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Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with Intel processors => Topic started by: ignatz on January 18, 2011, 07:58:41 pm

Title: GA-H67MA-UD2H; does Realtek ALC892 sound chip support "Stereo Mix" recording?
Post by: ignatz on January 18, 2011, 07:58:41 pm

I am about to build a new PC, possibly with the Gigabyte GA-H67MA-UD2H motherboard.

This motherboard includes the Realtek ALC892 sound chip and I hope to use it rather than a discrete sound card.

Question: does the Realtek ALC892 sound chip fully support “stereo mix” sound recording when used with Windows 7 Home Premium?

“Stereo mix” recording permits recording whatever the user happens to be listening to on the PC at the moment and is sometimes called “What You Hear” recording for that reason.

Stereo Mix support was quite common on sound cards 2 or 3 years ago, but is increasingly uncommon lately, particularly on Windows 7. Many drivers simply do not provide that functionality on a Windows 7 PC.

The workaround if it is not supported is to use a discrete sound card that is known to support Stereo Mix. Such cards are not common either.

I have emailed Gigabyte support in Taiwan about this, but have no response. I looked at Realtek.com.tw, only to find that there appears to be no info at all about the ALC892 chip!!

I searched this boards archives via Google and found no answers and very few comments about this motherboard generally.

Any comments appreciated.

Title: Re: GA-H67MA-UD2H; does Realtek ALC892 sound chip support "Stereo Mix" recording?
Post by: Dark Mantis on January 18, 2011, 08:53:12 pm

Hi and welcome to the Gigabyte Forum.

These boards are so new that I haven't had a chance to get to grips with  one yet.

As with all on board solutions they are never as good as the discrete cards. If you want a good quality recording I would advise a seperate sound card anyway.

GGTS will answer you but I am afraid they aren't the fastest thing around and you should expect to wait a week to ten days for an answer.

Title: Re: GA-H67MA-UD2H; does Realtek ALC892 sound chip support "Stereo Mix" recording?
Post by: ignatz on January 18, 2011, 09:52:28 pm

Thanks for the response.

I have experience with other onboard sound on another motherboard (Intel brand) and am satisified with the "quality" on it---it uses a Sigmatel chip.

I do have a discrete external sound card (USB) and can use it if necessary, but would like to know what I can expect with Realtek 892.

I do have anecdotal info from another user that the prior generation Realtek chip (ALC887) as implemented on an Asus H67 chipset board (socket 1155) does support "stereo mix", but I cannot find out anything about the ALC892.

I have never owned a Gigabyte board. Can you comment generally about "stereo mix" recording functionality on earlier Gigabyte boards (socket 775, socket 1156, socket 1366) when used with Windows 7??

Thanks