Problems getting 5.1 content working.

dannybeckett · Oct 7, 2009, 03:55 PM

I have an audigy 2 zs and latest build kx drivers.

KX Mixer is set to 5.1, surround on, sub out and bass redirection both enabled.

When playing an mp3, everything works fine. Muting all but 1 channel in the 'ins and outs' section has shown me that my speakers are wired correctly and the 5.1 system seems to be working fine. (I presume kx upmixes mp3s to play out of all channels?)

Playing some 5.1 media content is another story. Only the front 2 channels are operational when im attempting to play 5.1 videos. All the video playback softwares I try tell me I only have 2.0 playback capability (ie in VLC, I cant even select 5.1 channel mode.) When i revert back to creative drivers, 5.1 works again. Have i missed a really obvious setting somewhere?

Any help is appreciated

Dan

Russ · Oct 7, 2009, 04:16 PM

I guess you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7?

See here: http://www.hardwareheaven.com/effects-...-not-work.html

dannybeckett · Oct 7, 2009, 04:52 PM

Yeah that is right Russ and I am using vista. I am still a little confused as to what I should route where to get the two 'stereo' and 'directional' audio profiles in the DSP.

This is a link to my DSP setup now

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/8996/dspq.jpg

Russ · Oct 7, 2009, 05:02 PM

Assuming that Master Mixer is the default device for audio playback...

Use the above config for multichannel stuff.

For stereo only stuff (that you want upmixed to 5.1), connect the 3rd/4th pins of FxBus (disconnect the current connections for those pins) to the top 2 pins of xrouting (I would suggest connecting a peak meter to these pins as well, to confirm that is where the signal is originating from when playing mp3's, etc).

BTW: What version of Windows Vista is that (i.e. is it x64?)? Is that the default DSP config (mostly)? If so, I wonder why it uses FxBus instead of FxBusX (with a 10k2 card)?

dannybeckett · Oct 7, 2009, 06:06 PM

Thaks alot Russ, it was actually pins 5 and 6 (FXbus4 and FXbus5) that stereo sound is coming though. Connecting them up to the top of the xrouting worked a charm =] Everything was getting upmixed before because I didnt have master mixer set as default. I dont even need to change the pins on the xrouting to make multichannel sound work. what are the top 4 pins on the fxbus used for? and are the top 2 pins on xrouting purely for upmixing stereo?

last thing, I occasionally attach a mixer (for turntables) to my line in to play though my pc speakers. Will the sound from linein get upmixed?

Russ · Oct 7, 2009, 06:19 PM

4/5 eh? Well that is good to know...

Normally the top 2 pins (FxBUs) are used for stereo only (wave) audio, and pins 3/4 are used for front (5/6 for rear, 7/8 for center/lfe) with multichannel sources.

The top 2 pins of Surrounder are used for upmixing... The top 2 pins of xrouting lead to there.

Master Mixer (wave 0/1) is the only (non HQ) device with multichannel capability, so it should be the default device.

As for Line In, yes that will get upmixed (assuming it is enabled in Surrounder).

All of the following pins of xrouting end up at the same place and will get upmixed (again depending on Surrounder's settings):
WaveL/WaveR
SynthL/SynthR
In0 through In14

dannybeckett · Oct 7, 2009, 06:30 PM

Thanks for clearing all that up. It seems I am experiencing a different problem now the audio clips every half a second or so, varying in frequency and severity. It sounds like audio dropouts. Any ideas on this? Also, whats the difference between FxBus and FxBusX?

Thanks for the help man

Russ · Oct 7, 2009, 06:35 PM

FxBus is 16 bit, FxBusX supports 24 bit (though I am not sure what is supported in Vista).

As for the clipping, I do not know, try playing with the buffer settings (Settings -> Setup Buffers -> Playback Buffer Size).

dannybeckett · Oct 7, 2009, 09:04 PM

Im afriad messing with the buffers didnt help. I dont know if this info matters, but it doesnt start clipping as soon as I turn my pc on, only after a while of listening to music/watching videos. A restart resets the problem.

