- Aardvark Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver Download For Windows 8
- Computer Sound Cards
- Aardvark Sound Cards Free
- Sound Cards 7.1
- Aardvark Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver Download For Windows 8.1
The package provides the installation files for AMD High Definition Audio Device Driver version 10.0.0.3. If the driver is already installed on your system, updating (overwrite-installing) may fix various issues, add new functions, or just upgrade to the available version. Welcome to the Help Drivers, driver downloads for sound cards Aardvark. HelpDrivers offers drivers that support both currently shipping and obsolete sound cards Aardvark, which are only available from this site. To find a driver, utilities, manual, firmaware and BIOS for your Aardvark, select your sound cards model from the list above. I 'm now a reasonably happy owner. I had a terrible time getting random static 'snaps ' out of multiple MIA cards. However, they now work perfectly and the sound is simply excellent. The crux of the problem turned out to be finding which PCI slot made MIA happy. Secondarily, locking the card 's sample rate eliminated the last of the snapping. Aardvark Support Group: This web site is in no way affiliated with Aardvark. It is simply a support web site for people who use Aardvark equipment. The company itself mysteriously disappeared after nearly ten years in the industry with no explanation as to what happened.
| Available in | English |
|---|---|
| Owner | |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Launched | Early 2008 |
| Current status | Abandoned, shutdown by Google |
Aardvark was a social search service that connected users live with friends or friends-of-friends who were able to answer their questions, also known as a knowledge market. Users submitted questions via the Aardvark website, email or instant messenger and Aardvark identified and facilitated a live chat or email conversation with one or more topic experts in the 'askers' extended social network. Aardvark was used for asking subjective questions for which human judgment or recommendation was desired. It was also used extensively for technical support questions. Users could also review question and answer history and other settings on the Aardvark website. Google acquired Aardvark for $50 million on February 11, 2010.[1][2]In September 2011, Google announced it would discontinue a number of its products, including Aardvark.[3]
History[edit]
Aardvark was originally developed by The Mechanical Zoo, a San Francisco-based startup founded in 2007 by Max Ventilla, Nathan Stoll (both former Google employees), Damon Horowitz and Rob Spiro.[4] A prototype version of Aardvark was launched in early 2008[5] with an alpha launch in October 2008.[6] Aardvark was released to the public in March 2009,[7] although initially new users had to be invited by existing users.[8] The company did not release usage statistics.
The name Mechanical Zoo was chosen in homage to the machine-like aspect of its applications, including Aardvark and other animal-named products that were intended for future release.[9]
Interaction model[edit]
When a user joined Aardvark, aardvark was added to the user's IM buddylist. Users submitted questions by email or IM.[10]Aardvark guided the user through the question process by providing messages that confirmed receipt of the question and explained any actions required of the user. IM users were able to use a variety of 'IM commands'—one word messages that could be used to fine-tune the question parameters, invite new users, or get help.[11]
There were two main interaction flows available in Aardvark for answering a question. The primary flow involved Aardvark sending a message to the user (via IM, email, etc.) asking if the user would like to answer a question. Periodically, Aardvark contacted users via email or IM when it believed they were well-suited to answer another user's question. Aardvark searched through one's friends and friends' friends also. Instead of sending the question to every friend it found, it searched a person's profile to see if there were information related to the question.[12]
When Aardvark sent a question to the user, if the user responded affirmatively, Aardvark relayed the question as well as the name of the questioner. The user could then simply type an answer to the question, a friend's name or email address to refer to someone who may know the answer or simply type in 'pass' to pass on the request. Aardvark sent such requests for answers less than once a day to a given user (and users could easily change contact settings, specify preferred frequency and time of the day for such requests).[13]
Aardvark supported Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger.[14]
Aardvark Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver Download For Windows 8
A secondary flow of answering questions was more similar to traditional bulletin-board style interactions: a user sent a message to Aardvark or visited the 'Answering' tab of the website, Aardvark showed the user a recent question from the user's network which had not yet been answered and which was related to the user's profile topics. This mode involved the user initiating the exchange when the user was in the mood to try to answer a question; as such, it had the benefit of tapping into users who acted as eager potential 'answerers'.[13]
In all of the interfaces, wrappers around messages from another user included information about the user to facilitate trust: the user's real name, age, gender, the social connection between the two users, a section of topics the user had expertise in, and summary statistics of the user's activity on Aardvark.[13]
Funding and economic strategies[edit]
The Mechanical Zoo was privately held, prior to acquisition by Google. Initial funding was in early 2008, with $750,000 in convertible debt from angel investors.[15] This was followed by a series A funding round of $6 million, led by August Capital, in October 2008.[16]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Google Acquires Aardvark For $50 million (Confirmed)'. TechCrunch. techcrunch.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
We can now confirm that Google has signed a deal to acquire us but have no further comment.
