Having to change from Analog / Digital on my Audigy2.

[eno]

Quick explanation. Audigy2 sound card is a pain, during DVD playback I use Digital Coax, everything else I use analog cables. I have to make software changes each time I jump between the two formats.

-Is there a way to make a command that will change just from Analog to Digital, witha quick press of a button or icon?


I know with learning remotes it would be called a "macro". But in the computer world, what could I do? Batch file? Girder?

 

[Auric]

Audigy 2 digital output is always on. Analog output is on unless Digital Output Only is selected. What must be changed in software? Can you not just toggle the receiver's input for the desired Audigy source?

 

[eno]

Well I am awaiting my DVD playback software for complete testing and configuration BUT it seems I have to select .....

1.) 2.1channel on speakers settings to allow true digital. This is what I have read in Audigy2 forums for getting digital to pass through correctly. If its in 5.1 it thinks its running standard analog out. However people that report this seem to be only running the Audigy2 card, I am running the internal drive bay that has coax/optical in/out on the front panel and I am currently using coax output to the coax input on my Onkyo.

2.) have to select digital only for DVD playback(I am pretty sure)

3.) have to go into AudioHQ and select SPDIF pass through so the card doesn't try to decode the signal and I can let my Onkyo receiver do the work


It takes me less then a minute to switch back and forth and I am really hoping that this internal input live drive will allow both digital for DVD's and the back of the sound card will allow the normal 5.1 output through my 3 sets of analog cables running into my Onkyo Multi Channel input for exact 5.1 surround and EAX inside of supported games like Doom3,BF2,HL2,CS,ColinMcRae 2005. What do you think Auric?? Thanks for your time and opinions.

 

[eno]

Originally posted by: Auric
Can you not just toggle the receiver's input for the desired Audigy source?

Thats what I am doing now, I can select each input to a specific format, INput 4 has Coax1 for digital and Input 5 is my analog multichannel input. But it seems as if I need to switch back between the two settings on the card(read previous post for the 3 adjustments). I will be overjoyed if I wouldn't have to do that.

 

[Auric]

1.) the 5.1 setting with digital PCM 2.0 output does mess with multi-channel generated sources like games. However, as you will be using analog output (by selecting analog input on the receiver) it should not be an issue. DD/DTS should be passed unmolested even with the 5.1 setting.

2.) as said, digital output is always on so do not enable Digtial Output Only if you want to use analog too.

3.) disabling the Creative software decoder from AudioHQ (SPDIF pass-through) is only necessary once -there is no reason to ever enable it when an external hardware decoder is available.


There is only one digital output function on the Audigy and the Live Drive is just using a different connector (on-board) to provide a remote jack. So, you may prefer to simply use the digital output jack on the card's backplate rather than having a cable out the front of the case.

If/when settings must be changed, there is an Audio Control Panel which groups some options togther and may make it easier (create a shortcut):
\Creative\SBAudigy2ZS\Program\WDM\COMMON\CtPanel.exe

Media Player Classic is free and includes a DVD decoder so you may want to give that a try while waiting for your DVD software. Even then, MPC could make use of the commerical codecs installed. In any case, make sure to disable your DVD software's audio decoder similar to AudioHQ by selecting SPDIF pass-through.

Once everything is verified working and if there are occasions that headphones will be plugged into the receiver to watch movies and it does not offer headphone suround modes then such effects can be applied by enabling the software decoder in headphone mode for Dolby Headphone, SRS TruSurroundXT, Cyberlink Headphone, &c. which will send PCM 2.0 matrixed surround to the receiver. Likewise, other DSP effects could be applied for music, however recievers generally have their own more convenient options for that.

Be sure to use proper coaxial cable (video, digital audio, cable/sat) not stranded wire audio cables.

Hope this helps!

 

[eno]

Auric you are the man. Thank you for that input. I will get my Nvidia Decoder on Friday and will be playing with it and hopefully they both work side by side. That would be GREAT! I was having bad luck getting a digital cable to work by plugging from the back of the card so I just am running the live drive. Its hooked up to my Silverstone HTPC case but its not in the front... I wasn't even planning on using the drive since the HTPC case has no place for it and I wouldn't want it on the front anyway. But I decided to use some electrical tape to cover it up a little and make it harder to see behind my center channel speaker. I modded a PCI slot cover and then ran a extension power cable out the back along with the ribbon hooked up to the sound card. Its working great and is hidden and out of the way. So I basically turned the internal bay into a external of sorts, it will work for what I need it to do... Hopefully. I will post results once I get the software to hopefully prove you are right.

 

[eno]

Auric, you were right. I left the digital only box unchecked and set the AudioHQ to passthrough. I select Video4 for my DVD playback using a coax digital cable and Video5 input is my Multichannel input. I can jump between the two and that makes me really happy. Thanks for the help again.