- Hercules Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver Download For Windows 10 Free
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The Hercules Game Theater XP sound card by Guillemot takes aim squarely at the Sound Blaster Live with Live Drive sound card. The design of the Game Theater XP is unique in the fact that Guillemot.
The Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1 sound card is produced by Hercules, the company that made the Game Theater XP on the Crystal CS4630 chip tested in our lab some time ago. The Fortissimo III is based on the budget multimedia chip Crystal CS4624 (developed in 1998). The card aims games and DVD movies with 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 sound (Power DVD ProEX supplied). It's interesting that Hercules has no 6.1 or 7.1 speaker sets. Since the rear speakers output is combined with a headphones-out, owners of 5.1 acoustic models can consider this connector as a bonus.
- To use the generic audio driver that comes with Windows. In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, then select it from the results. Select the arrow next to Sound, video and game controllers to expand it. Right-click the listing for your sound card or audio device, then select Update driver Browse my computer for driver software.
- From the first sound card for PC with up to 64 polyphonic channels that we designed, to the first portable mixing console featuring a built-in audio interface, our creativity has allowed Hercules to become a major player in the world of interactive entertainment.
- Download drivers for Guillemot Corporation Hercules DJ Console Rmx Bulk sound cards (Windows 10 x64), or install DriverPack Solution software for automatic driver download and update Are you tired of looking for the drivers for your devices?
The Box Contents
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- Sound card;
- Bracket with a game port;
- CD with drivers and software;
- User Guide.
The user guide written in 8 languages includes the specification, illustratedinstructions for installation of the card and its drivers, connection ofdevices to it etc.
Here is the most interesting software from the CD:
- drivers v4067;
- DirectX 8.1;
- Power DVD ProEX with 7.1 support;
- MediaStation II Player (Multimedia Jukebox);
- Sonic Foundry ACID XPress loop sequencer.
Appearance and connectors
| Inputs | Line in Mic in Game port |
| Outputs | Front Rear Center/LFE Back Surround / Headphones Digital optical (Toslink) |
| Internal connectors | CD-in CD-in 2 Aux-in S/PDIF-in |
Hardware features
| Digital Controller | Cirrus Logic CS4624-CQ |
| Sound Codecs | two 4-channel Cirrus Logic CS4294-JQ |
| Gaming features | Sensaura algorithms Microsoft DirectSound 3D, EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, MacroFX, MultiDrive, ZoomFX, EnvironmentFX |
| MIDI | 64 hardware voices 8MB GM/GS sample bank software synthesizer Yamaha S-YXG50 supplied |
The Cirrus Logic CS4624-CQ was developed yet in July 1998 (and it'snot produced anymore). The DSP has 255 MIPS by the specification. For youto know, the EMU10K controller in the SBLive! has 1000 MIPS.
The Cirrus Logic CS4294-JQ codecs' specs:
- 20bit 4-channel output and 2 18bit stereo-ins with the fixed sampling frequencyof 48 kHz;
- Dynamic range: 87 dB A (DAC), 85 dB A(ADC);
- SNR + THD 74 dB A;
- Vrms = 1 V.
Control Panel
When the drivers were flawlessly installed, the system tray got a new iconof the control panel. The interface is a bit too primitive, but everythingyou may need is at hand.
The Main tab offers you to choose a record sound (Stereo Mix, CD, CD2,Mic, Line In, Aux, Digital In) and speakers configuration. You can adjustthe volume level of the signal and stereo panorama.
When choosing a speakers configuration in the Master Volume, you willsee the channels of a given configuration highlighted. There are 8 presetsin all: 7.1 Speakers, 6.1 Speakers, 5.1 Speakers, 4 Speakers, 4.1 Speakers,2 Speakers, 2.1 Speakers and Headphones. You can adjust volume of eachchannel independently.
The 'Small Speakers' setting ticked off in the presets with the subwooferwill cut off the low frequencies of the signal applied to the satellitesand transfer them to the sub. This option can be very useful in case oflow-power satellites with crippled low frequencies.
The next tab provides a mixer with volume level controls for all inputsand outputs. You can adjust signal's and panorama's levels and mute thesound.
The following tab shows us a 10-band equalizer with several presets andan operation indicator. But owners of high-quality acoustic systems shouldbetter disable it since the equalizer markedly distorts the sound.
The fourth tab houses various MIDI settings.
The last tab (Other) covers the following settings: activation of theSensaura algorithms in the drivers (EAX 2.0, I3DL2, A3D 1.0 supported);Enable Stereo expansion (it can be useful exceptionally in games); digitaloutputs adjustment (Mini Disc Optimal Mode disables monitoring of analogoutputs, Digital Audio Source sends a digital signal from the internalinput to the external optical output).
RMAA 5.1 Tests
We connected the front output of the Fortissimo III to the line-in of the reference card Lynx Two (SNR 117 dB) with a short high-quality low-noise microphone cable (Proel) with gold-plated connectors. The Lynx Two has standard input sensitivity: -10 dB B. The output signal amplitude of the Hercules card is rather low - 1 V. That is why we normalized the recorded signal up to the required level.
