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battlefield 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216040950/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/battlefield2/ Xtreme Fidelity Audio in Battlefield 2 (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051210234150/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/battlefield2/ Soundblaster Gaming: Battlefield 2 (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324154937/http://soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=59610 EAX Featured Game: Battlefield 2: Special Forces Expansion Pack (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Battlefield 2142''
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216044312/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=66954 EAX Featured Game: Battlefield 2142 (archived)]. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080922021659/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=66955&categoryID=13 Battlefield 2142 audio by DICE (archived)] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20071214052322/http://soundblaster.com/Applications/article.asp?articleID=68148&categoryID=13 Battlefield 2142 Audio Gaming Guide (archived)]</ref>

| X
|-
| ''Battlezone II''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Beowulf: The Game''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Beowulf readme.txt specifies EAX 4.0 support (PC hardware recommended requirements section). Additionally, the game uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 for supporting lower EAX versions.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Beyond Good & Evil''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Beyond Good and Evil readme.txt (Sound compatibility section)</ref>
|
|-
|''BioShock''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>BioShock manual, page 3 (Recommended System Requirements). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20080114235015/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=70882 EAX Featured Game: BioShock (archived)] as well as [https://web.archive.org/web/20090208071036/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=71545&categoryID=13 BioShock Audio Guide (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Black & White 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Black & White 2 executable contains references to EAX 3.0. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051212100850/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/blackandwhite2/ Sound Blaster Gaming: Black & White 2 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Blade of Darkness''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Blade of Darkness external setup utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Blair Witch Project Volume I-III''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Blood II: The Chosen & The Nightmare Levels''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Bloodrayne''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040710071129/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/bloodrayne.asp EAX Featured Game: Bloodrayne (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Brian Lara International Cricket 2007''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071106035359/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=68893 EAX Featured Game: Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0<ref>Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway executable and .dll files contain references to EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Call of Duty''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0. EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010020322/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=91&cat=3 The Sounds of War in Call of Duty (archived)]</ref> Note: needs patch 1.3
| X
|-
| ''Call of Duty 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0. EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0
| X
|-
| ''Call of Juarez''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Call of Juarez uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Carmageddon: The Death Race 2000''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Carnivores: Cityscape''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Carnivores: Ice Age''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Carnivores 2''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Chaser''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Chaser in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Chrome''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Chrome uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Chrome SpecForce''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Chrome SpecForce uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Civilization IV in-game audio options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV: Warlords''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''Civilization IV: Colonization''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''City of Heroes''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''City of Villains''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Clive Barker's Undying''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces Undying.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.x (or A3D 1.x/2.x) if the "Enable 3D Hardware" audio setting is on, and supported hardware is detected</ref>
|
|-
| ''Close Quarters Conflict''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: Close Quarters Conflict in-game audio options. Additionally, this game uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Cold War''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Colin McRae Rally 04''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164633/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53894&cat=1 Premier Racing Audio in Colin McRae Rally 04 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Colin McRae Rally 2005''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Source: in-game Sound options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20050413093433/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/colinmcrae2005.asp EAX Featured Game: Colin McRae Rally 2005 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Colin McRae: Dirt''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070708062900/http://soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=70240 EAX Featured Game: Dirt (archived)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20090208070613/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=70294&categoryID=13 Turbo-charged audio in DIRT (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Colin McRae: Dirt 2''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: Colin McRae: Dirt 2 readme.html (Section XV: Problems with Hardware audio acceleration)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Combat: Task Force 121''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061216045358/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=56155 EAX Featured Game: Combat: Task Force 121 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Command & Conquer: Generals''
|
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Command & Conquer: Renegade''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0. Also supports A3D and DirectSound3D<ref>Source: C&C Renegade in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Commandos: Strike Force''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061216045523/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=62414 EAX Featured Game: Commandos: Strike Force (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Company of Heroes''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.flt which ships with Company of Heroes supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20080105204720/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/companyofheroes/ Sound Blaster Gaming: Company of Heroes]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Condemned: Criminal Origins''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: in-game audio options. Additionally, Condemned: Criminal Origins uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Conflict: Global Storm''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>Source: Conflict: Global Storm in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Conflict: Vietnam''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>Source: Conflict: Vietnam in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Contract J.A.C.K.''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Contract J.A.C.K. readme.txt (System Requirements section)</ref>
