Audio

[Mountaindweller]

The audio chip (Realtek 892) allows me to choose either digital audio at the S/PDIF socket or analogue audio at the audio sockets at the back of the motherboard. What can I do to have both active in order to
- have a HiFi system connected to the S/PDIF port with an optical cable
- have headphones connected to the headphone ports
- switch on the HiFi system and listen to music or
- listen to music on the headphones (HiFi is off) without the need to select the port first or plug in cables?

In short: what do I have to do to have the audio signal available at both the digital port as well as the analogue ports at the same time?

 

[mnewsham]

Some programs allow you to select what audio device it plays out of, MPC-HC is one program I have personally done this with, so you can set the system to use headphones and set up MPC-HC to use the speakers, this will limit you to using only this program on these speakers however.

I personally just go into audio devices and right click the one I'm done with to disable them right click the source I am switching to and enable it. Not as clean as seamlessly switching sources, but it works.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If the optical port is connected to a receiver not speakers, you can also use the headphone jack on your receiver.

The sound may be better since sometimes the headphone jack on a motherboard or soundcard picks up interference from the processor and other components in the PC.

 

[mfenn]

In short: what do I have to do to have the audio signal available at both the digital port as well as the analogue ports at the same time?

As far as I know, the Windows audio stack does not natively support sending the same stream to multiple output devices simultaneously. Virtual Audio Cable will do what you want, but it ain't free.

 

[Cerb]

Also, the Realtek control panel might do it. Windows supplies a working driver, but it's minimal. What functionality the Realtek driver adds varies by chip, so I'm not sure, but the only annoying thing their driver does is take forever to download.

Otherwise, doing it in the playback software is the surest way, and most music and video players have that option included.

 

[Automaticman]

Some programs allow you to select what audio device it plays out of, MPC-HC is one program I have personally done this with, so you can set the system to use headphones and set up MPC-HC to use the speakers, this will limit you to using only this program on these speakers however.

I personally just go into audio devices and right click the one I'm done with to disable them right click the source I am switching to and enable it. Not as clean as seamlessly switching sources, but it works.

I've done this too with MPC-HC, but usually have ended up just using playback devices to seelct the output.

Here's a possible workaround:

If you get a Creative X-FI card that supports DD-Live (not sure abou tthe newer cards), the way to use it is to select Speakers as the playback output in both the windows and Creative control panels. Then enable DDLive for the SPDIF output and the speaker output gets converted to Dolby and steamed out the SPDIF at the same time as the analog ports.

This might even work with the number of speakers set to only 2 so you get normal stereo sound either way, but I've never really tried it. (I personally run analog outputs into my receiver and just use a splitter to my headphones from the front speaker output)