Sound output routing

[Unknownrash]

OK, forgive me if I sound stupid but my head is spinning from trying to setup all this gear. I have a Echo Mona audio card plus a SB Live value card and am using Sonar. What I would like to know is how can I get all the audio (MIDI+digital recorded audio) to play back on my monitors at the same time. The way it is now the MIDI stuff comes thru my computer speakers and all the audio I record comes thru the separate monitors. I can't seem to blend the two into one output. Please help!

 

[AlChuck]

You can't inside the computer. The audio streams are distinct on each card, so you cannot get the MIDI sounds of the Live to route out through the Mona.

Here's your basic choices:

• Record the MIDI parts to audio and play all the audio tracks out the Mona's outputs. (Not a great solution.) Costs nothing.
• Run the output of the SB Live into a pair of ins on the Mona (but there's only four inputs, no?) Costs the price of the patch cable and eats up two input channels on your Mona.
• Route the outputs of both soundcards to a mixer and run the stereo monitors from the mixer. This is the most flexible alternative but costs the most.

Mixers are very useful in a number of applications, and if you're a serious recordist a decent one is almost a requirement.