Russ · Oct 8, 2009, 02:01 AM

Try the following and see if it helps: Optimising your PC for Audio on Windows Vista .: Focusrite Answerbase

Oct 7, 2009, 03:55 PM	#1
dannybeckett HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Problems getting 5.1 content working. I have an audigy 2 zs and latest build kx drivers. KX Mixer is set to 5.1, surround on, sub out and bass redirection both enabled. When playing an mp3, everything works fine. Muting all but 1 channel in the 'ins and outs' section has shown me that my speakers are wired correctly and the 5.1 system seems to be working fine. (I presume kx upmixes mp3s to play out of all channels?) Playing some 5.1 media content is another story. Only the front 2 channels are operational when im attempting to play 5.1 videos. All the video playback softwares I try tell me I only have 2.0 playback capability (ie in VLC, I cant even select 5.1 channel mode.) When i revert back to creative drivers, 5.1 works again. Have i missed a really obvious setting somewhere? Any help is appreciated Dan

Oct 7, 2009, 04:16 PM	#2
Russ HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 5,507 Rep Power: 61	Re: Problems getting 5.1 content working. I guess you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7? See here: http://www.hardwareheaven.com/effects-...-not-work.html

Oct 7, 2009, 04:52 PM	Thread Starter #3
dannybeckett HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: Problems getting 5.1 content working. Yeah that is right Russ and I am using vista. I am still a little confused as to what I should route where to get the two 'stereo' and 'directional' audio profiles in the DSP. This is a link to my DSP setup now http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/8996/dspq.jpg

Oct 7, 2009, 05:02 PM	#4
Russ HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 5,507 Rep Power: 61	Re: Problems getting 5.1 content working. Assuming that Master Mixer is the default device for audio playback... Use the above config for multichannel stuff. For stereo only stuff (that you want upmixed to 5.1), connect the 3rd/4th pins of FxBus (disconnect the current connections for those pins) to the top 2 pins of xrouting (I would suggest connecting a peak meter to these pins as well, to confirm that is where the signal is originating from when playing mp3's, etc). BTW: What version of Windows Vista is that (i.e. is it x64?)? Is that the default DSP config (mostly)? If so, I wonder why it uses FxBus instead of FxBusX (with a 10k2 card)? Last edited by Russ; Oct 7, 2009 at 05:44 PM.

Oct 7, 2009, 06:06 PM	Thread Starter #5
dannybeckett HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: Problems getting 5.1 content working. Thaks alot Russ, it was actually pins 5 and 6 (FXbus4 and FXbus5) that stereo sound is coming though. Connecting them up to the top of the xrouting worked a charm =] Everything was getting upmixed before because I didnt have master mixer set as default. I dont even need to change the pins on the xrouting to make multichannel sound work. what are the top 4 pins on the fxbus used for? and are the top 2 pins on xrouting purely for upmixing stereo? last thing, I occasionally attach a mixer (for turntables) to my line in to play though my pc speakers. Will the sound from linein get upmixed?

Oct 7, 2009, 06:19 PM	#6
Russ HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 5,507 Rep Power: 61	Re: Problems getting 5.1 content working. 4/5 eh? Well that is good to know... Normally the top 2 pins (FxBUs) are used for stereo only (wave) audio, and pins 3/4 are used for front (5/6 for rear, 7/8 for center/lfe) with multichannel sources. The top 2 pins of Surrounder are used for upmixing... The top 2 pins of xrouting lead to there. Master Mixer (wave 0/1) is the only (non HQ) device with multichannel capability, so it should be the default device. As for Line In, yes that will get upmixed (assuming it is enabled in Surrounder). All of the following pins of xrouting end up at the same place and will get upmixed (again depending on Surrounder's settings): WaveL/WaveR SynthL/SynthR In0 through In14

Oct 7, 2009, 06:30 PM	Thread Starter #7
dannybeckett HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: Problems getting 5.1 content working. Thanks for clearing all that up. It seems I am experiencing a different problem now the audio clips every half a second or so, varying in frequency and severity. It sounds like audio dropouts. Any ideas on this? Also, whats the difference between FxBus and FxBusX? Thanks for the help man

Oct 7, 2009, 06:35 PM	#8
Russ HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 5,507 Rep Power: 61	Re: Problems getting 5.1 content working. FxBus is 16 bit, FxBusX supports 24 bit (though I am not sure what is supported in Vista). As for the clipping, I do not know, try playing with the buffer settings (Settings -> Setup Buffers -> Playback Buffer Size). Last edited by Russ; Oct 7, 2009 at 06:55 PM.

Oct 7, 2009, 09:04 PM	Thread Starter #9
dannybeckett HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: Problems getting 5.1 content working. Im afriad messing with the buffers didnt help. I dont know if this info matters, but it doesnt start clipping as soon as I turn my pc on, only after a while of listening to music/watching videos. A restart resets the problem.

Oct 8, 2009, 02:01 AM	#10
Russ HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 5,507 Rep Power: 61	Re: Problems getting 5.1 content working. Try the following and see if it helps: Optimising your PC for Audio on Windows Vista .: Focusrite Answerbase