Adding front-panel audio...

[S. Whitmore]

I recently upgraded my system to use an ASUS K8V SE Deluxe, in a
fairly generic case that has no built-in capability for front-panel
audio. The only thing I've seen so far for adding that capability to
a case like this seems to be the ASUS iPanel Deluxe, but a) it does a
lot more than I want, b) it costs more than I want (and I don't like
paying for functionality I don't need), and c) I haven't even found a
place that sells it, although maybe I could get one through eBay or
some such site.

All I *really* want is a way to connect a microphone, without
disconnecting my speakers. I wish I'd thought of that before I
selected this motherboard, since the only way to do that is using the
FP_AUDIO interface which currently is useless to me!

Any ideas for a way to get a mic input installed? It doesn't have to
be pretty, it just has to work without causing other problems.

 

[Shep©]

I recently upgraded my system to use an ASUS K8V SE Deluxe, in a
fairly generic case that has no built-in capability for front-panel
audio. The only thing I've seen so far for adding that capability to
a case like this seems to be the ASUS iPanel Deluxe, but a) it does a
lot more than I want, b) it costs more than I want (and I don't like
paying for functionality I don't need), and c) I haven't even found a
place that sells it, although maybe I could get one through eBay or
some such site.

All I *really* want is a way to connect a microphone, without
disconnecting my speakers. I wish I'd thought of that before I
selected this motherboard, since the only way to do that is using the
FP_AUDIO interface which currently is useless to me!

Any ideas for a way to get a mic input installed? It doesn't have to
be pretty, it just has to work without causing other problems.

Drill a hole in the front.Wire a socket in and run a small Mic cable
to the hole from the sound card?



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[DaveW]

The Creative Labs Audigy 2 ZS Platinum sound card includes a front bay plate
that has many inputs including microphone with volume control. About $179
US.

 

[Shep©]

The Creative Labs Audigy 2 ZS Platinum sound card includes a front bay plate
that has many inputs including microphone with volume control. About $179
US.

Piss off

PS
And do it fast ;-)



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[S. Whitmore]

Drill a hole in the front.Wire a socket in and run a small Mic cable
to the hole from the sound card?

No sound card, just the onboard audio on the motherboard. Adding a
sound card would work since I could simply get one with a separate mic
input, but I'd prefer to use the onboard audio rather than adding an
essentially redundant device. I don't know where I'd get more info on
creating my own internal cable to the FP_AUDIO connector and I don't
want to risk my new motherboard by tinkering in ignorance.

If I could find a mic input on something that was intended to go to
that FP_AUDIO connector, I'd be happy to "make it fit" with my case
somehow. Maybe I should just go poke around at Fry's for awhile and
see if I can find something there...

 

[S. Whitmore]

Maybe I should just go poke around at Fry's for awhile and
see if I can find something there...

Or, to answer my own question... Just minutes after posting that, I
found the following site which seems to have everything I need, and a
complete solution for under $5:

http://www.frontx.com/

Now, if I'd found that the *first* time that I went looking for a
solution, I never would've even started this thread. Well, hopefully
it will be useful to somebody else someday as it sits in the newsgroup
archives maintained by Google (and perhaps others)...

 

[Jon Danniken]

No sound card, just the onboard audio on the motherboard. Adding a
sound card would work since I could simply get one with a separate mic
input, but I'd prefer to use the onboard audio rather than adding an
essentially redundant device. I don't know where I'd get more info on
creating my own internal cable to the FP_AUDIO connector and I don't
want to risk my new motherboard by tinkering in ignorance.

Shep's advice is solid; while you have onboard sound, there is still a
microphone input jack pointing out the back of your case. Just mount a jack
somewhere on the front ot your case and run the wires through to the back to
exit the case, terminate them into a stereo plug, and plug it into the
existing jack. Done.

Jon

 

[S. Whitmore]

Shep's advice is solid; while you have onboard sound, there is still a
microphone input jack pointing out the back of your case.

Well, it might be solid advice if actually applied -- yes, there's a
jack pointing out the back of the case that "could" be used for the
microphone, but it's in use. Please refer to my original message! In
that, I stated: "All I *really* want is a way to connect a
microphone, without disconnecting my speakers." That pretty much
implies that I'd have to disconnect my speakers to connect a
microphone using the rear jack. (It also implies that I don't care
whether it's connected in front or in back...)

