Hercules Audio PCI kaart 7.1 Fortissimo 4

Table of contents    * 1 – Introduction    * 2 – Inputs And Outputs    * 3 – On The Card   *1The Fortissimo 4 represents Hercules' latest attempt to deliver a mid-tier sound card for less than $100 for gamers and those that want great sound to go with their multimedia apps.Like the earlier Fortissimo versions, it's a PCI-format card. Compared to the Fortissimo 3, it offers 7.1 sound and looks a lot like its predecessor. However, the Fortissimo 4 is a 24 bit card, which means we should be able expect significantly better performance and new capabilities.Needless to say, applications that make use of 24 bit sound and 96 or 192 kHz sampling frequencies will require at lot of muscle from your computer and an up-to-date operating system. However, one of the upsides of the Fortissimo 4 is its ability to deliver on not-so-powerful PCs that also don't have the most recent Windows versions and updates. This capability should interest sound enthusiasts who want to improve the audio capabilities of their not-so-cutting-edge PCs.For this new card, Hercules has provided a totally redesigned control panel that's very user-friendly. Above the tabs for accessing the different sections is a series of icons that let you choose the output configuration. The first tab page shows the usual adjustments, with playback and record levels and balance between output levels. The Speaker Configuration tab lets you test speaker operation, which is a very practical function during installation or if you're in doubt about something.Things get a little more complicated with the Advanced Controls tab, which is a mixture of disparate controls. While the function of some of the controls is fairly clear (provided you know what they are beforehand), like management of digital output, others are a lot less obvious, like the "Stereo EXpander," since whatever it does is not really documented.The most important thing here is the QSound 3D check box. Only if you enable this will your card become DirectSound3D hardware and EAX compatible. These features, of course, are indispensable for the sound quality that gamers and other users expect when they invest in a mid-tier sound card. Qsound also offers a new tab with numerous functions including acoustical simulation and a 10-band graphical equalizer. It would be a shame not to have it available, although here again the documentation hardly explains what it is about and its purpose.2.All the inputs and outputs are on the card's PCI bracket in the form of .138 inch (3.5 mm) jacks, with the addition of a TOSLINK connector. The Fortissimo doesn't show much originality where inputs are concerned. For example, the mono mike and the stereo line inputs cannot be mixed.You also have to choose the recording source from among the options Hercules offers. This is an acceptable approach, though, since the Fortissimo 4 isn't exactly intended to be used as a recording studio.There's no surprise with the outputs, either - the same four 3.5 mm jacks providing eight channels (7.1). In addition there's a S/PDIF digital output that can be used either to connect an external decoder (if you have a home cinema system that has one) or to any digitaldevice such as a converter or "digital" speaker system.*3The Fortissimo 4 uses a version of the VIA Envy 24HT called the Vinyl. Marketing lingo is certainly full of surprises - it's hard to see what vinyl has to do with an integrated circuit soldered onto an electronic board.VIA Vinyl AudioThe audio controller features a Wolfson WM8776 codec and a WM8766 for most of the digital/analog conversion. The WM8776 has two 24 bit analog/digital conversion channels up to 96 kHz and two digital/analog channels up to 192 kHz. The WM8766 adds six channels with the same characteristics for a total of eight output channels for output in up to 7.1 format.

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