no sound problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter larrydonline
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larrydonline

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Hi, I'm using a new Dell XPS 420 with Vista Home Edition Premium. I've hooked up my stereo using a mini-plug into the sound card line-in. At least I think I'm using the right input jack. My sound card layout doesn't match the diagram that came with the computer manual or comes with the Creative software either. But it's the grayish/blue jack and that seems to be the default color for line in. When I look up "sound device" in system information is says
Name Creative X-Fi Audio Processor (WDM)
Manufacturer Creative Technology, Ltd.
Status OK
PNP Device ID PCIVEN_1102&DEV_0005&SUBSYS_60021102&REV_004&1CF725D4&0&20F0
Driver c:windowssystem32driversctaud2k.sys (6.0.1.1281, 513.02 KB (525,336 bytes), 4/18/2008 11:05 AM)

Yet, I'm unable to play any music from the stereo and get it to come out of the speakers hooked up to the computer. The speakers work fine with internal software such as Windows Media Player so there's no reason to believe there's anything wrong with that part of the hook up.
I used this same line in cord and mini-plug on my Dell Dimension computer with Windows XP and it worked fine, so I don't suspect there's anything physically faulty with the wires or mini-plug.
How can I troubleshoot this problem? Could I hook up a portable radio to the line in jack and see if that gives me sound? Or an mp3 player? Nothing has changed between things working fine on the old computer and the new computer except for it being a different computer and sound card. How can I test the signal going to the mini-plug to be sure things are working to that point? Are there other tests I can do to verify that the sound card is actually capable of functioning with something plugged into the line-in jack? This has me stumped so far, and would appreciate any technical advice on how to troubleshoot this problem.
Larrydonline
 
Your trying to get sound from your puter to the stereo, right? Try a "line out" jack from the card.
 
Since the first post, I've run Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi's diagnotic program and it checks out OK. Then I noticed that not only does internal audio programs like Real Audio and Win Media Player work OK, but my USB external CD/DVD burner/players work fine to. If I can play a CD in an external USB device and get sound through the computer's speakers, is there anyway to hook up the stereo/cassette/phono system to the computer using USB?

That would bypass the soundcard jacks completely and might be a workaround for my problem. But for the sound to be recorded by Creative's software or Adobe Soundbooth it seems like it would have to be picked up by the soundcard's line in. Right now I would go for just recording the sound off my computer speakers.
 
In the X-Fi console, look to see if "line in" is selected for recording.
 
Yes, I reviewed that and it is marked active. The volume levels are also all the way up. :)
 
The only other things I can think of is to be sure that in the Windows sound properties, Line In is checked also and that you DO have the correct jack in use. Any "Line Level" out should work so you may want test to be sure it isn't the stereo.

This SHOULD be pretty easy. Just play around with different combinations till something works. Then see what and why it worked. :)
 
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