I have two computers in my office - one for work and one of my own (I work from home). I have a Creative Labs 5.1 surround system that I'd like to setup and have sound from both PCs linked up to it. I'm not an expert in audio and I'm not looking for perfect levels of crispness and clarity, just a solution that mixes these together into one set of speakers (at the same time; I want a mixing solution not a switcher).
I'm wondering what the best solution is, and have a couple of ideas:
Idea 1
Some sort of mixer hardware (sort've like a low-end 4 or 8-channel mixing desk) that the PCs (and iPod, guitar etc) can be plugged into that will allow output to the speakers.
Idea 2
Have splitters on the five 3.5mm cables to the subwoofer/amp so it's effectively plugged into both PCs at once, then use the PCs' individual volume controls to mix the levels.
One sounds expensive and the other amounts to the soundcard in each machine effectively wired up both to the amp *and* to the soundcard in the other machine, so I'm not sure that's such a good idea.
Is there a better approach?
I'm wondering what the best solution is, and have a couple of ideas:
Idea 1
Some sort of mixer hardware (sort've like a low-end 4 or 8-channel mixing desk) that the PCs (and iPod, guitar etc) can be plugged into that will allow output to the speakers.
Idea 2
Have splitters on the five 3.5mm cables to the subwoofer/amp so it's effectively plugged into both PCs at once, then use the PCs' individual volume controls to mix the levels.
One sounds expensive and the other amounts to the soundcard in each machine effectively wired up both to the amp *and* to the soundcard in the other machine, so I'm not sure that's such a good idea.
Is there a better approach?