Creative 5.1 Speakers support.

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saerumpalekar

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Hi guys. I own a Presonus Firestudio Mobile and wanna know if I can get ouput on the creative sbs a520 5.1 surround speakers through the head phone jack. Knowing the fact that all 5.1 PC speakers have 3x3.5mm cables for output connection, I will be using two 2 way splitters. Please tell me is this can work or not. If not, than please suggest another way. I can not afford studio monitors at the moment so this is the cheapest option avaiable. The splitter is the one in attachment. Thanks.
 

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It wont work for a few reasons.

1: A headphone output wont power speakers unless they're active speakers, and even then it's not ideal.
2: You won't get 5.1 audio even with amps or active speakers, because the source is a stereo output.
3: Even if you did it with amps and were happy to have stereo sent to three sets of speakers, one of those sets will be centre+sub,
so you'll have left out the sub and right out the centre, or vice versa.

Do you want genuine dolby 5.1 output from something, or do you just want to run your 5.1 speakers as front+rear stereo plus sub?

Let us know and we'll see what we can do for you.
 
I want true 5.1 output. If I get a sound blaster 5.1 soundcard, will it be possible for me to input from the interface and get output from the sound blaster sound card?
 
There are two ways to get dolby 5.1 out of a computer.

One is 6 independent line level outputs, and the other is via a digital output.


I don't know what OS you're on, but two interfaces (soundcards) isn't usually a great idea.
I think your best bet would be to use the digital output on the presonus to feed an external decoder.

That output is capable of carrying encoded (ac3?) 5.1, and many external 5.1 amps have a decoder accepting this format.
Some amps just have 6 line inputs, so you need a go-between decoder.

I still have an old creative extigy that I used for this purpose.

What all gear do you have?
 
saerumpalekar said:
At the moment, I have nothing but 2 mics, a 25 key keyboard and presonus firestudio mobile.
Click to expand...

.......and some creative speakers........

What are they, literally just 6 passive speakers, or a set with an amp. What input(s) does the amp have?
 
Since I can not post urls yet, please google Creative SBS A520 and Sound Blaster 5.1 VX. This is the card that I am using.
 
You are not going to be creating 5.1 sound with 2 mics and a USB keyboard (you don't mention what DAW you are using). I assume these are powered speakers, and the only way to use them is with a 5.1 sound card like the Sound Blaster you mention - this will be useful if you want to play movies or games on your computer. Useless for music creation, unless you really plan on creating 5.1 music as already mentioned, you can use the SOund Blaster and the Presonus at the same time.
You should be able to plug two of the Creative sattelite speakers into your Presonus - again, assuming they are powered speakers. The Creative webpage doesn't say, just says the sub is 12 watts and the sattelites 5 watts, doesn't mention power cables, but maybe the amps are all in the sub?
 
The sattelites are not powered. They first get conected to the sub and then the sub is connected to a power outlet, only then they get turned on and start working. The DAW I am using is Studio One Artist 2 but I can use any of them you suggest would be better.
 
Hi again.

The card you have is designed to output 5.1 as 6 analog line level outputs.

The speaker set up is an amplifier and speakers combined; The sub unit has the amp built in.
It accepts 6 analog line level inputs.

In short, they're designed to work together.

If you just want to use the surround gear to watch movies etc, then you can work away, and use the firestudio for whatever recording you want to do.
If you're looking to do surround mixing, that's a different story.
The easiest way to do that would be to sell the firestudio mobile and the soundblaster card to fund buying an interface with at least 6 line outputs.
 
What if we forget 5.1 output for the moment. If I want to get normal sound, will all the 6 speakers work and out put sound. If yes then how?
 
You'd probably want a decoder with an upmix option.

Creative decoders call this CMSS, akaik.
I used to have a creative extigy as a standalone decoder; It had upmix.

If there's software with your creative card it may have this option.
 
Last edited:
Hi.

Lets just forget about getting 5.1 surround at the moment. What if I want to get sound out of all the 6 speakers which is equal, I mean non surround sound. Is it possible. If yes then how?
 
Get real monitors, forget the 5.1 speaker system - those little sattelite speakers are anything but flat response.
 
saerumpalekar said:
Hi.

Lets just forget about getting 5.1 surround at the moment. What if I want to get sound out of all the 6 speakers which is equal, I mean non surround sound. Is it possible. If yes then how?
Click to expand...

Post 12 is my answer to this. upmix = stereo source to multispeaker output.

It'll maintain stereo to the front and rear speakers whilst sending bass to the sub and common centre info to the centre.

If you start hacking wires apart and doing it manually the sub will receive full range, the centre speaker will either receive left OR right, and it's just not a good way to wire things.


saerumpalekar said:
I can not afford studio monitors at the moment so this is the cheapest option avaiable.
Click to expand...

If studio mixing is your goal you'd honestly be better with headphones or a hifi with aux input.
I'm nowhere near an audio snob, but bare this in mind; I have a creative 5.1 set from a long time ago and I wouldn't even watch movies on it now!!!!!
 
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