Pretty complete in its outfitting, the SB Live comes with all the trimmings you'd hope it would for its $199 price tag. Here's what you get technology-wise when you purchase the SB Live:

Wave-Table Synthesis
· E-mu® Systems EMU10K1™ music synthesis engine
· 512-voice polyphony PCI wave-table synthesis
· 48 MIDI channels with 128 GM & GS-compatible instruments and 10 drum kits
· User-definable wave-table sample sets; includes 2MB, 4MB and 8MB sets
· Up to 32MB of samples loadable into host memory for professional music reproduction

Effects Engine
· E-mu Systems EMU10K1 effects processor
· Real-time digital effects: reverb, chorus, flange, pitch shifter or distortion
· Capable of processing, mixing and positioning audio streams using up to 131 available hardware channels
· Customizable effects architecture allows audio effects and channel control
· Full digital mixer maintains all sound mixing in the digital domain, eliminating noise from the signal
· Full bass, treble, and effects controls available for all audio sources

· Environmental 3D Positional Audio Technology
· User-selectable settings optimized for headphones and two or four speakers
· Accelerates Microsoft® DirectSound® and DirectSound3D
· Support for Environmental Audio™ property set extensions
· Creative Multi Speaker Surround™ technology places any mono or stereo sound source in a 360° audio space
· Creative Environments - user-selectable DSP modes that simulate acoustic environments like Hall, Theater, Club, etc. on any sound source

32-Bit Digital Audio Engine
· User-selectable bit rates from 8- to 16-bit
· User-selectable sample rates from 8kHz to 48kHz
· All sound sources are handled with 32-bit
· Analog and Digital I/O modes supported
· Hardware full-duplex support enables simultaneous record and playback at 8 standard sample rates
· Utilizes AC97 audio codec
MIDI Interface / Joystick Port
· Supports MPU-401 UART mode
· IBM® compatible 15-pin joystick port with analog support
· Support for digital and DirectInput™ game devices

On-Board Connectors
· Microphone in
· Line in
· Line level out (front)
· Line level out (rear)
· Joystick port
· MPC-3 CD Audio in
· Auxiliary in
· Digital CD in
· Telephone Ans. Device in
· RCA S/PDIF in
· RCA S/PDIF out
· Mini MIDI DIN in
· Mini MIDI DIN out
· Digital DIN out for future expansion to multi-speaker systems

The list above is sharp as a tack, as the SB Live really leaves nothing to be desired for the majority of PC users seeking the state of the art. Utilizing the SB Live's digital In/Out daughtercard, even DVD's wonderful Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound can be heard in all it's glory, although you must of course have a 5-channel speaker system to enjoy it.