Simultaneous sound through headphones and speakers

MoRT489 · 1 Jun 2008 at 17:58

Hi guys

Two questions around the same sort of theme:

1) Anyone know how I can run my speakers and headphones at the same time - e.g. one plays sound from game the other does TV card sound? Is it even possible?

2) Is there a way I can set up my sound card so that i can leave headphones plugged in one socket and speakers in another and switch between the two from Windows so i dont have to keep climbing under the desk to switch the plugs in and out each time i want to change over?

Soundcard is Creative X-fi Xtreme Music.

TIA

AbsenceJam · 1 Jun 2008 at 18:20

Just get a 3.5mm male to 2x 3.5mm female adaptor. Plug both in at once. If you want to switch between one and the other then add in an extension so the splitter is nearer yor desk.

MoRT489 · 2 Jun 2008 at 14:46

I was rather hoping there was a way to have the TV sound come through the speakers and game thru the headphones rather than both through the same output.

Is there a way to configure each port on the soundcard?

MoRT489 · 4 Jun 2008 at 18:57

Come on sound gurus, stretch thse intellects!

lord filbuster · 5 Jun 2008 at 01:45

maybe, if you set the game to 2.1 speakers, and the creative control panel to 5.1 or 4.1, then use the mixer option in say, ffdshow to send the tv sound through the back channels? Then just plug in the speakers or headphones how you want them.

MoRT489 · 8 Jun 2008 at 18:04

thanks that could work, i can choose 4.1 speakers but how do i alocate them and the separate plugs on the soundcard itself?

lord filbuster · 8 Jun 2008 at 18:19

Well, if you set the game to 2.1 it will just send the audio to the green plug. What program do you use to watch tv? If you can use ffdshow with it, it will be able to send all of the audio from the TV to just what would be the rear speakers, the black plug. then the sound from the game is the green port, and the TV the black plug. (might be orange)

MoRT489 · 8 Jun 2008 at 23:22

ah thanks, does that mean i'll be missing 2 channels of audio from the game tho (for surround sound)?

lord filbuster · 9 Jun 2008 at 13:40

No, the game should just mix the back channels into the front, like it would if you were just using regular speakers. Make sure the creative virtual 3D sound is off too.

Andre · 9 Jun 2008 at 13:56

Get a USB soundcard/headphones - then set your TV to play through the USB device, and normal sounds to use the soundcard

*Chris · 9 Jun 2008 at 14:00

Plug your speakers into onboard sound (if you have it) and set your audio device for the TV player as your onboard sound with everything else left with the x-fi.

MoRT489 · 14 Jun 2008 at 22:32

OK, it seems it is possible to allocate the jacks but unfortunately i cant find the THX assignment console to do so (see here) - anyone know where i can find this?

Alternatively, i can have the speakers set to 4.1 but that means the speakers are rear and the headphones r front, obviously no good for 3D gaming.

The third option is to have the TV tuner connected to onboard sound with headphones thru x-fi but i dont know how to do this.

Can anyone help??