Using multiple sound cards in Windows XP

[Daniel Marcinkowski]

Hi!

I am using a Windows XP PC with latest Updates and Drivers and two sound
cards installed. The sound cards work fine.

Is there any way to output sound on both cards simultaneously?
I know the systemwide settings for standard SoundOutput in the control
panel, but is there a nice and elegant way to define which program uses
which card for sound output?

 

[Bob I]

There is some 3rd party software that allows for "playing" with the
separate outputs or combining them. XP doesn't provide for it natively.

 

[Daniel Marcinkowski]

There is some 3rd party software that allows for "playing" with the
separate outputs or combining them. XP doesn't provide for it natively.

Can you please email me the names of that software?

 

[Bob I]

You could do the same thing I would have to do. Click below.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=multi+sound+card+software&btnG=Search

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi!

I am using a Windows XP PC with latest Updates and Drivers and two sound
cards installed.

Why?

The sound cards work fine.

Is there any way to output sound on both cards simultaneously?

No. You can use one or the other.



--

Bruce Chambers

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[V Green]

No. You can use one or the other.

Not true. If the audio app supports it (support has
to be there, it's not an OS thing) AND the driver for the
hardware supports it, it is possible.

I can play audio simultaneously through the audio-out
portion of my Winnov capture card (AC 97 based) and
the built-in Sound Max hardware on the motherboard, but
this is likely because the Winnov sound driver was specifically
written to play nice and co-exist with other sound hardware -
the manufacturer wisely understood that most people that bought
their stuff would already have sound hdwe. installed.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Not true. If the audio app supports it (support has
to be there, it's not an OS thing) AND the driver for the
hardware supports it, it is possible.

I can play audio simultaneously through the audio-out
portion of my Winnov capture card (AC 97 based) and
the built-in Sound Max hardware on the motherboard, but
this is likely because the Winnov sound driver was specifically
written to play nice and co-exist with other sound hardware -
the manufacturer wisely understood that most people that bought
their stuff would already have sound hdwe. installed.

But the OP was asking about using Windows to do this; had he a sound
card whose drivers had such a capability, he wouldn't have asked the
question.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[V Green]

But the OP was asking about using Windows to do this; had he a sound
card whose drivers had such a capability, he wouldn't have asked the
question.

Not the way I understood it at all.

"Windows" doesn't play sounds.

Applications written to run under Windows play sounds.

This includes the ones that come with the OS, which, it
is true, are too stupid to allow you to choose an
output sound device.

Other professional audio apps will allow you to do this.

To make a sweeping statement like:

"No. You can use one or the other."

without further explanation is misleading
and wrong.

 

[Daniel Marcinkowski]

Why?

I used the one card (sb live 5.1) for music and tv, and the other one for a
skype headset.

Now i moved into a bigger flat and would like to use the sb live 5.1 as i
did before, and the other sound card is connected to an amplifier in the
living room.

No. You can use one or the other.

At least it is possible to have 2 applications running and using different
sound cards, for instance winamp and itunes at the same time.

 

[Daniel Marcinkowski]

You could do the same thing I would have to do. Click below.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=multi+sound+card+software&btnG=Search

I already did that. There is no software which could help me, just a whole
lot of people asking the same question like I did.

So, does anyone know any application, driver, hack, workaround, anything,
that could help me? Please?

 

[Guest]

hello... im having a similar problem here... i was using win me and i could
use my SB live! sound card and the AC97 on board sound at the same time... i
use it to make music mixes... then.. i upgraded to win xp and will not
recognize both cards at same time... is not that i can select each one from
the control pannel.. not that.. my problem is that if i plug my SB live card
in the PCI slot, windows only recognize that card. the on board sound will
not show.... in BIOS is ENEABLEd. but then i unpluged my SB card and
reboot... and windows recognize de onboard sound... what i have to do to make
windows recognize my two cards?