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Developer: Guillemot<br>
</font>
</font><font face="Arial" size="2">Reviewed by: Scott Sherman<br>
Posted: 991214</font></b></td>
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<p align="center"><b><font size="2" face="Arial"><!-- BEGIN BURST! CODE -->
</font></b><font face="Arial">Well I was lucky enough to get an e-mail from Tali over at Guillemot about a week ago. She wanted to know if I wanted to try out their Fortissimo sound card. Since I was in the process of ordering parts for the new rig I said ok.<br>
<br>
So here are the specs on the card.</font>
<div align="center">
<table border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0" width="558" bgcolor="silver" style="width:418.5pt;mso-cellspacing:.7pt;background:silver;mso-padding-alt:
3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="background:#9868FF;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:white">DATA TRANSFER </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
<td width="67%" valign="top" style="width:67.0%;background:#C8CCFF;padding:
3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p><span lang="EN-US">- </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:#000068">PCI bus (high speed data transfer</span><span lang="EN-US">
<o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="background:#9868FF;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:white">DSP (Audio Processor) </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
<td width="67%" valign="top" style="width:67.0%;background:#C8CCFF;padding:
3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:#000066">- New generation Yamaha YMF744 Engine </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="background:#9868FF;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:white">CD-Audio sound quality &amp; Pro audio quality </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
<td width="67%" valign="top" style="width:67.0%;background:#C8CCFF;padding:
3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:#000066">- 16-bit, mono/stereo 4kHz to 48kHz<br>
- True full duplex Playback and capture with different sampling
rate </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="background:#9868FF;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:white">Supports all open standards including industry-standard
two-speaker and multi-speaker 3D audio technology </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
<td width="67%" valign="top" style="width:67.0%;background:#C8CCFF;padding:
3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:#000066">- Microsoft® DirectSound™ 3D hardware accelerator , EAX™,
A3D™ 1.0 and Sensaura Interactive Positioning on 2 or 4
speakers or headphones.<br>
- DirectMusic™ hardware accelerator.<br>
- Legacy audio compatibility provides support for older DOS
games </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="background:#9868FF;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:white">Yamaha XG built-in synthesizer with 2MB MIDI hardware wavetable</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
<td width="67%" valign="top" style="width:67.0%;background:#C8CCFF;padding:
3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:#000066">- GM™ (General MIDI) , GS™ (General Standard) and Yamaha XG
compatible<br>
- 128-voice polyphony (including 64 hardware)<br>
- 676 instrument sounds and 21 drum kits<br>
- Effects: reverb, chorus </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="background:#9868FF;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:white">Audio compatibility </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
<td width="67%" valign="top" style="width:67.0%;background:#C8CCFF;padding:
3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:#000066">- Accelerates Microsoft® DirectSound™ in hardware<br>
- Compatible with Sound Blaster™ Pro, DirectInput®<br>
- DownLoadable Sound (DLS) level-1 </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:1.5pt">
<td valign="top" style="background:#9868FF;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt;
height:1.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:1.5pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:white">Connection
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
<td width="67%" valign="top" style="width:67.0%;background:#C8CCFF;padding:
3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt;height:1.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:1.5pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:#000066">-
Inputs : Mic-In, stereo Line-In, digital game port/MIDI MPU401
UART port, Internal CD-audio connector<br>
- 2 independent stereo outputs to connect 4 speakers<br>
- S/PDIF Digital output with optical connector (optical cable
not supplied). </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p>
</o:p>
</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<p><font face="Arial">The card supports EAX 1.0 and A3D 1.0. Installation of the card was very easy. Install the card power up and load the cd. I played about 9 games that I use on the same system that has my SBLive in it. The surround sound sounded just like the SBLive. I had some friends over that are hardcore sound guys and the could not tell the difference except for a slight hiss if you cranked up the speakers that the SBLive does not have.<br>
<br>
I do not have anyway at the moment to test the digital out, I hope to correct that soon and will come back and do a second look at the card then. My thoughts are for 49.00 you get great surround sound. A nice bundle of recording software. If playing games is your thing Fortissimo is a great card at a great price. As far a Guillemot tech support goes, they are some of the best people I have ever worked with. I think if Guillemot keeps coming up with great products like the 3D Prophet and Fortissimo they are going to go along way in the world.<br>
<br>
My final score is a 9 out of 10!!!<br>
<br>
Happy Gaming<br>
<br>
Scooter</font>
<p><font face="Arial"><b><font size="5">Rating: 90% </font></b></font>
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