|
|-
|''Counter-Strike''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Crime Cities''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Croc 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Crusaders of Might and Magic''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Source: Cryostasis game manual, page 5</ref>
|
|-
|''Crysis''
|
|
|
|
|
| Not all the sounds are reverbed, dialog plays fine.
| X
|-
| ''Crysis Warhead''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Daikatana''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dark and Light''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dark Vengeance''
|X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Day of Defeat''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dead Man's Hand''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Dead Man's Hand uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Demolition Racer''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Descent 3''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Descent Freespace''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Deus Ex''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0,<ref>Starting the game produces DeusEx.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.x if the "Hardware 3D Support" audio setting is on, and supported hardware is detected</ref> A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1295596#p1295596 Deus Ex log file and console output (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Diablo II''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050316091447/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/diablo2.asp Interview with Jon Stone, Game Programmer (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Divine Divinity''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dogs of War: Battle on Primus IV''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Doom 3''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL). Note: EAX support added in patch 1.3<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080213202624/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/doom3/ Doom 3 EAX Patch - SoundBlaster.com (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Dr. Brain: Action Reaction''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces a log file which indicates the use of EAX 1.x if supported [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1295506#p1295506 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Drakan''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Drakan configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dreamfall: The Longest Journey''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Dreamfall in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060906044044/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=62412 EAX Featured Game: Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Driver''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Driver 3''
|
|
|X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Driver: Parallel Lines''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Drome Racers''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Drome Racers uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Dronez''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Dungeon Keeper II''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Dungeon Keeper II readme.txt</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dungeon Lords (video game)|Dungeon Lords''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which Dungeon Lords uses supports all EAX versions up to 4.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dungeon Siege''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Dungeon Siege 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which Dungeon Siege 2 uses supports all EAX versions up to 4.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has "Creative EAX" under Audio Settings. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''East Front''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''eRacer''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX references found in the game's executable. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''El Matador''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>El Matador uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0. Additionally, see page 22 of the game's manual</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Elite Warriors: Vietnam''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Enter the Matrix''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Enter the Matrix uses eax.dll version 3.0.0.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20031210221428/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/etm.asp EAX Featured Game: Enter The Matrix (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Eurofighter Typhoon''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Euro League Football''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''EverQuest''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''EverQuest 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which EverQuest 2 uses supports all EAX versions up to 4.0.</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Evil Dead: Hail to the King''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Evil Genius''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050323131640/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=115&page=2&cat=3 World Dominating Audio in Evil Genius (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Evolva''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Expendable''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Expendable configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''F.E.A.R.''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: F.E.A.R. in-game audio options. Additionally, F.E.A.R. uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Lastly, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20051027025836/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/fear/ F.E.A.R. at Soundblaster.com (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''F.E.A.R. Extraction Point''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: F.E.A.R. Extraction Point in-game audio options. Additionally, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216045528/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=66408 EAX Featured Game: F.E.A.R. - Extraction Point]</ref>
|
|-
| ''F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate in-game audio options. Additionally, F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified).</ref>
|
|-
| ''F1 Grand Prix 3 2000 Season''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified).<ref>Source: F1 Grand Prix 3 2000 Season in-game audio options. Additionally, F1 Grand Prix 3 2000 Season eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). Note: only the 2000 Season expansion supports EAX, the base game does not.</ref>
|
|-
| ''F1 Grand Prix 4''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''F1 2010''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Source: F1 2010 readme.html (Section XII: Problems with Hardware audio acceleration)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Fallout Tactics in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Far Cry''
|
|X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Far Cry in-game audio settings. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041009181927/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=110&cat=3 EAX Paradise in Far Cry (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Far Cry 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Far Cry 2 uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''FIFA 99''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Final Fantasy VIII''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Final Fantasy VIII uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Flying Heroes''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20040613054853/http://flyingheroes.pterodon.cz/engine.htm Flying Heroes Homepage - engine specifications (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ford Racing''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Freedom Fighters''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Freedom Fighters uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20031202141509/http://www.soundblaster.com/freedomfighters/interview.asp EAX ADVANCED HD Effects in Freedom Fighters (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Freedom Force''
|X
