Sound Cards

SolarNexus

Heres the deal: I bought a set of 7.1 surround sound speakers. The motherboard I bought supports the same (though I have no idea of the quality -I like quality sound). I also have an old Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 platinum (came with a front panel) which I recently sprayed black to fit in with the case; I would like to be able to use this if possible.

so heres the question: can I use two sound cards at once without either interfering with each other (I doubt it), even if I only use the audigy2 card for the input/output ports and front panel. Otherwise, anyone think the new audigy xfi sound cards are worth it? (It would cost about €250 for the equivilent in new generation - with the front panel etc)

Malafus

You can have two sound cards at once(though you would have one card, and one on-board chip), let me explain:

Each of the cards, or rather the card and the on-board chip, will have separate drivers. Each application(well, many applications) will ask which drivers it should be using for sound(one of them will be set to the default, and you can change which this is in the control panel). Just set your default to your Creative drivers and all the sound will play through the card.

KdjaCL

You can have 2 but only use one at a time. Another solution would be a USB soundcard type thingie.

http://www.komplett.ie/k/kl.asp?bn=10231

One of these would allow both to used at once. But some motherboards have front panel addons that may help.

The idea of using a built in card with a Creative anything scares me, actually the idea of Creative and drivers in same sentence scares me.:v:


kdjac

Malafus

KdjaC wrote:

You can have 2 but only use one at a time. Another solution would be a USB soundcard type thingie.

http://www.komplett.ie/k/kl.asp?bn=10231

One of these would allow both to used at once. But some motherboards have front panel addons that may help.

The idea of using a built in card with a Creative anything scares me, actually the idea of Creative and drivers in same sentence scares me.:v:


kdjac

Umm, you could have 2, and be using both at the same time. You'd just have to have two applications outputting to different devices.

Why do Creative drivers scare you? Did you have a bad experience with one once? OMG, they didn't rape you, did they?!?? I'm so sorry.
Please don't let the actions of this one driver condemn the rest of it's kind.... no matter what it did to you.

DemonOfTheFall

It's more like a gang-raping by the every driver set creative have ever released.

KdjaCL

DemonOfTheFall wrote:

It's more like a gang-raping by the every driver set creative have ever released.

Well theres that and the fact Creative drivers like to be the only software installed, if there isnt a generic driver for the sound card taking the ZS with line in as an example the creative software will cause conflicts with any other sound card in the machine. So to remove any possible crap i recomennded other options for the OP.

Using a creative card with its software makes using other sound cards hard, i had some issues last saturday with this very same issue a mate wanted to have a Zs Audigy panel recording input and a normal built in card playing it. The easiest way to do it was not to use any drivers or software with creative on it.

kdjac

Malafus

Ok, I'll admit Creative drivers are a bit.... aggressive/possessive but......... uh, actually, I forgot where I was going with this. Oh, I'm needed in the basement... *flees*