With anything more advanced than a simple 2-speaker setup, the "mic"
jack in the back must play the role of "rear speaker" jack. Like I
said originally, I wasn't thinking about microphone support when I was
buying the motherboard. The only *available* microphone interface is
the FP_AUDIO connector on the motherboard.

I appreciate the interest in providing advice, but in this case it
would have been helpful to read what I wrote the first time and to be
familiar with the product I named (i.e., the ASUS K8V SE Deluxe).

Anyway, the problem should now be solved thanks to frontx.com. I'm
looking forward to my order arriving so I can verify that it does
indeed meet my needs.

 

[Shep©]

Well, it might be solid advice if actually applied -- yes, there's a
jack pointing out the back of the case that "could" be used for the
microphone, but it's in use. Please refer to my original message! In
that, I stated: "All I *really* want is a way to connect a
microphone, without disconnecting my speakers." That pretty much
implies that I'd have to disconnect my speakers to connect a
microphone using the rear jack. (It also implies that I don't care
whether it's connected in front or in back...)

With anything more advanced than a simple 2-speaker setup, the "mic"
jack in the back must play the role of "rear speaker" jack. Like I
said originally, I wasn't thinking about microphone support when I was
buying the motherboard. The only *available* microphone interface is
the FP_AUDIO connector on the motherboard.

I appreciate the interest in providing advice, but in this case it
would have been helpful to read what I wrote the first time and to be
familiar with the product I named (i.e., the ASUS K8V SE Deluxe).

Anyway, the problem should now be solved thanks to frontx.com. I'm
looking forward to my order arriving so I can verify that it does
indeed meet my needs.

Glad you found a fix that suited



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http://www.geocities.com/sheppola/trouble.html
remove obvious to reply
email (e-mail address removed)
Free original songs to download and,"BURN" :O)
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/nomessiahsmusic.htm

 

[Jon Danniken]

Well, it might be solid advice if actually applied -- yes, there's a
jack pointing out the back of the case that "could" be used for the
microphone, but it's in use. Please refer to my original message! In
that, I stated: "All I *really* want is a way to connect a
microphone, without disconnecting my speakers." That pretty much
implies that I'd have to disconnect my speakers to connect a
microphone using the rear jack. (It also implies that I don't care
whether it's connected in front or in back...)

With anything more advanced than a simple 2-speaker setup, the "mic"
jack in the back must play the role of "rear speaker" jack. Like I
said originally, I wasn't thinking about microphone support when I was
buying the motherboard. The only *available* microphone interface is
the FP_AUDIO connector on the motherboard.

I appreciate the interest in providing advice, but in this case it
would have been helpful to read what I wrote the first time and to be
familiar with the product I named (i.e., the ASUS K8V SE Deluxe).

I did read what you wrote the first time, but I was not aware that this
board disables the mic jack when it is set up for six speaker sound output.
I'm rather surprised that ASUS would use such a strategy, given the
popularity of headsets for gaming.

Jon

 

[S. Whitmore]

...I was not aware that this
board disables the mic jack when it is set up for six speaker sound output.

I wouldn't say that it "disables" it -- it *uses* it for the speaker
output. (Perhaps more accurately, the mic uses the rear speaker
output when no rear speaker is installed.)

There are only three jacks on the back, used as follows, per the
manual:

2-speaker setup:
Jack 1 - Line In
Jack 2 - Line Out
Jack 3 - Mic In

4-speaker setup:
Jack 1 - Line In
Jack 2 - Front Speaker Out
Jack 3 - Rear Speaker Out

6-speaker setup (what I use):
Jack 1 - Bass/Center
Jack 2 - Front Speaker Out
Jack 3 - Rear Speaker Out

So, as mentioned previously, the only time jack #3 is used for a mic
input is with a 2-speaker setup. Otherwise, that jack is the Rear
Speaker Out jack.

And yes, it's a lame design from ASUS.

 

[dawg]

It uses a mic input as a speaker output? That doesn't sound right.

 

[S. Whitmore]

It uses a mic input as a speaker output? That doesn't sound right.

It is correct, if that's what you mean. Given the poor design, I
hesitate to call it "right," but it's how the board is. If you think
I'm wrong, feel free to examine the manual, it's on the ASUS site in
PDF format.