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Question about Soundblaster Live! and R5A16
http://forum.linhes.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6275		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  sobriez [ Sun Oct 02, 2005 7:14 am ]
Post subject:  Question about Soundblaster Live! and R5A16
I understand that the default out on R5A16 is SPDIF. In the SB Live! 24bit manual it makes reference to a SB002 adapter for Digital in/out. Is this required? or can I just connect a suitable mono 1/8" to RCA cable to the black out of the sound card?

My Mobo (Asus A7V8X-X has built in sound with a built in SPDIF RCA out already - am I better removing the SB Live! and using onboard SPDIF?

Thanks in advance.

S,
Author:  benjohnson [ Sun Oct 02, 2005 8:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
The advantage of the soundblaster is that it should just work, as opposed to (I'm assuming you MB is NVIDIA) getting nvidia SPDIF to work. I am also assuming you've checked the knoppmyth wiki.

On my soundblaster the Orange (topmost) connecter is spdif 0 out. I made my own digital adapter that connected to the header on the soundcard, only to discover that I didn't need to.

For a cable I just use a stereo 1/8" to RCA and use the Left channel (at least I think it's the left channel.)

You still need to make sure everything is turned on in alsamixer. I believe the two channels that needed to be turned on were the IEC958 raw optical out and the digital out. (on mine the digital out on was the very rightmost setting)

The only problem I can't fix with my soundblaster is that I can't get AC3 out of mythtv playback. I still get a digital signal, it just won't pass AC3 through. Other people say theirs works without problems. It works fine for mplayer and xine though.

PS for myth music do a search for plug. You might need it to convert 44.1 khz to 48kHz.
Author:  sobriez [ Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
Ben,

Thanks for the helpful reply. I'll try it out soon. At least I know it should work. My MB is VIA based as its the K7V8X, not K7N8X.

I bought the mono 1/8" to RCA cable at Radio Scrap.

Right now in Alsamixer, I have all the levels up - so If I understand you correctly, I need to just leave the rightmost levels up

So I need to convert the music output to 48kHz?

thanks again.
Author:  sobriez [ Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
Ben,

Well I tried what you suggested.

Plugged mono 1/8" to RCA into orange of SB Live! 24bit

set alsamixer, all analogue to '00', last two SPDIF to 71, and digital out box checked.....

does not work for whatever reason...

my card is a CA0106 chip SB Live!

[img/ http://home.cogeco.ca/~imatesp3/alsamixer.JPG /img]
Author:  benjohnson [ Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
A little clarification: when I said
Quote:
You still need to make sure everything is turned on in alsamixer
I did not mean everything needed to be turned on, I meant those two things I specified in the next sentence. Sorry if that confused you. I always hated writing documentation. I know what I mean dammit....why shouldn't you :)

Second under Settings-> General, a few screens in you need to specify ASLA:iec958... or try ALSA:digital or ALSA:SPDIF...

Third read this if you haven't:
http://www.knoppmythwiki.org/index.php?page=DigitalAudioHowTo
I meant my comments to be an addendum to that information. Not a replacement

My Alsamixer looks different than yours, probably because I have upgraded mine as per some suggestions in the above link. Also I know different SB cards have different channels so my setup might not work for yours. I didn't have to change any levels only mute/unmute channels.

I only have the SB live 5.1 not the 24 bit model; I just assumed that the color coded outputs wouldn't change. I could be wrong.

As for music settings, I needed to set the output to ALSA:plug:iec958 in the music settings for mythmusic to output correctly. You may or may not have to do this.

I hope this helps, I know it took me a while to get my digital audio out to work the first time.
Author:  sobriez [ Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:15 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks again Ben,

I've come to the conclusion that my SB Live! 24 bit is not well supported in ALSA. I'm going to pull it out and try the onboard sound. If that fails, I'll look for the older version of the SB Live!

I really appreciate your help, and I have been reading the wiki

so many edits to the original how to that its confusing sorting through the non NF specific stuff.....when I finally get it working, I'll be that much better educated.
Author:  khrusher [ Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
its not but chance a sound blaster from Dell?
Author:  sobriez [ Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
No its not, its an OEM version of a SB Live! 24 bit 7.1
CA0106 chip on it..

looks like my MB has an ADI1980 chip on it that seems like its supported..
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