Creative Multi Speaker
Surround (CMSS)
CMSS is a 2 to 5.1 channel sound
processor similar in some aspects
to a Dolby Surround with Pro Logic
processor.
CMSS Music mode creates a
convincing 5.1 channel surround
soundfield with typical stereo
sources, whether they are Dolby
Surround-encoded or not. It works
well with Dolby Pro Logic, WAVE,
AVI and MIDI program material. In
essence, CMSS Music mode puts
you “on the stage” for the music’s
performance, surrounding you with
the performers.
In a similar manner, CMSS Movie
mode provides the sonic impres-
sion of being front and center at a
movie screening. Dialog and all
normally centered sounds from a
stereo program are heard through
the center speaker. Use this mode
whenever a music program has
sounds you want to blend with
on-screen action or dialog.
Unlike Pro Logic decoding,
CMSS Music and Movie modes
are appropriate for use with multi-
coded sources such as DVD games.
In some game titles, the movie
sequences may be encoded in Dolby
Surround but the game sequences
may be in the WAV format. CMSS
Movie mode supports 6-channel
output for .WAV, .AVI, .MIDI and
other audio software files. Dolby
decoding cannot decode WAVE
formatted sources.
12
Audio Mode Selection
The stereo soundtracks of some
movies on the Video CD (VCD format)
contain different languages. For
example, a two channel soundtrack
may contain Mandarin on the right
channel and English on the left
channel. The VCD program literature
should indicate the presence of dual-
language soundtracks. Similarly,
some movies in the DVD format will
contain dual-language soundtracks.
DeskTop Theater 5.1
lets you select
one of these languages and play it
through both the Left and Right
speakers.
If there is no indication of which
channel is which and you hear two
different language soundtracks
during stereo playback, select the
“LL” and “RR” settings until you find
the language soundtrack you want.
The Audio Mode selection feature
can only be used with the PCM
digital soundtrack of a Video CD or
DVD with a stereo soundtrack, not a
DVD encoded with Dolby Digital 5.1
sound or Dolby Surround-encoded
material. If you have an analog
program with separate left and right
channels (the analog output of a CD
ROM, or the analog stereo output of
a “software” video CD, for instance),
you will have to use the balance
control in your PC’s audio software
to mute the undesired channel.
