SurroundByUs.com

Hello! Im having trouble attaining a full range of output using plogue and spec4.85. My output device only presents me with two channels to mix into. I am running spdif from my Auzentech 7.1 Xplosion to my sony reciever and cannot seem to get the channels to appear as a 5.1 setup. I was previously using my onboard spdif sound card and got the same results.

Im sure as you were reading this, you might have pickup that Im a noob. You're right but Im not totally dumb. Ive been reading alot here after being turned onto this forum and I cannot seem to pinpoint my answer from any other post.

Can anyone assist me in my foggy description and troubles?

Thanks!

SPDIF can only carry two channels of unencoded audio. To pass 5.1, the audio must first be encoded with DTS or Dolby.

Some sound cards and mother boards have a "dts express" or "dolby live" feature that can encode on the fly, so you'd need one of those to use an SPDIF connection to monitor SPEC.

HDMI, however, does not have that restriction.

My particular card DOES have Dolby Live. Im still not seeing or hearing any implementation even with its installed software. Could you recommend a nice HDMI card that isnt insanely expensive? I"m very novice.

Well on the Asus HDAV Slim we noticed that you have to select spam out (the car doesn't actually have spam outs) to the the DTS interactive to work via SPDIF. That's kind of counter intuitive. Maybe your card is similar.

Re HDMI audio, it tuns out that the aren't really any inexpensive HDMI audio cards being made, because that functionality is now built into the hdmi video cards. Strangely the video card manufacturers barley mention the audio capability, but it's there.

I just bought an Nvida card (fermi chip set) for around $80 US and it does the audio just fine, both 8 ch. LPCM (for SPEC) and DTS-HD pass thru (for playback).

I also just bought one of these: SIIG usb 3.0 to HDMI with audio adpaterl (I think I paid $89) but haven't tested the audio. Actually I haven't been able to get to work at all when connected to my receiver so maybe not a good option (yet).

Well I do have this card. Ill give it a try and see what I get out of the audio.

Well while I can log into my home computer from where I am I can't turn the receiver on so the audio device isn't showing in Plogue.

Connect up your hdmi, set the receiver to that input, in windows go to screen resolution and press detect, to make sure windows sees a new display.

Restart Plogue. Look in right click --> Audio Devices --> Output --> MME.

I've been working with 7.1 and it seems to be I couldn't get the Windows Direct Sound device to work correctly, but I'm going from memory.

Assuming you get a working device in plogue you will have to figure out the channel mapping. For me it was:

1 LF
2 RF
3 C
4 LFE
5 Left Back Surround
6 Right Back Surround
7 LS
8 RS

Which means for 5.1 going from Zmon to the audio device you need to skip pins 5&6 on the audio device.

Well damn it all!! My video card is now running my audio and kickin maximum spam for me!!! Thank you for your help! I greatly appreciate it! Im sure this ISNT the last time youll hear from me.

You are very welcome.

I do put a fair amount of effort and expense into buying different hardware so I can be helpful to our users. It's nice when I'm able to help.

Cheers

Sound over video cards/hdmi is a great way to go, if you have the setup. My HTPC uses a fairly spam ATI 6450 video card with HDMI out plugged into my AVR and that's it. Audio/video on the same line, less wiring to fool with.
Glad Z was able to get you going!

BTW for anyone else reading this, some of the Dolby implementations on pc motherboards with built in sound don't work well if you're trying to get true 5.1 out.
I have that on my Gigabyte Z68 motherboard and I disabled all of it and just use the Realtek drivers from the Realtek download site.