Audigy 2 Rear Center Channel

marschw · Aug 29, 2003, 01:06 AM

I'm trying to make use of the rear center channel in a 6.1 setup on an audigy 2. Do the kx drivers support this? I don't see a place in the epilog for an analog rear center channel.

-=Marcus

**Eugene Gavrilov** · Aug 31, 2003, 02:40 AM

there are two epilog inputs: k2 i2s 2 L & R -- please check if they correspond to rear center
let me know the results please

/E

marschw · Aug 31, 2003, 04:42 AM

I'm afriad neither of them seem to make sound. I tested by connecting them to the source for the front channels (in my case, the 10-band eq). It's possible that my cable is damaged (it's homemade, since the audigy 2 uses a custom plug for the rear three channels), but the other two channels on it work fine, so I doubt it's damaged.

I could test that by installing the Creative drivers (this card's never seen Creative's software so far

), should I do that?

EDIT: My bad, it makes sound when I connect something to I2S left, but not I2S right. It's very quiet and noisy, though. I'm working on establishing whether that's a problem with my cable, my sound card, my reciever, or kx. Note that it also seems to make sound when I connect it to other analog epilog inputs, though, which suggests to me it's a problem with my reciever. But since I2S left makes sound, I think it's safe to say that's the one that's rear center.

EDIT2: The way I'm testing is by hooking up the wave generator to various epilog inputs. I've found that the rear channel makes sound when I hook it up to front right, front left, rear right, rear left, and i2s 2 left. The volume of the sound varies depending on where it's plugged in. Loudest is the front channels, middle is i2s2 left, and quietest is surround right and left.

Note that I'm using the "swap front and rear channels" feature.

To make sure it's not my reciever doing some kind of postprocessing on the signal, I tried plugging in the rear center analog output from the soundcard in to various analog inputs on the reciever, and results were the same regardless of where it was plugged in. I don't think it's my cable's fault, because the cable carries surround left, surround right, and rear center, but I get a stronger signal on the rear center channel when I'm sending sound to the front right or left.

To sum it up: I2S 2 Left probably corresponds to the Audigy 2's rear center channel. However, the rear center output on the back of the card plays sound that is going to the epilog's front right, front left, surround right, surround left, and i2s 2 left. Of those, the front channels are loudest, and surround right and left are quietest.

-=Marcus

**Eugene Gavrilov** · Sep 1, 2003, 12:23 AM

perhaps, 6.1 speaker configuration requires special initialization code...
anyway, if you connect any audio source to 'i2s 2 L' -- is 'rear center' the only output that produces the sound?

i.e., is the signal routed the following way:
1. {any front/rear/center/rear center channel} is heard via 'rear center' with or without any connections in the kX DSP
(and the volume is different)
2. if a signal is connected to 'i2s 2 L' it can only be heard via 'rear center' output

?

/Eugene

marschw · Sep 1, 2003, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eugene Gavrilov
[B]perhaps, 6.1 speaker configuration requires special initialization code...
anyway, if you connect any audio source to 'i2s 2 L' -- is 'rear center' the only output that produces the sound?

Good point, I didn't think to check that. Unfortunately, it seems all 6.1 outputs (except maybe the subwoofer -- it's hard to tell) make sound when I connect something to the i2s 2 l.

-=Marcus

**Eugene Gavrilov** · Sep 1, 2003, 08:26 AM

can you trace the signal path between the rear center output and any chip on-board?
does it go to cs4820 or your ac97 codec?..

/E

marschw · Sep 2, 2003, 01:36 AM

I have no idea, it's really difficult to tell. If I had to guess, I'd say the cs chip, since it's closer. BTW, I couldn't find a chip marked cs4820; there is one marked cs4382-kq, though (and on the label below the cs marking is "ytactc0240").

-=Marcus

marschw · Sep 2, 2003, 02:30 AM

If anybody's better at tracing signal paths than me, I've put some large scans of the card here.

-=Marcus

marschw · Sep 2, 2003, 08:30 PM

FYI, I'm trying replacing the cable; in a few days it should arrive and I'll be able to tell if that was the problem.

-=Marcus

**Eugene Gavrilov** · Sep 3, 2003, 12:15 AM

I doubt its a cable issue
unfortunately, I don't have any similar cable to test the 'rear center' output...

/E

marschw · Sep 3, 2003, 01:37 AM

Well, I tried installing Creative's drivers (which, interestingly, was horrible trouble), and was still not able to get a rear center. I then did more research on the cable, and on Creative's site, they say the bands are (in order from tip to ring) front center, subwoofer, ground, rear center; I had built my cable based on some faulty information I found in newsgroups: front center, subwoofer, rear center, ground. I've ordered one that should work (a camcorder cable, $3 at cablewholesale.com), and I'll try it again when it arrives.

(I'm not able to just fix my cable, since one of the connectors on the plug broke off while I was in the process of discovering I wired it wrong).

-=Marcus

**Eugene Gavrilov** · Sep 4, 2003, 10:54 PM

probably, the issue was cable-related
anyway, don't forget to repeat all the tests when the new cable arrives

/E

marschw · Sep 9, 2003, 12:36 AM

Whoo! It works! It is indeed i2s 2 L that carries the rear center signal. Presumably they're going to make i2s 2 the rear channels in a 7.1 card at some point.

