Well, I know that it may sound dummish, but why do I get differently sounding "mixdown"s having two different soundcards (MB built-in “Realtek HD” at work and my home “Audigy 2 ZX”) installed?
On the PC with “Realtek” I’ve got a way better result (I mean frequency spectrum), but in case of the “Audigy”'s PC there is a notable dropdown in highs!!!
What does it mean? And how could it be?
PS: excuse my English… it’s not my native language 
at which frequency are you rendering?
48000, 16, Cubic
I thought it was something different than 44100. could you please try if rendering at 44100 gives you the same results?
I would not trust Audigy…
In the past, several VSTi tend to render kinda weirdly under different frequencies… I wonder if it’s still the case.
I don’t think so, why should then the two renders differ on the two soundcards?
I suspect that the Audigy does some rate conversion when playing 48000 hertz files.
So you mean that it is a playback issue not a render issue? In this case it would be wise to compare the rendered results on a third pc, with a different sound card.
(edit) Also I wonder why should Audigy do a rate conversion while it supports upto 96KHz sample rates?
because it’s Creative stuff…
Ok, I’ll try to render both cases at 44100… However, I agree with Ashkan Asgary - how the soundcard relays to the rendering process? As far as I understand the mixdown is being done without any help of the soundcard! Correct me if I’m wrong.
yes, but indeed Ashkan Asgary has said that this should be a soundcard replay issue then, which is indeed what I suspect.
let’s try at 44100 and see…
I can exactly understand what you mean… 
Ah come on, creative became good in the past few years. Like Behringer it’s a company that changed alot.
i think it’s just the differents between the 2 interface’s.
ive got 3 interface’s, and each interface sounds different.
but why don’t you burn a realtek rendering and a audigy rendering on cd.
and check it on your stereo?
ok… here I am again… tested 44100 rendering on Audigy… hmmm… looks like it really SOUNDS OK!!! wtf!!! can anyone explain?
I’ve already explained that: the so called “pro sounding” Creative soundcards use resampling when working at frequencies other than the ones they are built for.
If you need something better for the same price range, you should consider buying something from M-Audio (not the firewire serie). It’s not “pro sounding”, but at least it’s not sold as being so.
Nice prediction, and now it is proved. Never trust Creative stuff!
two reasons why it may sound different.
In XP there is a component called kmixer, which all direct sound related audio streams gets pushed through.
The problem with kmixer is that it doesn’t have enough resolution in it’s algorithms, so basicly anything that goes through it will be slightly different than the original, so if you e.g. want a normal CD to be played with no bits changed (bit perfect, if you want to google further on) you need to skip the kmixer, either by using ASIO or Kernel Streaming, instead of direct sound.
The stupid card manufacturer doesn’t support 44.1KHz, how about that.
So everything played with the card will be resampled to 48KHz.
Nothing you can do anything about except get another card.
So why does it support 96KHz ?
Well 48KHz x 2 = 96 which in a design or driver perspective is easier to implement (read. cheaper) than also support 44.1KHz.
Since “all” consumers only look at that flashy add with a gazilion Hz support (no offence intended).
Audigy is one of the cards that is limited to 48/96.
If you still want to put money into the creative camp you need an X-fi to get “native” 44.1 support.
Have fun.
ok, ok, It-Alien!!! I’ve got your point!
however, the question still remains - what is the deff which soundcard is installed if the process of rendering is done PROGRAMMICALLY? or what? as far as I understand the soundcard doesn’t play the song while it’s being rendered!!!
there is no difference in the rendered file itself: the problem comes when the soundcard plays the rendered file: if you try to play with Audigy the 48khz file rendered by your Realtek soundcard, you will have the same bad result.
that’s what i thought too! when i started reading this thread, i got scared. because i use a crappy onboard sound… but now my fears have subsided 