Five Speakers: Outdated video card?

[aether]

I recently purchased the 5.1 Creative SBS 560, which comes with five
speakers. However, on this particular computer, there's an older sound
card. (Creative SB Live! Value)

The problem is, only four of the speakers are functioning. The center
speaker is mute. Could this be due to the sound card being outdated?

 

[Conor Turton]

I recently purchased the 5.1 Creative SBS 560, which comes with five
speakers. However, on this particular computer, there's an older sound
card. (Creative SB Live! Value)

The problem is, only four of the speakers are functioning. The center
speaker is mute. Could this be due to the sound card being outdated?

THere are several versions of the SBLive!. One of them, the Value, is a
4.1 card only. Sounds like this is your problem.

Creative Audigy cards are going for very little on E-Bay and are quite
alot better than the Live! so it may be worth buying one.

 

[aether]

THere are several versions of the SBLive!. One of them, the Value, is a
4.1 card only. Sounds like this is your problem.

Creative Audigy cards are going for very little on E-Bay and are quite
alot better than the Live! so it may be worth buying one.

Hi, Conor

When I was configuring these speakers (via the drivers provided by
Creative), there was support for two speakers, four speakers, and
headphones.

This particular SB Live! Card came with a computer purchased in 2002. I
believe this is the model:
http://www.digiconcepts.com/creativelabs_soundcards_04.htm

It indeed states that this card supports up to four speakers.

 

[aether]

Would something like this work?

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=29-102-177&DEPA=0

Would any 5.1 sound card allow for five speakers?

 

[Nero]

The word is A LOT not ALOT why can't y'all spell ya word right??
Ain't no such word as alot....................

 

[Conor Turton]

Would something like this work?

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=29-102-177&DEPA=0
Yes.

Would any 5.1 sound card allow for five speakers?

Yes but I'd stick to well known names. Lots of cheapo stuff floating
around and the sound is horrendous.

 

[Paul]

Would something like this work?

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=29-102-177&DEPA=0

Would any 5.1 sound card allow for five speakers?

Your speakers have front-L,R rear-L,R and center/sub, a total
of six speakers in a 5.1 configuation.

http://pl.europe.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=4&subcategory=25&product=9303

You should not go buying sound cards at random. At least make
sure that the card supports a 5.1 configuration. When a sound
card has a lot of output connectors, the software will only
support certain configurations of the connectors. You should
check that the product you select specifically supports your
speaker config, otherwise you end up with nasty surprise, like
your existing 4.0 sound card.

This page, for example, shows a control panel where 5.1 and 7.1
options are offered on a 7.1 card.

http://www.techspot.com/tweaks/soundcard/print.shtml

Something to watch for, which may confuse you, is at least one
of the Audigy line, has three output connectors to carry 7.1.
Two of the connectors have three contacts inside. 2+3+3 = the
eight channels of a 7.1 product. Your speakers have 2+2+2 channels
on the three wires used for 5.1, and they should work just fine
when plugged into the three jacks on the faceplate of the sound
card. If you had 7.1 speakers, the plug types would have to match
the jacks on the sound card.

"Line Out 1 jack (_1) Connects to Front Left and Front Right
inputs on powered analog speakers or an external amplifier
for audio output. Also supports headphones.

Line Out 2 jack (_2) Connects to Rear Left, Rear Right and
Side Right (only on 7.1 speaker systems) inputs on powered
analog speakers or an external amplifier for audio output.

Line Out 3 jack (_3) Connects to Front Center, Subwoofer and
Side Left (only on 7.1 speaker systems) or Rear Center (only
on 6.1 speaker systems) inputs on powered analog speakers, or
an external amplifier for audio output."

So, if you see a sound card that has three holes for the speakers,
and claims to support 7.1 sound, that means two of the holes are
special, and have an extra contact not seen on an ordinary 1/8"
stereo plug. I'm only explaining this, if you are confused as to
how three holes can carry eight speakers worth of signals.

Here are some pictures, showing how a special 1/8" plug gains
access to the three signals on the Audigy ZS connector. Your
5.1 speakers should make contact with only two of the three
signals on the connector, and should work fine as far as I know.

http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com:80/wwimages/audio_int/audigy/Audigy2Rings1.jpg
http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com:80/wwimages/audio_int/audigy/Audigy2Rings3.JPG

Those pictures are from a Creative knowledgebase article:

http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com:...=ww_english,VARSET=ws:http://us.creative.com/

You can try and download a manual here, but not all products
have a download available. The manual I got is a .chm, a help
file, rather than a PDF manual. Just double click to open it.

http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/welcome.asp?type=manuals

Paul

 

[aether]

Your 5.1 speakers should make contact with only two of the three
signals on the connector, and should work fine as far as I know.

http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com:80/wwimages/audio_int/audigy/Audigy2Rings1.jpg
http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com:80/wwimages/audio_int/audigy/Audigy2Rings3.JPG

Those pictures are from a Creative knowledgebase article:

http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com:...=ww_english,VARSET=ws:http://us.creative.com/

You can try and download a manual here, but not all products
have a download available. The manual I got is a .chm, a help
file, rather than a PDF manual. Just double click to open it.

http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/welcome.asp?type=manuals

Paul

Would those two connectors be the light green and black ones? Leaving
the other hanging? This couldn't be what's preventing the center
speaker from functioning, could it? There are no options for five
speakers in the 'Creative Sound Mixer'.