|X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Freedom Force in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
|''Freedom Force vs. The 3rd Reich''
|X
|X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Freedom Force vs. The 3rd Reich in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Freespace 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''From Dusk Till Dawn''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Frontlines: Fuel of War''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Frontlines: Fuel of War uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Full Spectrum Warrior''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Full Spectrum Warrior game manual, page 27. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20050112102610/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=119&cat=3 Intense Urban Combat Warfare in Full Spectrum Warrior (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613092123/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameid=61744 EAX Featured Game: Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Fur Fighters''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Future Beat 3D''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Gears of War''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=528608#p528608 Gears of War log file contents].</ref> Enable hardware OpenAL via [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=528586#p528586 this .ini edit]
| X
|-
| ''Ghost Master''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Ghost Master in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Giants: Citizen Kabuto''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0. Note: disabled by default, see readme.txt for instructions<ref>Source: Giants: Citizen Kabuto readme.txt (Troubleshooting Command Line Options section). Additionally, Occlusion is an EAX 2.0 feature</ref>
|
|-
| ''Global Operations''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Global Operations uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''Gothic''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Gothic in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Gothic 2''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Gothic 2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Gothic 3''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''GP 500''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto II''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Also supports A3D 2.0.
|
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto III''
| X
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Grand Theft Auto III in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City''
| X
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0,<ref>Source: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in-game Audio Settings</ref> Also supports A3D 2.0 via manual edit of the settings file
| X
|-
| ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324154224/http://soundblaster.com/gaming/gta/ Soundblaster.com Gaming: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Spec Ops II: Green Berets''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Race Driver: Grid''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Race Driver: Grid readme.html (Audio section)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Guild Wars''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070715042723/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=68245 EAX Featured Game: Guild Wars Nightfall (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Gulf War: Operation Desert Hammer''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''GUN''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Half-Life''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Steam version does not support it anymore since the 2013 patch.
|
|-
| ''Half-Life: Blue Shift''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Steam version does not support it anymore since the 2013 patch.
|
|-
| ''Half-Life: Opposing Force''
| X
|
|
|
|
| Steam version does not support it anymore since the 2013 patch.
|
|-
| ''Halo: Combat Evolved''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1258111#p1258111 Halo.exe hex edit view (screenshot)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hardware''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.² in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Heli Heroes''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Hellgate: London''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of mss.dll which ships with Hellgate: London supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Heretic II''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000306192415/http://www.vortexofsound.com/techhelp/gm_h2.htm Tech Help: Heretic II - Vortex of Sound (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX support indicated in the game's config file. Supported EAX versions unknown.
|
|-
| ''Heroes of Might and Magic V''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Hidden & Dangerous 2''
|
|
|X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''High Heat Baseball 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''High Heat Baseball 2002''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Hitman: Codename 47''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Hitman: Codename 47 uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0. Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20041217063452/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/Hitman3.asp Interview with Martin Pollas (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hitman 2: Silent Assassin''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Hitman 2: Silent Assassin uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041012092831/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=73&cat=3 Talking to Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hitman: Contracts''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Hitman: Contracts uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041009182412/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=112&cat=3 Killer EAX ADVANCED HD Audio in Hitman: Contracts (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hitman: Blood Money''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Hitman: Blood Money supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0 (referenced in HitmanBloodMoney.exe). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060906222327/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=62815 EAX Featured Game: Hitman: Blood Money (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Hostile Waters''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Icewind Dale''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050326180802/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/interplay.asp Interview with Charles Deenen and Craig Duman (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Icewind Dale 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030410140044/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/iwd2.asp EAX Featured Game: Icewind Dale II (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Starting IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 produces sound.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0 if the "Enable Extensions" audio setting is on, and supported hardware is detected</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Incoming Forces''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0 support referenced in forces.exe</ref>
|
|-
| ''Infernal''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Infernal uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Isabelle''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''James Bond 007: Nightfire''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Juiced''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Juiced uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Jurassic Park: Trespasser''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0 <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19991111043949/http://www.ctlsg.creaf.com/press/1998/p980812d.html DreamWorks Interactive To Use Creative’s Environmental Audio Standard In Ultimate New Game Trespasser - Creative Asia (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Kane & Lynch: Dead Men supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0 (referenced in kaneandlynch.exe). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20071204182010/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameid=72790 EAX Featured Game: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (archived)]</ref>

