Can't get surround working Altec Lansing 5 piece

[sherkyle]

I must be spacing out or missing something or both.

I have the Altec Lansing 5-Piece ACS56 Surround Sound and can't remember how I used to have it hooked up, I guess. I know all 5 speakers used to be on, but now only the sub and front two are working.

I have one stereo 1/8" cord with green ends running from the back of the sub to the sound card, plugged in the green input. Sub and front work. If I unplug it from the sub, and replug it into the sub in the "Surround" port, then only the satellites work.

Am I missing an additional cord? Where would I plug it into the sound card?
The sound card is a Creative SB X-Fi

 

[VirtualLarry]

I believe that you will need a total of three audio patch cables, and you must configure your onboard audio or sound card for 5.1 sound, and then connect those three patch cables to the right outputs (which change depending on what you select for the sound card mode).

 

[mfenn]

Yes, you'll need three 3.5mm minijack cables total:

1 for front left/right (usually green on the sound card)
1 for rear left/right (usually black on the sound card)
1 for center/sub (usually orange on the sound card)

And then name sure you have your Windows sound settings to 5.1 like Larry mentioned.

 

[sherkyle]

Yes, you'll need three 3.5mm minijack cables total:

1 for front left/right (usually green on the sound card)
1 for rear left/right (usually black on the sound card)
1 for center/sub (usually orange on the sound card)

And then name sure you have your Windows sound settings to 5.1 like Larry mentioned.

i guess thes patch cords can be purchased online somewhere, so i will run them down. thank you for your reply. and larry's as well.

i seem to remember now that i may have had a super-thick black cord that ran from the back of the subwoofer to the soundcard. does that ring a bell?

thanks again.

-sherkyle

 

[MongGrel]

I still have an old three piece set of those in the bedroom on the HTPC, those old Altec Lansing pretty damned good speakers IMHO.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[mfenn]

i guess thes patch cords can be purchased online somewhere, so i will run them down. thank you for your reply. and larry's as well.

i seem to remember now that i may have had a super-thick black cord that ran from the back of the subwoofer to the soundcard. does that ring a bell?

thanks again.

-sherkyle

I looked up a picture of your specific set and it looks like you only need two 3.5mm minijack cables. There's no actual center speaker, so this is a 4.1 setup. You said 5-piece, which I interpreted as "5.1" even though you didn't say that. Sorry for the confusion.

The thick black cable you're talking about is probably the custom DIN connector that's running from the subwoofer to the front right speaker. That cable handles the control pod as well as the audio signal to the speaker.

Buy two of these in the appropriate length and you're set.

 

[sherkyle]

I looked up a picture of your specific set and it looks like you only need two 3.5mm minijack cables. There's no actual center speaker, so this is a 4.1 setup. You said 5-piece, which I interpreted as "5.1" even though you didn't say that. Sorry for the confusion.

The thick black cable you're talking about is probably the custom DIN connector that's running from the subwoofer to the front right speaker. That cable handles the control pod as well as the audio signal to the speaker.

Buy two of these in the appropriate length and you're set.

thanks so much. you are correct in where i was confused. i will purchase these immediately and let you know if i get it set up correctly.

thanks again.

-kyle