PC Audio Accelerator Delivers True Positional 3D Effects

The Canyon3D audio accelerator IC is billed as the first true 3D positional audio chip for multi-speaker configurations. It uses Sensaura's MultiDrive technology to vertically position 3D sound effects from each of the four speakers in a multi-speaker PC gaming environment. The device, which supports the Microsoft DirectSound3D API, uses HRTF algorithms for each of the four speakers to provide the vertical sound cues needed for total PC game immersion.A flexible dual-processor architecture accelerates more than 32 Microsoft DirectSound3D streams, providing complete acceleration for the most demanding games, it's claimed. At the same time, the chip supports the latest sound standards, including DirectSound, DirectMusic and EAX. It also supports consumer audio system requirements with a S/PDIF digital output interface for Dolby Digital and PCM formats. Built on an AC'97 2.0 architecture, the processor also features an MPU-401 MIDI interface, PCI power management, and a PCI-compatible interface.