|
|-
| ''Killing Floor''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Killing Floor 2''
|
|
|
|
| X
|
|
|-
| ''Klingon Honor Guard''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0 <ref>Source: Klingon Honor Guard patch 1.1 notes</ref>
|
|-
| ''Lander''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Legends of Might and Magic''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Lego Island 2''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>The game's executable contains references to EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0 [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1296745#p1296745 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Lineage II''
|
|
|
|
|
| OpenAL
|
|-
| ''Line of Sight: Vietnam''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Lord of the Rings Online''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>The Lord of the Rings Online uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>The Return of the King uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.6 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Lost Pain: TakeDown''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050210041952/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/takedown.asp EAX Featured Game: Take Down Online - The Lost Pain (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter readme.txt (Sound section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Madden NFL 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Madden NFL 99''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Mafia''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Mafia ships with EAX3 Unified redist on CD3. Installing that provides eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Mage Knight: Apocalypse''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Mage Knight: Apocalypse uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0. Additionally, see the game's readme.txt (System Requirements section) as well as [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216044419/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=66943 EAX Featured Game: Mage Knight: Apocalypse (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Manhunt''
|
|
|X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Martian Gothic: Unification''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Mass Effect''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
|
|
|-
| ''The Matrix Online''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Matrix: Path of Neo''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>The Matrix: Path of Neo uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref> To enable EAX, edit MatrixConfig.INI and set EAX_ENABLED=1
|
|-
| ''Max Payne 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Max Payne 2 uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0. (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
|''MDK2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''MechWarrior 4''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Medal of Honor Allied Assault''
| X
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130901055119/https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/creative_labs_sound_blaster_audigy_4_pro,8.html Guru3D.com: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro - Page 8 (archived)]</ref> Can be enabled in the launcher.
|
|-
| ''Medieval II: Total War''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Medieval II: Total War in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070119104500/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=67329 EAX Featured Game: Medieval II: Total War (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Men of War: Assault Squad''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Messiah''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0. Note: also supports A3D<ref>Source: Messiah in-game audio options. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050317041532/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/shiny.asp Interview with Tony Bennett (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Midnight GT''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Midnight Club II''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Midnight Club II in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Might and Magic VII configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Might and Magic VIII configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Might and Magic IX''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Might and Magic IX uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Mortyr 2093 - 1944''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Most Wanted''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Moto Racer 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Motocross Madness 2''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Motocross Madness 2 in-game Audio Settings. Hovering the mouse over the "Use EAX Extensions" button specifically mentions occlusion, which is an EAX 2.0 feature.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Motorhead''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Mutant Chronicles: Warzone Online''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Myst Online: Uru Live''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Myst V: End of Ages''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Myst V: End of Ages uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Myth II: Soulblighter''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>Source: Myth II readme.txt</ref>
|
|-
| ''Myth III''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''NASCAR Revolution''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed: Carbon''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Need For Speed: High Stakes''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0 Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be needed for proper EAX support<ref>Source: Phil's Computer Lab - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-HiLp5p820&t=441s Sound Blaster Live! Review (video)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has D3D/EAX under audio options. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed: Most Wanted''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Need for Speed: Underground 2''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Nerf Arena Blast''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Neverwinter Nights (2002)''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Neverwinter Nights in-game Advanced Sound Options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Neverwinter Nights 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0.<ref>Source: Neverwinter Nights 2 in-game Gameplay/Audio options</ref> For 5.1 surround, set Speaker Type=4 in nwn2.ini<ref>See [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1313683#p1313683 this Vogons forum post] for more details</ref>
| X
|-
| ''New York Race''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''NHL 2000''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''No One Lives Forever''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>No One Lives Forever (GOTY) uses msseax.m3d, msseax2.m3d, mssa3d.m3d and mssa3d2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: No One Lives Forever 2 readme.txt (System Requirements section). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20030410140605/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/nolf2.asp EAX Featured Game: No One Lives Forever 2 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
|''Nocturne''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Off Road''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis''
|
|
|
|
|
| EAX can be enabled in-game under Audio Options. Supported EAX versions unknown
|
|-
| ''Operation Flashpoint: Resistance''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Operation Flashpoint 2''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Operation Thunderstorm''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Operation Thunderstorm uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0. (EAX Unified) Readme file specifies no EAX 1.0 support</ref>
|
|-
| ''Outcast''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Pac-Man: Adventures in Time''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Pac-Man: Adventures in Time readme.txt (Pac-Man configuration & Advanced Game Options)</ref> Note: VxD drivers (Win9x) may be required to enable EAX support
|
|-
| ''Pac-Man All-Stars''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Pac-Man All-Stars uses msseax.m3d, msseax2.m3d, mssa3d.m3d and mssa3d2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Painkiller in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller: Overdose''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Painkiller Overdose in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller: Resurrection''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Painkiller Resurrection in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
|''Painkiller: Redemption''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Painkiller Redemption in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1291888#p1291888 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Panzer Elite''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Pariah''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Pariah uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Paris Dakar Rally''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Peter Jackson's King Kong''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>Peter Jackson's King Kong manual, page 3 (Ideal Configuration)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Planescape: Torment''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''PlanetSide''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Play Online''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Populous: The Beginning''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Postal 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Postal 2 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Powerslide''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Prey (2006)''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: Prey in-game console output [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1310637#p1310637 (screenshot)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20061107081802/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/prey/ Hardware Accelerated Audio in Prey (archived)] as well as [https://web.archive.org/web/20070210220103/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=63916 EAX Featured Game: Prey (archived)] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20080922021654/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/gaming/article.asp?articleID=65937&categoryID=13 Maximize your audio in Prey (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: 3D''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified) See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20040623055348/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/princeofpersia.asp EAX Featured Game: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: Warrior Within''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia: Warrior Within uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Prince of Persia (2008)''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Prince of Persia (2008) uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Project Eden''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Project I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Project I.G.I.-2 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
