5.1 sound card output to home theater

M

MetalDwarf

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jan 20, 2002
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the current solution ive come up with is digging out an old SB live i had in the trash (err...sisters computer) ive connected the 4.0 outputs (front L/R rear L/R) to the discrete matrix inputs on my reciever i can then use the different DSP modes (prologuc, PLII, Neo:6 etc) to add in the sub and center channel its not perfect but its pretty good for now. ive also paralleled the output of the front L/R channels to another input to upsample from 2ch to 7.1 (even though i only have a 5.1 setup the reciever will do 7.1) its pretty complex and pretty convoluted and im the only one who understands it but it works

ive got a weird room layout the reciever and speakers are set up around the TV with the couch in teh middle of the room for watching DVDs i then have the computer on the back wall facing away from the TV so ive run teh front channels of the sound card to the surroudn inputs of the amp and the rear out from teh sound card to the front inputs on teh amp. this way when im watching DVDs its set up for the couch. hit a button and the sound reverses so that its right way around for the computer. complicated but effective
 
If you truly have a SoundBlaster 128, then I understand why you are having trouble. Under no circumstances does the SB 128 have 5.1 output capabilities. Your sister's Live probably doesn't either.

Luckily for you, there are lots of 5.1 alternatives, starting as low as $20 U.S. Just state your budget and needs. As a general answer, I recommend the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, at $50 U.S., because it has great sound quality for the price, solid drivers in a variety of OSes, support for the major 3D sound algorithms/reverbs, and flexible output capabilities.
 
I was having issues getting my Game Theater XP to work with my home theater so I ran out and picked up an Audigy 2 ZS. It works perfectly. I ran the 5.1 outputs to the 6 discreet channels on my receiver and get full 5.1 in everything including games....
 
:confused:

Unless you have some DSP mode enabled in the Audigy software, or bass redirection enabled (which sucks: it screws bass for the sats) there is absolutely no way you could be getting a pure sub output. Not one Audigy connected to a home theater receiver is able to get the proper sub output. Only a Creative speaker systems works properly. :mad:
 
So I am another woeful sub-less Audigy user with a receiver in the mix. I guess the next question is, if the creative cards won't output the sub using the analog connections (and from everything i've read, that is basically the case), what card are other receiver users using? TBSC or Revo?

I could probably rig some sort of Y-split from hell to pump front channel bass into the sub, but i'm not even sure that'll help at this point.

pb
 
Originally posted by polobear
So I am another woeful sub-less Audigy user with a receiver in the mix. I guess the next question is, if the creative cards won't output the sub using the analog connections (and from everything i've read, that is basically the case), what card are other receiver users using? TBSC or Revo?

I could probably rig some sort of Y-split from hell to pump front channel bass into the sub, but i'm not even sure that'll help at this point.

pb
Click to expand...

What? Won´t I get bass with my digitheatre Platinum speakers or headphones in analogue mode?
 
Originally posted by ajm786
:confused:

Unless you have some DSP mode enabled in the Audigy software, or bass redirection enabled (which sucks: it screws bass for the sats) there is absolutely no way you could be getting a pure sub output. Not one Audigy connected to a home theater receiver is able to get the proper sub output. Only a Creative speaker systems works properly. :mad:
Click to expand...

Like I said, it works fine. Bass redirection is off, no DSP mode, I get a pure sub output while playing DVD's and AC3 DivX files so I'm not sure what I am doing different than anyone else but it works for me. My setup is as follows:

Receiver: Kenwood 1070VR
Front: Polk Audio RT7
Rear: Polk Audio RT7
Center: Polk Audio CS275
Sub: Yamaha YST-SW40

The 6 channels from the soundcard are plugged into the 6 channels of the receiver. The sub is connected to the receiver via a pre-amp sub output (coax cable).
 
Playing DVD's and AC3 DivX files will give you a pure sub output because they are encoded that way. Playing games or other files like MP3s and stuff like that DO NOT output a sub channel, so you won't hear it like you're supposed to, at least on an Audigy.