-=Marcus

**Eugene Gavrilov** · Sep 10, 2003, 11:36 PM

probably. we will need to wait till Audigy2 ZS is out to test that

anyway, thanks for testing 6.1 sound

our new EAX/DirectSound3D engine will utilize it soon

/E

Aug 29, 2003, 01:06 AM	#1
marschw DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	Audigy 2 Rear Center Channel I'm trying to make use of the rear center channel in a 6.1 setup on an audigy 2. Do the kx drivers support this? I don't see a place in the epilog for an analog rear center channel. -=Marcus

Aug 31, 2003, 04:42 AM	Thread Starter #3
marschw DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	I'm afriad neither of them seem to make sound. I tested by connecting them to the source for the front channels (in my case, the 10-band eq). It's possible that my cable is damaged (it's homemade, since the audigy 2 uses a custom plug for the rear three channels), but the other two channels on it work fine, so I doubt it's damaged. I could test that by installing the Creative drivers (this card's never seen Creative's software so far ), should I do that? EDIT: My bad, it makes sound when I connect something to I2S left, but not I2S right. It's very quiet and noisy, though. I'm working on establishing whether that's a problem with my cable, my sound card, my reciever, or kx. Note that it also seems to make sound when I connect it to other analog epilog inputs, though, which suggests to me it's a problem with my reciever. But since I2S left makes sound, I think it's safe to say that's the one that's rear center. EDIT2: The way I'm testing is by hooking up the wave generator to various epilog inputs. I've found that the rear channel makes sound when I hook it up to front right, front left, rear right, rear left, and i2s 2 left. The volume of the sound varies depending on where it's plugged in. Loudest is the front channels, middle is i2s2 left, and quietest is surround right and left. Note that I'm using the "swap front and rear channels" feature. To make sure it's not my reciever doing some kind of postprocessing on the signal, I tried plugging in the rear center analog output from the soundcard in to various analog inputs on the reciever, and results were the same regardless of where it was plugged in. I don't think it's my cable's fault, because the cable carries surround left, surround right, and rear center, but I get a stronger signal on the rear center channel when I'm sending sound to the front right or left. To sum it up: I2S 2 Left probably corresponds to the Audigy 2's rear center channel. However, the rear center output on the back of the card plays sound that is going to the epilog's front right, front left, surround right, surround left, and i2s 2 left. Of those, the front channels are loudest, and surround right and left are quietest. -=Marcus Last edited by marschw; Aug 31, 2003 at 06:02 AM.

Aug 31, 2003, 02:40 AM	#2
Eugene Gavrilov kX Project Lead Programmer and Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,119 Rep Power: 75	there are two epilog inputs: k2 i2s 2 L & R -- please check if they correspond to rear center let me know the results please /E

Sep 1, 2003, 12:23 AM	#4
Eugene Gavrilov kX Project Lead Programmer and Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,119 Rep Power: 75	perhaps, 6.1 speaker configuration requires special initialization code... anyway, if you connect any audio source to 'i2s 2 L' -- is 'rear center' the only output that produces the sound? i.e., is the signal routed the following way: 1. {any front/rear/center/rear center channel} is heard via 'rear center' with or without any connections in the kX DSP (and the volume is different) 2. if a signal is connected to 'i2s 2 L' it can only be heard via 'rear center' output ? /Eugene

Sep 1, 2003, 08:26 AM	#6
Eugene Gavrilov kX Project Lead Programmer and Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,119 Rep Power: 75	can you trace the signal path between the rear center output and any chip on-board? does it go to cs4820 or your ac97 codec?.. /E

Sep 2, 2003, 01:36 AM	Thread Starter #7
marschw DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	I have no idea, it's really difficult to tell. If I had to guess, I'd say the cs chip, since it's closer. BTW, I couldn't find a chip marked cs4820; there is one marked cs4382-kq, though (and on the label below the cs marking is "ytactc0240"). -=Marcus

Sep 2, 2003, 02:30 AM	Thread Starter #8
marschw DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	If anybody's better at tracing signal paths than me, I've put some large scans of the card here. -=Marcus

Sep 2, 2003, 08:30 PM	Thread Starter #9
marschw DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	FYI, I'm trying replacing the cable; in a few days it should arrive and I'll be able to tell if that was the problem. -=Marcus

Sep 3, 2003, 12:15 AM	#10
Eugene Gavrilov kX Project Lead Programmer and Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,119 Rep Power: 75	I doubt its a cable issue unfortunately, I don't have any similar cable to test the 'rear center' output... /E

Sep 3, 2003, 01:37 AM	Thread Starter #11
marschw DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	Well, I tried installing Creative's drivers (which, interestingly, was horrible trouble), and was still not able to get a rear center. I then did more research on the cable, and on Creative's site, they say the bands are (in order from tip to ring) front center, subwoofer, ground, rear center; I had built my cable based on some faulty information I found in newsgroups: front center, subwoofer, rear center, ground. I've ordered one that should work (a camcorder cable, $3 at cablewholesale.com), and I'll try it again when it arrives. (I'm not able to just fix my cable, since one of the connectors on the plug broke off while I was in the process of discovering I wired it wrong). -=Marcus

Sep 4, 2003, 10:54 PM	#12
Eugene Gavrilov kX Project Lead Programmer and Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,119 Rep Power: 75	probably, the issue was cable-related anyway, don't forget to repeat all the tests when the new cable arrives /E

Sep 9, 2003, 12:36 AM	Thread Starter #13
marschw DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	Whoo! It works! It is indeed i2s 2 L that carries the rear center signal. Presumably they're going to make i2s 2 the rear channels in a 7.1 card at some point. -=Marcus

Sep 10, 2003, 11:36 PM	#14
Eugene Gavrilov kX Project Lead Programmer and Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,119 Rep Power: 75	probably. we will need to wait till Audigy2 ZS is out to test that anyway, thanks for testing 6.1 sound our new EAX/DirectSound3D engine will utilize it soon /E