|''Psychonauts''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Psychonauts uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Quake 4''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324162911/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/quake4/ Sound Blaster X-Fi Audio in QUAKE 4 (archived)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324161138/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=59528 EAX Featured Game: Quake 4 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Rage Rally''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Rail Simulator''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080205184049/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameid=71485 EAX Featured Game: Rail Simulator (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Railroad Tycoon 3''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Railroad Tycoon 3 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Rally Championship 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Rally Championship 2000 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rally Trophy''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Rally Trophy external configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rayman Raving Rabbids''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rayman Raving Rabbids uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Re-Volt''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Red Faction''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Red Faction uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Redline Racer''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Regiment''
|
|
|
|
|X
| EAX 5.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613094955/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=61018 EAX Featured Game: The Regiment (archived)]</ref> (via OpenAL)
| X
|-
| ''Requiem: Avenging Angel''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Resident Evil 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Revenant''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Revolution''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Revolution ships with EAX3 Unified redist on the disc. Installing that provides eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rent a Hero''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Richard Burns Rally''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Richard Burns Rally readme_eng.txt (Frequently Asked Questions section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2007''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071106035404/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=68899 EAX Featured Game: Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2007 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Road Wars''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''RollerCoaster Tycoon 3''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050211000628/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/rollercoastertycoon/ SoundBlaster.com - RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
|''Rollcage''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Rollcage Stage II''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Rome: Total War''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Rome: Total War in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060509175704/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53836&cat=1 Epic, Cinematic Audio in Rome: Total War (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Rune: The Halls of Valhalla''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref> EAX works through OpenAL. Do not use ALchemy.
|
|-
| ''S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified) EAX works through OpenAL. Do not use ALchemy.
|
|-
| ''S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified) EAX works through OpenAL. Do not use ALchemy.
|
|-
|''Sacred 2''
|
|
|
|
| X
| EAX 5.0<ref>Sacred 2 Readme.html (System Requirements section, Recommended requirements)</ref>
|
|-
|''Sacrifice''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sammy Sosa: Softball Slam''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sanity: Aiken's Artifact''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Scarface: The World Is Yours''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Screamer 4x4''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Screamer 4x4 in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Secret Service: In Harm’s Way''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sega Rally Championship''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Serious Sam: The First Encounter''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Serious Sam: The First Encounter in-game Audio Options. See also: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041214224151/http://eax.creative.com/features/interviews/serioussam2.asp Interview with Damjan Mravuanc (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Serious Sam: The Second Encounter''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Serious Sam: The Second Encounter in-game Audio Options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Serious Sam 2''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Serious Sam 2 ReadMe_ENU.html (System requirements section)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Shade: Wrath of Angels''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050210042206/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/shade.asp EAX Featured Game: Shade: Wrath of Angels (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Shadow Ops: Red Mercury''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0 <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060324154104/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53877&cat=1 Explosive audio in Shadow Ops: Red Mercury (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Shadow Force: Razor Unit''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Shogo: Mobile Armor Division''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sid Meier's Pirates!''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which Sid Meier's Pirates! uses supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Sid Meier's Railroads!''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Silent Hunter 3''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Silent Hunter 3 uses EaxMan.dll version 2.0.1.3</ref>
|
|-
| ''Silkroad Online''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Sims 2 Seasons''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SimCity 3000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SimTheme Park''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''SiN''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>SiN readme.txt (Technical Issues section) Note: A3D and EAX support was removed with patch 1.13</ref>
|
|-
| ''SiN: Wages of Sin''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Wages of Sin readme.txt (Technical Issues section). Note: A3D and EAX support was removed with patch 1.13</ref>
|
|-
| ''Slave Zero''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sniper: Art of Victory''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Sniper: Art of Victory uses eax.dll version 3.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Soldier of Fortune''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Soldier of Fortune uses eax.dll version 2.4.0.0 (EAX Unified). Additionally, see the game's readme.txt (Special Features section)</ref> Also supports A3D
|
|-
| ''Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Soldner: Secret Wars''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060114201132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53827&cat=1 EAX ADVANCED HD battlefield audio in Soldner: Secret Wars (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Soulbringer''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: Soulbringer launcher Advanced Options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Space Force: Rogue Universe''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Space Force: Rogue Universe readme.txt (System Requirements section). Additionally, EAX 3.0 support is specified in the Audio tab of the game's external configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Spec Ops 2: Green Berets''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: SpellForce 2 in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Spider-Man 2: The Game''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Spider-Man 2 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>. To enable EAX edit Webhead.ini and set UseEAX=True
|
|-
| ''Spirit of Speed''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Starlancer''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Starlancer in-game audio options. Furthermore, the game uses msseax.m3d, msseax2.m3d, mssa3d.m3d and mssa3d2.m3d.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Bridge Commander''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0.<ref>Star Trek: Bridge Commander uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref> Also supports A3D and DirectSound3D
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0 and DirectSound3D are all supported<ref>Source: Star Trek DS9 The Fallen in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1099361#p1099361 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Elite Force II''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, A3D<ref>Source: Elite Force II in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1099381#p1099381 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Trek: Next Generation Klingon Honor Guard''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Star Wars: Battlefront''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Star Wars: Battlefront uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Wars Battlefront 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Star Wars: Battlefront II uses eax.dll version 4.0.1.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Star Wars: Empire at War''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Empire at War in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1280842#p1280842 (screenshot)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Forces of Corruption in-game audio options</ref>