- ^'Google Acquires Aardvark'. Official Google Blog. Google. Archived from the original on February 14, 2010. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
we're excited to announce that we've acquired Aardvark, a unique technology company.
- ^Alan Eustace (September 2, 2011). 'A fall spring-clean'. Google. Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
- ^'Mechanical Zoo Gets $6 Million To Build Aardvark Social Search Product'. TechCrunch. techcrunch.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
startup founded by Max Ventilla (Google corp dev), Nathan Stoll (Google News) and Damon Horowitz (Perspecta)
- ^'Ex-Googlers working on stealth social search'. news.cnet.comt. cnet.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
The site, called Mechanical Zoo, is poised to launch in beta next month. The San Francisco company . . .is about 9 months old
- ^'Mechanical Zoo Company Profile'. crunchbase. crunchbase.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
in private alpha as of October 2008
- ^'What to expect at SXSW'. cnet. cnet.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
Given the dismal economy, there won't be a whole lot of new companies launching at SXSWi this year. There are a few: Social search company Aardvark
- ^'Aardvark 'Help Engine' Opens to Wider User'. searchengineland.com. searchengineland.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
When you sign-up through an invitation . . .
- ^'Ex-Googlers working on stealth social search'. news.cnet.comt. cnet.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
Mechanical Zoo is an homage to the mechanical workings of its application, as well as several animal-named products that the company plans to introduce over time.
- ^'ChaCha And Aardvark: Putting Humans To Work To Get You The Answers You Need'. techcrunch. techcrunch.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
You can ask questions via an instant message buddy or email.
- ^'Aardvark, a better social qa than twitter'. i-penny.com. i-penny.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2010. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
Aardvark features a number of simple commands that allow you to interact with the service and that are always explained in your conversations with Aardvark.
- ^'Aardvark, a better social q&a than twitter'. readwriteweb.com. readwriteweb.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
In return, Aardvark will also send you a few questions every day that fit your profile.
- ^ abcDamon Horowitz,Sepandar D. Kamvar, The Anatomy of a Large Scale Social Search Engine(PDF), archived from the original(PDF) on February 16, 2011, retrieved August 28, 2010
- ^'Aardvark, a better social qa than twitter'. i-penny.com. i-penny.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2010. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
Aardvark supports Google Talk, AIM, and Microsoft's Live Messenger.
- ^'Ex-Googlers working on stealth social search'. news.cnet.comt. cnet.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
The privately funded Mechanical Zoo has raised about $750,000 in convertible debt from angel investors, including ex-colleagues and friends
- ^'Mechanical Zoo Gets $6 Million To Build Aardvark Social Search Product'. TechCrunch. techcrunch.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
The fifteen person company has raised $7.5 million (including an earlier angel round) in a highly anticipated venture capital financing led by August Capital. Additional investors include Baseline Ventures and a number of angels.
Computer Recording Under $500
Aardvark DirectMix USB3, DirectPro LX6, and DirectPro 2496
By Dexter Weir
In the years I've been working around recording studios, I've come to appreciate gear that doesn't just sound good but also solid, reliable, and - perhaps most importantly - has value. To stay informed I read most of the gear magazines as well as spend a lot of time on Internet newsgroups, and one name makes a regular appearance among those who appreciate quality - Aardvark. From project studio aficionados to world-class ProTools HD studios, people in the know agree-Aardvark is a company that does digital right.
I looked at three of their best-selling computer recording products recently - the Direct Mix USB3, the Direct Pro LX6, and the Direct Pro 24/96. All three share a commitment to great sound, great quality, and great value. Plus, they're all easy to plug into your home computer for recordings that sound like they were done in a pro studio setting.
USB for you and me
First to bat is a great companion to any laptop, the Direct Mix USB3. As the name implies, this compact device plugs into your Mac or PC's USB port and provides two channels of 24-bit audio at a sampling rate of either 44.1kHz or 48kHz. If you're a guitarist looking to replace your laptop's cheesy sound card with a great-sounding recording and monitoring interface, this is the way to go.
