Commemorating an old friend: Creative Extigy

Originally posted: 19 Jan 2011
Discrepancy due to failure to export/import blog

Actually, I had been hesitating to remove this installation from my PC since last year when I changed a new PC as it has served me well since 2001. This unit you see on the left is the Creative Extigy, an external sound-card with many multi-functions and connectivity. For you guys who think it died or is damaged or what not, that is not the case. The custom DIY setup PC I got also back in 2001 has been seriously outdated, and I have purchased a new computer over a year ago. The most unfortunate thing is operating systems beyond Windows XP , like Vista or Windows 7 have compatibility issues which the driver of the Extigy unit. In fact it has escaped disposal since the last spring cleaning and had been sitting on my desk as an ornament for over a year. I didn't bear to throw it away as it's a very good product and it shone like a star when it first launched. Now, CNY is drawing close again, and the time for spring cleaning has come again, my room is running out of space, it has to go.

I remember I purchased it at Sim Lim Square back then, haggling over several distributors to bring the price from S$285 down to $260, approximately. I was like a child with a brand new toy, gleaming from ear to ear. It was one hell of an investment before I starting fiddling with turntables and played the electric guitar. It has many modes of connectivity with its array of different jacks like AUX in/out, MIDI in/out, Line In, S/PDIF inputs, balanced XLR like those ports used in PA systems, even Optical In/out, which was the hottest thing during then due to MD players; using optical fiber cables, utilizing light to transmit data instead of the conventional hard-wire  Output wise, it supports Dolby Surround, with designated jacks to hook up your front, side, rear speakers and sub-woofer. Sound quality was top-notch probably even in the present age, thanks to the software and drivers. My PC back then was like a mini recording studio and helped me a lot during my days as a DJ, making some mixes and gigs.

No tears, but it was emotional when I decided to remove it. After all, it served me throughout the years and was worth every single cent. Thinking back, I certainly miss it. Hope Creative comes up with another fabulous product to equal the Extigy. Farewell.