|
|-
| ''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Star Wars Galaxies''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Jedi Outcast uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0. Additionally, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20031003092920/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=49&cat=3 Secrets behind the Sound: Part I (archived)]</ref> Support added in patch 1.03
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Jedi Academy uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0. Additionally, see game manual page 6 and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010012242/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=89&cat=3 EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD in Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Knights of the Old Republic in-game Advanced Sound Options menu. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010024651/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=99&cat=3 The Star Wars Sound Experience (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Knights of the Old Republic 2 in-game Advanced Sound Options menu</ref> Note: EAX Support removed in latest Steam version.
| X
|-
| ''Star Wars: Republic Commando''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Star Wars: Republic Commando in-game Sound Options</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Stolen''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Stolen uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Street Racing Syndicate''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Street Racing Syndicate uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
|''Stronghold''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse manual, page 22</ref>
|
|-
| ''Stunt GP''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Stunt GP readme.rtf (Section 2.4 - Microsoft DirectSound3D / EAX Support)</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Suffering''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has "Enable EAX" in the configuration utility. Supported EAX versions unknown.<ref>Source: The Suffering configuration utility [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1297894#p1297894 (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Suffering: Ties That Bind''
|
|
|
|
|
| Has "Enable EAX" in the configuration utility. Supported EAX versions unknown.
|
|-
| ''The Sum of All Fears''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>The Sum of All Fears uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Summoner''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Summoner uses eax.dll version 0.0.0.1 (EAX Unified) which supports EAX 1.0 and EAX 2.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Superbike 2001''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Supreme Commander''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''SWAT 4''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>SWAT 4 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Swedish Touring Car Championship''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Swedish Touring Car Championship 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''System Shock 2''
| X
|
|
|
|
|For further info, refer to [http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117175 this thread] on the TTLG forums
|
|-
| ''Tarzan''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: Tarzan in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''The Club''
|
| X
|
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0<ref>The Club executable contains references to EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0 (via EFX). As a fallback, EAX 2.0 can be used as well.</ref>
|
|-
| ''Terminus''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Test Drive''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Test Drive 6''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Test Drive Rally''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Devil Inside''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Wheel Of Time''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Theme Park World''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Thief: The Dark Project''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0<ref>A3D 1.0 support is present in the retail release of Thief: The Dark Project (source: Readme.wri, Sound Acceleration and 3D Sound section). EAX 1.0 support was added in patch 1.33 (source: thiefpat.txt, New Features section)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Thief II: The Metal Age''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Support for EAX 1.0 was added in Thief II patch 1.18. Source: patch.wri (Programming fixes section)</ref><ref>EAX 2.0 support is present in the retail release of Thief II. Source: Readme.wri (System Requirements section)</ref> Note: support for A3D 2.0 was removed before release<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=645476#p645476 SB Live! and A3D 1.0 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Thief: Deadly Shadows''
|
|
| X
| X
|
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0 support is specifically mentioned in the game's readme.rtf (Section 2.5 - Manual Additions). Additionally, Thief: Deadly Shadows uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324164553/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53835&cat=1 Discovering EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD in Thief: Deadly Shadows (archived)] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20041207070023/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=107&cat=3 Stealthy Sounds in Thief: Deadly Shadows (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
|''TimeShift''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0<ref>Timeshift manual, page 1 (An Important Note Regarding Graphics and Having the Best
Possible Experience)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Titan Quest''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which ships with Titan Quest supports all EAX versions up to 4.0. Additionally, see the developer comments at [https://web.archive.org/web/20060928212242/http://www.soundblaster.com/gaming/titanquest/ (archive of Soundblaster.com)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Titan Quest: Immortal Throne''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0
| X
|-