 

[Chuck]

Hi, Conor

When I was configuring these speakers (via the drivers provided by
Creative), there was support for two speakers, four speakers, and
headphones.

This particular SB Live! Card came with a computer purchased in 2002. I
believe this is the model:
http://www.digiconcepts.com/creativelabs_soundcards_04.htm

It indeed states that this card supports up to four speakers.

Sorry guys but I happen to own the exact same setup in my other computer and
the middle speaker works fine. You just have to enable 5.1 in the creative
control panel where it says speaker setup. Also make sure you have the
latest Creative drivers.

 

[Paul]

Sorry guys but I happen to own the exact same setup in my other computer and
the middle speaker works fine. You just have to enable 5.1 in the creative
control panel where it says speaker setup. Also make sure you have the
latest Creative drivers.

This is the closest manual I can find:

http://us.creative.com/support/down...t_Name=Sound+Blaster+Live!+5.1+Digital+(Dell)

http://files.americas.creative.com/manualdn/Manuals/790/English.pdf

Page 14 shows the top jack is used for either digital or analog
output. In analog mode, it becomes the center/sub jack.

On Page 29, it explains about the "Digital Output Only" checkbox.
As Chuck suggests, you want to be in 5.1 mode, but you also want
to make sure the "Digital Output Only" is unchecked, as that
makes the output analog suitable for the speakers.

HTH,
Paul

 

[Conor Turton]

Sorry guys but I happen to own the exact same setup in my other computer and
the middle speaker works fine. You just have to enable 5.1 in the creative
control panel where it says speaker setup. Also make sure you have the
latest Creative drivers.

Its not that simple. There are several versions of the SBLive! card and
at least two versions of the Value...one being creatives own chipset
and the other a rebadged ESS.

 

[aether]

I believe I have the older version Conor spoke of (4.1), because I've
encountered no 5.1 option. Looks like I'll be engaging in a hunt for a
sound card. Thanks for the help, fellas.

 

[DaveW]

Yes. Time for a new soundcard to match your speakers.

 

[Mike]

The word is A LOT not ALOT why can't y'all spell ya word right??
Ain't no such word as alot....................

Eye halve a spelling chequer;
It came with my pea sea;
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write -
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long,
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it;
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh,
My chequer tolled me sew.

 

[aether]

Update

Purchased a SB Live! LS 5.1 Soundcard.

When playing audio or video, the center speaker still doesn't work.

However, when testing them in diagnostics (front left, center, front
right, rear l/r), it does.

How do I get the front speaker to work at all times?

 

[aether]

http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/05/46/51/07/0005465107095_500X500.jpg

 

[Paul]

Update

Purchased a SB Live! LS 5.1 Soundcard.

When playing audio or video, the center speaker still doesn't work.

However, when testing them in diagnostics (front left, center, front
right, rear l/r), it does.

How do I get the front speaker to work at all times?

Did you uninstall the software for the old sound card ?

Paul

 

[aether]

Did you uninstall the software for the old sound card ?

Paul

Indeed, and then installed the drivers on the CD that came with it.
Shouldn't this be working? The fact that it works on the diagnostics
test, whereas before it didn't, is a good sign I suppose.

 

[Paul]

Indeed, and then installed the drivers on the CD that came with it.
Shouldn't this be working? The fact that it works on the diagnostics
test, whereas before it didn't, is a good sign I suppose.

I was going to suggest testing by using this site:

http://www.cinenow.com/us/vobtrailer.php3

but seeing as my Windows Media Player seems to be busted,
I cannot test the files to see whether they work or not.

It could be that _something_ in the audio software stack is
not right, for what you are trying to do. If you have some
DVD player software, that software plus a DVD, should give
you an opportunity to test the speakers.

Pretty lame suggestions, but unless someone has a nice
testing application, you'll just have to experiment. The
fact that the test you did works, could mean that
maybe Microsoft "DirectSound" works, but I really don't know
anything about all the other software paths that sound takes,
so other than testing with the DVD player software, I don't
know what paths support 5.1 or just stereo.

I have a foggy idea how AC3 and SPDIF work, but in this case
you are testing an analog only path, and there really should
not be anything preventing a 5.1 media source from reaching
the 5.1 speakers.

One thing you occasionally have to watch for, is there aren't
really good standards for the center/subwoofer connector.
Some speakers have the center/sub reversed, and what happens
is the bass sounds try to come out of the tiny center speaker,
while the higher frequency content of the center signal,
tries to come out of the woofer (and virtually nothing
happens). That will sound really weird, but not completely
dead, if it happens. Some mixer/control panels have a setting
to reverse center/sub, which should have a dramatic effect and
correct that problem.

Keep pluggin at it,
Paul

 

[aether]

One thing you occasionally have to watch for, is there aren't
really good standards for the center/subwoofer connector.
Some speakers have the center/sub reversed, and what happens
is the bass sounds try to come out of the tiny center speaker,
while the higher frequency content of the center signal,
tries to come out of the woofer (and virtually nothing
happens). That will sound really weird, but not completely
dead, if it happens. Some mixer/control panels have a setting
to reverse center/sub, which should have a dramatic effect and
correct that problem.

Keep pluggin at it,
Paul

Am tinkering with everything. That link you provided; I tried to play
the .vob file, but am missing codecs. I then downloaded software that
converts .vob files into .avi format, but then found you can't download
the file.

Do you think it's possible I purchased the wrong sound card? I thought
it being a 5.1 card would result in all five speakers functioning.