After months of speculation, Creative Labs is ready to release a Macintosh version of their Sound Blaster Live audio card. Mac users have always prided themselves on their Macis built in sound capabilities, but that convenience has come at a price; 3D stereo surround sound is years behind on the Mac platform.

Details on the Mac version have not been released. Based on the feature set of the Windows counterpart, however, the card should be impressive. Users should expect full digital audio processing, improved MIDI support, and stereo in/out jack to allow users to directly wire their Mac into their home stereo system. Next time you have a party, fire up your MP3 music playlist, pump it through your main stereo system, and forget about switching CDis all night.

Creative Labs will be taking pre-orders and demonstrating the new card at next weekis MACWORLD Expo. You can visit them at booth #2339, and show attendees will be offered special pricing on the card. You can also find more information at the Creative Labs web site.