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Output to 2.1 speakers and head-set from one soundcard

MagL33ToMagL33To
edited December 2006 in Technology
Hi guys, I just bought a Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Soundcard and I can't seem to get it to output the sound to my speakers and my head-set. It outputs to my speakers through the 1st line out but I cant manage to get it to also output the same sound through the 2nd line out. I can get it to play through the head-set if I set the speaker set-up to 4.1 upwards, but obviously this doesnt work right.

Any help would be appreciated guys, thanks in advance :)

Comments

  • AprecheApreche
    What you want to do is not going to work. With 2.1 speakers you have two channels of audio (left and right) coming out of one hole on the sound card travelling over one wire. If you want that signal to end up in two places, you need a splitter. Remember though, that a plain old splitter does not boost the signal, it just sends it to two places. Quality might be degraded.

    If you set the soundcard to output 4.1 audio it is sending four channels of audio (front left/right, rear left/right) out of two holes on the sound card over two wires. If you put the headphones in one hole and speakers on the other you will have the front channels coming out of one and the rear channels coming out of the other.

    I've done a lot of research into PC sound cards and surround sound. I've always meant to write an entire guide about it, but never got around to it.
  • MagL33ToMagL33To
    bah! Is it possible to have my onboard soundcard also running and plug my headset into that?
  • AprecheApreche
    bah! Is it possible to have my onboard soundcard also running and plug my headset into that?
    Sure, all of the three major operating systems support having multiple sound cards. However, you will have a hard time getting the same sound to come out of both cards at the same time. Usually you have to choose which card to send the sound to. You can have your mp3 player going to one card and your game going to the other, but you aren't easily going to get any one application to send sound to both. In fact, it's easiest to do that in Linux. Even if you get the sound to go to both cards at once, the delays will be different. The sound will most likely not match up and be very annoying.

    Why do you want to do this anyway? The reason this is not an easy thing to do, is because it's kind of silly. There is no reason to do what you want to do. What are you thinking?
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    I'm scratching my head on this one too...
  • navelfluffnavelfluff
    What you need is probably just a simple audio switch like this one that I use myself, unless you have some weird plans.
  • MagL33ToMagL33To
    With my on-board sound (what I used up until today) I could plug my speakers into the back of the computer, and my headset into the side headphone and mic jacks on the case, and both would work. I guess I just got used to having both working at once, it was convenient. I just cant be bothered to have to fiddle around behind the computer whenever I want to switch from speakers to headphones.
  • AprecheApreche
    With my on-board sound (what I used up until today) I could plug my speakers into the back of the computer, and my headset into the side headphone and mic jacks on the case, and both would work. I guess I just got used to having both working at once, it was convenient. I just cant be bothered to have to fiddle around behind the computer whenever I want to switch from speakers to headphones.
    If you have a computer with front headphone jacks and you wire them to the appropriate connector on your sound card, then you can do that. If you are using an on-board sound card there should be a connector on your motherboard. If your case doesn't have front headphone holes, then that's what you need.
  • MagL33ToMagL33To
    edited December 2006
    ahaaa... Ok, I'll see if I can wire it to the current sound card.

    edit: Done! All works! Thanks Scott :D
    Post edited by MagL33To on
  • bodtchboybodtchboy
    I just bought a X-fi gamer card as well. I'm having a hard time understanding how to use the associated software. The demo advertises the abilitiy to "super rip" audio cd's and convert them to high quality mp3's or WMA's with the card's improved audio capabilities. however, I can't seem to figure it out. Does anyone know how to do it?
  • AprecheApreche
    I just bought a X-fi gamer card as well. I'm having a hard time understanding how to use the associated software. The demo advertises the abilitiy to "super rip" audio cd's and convert them to high quality mp3's or WMA's with the card's improved audio capabilities. however, I can't seem to figure it out. Does anyone know how to do it?
    It's bullshitting you. I'm assuming you are using Windows, right? That means you can use CDex and Lame to rip audio CDs to convert them to mp3. The sound card plays no part in this process.
  • bodtchboybodtchboy
    Stupid false advertising!! I spent an hour or so going through the software with it I installed on the computer trying to figure it out! What a joke.

    You know, I just upgraded from the motherboard sound, and there is only a slight difference. Granted, I'm just using a 2.1 altec lansing speaker system that is 6-7 yrs old, but I had high hopes my games would sound wonderful and seem new to me again.
  • AprecheApreche
    You know, I just upgraded from the motherboard sound, and there is only a slight difference. Granted, I'm just using a 2.1 altec lansing speaker system that is 6-7 yrs old, but I had high hopes my games would sound wonderful and seem new to me again.
    Newer speakers will make a difference, sound card will not.
  • bodtchboybodtchboy
    edited May 2008
    You know, I just upgraded from the motherboard sound, and there is only a slight difference. Granted, I'm just using a 2.1 altec lansing speaker system that is 6-7 yrs old, but I had high hopes my games would sound wonderful and seem new to me again.
    Newer speakers will make a difference, sound card will not.

    Well then, this may be my first return to newegg. Any suggestions for new speakers?
    Post edited by bodtchboy on
  • ZeehatZeehat
    Any suggestions for new speakers?
    Logitech Z-5500. Frailty thy name is glass.
  • AprecheApreche
    Any suggestions for new speakers?
    Logitech Z-5500. Frailty thy name is glass.
    That's what I have. If you want to go this route, beware! They take up a lot of room. I suggest going a step or two lower. If you do go for them, get the cheapest optical cable you can get and use that.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited May 2008
    You know, I just upgraded from the motherboard sound, and there is only a slight difference. Granted, I'm just using a 2.1 altec lansing speaker system that is 6-7 yrs old, but I had high hopes my games would sound wonderful and seem new to me again.
    Newer speakers will make a difference, sound card will not.
    Yeah, sound quality is determined primarily by the weakest link, and that will almost always be the speakers / headphones.
    If you have an old computer, the motherboard sound can actually be significantly poorer, but onboard sound has come a long way.

    With modern motherboard sound, I'd say you have to spend about $200 per speaker on speakers or about $100 per speaker in headphones before you will really notice anything.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
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