My sound system is based on an Onkyo TX-SR500. Connected to my Audigy 2 ZS via the analog multichannel input. I get minimal to no sub sounds in regular Windows chimes, MP3s, audio CDs, games, etc. etc. The only time it works 100% properly is when I play a DVD or an AC3.

As evidenced by the thread I pointed to earlier, it's a problem with either Creative's card design or, simply, their software. I'm inclined to the software, since sub output works properly with encoded material.
 
Gotcha, I was under the impression that it was a problem all the way around, no matter what source you used. I will have to go home tonight and test some games, mp3's, etc...
 
I have a question, is there decent sound from the sub with the integrated Soundstorm sound with a receiver? like during games?
 
I had one tiny glimpse of hope with this issue. TINY, I remind you.

A few days ago, on www.warp2search.com, there was a THX Setup Console floating around. I downloaded it and installed it. Well, it broke sub output when I shut off any EQ or changed any individual channel volume WITHIN the setup console, but it WORKED PROPERLY when playing MP3s or regular Windows audio sounds. It didn't work in games.

When it did work, it sounded glorious. Which was almost none of the time. I mean, I don't spend all the time sitting in a Windows environment just listening to music. I play games, watch DVDs, and do other stuff too. So I just uninstalled it and reinstalled the old version again. Went back to broken. :rolleyes:
 
The most irritating part of all this (to me) is Creative's refusal to admit that there is an problem. Certainly it can't be that they cannot repro the problem... users on creative's forum have listed model numbers and makers of HT receivers that exhibit the problem.

I mean, at the VERY least, take the stupid page out of the manual that shows how this is possible and easy to do!! I think you're right that it is a software problem but c'mon... if it isn't solved by now, is it ever going to be solved? I just checked my manual and it was printed in 2001, so we are working on year #3 of the issue.

I have wired around the problem for now and once i can afford a new card, I think i'll be going REVO, which is a shame considering that when the cards work, Audigy are damn nice and quite affordable.

pb
 
Originally posted by ajm786
I had one tiny glimpse of hope with this issue. TINY, I remind you.

A few days ago, on www.warp2search.com, there was a THX Setup Console floating around. I downloaded it and installed it. Well, it broke sub output when I shut off any EQ or changed any individual channel volume WITHIN the setup console, but it WORKED PROPERLY when playing MP3s or regular Windows audio sounds. It didn't work in games.

When it did work, it sounded glorious. Which was almost none of the time. I mean, I don't spend all the time sitting in a Windows environment just listening to music. I play games, watch DVDs, and do other stuff too. So I just uninstalled it and reinstalled the old version again. Went back to broken. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Did it work in analogue mode?
 
Originally posted by polobear
...............................

I could probably rig some sort of Y-split from hell to pump front channel bass into the sub, but i'm not even sure that'll help at this point.

pb
Click to expand...

LOL, it's not a Y-split from hell, it really quite easy and sounds awsome. It cost me maybe $10 in splitters/adapter cables at Radio Shack, and about 15 minutes of time, once I found and pulled two amps out of my basement storage.

I tend to think the weak sub-out from receiver problem, is because of certain receivers, instead of the soundcard.
 
Well, it could be an easy Y split if you take the sound from a single channel (front R or front L)... but I've gotta think that would affect positional sound, especially in movies and games (because remember, once you've taken the front channel, your sub channel in things like movies is really only firing on the front positional sounds).

Basically, you'd need to Y-split both the front channels (L & R) and then reverse Y back to a single feed for the sub. That way, you would have sub signals on either front signal, not just one side. Still not perfect but better, excepting, of course, all the extra connections.

I think you're right that it has to do with the way receivers process signals, and maybe that is limited to certain brands of receivers, too.... But there are at least 4 brands (sony, yamaha, pioneer, jvc) with this issue and I thought I read onkyo had the same problem.

/shrug

pb
 
It's not a receiver problem. It's a problem with the Audigy output. Any other sound card that has 5.1, when connected to my receiver, will output the sub channel properly, even my onboard sound.
 
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