Between the two jacks are three switches for configuring the USB3 to your needs. The input select switch optimizes the input electronics for either lo-Z mics or hi-Z guitars by adjusting the impedance, and in the case of the guitar setting, kicks in Aardvark's EFR™ (Enhanced Frequency Response) technology for high-quality direct guitar recording. The Record Select switch gives you your choice of recording the signal from either the mic/guitar input on the front, the left and right line inputs on the back, or a mix of both inputs simultaneously. The Sample Rate switch lets you chose between 44.1kHz and 48kHz sampling rates.
Computer Sound Cards
On top, you'll find the main controls and meters of the USB3. The mic/guitar and line L/R input volume knobs let you optimize the incoming signal for best recording. The tri-color record level LEDs are intuitively easy to monitor, as are the four-stage output level LEDs. A 44mm fader controls the output level. The USB is completed on the back by a pair of 1/4' line input jacks, a pair of 1/4' line output jacks, and a USB connector.The USB3 comes complete with Cakewalk software for both the Mac and PC. For Windows users, Guitar Tracks 2 delivers a straightforward and attractive 8-track recording interface that is wonderfully easy to use. After installing, I had it up and running in virtually no time. For the Mac, Cakewalk Metro SE fulfills the same functions.
Given its pro-quality sound, ease-of-use, portability, steel-case construction, and built-in monitoring, the USB3 is an ideal solution not just for home-studio tracking but also for field recording of music, voice, or sound effects.
The deluxe LX
Next to bat is the Direct Pro LX6, which delivers multichannel 24-bit, 96kHz capability, as well as a host of other features you won't find on your typical sound card. The LX6 uses a custom, shielded PCI card with onboard DSP, and offers audio, MIDI, and S/PDIF I/O connections to your computer.
The LX6 also includes powerful DSP mixing software so you can track and monitor your recordings in realtime without slowing down the computer. This comes with 3 DSP-based effects (same as the 24/96 below) to take the pressure off the native processor so you can run more plug-ins and get lower latency!
The LX6 comes bundled with a well-respected recording application that offers up to 128 tracks of audio, plus MIDI, powerful effects, and support for 24-bit/96kHz recording, making it the perfect companion to the LX6. With ultra-low-latency performance, you'll be able to take advantage of the latest virtual synths from Steinberg, Cakewalk, Native Instruments, and many others!The abundance of features and quality of components that Aardvark puts into the LX6 is amazing. What other sound card gives a fully shielded PCI card to keep out computer noise and integrates multichannel I/O with S/PDIF, MIDI, and a convenient headphone output with a level knob? If you're looking for an audio card for your computer, forget SoundBlaster - go Aardvark!
The one with all the goods
For pro-quality computer recording under $500, the Direct Pro 24/96 hits a home run. Based on the same PCI card as the LX6 and featuring same number of inputs, outputs, realtime DSP effects, and Control Panel software, the 24/96 adds four Class A discrete mic pre-amps and switchable 48-volt phantom power. Four Class A mic pre-amps that sound this good on a unit as affordable as the 24/96 is incredible. And the fact that it has six surround sound outputs, SPDIF, MIDI, and comes with all the software is just gravy.
To tap the power of the 24/96 (and the LX6), Aardvark provides the DSP-powered Control Panel. This is a beautiful piece of work - it not only handles the basics like signal routing and buffer settings, it's also a ten-channel mixer that's every bit as powerful as a hardware mixer - and then some! And because it's DSP-powered, it gives you zero-latency monitoring without slowing down your computer!
Aardvark Sound Cards Free
Each of the four input channels is fitted with an input pad/trim control, 3-band EQ (high and low shelving, parametric mid) and a 4-function compressor (threshold, ratio, attack, and release), freeing you from the need for outboard EQ or compressors. LED-style digital peak meters give you instant feedback on your recording levels so you won't have to worry about distortion. The four input channels are complemented with six mix channels that let you monitor channel or bus outputs directly from your recording software, giving you access to ten channels simultaneously! With six outputs, you have the option of creating full 5.1 surround mixes!All ten channels can take advantage of the Control Panel's master reverb. This lush effect features a variety of customizable settings, letting you dial in spaces that range from the intimate ambience of a small room to the wash of sound from a massive cathedral. The beauty of this is that you can play back synths, samples, or other tracks while you add in vocals, guitar, or other instruments, and sound like you're all playing in the same concert hall!
You can determine in the Control Panel software whether you're using a mic or an instrument on each channel. In addition, the mic pre-amp features two levels, allowing you to optimize each channel to your particular configuration. This offers unprecedented flexibility for a recording interface and, to my mind, puts the 24/96 in a whole new league.
