Using two Soundcards

R

RonL

New member
I am using an M-Adio Audiophile 2496 card on my computer with Sonar. My ASUS P4PE mainboard has built in sound card which has been de-activated. I am thinking of activating this onboard sound and use it for listening and monitoring purpose through headphones.

My question, is this recommended? Will it upset my Audiophile card or the Sonar software? TIA.
 
I would advise against that .

1. On most motherboards, if you enable onboard sound, you automatically disable your soundcard.
2. Even if you could get both going, you're likely to have synchronisation issues as their clocks will run at different rates
 
My friend and I tried putting out M-Audio soundcards together and we got a lot of digital pops. I'm guessing it isn't recommended. He had an M-Audio Duo and I had a Delta 44.
 
RonL said:
I am using an M-Adio Audiophile 2496 card on my computer with Sonar. My ASUS P4PE mainboard has built in sound card which has been de-activated. I am thinking of activating this onboard sound and use it for listening and monitoring purpose through headphones.

My question, is this recommended? Will it upset my Audiophile card or the Sonar software? TIA.
Click to expand...

I just did that with my onboard sound.
If you are running XP, in "sounds" under the "control panel," you can specify which soundcard records and which plays. Depending on the drivers of your DAW card (I don't have M-Audio) you might have to run a line to your mobo's input from your M-audio to hear from Sonar. I just did a stereo line out from my Aardvark 24/96 into the line in of my mobo's soundcard to hear what was going on in Sonar. Works like a charm. I have my DAW and I can also watch surround-sound DVDs or digital cable.
 
Looks like I had better not fool around with two soundcards going together. BTW could someone tell me why I cannot get any sound if I plug an earphone to the CD ROM (player) headphone socket? I am using XP.
 
RonL said:
Looks like I had better not fool around with two soundcards going together. BTW could someone tell me why I cannot get any sound if I plug an earphone to the CD ROM (player) headphone socket? I am using XP.
Click to expand...

You mean ta hear a CD play? 'Cause that's the only way you're gonna get sound outta that hole! ;)
 
Bulls Hit said:
I would advise against that .

1. On most motherboards, if you enable onboard sound, you automatically disable your soundcard.
Click to expand...

Nonsense - I used the Audiophile alongside my onboard audio for over a year.

If he is not recording through both cards, there are no issues.
 
ChristopherM said:
You mean ta hear a CD play? 'Cause that's the only way you're gonna get sound outta that hole! ;)
Click to expand...

Yeah, to hear a CD play but in my case nothing comes out of that hole, none from either my CD or CD Writer.
 
brzilian said:
Nonsense - I used the Audiophile alongside my onboard audio for over a year.

If he is not recording through both cards, there are no issues.
Click to expand...

I won't be recording from both cards and I won't be using the onboard card for monitoring during recording. My intention is to use the onboard card for playback through headphones because it has a port right in front of my compter. The Audiophile does not have a headphone out (sigh).

I think I will give it a try and if it interferes with recordings I will pull the plug :)
 
brzilian said:
Nonsense - I used the Audiophile alongside my onboard audio for over a year.

If he is not recording through both cards, there are no issues.
Click to expand...

OK, maybe it's just my M/B.
 
I'm another one that's used two soundcards -- an SB Live and a Delta 66 -- for several years now. Works great. Of course I cant record from the SB Live's WAV In and the Delta's at the same time, they won't synch -- but I never need to do that. I use my SB as my MIDI synth and as a MIDI interface.
 
in regards to the cd player

first check your computer mixer by double clicking on the volume icon in the lower right screen and see if the cd player volume is muted or turned down low...if that isnt the case then check to see if the audio wire on the cd drive (usually red black and white) is connected to the sound card you use or the onboard sound card or not hooked up at all...disabling the onboard audio could probably disable audio of any devices connected to it
 
I've had 3 different audio cards plus onboard audio going. I used the onboard for everything but recording related stuff. The others went to different gear and weren't ever playing/recording at the same time. Contrary to popular (dis)-belief, not all onboard audio is shit. My current onboard analog i/o is a lot quieter and better sounding than the single stereo analog out on my Terratec EWS88D card.
 
i agree with jr and i see how smart you is lol

for some strange reason....my onboard audio sounds kick ass when i bought a behringer mixer and ran it through there and not to mention when i get different speakers.....sometimes an equipment upgrade may not be the solution when all the accesories are more fun to mix and match
 
RonL said:
Yeah, to hear a CD play but in my case nothing comes out of that hole, none from either my CD or CD Writer.
Click to expand...

Hmm...sounds like a problem with the jack then.
Unless o'course you just forgot to turn up the little volume knob ;)
 
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