Mode of operation: 16 bits 44 kHz| Frequency response (40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: | +0.01, -0.02 | Excellent |
| Noise level, dB (A): | -86.6 | Good |
| Dynamic range, dB (A): | 86.5 | Good |
| THD, %: | 0.0040 | Very good |
| Intermodulation distortions, %: | 0.016 | Very good |
| Channel crosstalk, dB: | -86.1 | Excellent |
General performance: Very good
See the details on testing the card in the mode of 16 bits 44 kHz here.
The FR diagram is a straight line in the whole audible range
The diagram of IMD (SMPTE) at 44 kHz demonstrates artifacts causedby oversampling in the high-frequency range
| Frequency response (40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: | +0.05, -0.03 | Excellent |
| Noise level, dB (A): | -86.5 | Good |
| Dynamic range, dB (A): | 86.3 | Good |
| THD, %: | 0.0035 | Very good |
| Intermodulation distortions, %: | 0.014 | Very good |
| Channel crosstalk, dB: | -86.1 | Excellent |
General performance: Very good
See the details on testing the card in the mode of 16 bits 48 kHz here.
The test results agree with the specifications for the codec. That iswhy the analog section is not a bottleneck of the card. It's also interestingthat the input-to-output test results for the Fortissimo III card almostcoincide with those for the reference card (only the distortions levelis a little higher).
RightMark 3DSound Tests
DirectSound Diagnostics
Device: Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1 (hercwdm.sys)
Features:
DirectSound 3D Hardware present
DirectSound 2D Hardware present
EAX 1 present
EAX 2 present
Device has no EAX3 support
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Rates:
dwMinSecondarySampleRate 8000
dwMaxSecondarySampleRate 48000
Free buffers stats:
dwFreeHw3DAllBuffers 31
dwFreeHw3DStaticBuffers 31
dwFreeHw3DStreamingBuffers 31
dwFreeHwMixingAllBuffers 31
dwFreeHwMixingStaticBuffers 31
dwFreeHwMixingStreamingBuffers 31
Max buffers stats:
dwMaxHwMixingAllBuffers 32
dwMaxHwMixingStaticBuffers 32
dwMaxHwMixingStreamingBuffers 32
dwMaxHw3DAllBuffers 32
dwMaxHw3DStaticBuffers 32
dwMaxHw3DStreamingBuffers 32
CPU utilization
| Fortissimo III 7.1 | Audigy2 | |
| DirectSound 3D 16 buffers | 4.2/0.5 | 1.7/0.3 |
| DirectSound 3D + EAX2 16 buffers | 5.7/0.7 | 2.1/0.3 |
| DirectSound 3D 32 buffers | 7.1/0.5 | 3.6/0.7 |
| DirectSound 3D + EAX2 32 buffers | 12.0/0.2 | 4.0/0.7 |
CPU utilization (%) for different modes of operation and a differentnumber of DirectSound buffer. The average value and dispersion go afterthe slash (mean of distribution and standard dispersion) for the 2-minutetest and with accidental releases of the system discounted (swap etc.).
Tests in games
The listening tests were carried out in Unreal Turnament 2003 and Soldierof Fortune II. To estimate the relative sound quality we used the Audigy2 card as an absolute leader in sound producing in game applications tested.We listened to the same game episodes switching the cards as fast as possible.The Event 20/20bas active monitors used (~$1,000).
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In general, the card plays well, but it's still inferior to the Audigy2. The difference is not huge, but you can feel it. First of all, thereis some difference in the volume levels. The Hercules Fortissimo 7.1 playsmuch quieter than the Audigy 2.
Sometimes it's difficult to determine a sound source in the games onthe Fortissimo 7.1 because of the blurry panoramas and not very detailedsound. For example, it can be uneasy to determine a place of explosionwhen a racket blows up behind a virtual hero in UT2003. It's not clearwhether it's on his right or left.
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In the SoF2 some of the sounds, when a lot of them are played simultaneously,are either hardly heard or not produced at all. In contrast, you can perfectlydetermine how the sound sources are arranged when they are played in numberson the Audigy 2.
Also remember, that the difference between their sounding is much lesson inexpensive PC acoustic systems.
Conclusion
In the tests the Fortissimo III 7.1 sound card performed quite well bothin the objective and subjective listening tests. In general, this soundcard is a good solution for gamers and for listening to music on inexpensivePC acoustic systems.
Highs
- Sensaura algorithms supported (DirectSound 3D, EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0, MacroFX,MultiDrive, ZoomFX, EnvironmentFX)
- not bad sound;
- separate headphones out;
- inexpensive (about $60).
Lows
- low-level signal from the line-out (1 V);
- tasteless appearance of the mixer's control panel;
- obsolete DSP.
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