In fact, when you combine the great sound of the pre-amps with patching and DSP power of the Control Panel interface, you may find yourself wanting to trade your compact hardware mixer for a new microphone!
Sound Cards 7.1
All in all
For beautiful-sounding recording interfaces, these three products are top picks. When you consider that they all are under $500, you can see it's a winning project studio team!
Features and specs
USB3
- Converters: 24-bit A/D, shielded
- Sample rates: 44.1kHz and 48kHz
- THD+N: .005%
- Frequency response: 7Hz-20kHz, +/-0.5dB
- Analog inputs: 2-1/4' line inputs
- Input level: 2dBu to 30dBu
- Microphone input: 1/4' mic input with Low-noise mic pre-amp
- Input level: -35dBu-0dBu
- Input impedance: 1k ohm
- Guitar input: 1/4' Hi-Z enhanced frequency response™ (E.F.R.) guitar input
- Circuitry input level: -18dBu-6dBu
- Input impedance: 1M ohm
- Analog outputs: 2-1/4' balanced line level (-10dBv)
- Headphone output: 1-1/4' headphone output allows monitoring of all playback, line, and mic/guitar inputs simultaneously
- Record select switch
- Full duplex simultaneous record/play
- Power source: USB computer connection
- Computer connection: USB cable
- Power: self-powered from USB
- Current draw: 400mA from USB connection
- Software included: Check www.aardvarkaudio.com for updated info
- Converters: 24-bit, 96kHz A/D/A shielded converters
- THD+N: .002% @ 1kHz
- Dynamic range: 110dB D/A, 100dB A/D
- Frequency response: 7Hz-44kHz, +/-.5dB at 96kHz
- Sample rates: 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, and 96kHz
- Frequency response at -3dB: 1.6Hz-200kHz
- EIN at 20Hz-20kHz, 150 Ohm: -130dBu
- THD at 20dB gain: 0.0005%
- Analog inputs: 4-1/4' jacks
- 1/4' unbalanced line inputs at -10dBv (w/30dB level trim)
- 1/4' balanced line inputs at +4dBu (w/30dB level trim)
- Analog outputs 4-1/4' connectors: +4dBu/-10dBv
- Dual aux outputs on RCA connectors: -10dBv
- Headphone output: stereo headphone jack on front
- Digital I/O: 24-bit S/PDIF I/O
- MIDI I/O: 5-pin DIN connectors
- Sync I/O: S/PDIF digital clock, MIDI
- Modes: full duplex simultaneous record/play
- Expansion: up to four cards can be used simultaneously in one PC
- Card type: PCI bus architecture, 5' length
- Connectors on card: 25-pin DSUB to breakout box, S/PDIF I/O
- Powerful DSP: 24-bit, 80MIPS
- Minimum PC system: 233MHz w/64MB RAM
- Software included: Check www.aardvarkaudio.com for updated info
Aardvark Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver Download For Windows 8.1
24/96- Converters: 24-bit, 96kHz A/D/A shielded converters
- THD+N: .002% @ 1kHz
- Dynamic range: 110dB D/A, 100dB A/D
- Frequency response: 7Hz-44kHz, +/-.5dB at 96kHz
- Sample rates: 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, and 96kHz
- Mic pre-amp: discrete, 8 transistor/channel design
- Frequency response at -3dB: 1.6Hz-200kHz
- EIN at 20-20kHz, 150 Ohm: -130dBu
- THD at 20dB gain: 0.0005%
- Phantom power: 48VDC; max current: 40mA
- Analog inputs: four combo 1/4' and XLR connectors:
- XLR mic inputs (w/60dB level Trim) and phantom power
- 1/4' unbalanced line inputs at -10dBv (w/30dB level trim)
- 1/4' balanced line inputs at +4dBu (w/30dB level trim)
- Analog outputs: four line outputs on 1/4' connectors: +4dBu/-10dBv
- Dual aux outputs on RCA connectors: -10dBv
- Headphone output: stereo headphone jack on front
- Digital I/O: 24-bit S/PDIF I/O
- MIDI I/O: 5-pin DIN connectors
- Sync I/O: S/PDIF digital clock, MIDI
- Modes: full duplex simultaneous record/play
- Expansion: up to four cards can be used simultaneously in one PC
- Card type: PCI bus architecture, 5' length
- Connectors on card: 25-pin DSUB to breakout box, S/PDIF I/O
- Powerful DSP: 24-bit, 80MIPS
- Minimum PC system: 233MHz w/64MB RAM
- Software included: Check www.aardvarkaudio.com for updated info