| ''TMNT''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>TMNT uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''TNN Outdoors Pro Hunter''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''TOCA Race Driver''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''TOCA Race Driver 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041204151702/http://www.eax.creative.com/gaming/tocarace2.asp EAX Featured Game: TOCA Race Driver 2 (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Desert Siege''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Desert Siege uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Island Thunder uses eax.dll version 2.6.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1256985#p1256985 Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter audio options menu (screenshot)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1257386#p1257386 Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 audio options menu (screenshot)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six: Lockdown uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
|''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Rogue Spear & Black Thorn''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six: Vegas uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
|EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Splinter Cell uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20021201130533/http://eax.creative.com/gaming/splinter.asp EAX Featured Game: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.2 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20050307195753/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=117&cat=3 Deadly Hide & Seek in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory''
|X
|X
|X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Readme.txt (PC hardware recommended requirements section). Additionally, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory uses eax.dll version 3.0.4.0 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Source: Splinter Cell: Double Agent Readme.txt (PC hardware recommended requirements section). Additionally, Splinter Cell: Double Agent uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Tom Clancy's The Sum Of All Fears''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tomb Raider: Anniversary''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tomb Raider: Legend''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (requires EAX Unified)<ref>The Angel of Darkness in-game audio options [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1099228#p1099228 (screenshot)]. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010062222/http://soundblaster.com/tombraider/interview.asp EAX ADVANCED HD in Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''TrackMania Nations Forever''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>TrackMania Nations Forever uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''TrackMania United Forever''
|
|
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>TrackMania United Forever uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Trackmania Original''
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Trespasser: Jurassic Park''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tribes 2''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Tribes 2 in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Triple Play 2000''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Tron 2.0''
|
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Tron 2.0 in-game audio options. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20051212173728/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53876&cat=1 Disney's Tron 2.0 Audio (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
|''Tzar: The Burden of the Crown''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Tzar configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''UFO: Aftermath''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0<ref>The version of msseax.m3d which UFO: Aftermath uses supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0.</ref>
|
|-
| ''UFO: Aftershock''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>UFO: Aftershock uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ultim@te Race Rally''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Ultim@te Race Pro''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0. Note: use the -SB32 command line parameter to enable 32 voices<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19990428154026/http://www.ultimaterace.com/cgi-bin/techsup.dll Ultim@te Race Pro Technical Support (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ultima: Ascension''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|''Undying''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Universe at War: Earth Assault''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Universe at War in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Unreal''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0, DS3D<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060114214132/http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53833&cat=1 Sound Blaster Gaming - EAX to EAX 4.0 (archived)]</ref><ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1158619#p1158619 Unreal 1 and A3D cards (screenshot)]</ref> Note: Unreal was the very first game that implemented EAX support.
|
|-
| ''Unreal II: The Awakening''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Unreal II uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces UnrealTournament.log. This file indicates the use of EAX 1.x/2.x (or A3D 1.x/2.x) if the "Use Hardware 3D Sound" setting is on, and supported hardware is detected.</ref><ref>Support for EAX 2.0 was added through the Unreal Tournament EAX Library Patch and Deathmatch Enhancements [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1296855#p1296855 (Vogons forum post)].</ref>
|
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament 2003''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Unreal Tournament 2003 uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0. Additionally, see the game's Readme.txt (Section 3.2 Sound issues)</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament 2004''
|
|
| X
|
| X
| EAX 3.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216041050/http://www.soundblaster.com/products/x-fi/technology/ut2004/ Sound Blaster X-Fi - Unreal Tournament 2004 (archived)]</ref> Note: EAX 5.0 support was added with [http://www.gamewatcher.com/mods/unreal-tournament-2004-mod/soundblaster-x-fi-patch# this patch]
| X
|-
| ''Unreal Tournament 3''
|
|
|
| X
| X
| EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Source: [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1310633#p1310633 Unreal Tournament 3 Launch.log file contents]. Additionally see: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080202034140/http://www.soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=72840 EAX Featured Game: Unreal Tournament 3 (archived)]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Uprising 2: Lead and Destroy''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Urban Chaos''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Uru: Ages Beyond Myst''
|X
|X
|X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>Uru: Ages Beyond Myst uses eax.dll version 3.0.6.5 (EAX Unified). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010023552/http://soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=98&cat=3 Discovering Uru: Ages Beyond Myst (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Source: Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption in-game Audio Settings</ref>
|
|-
| ''Vanguard: Saga of Heroes''
|
|
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
|''Vietcong''
| X
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Vietcong 2''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Vivisector: Beast Inside''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050904102525/http://www.soundblaster.com/mailer/welcome.asp?mon=2005mar05 Soundblaster.com Newsletters, Featured Game: Vivisector: Beast Inside (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warcraft III''
|
| X
|
|
|
| ALchemy/EAX support removed with 1.30 update
| X
|-
| ''Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm''
|
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: Fire Warrior configuration utility</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warhammer: Mark of Chaos''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Source: Warhammer Mark of Chaos in-game audio options</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>The version of msseax.flt which ships with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warlords Battlecry''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Warlords Battlecry II''
| X
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0<ref>Warlords Battlecry II uses msseax.m3d and msseax2.m3d</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warmonger: Operation Downtown Destruction''
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>Warmonger: Operation Downtown Destruction uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 and EAX 5.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Warpath''
|
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0<ref>Warpath uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 and EAX 4.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''Way Point Zeta''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Wild Metal Country''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''Wild Wild West: The Steel Assassin''
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''The Witcher''
|
|
|
| X
|
| EAX 4.0 only<ref>Source: The Witcher readme.rtf (Section 5. Known Issues). See also [https://forums.cdprojektred.com/index.php?threads/eax-and-x-fi-alchemy.15484/#post-557372 CD Project forums, The Witcher patch notes]</ref>
| X
|-
| ''Wizardry 8''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''World of Warcraft''
|
|
| X
|
|
| EAX 3.0<ref>Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707001747/http://www.soundblaster.com/worldofwarcraft/ SoundBlaster.com - World of Warcraft (archived)]</ref> Note: EAX isn't supported in the 64-bit build of the game
| X
|-
| ''WWII Combat: Road to Berlin''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>WWII Combat: Road to Berlin uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''WWII Combat: Iwo Jima''
| X
| X
| X
|
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0 (via OpenAL)<ref>WWII Combat: Iwo Jima uses a version of OpenAL32.dll which supports EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0</ref>
|
|-
| ''WWII Tank Commander''
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, EAX 3.0, EAX 4.0 (via EAX Unified)<ref>WWII Tank Commander uses eax.dll version 4.0.0.1 (EAX Unified). Additionally, the game's readme.txt specifies EAX 4.0 support (System Requirements section). See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070101123211/http://soundblaster.com/eax/gaming/gameindex.asp?gameID=55428 EAX Featured Game: World War II Tank Commander (archived)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''X2: The Threat''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0<ref>Source: X2 Readme15.rtf (Section 22)</ref>
|
|-
| ''X3 Reunion''
|
|
|
| X
|
|
|-
| ''X-COM: Enforcer''
| X
|
|
|
|
| EAX 1.0, A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0<ref>Starting the game produces a log file which indicates the use of EAX 1.x if supported [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=1295506#p1295506 (Vogons forum post)]</ref>
|
|-
| ''Xpand Rally''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Xpand Rally DXDiags.txt (this file is created after starting the game for the first time)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim''
|
| X
|
|
|
| EAX 2.0<ref>Source: Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim configuration utility (Sound tab)</ref>
|
|-
| ''Ys: The Oath in Felghana''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|-
| ''Ys: Origin''
|
| X
|
|
|
|
| X
|}

==Related links==
* [https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/EAX Environmental Audio eXtensions]
* [https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=94106 EAX appreciation thread] - forum discussion
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL OpenAL]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectSound DirectSound]

==References==

[[Category:Hardware]]
[[Category:Sound Cards]]

EAX

2026-02-19T16:28:18Z

Joseph Joestar: Minor fxes and adjustments. Also added links to YouTube videos which showcase some EAX features.

EAX

2026-02-19T15:24:15Z

Joseph Joestar: Improved formatting

EAX

2026-02-19T15:22:39Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more EAX 5.0 features

EAX

2026-02-19T15:02:18Z

Joseph Joestar: Added some EAX 5.0 features

EAX

2026-02-19T14:42:06Z

Joseph Joestar: Added EAX 4.0 features

EAX

2026-02-19T14:30:36Z

Joseph Joestar: Added EAX 3.0 features

EAX

2026-02-19T14:18:25Z

Joseph Joestar: Added more info on various EAX Features