ga-x58a-ud5 - Simultaneously play sound on Line Out (analog) and SPDIF (digital)

[kmecko]

Hello,

I want to simultaneously hook up the analog PC speakers to the green "Line Out" (analog) output and my home theater receiver to SPDIF Optical (digital).  

I am aware that when Dolby Live is enabled the analog "Line Out" signal is not available.  I am not using Dolby Live.  I need 16 bit 48000 Hz SPDIF output, nothing fancy.

I have GA-X58a-UD5 rev1.0 motherboard.

I tried, and when I plug in the speakers (or headphones), the SPDIF streaming stops.

It is not that I have intention to listen to both of them simultanously.  It is rather that I want to have them hooked up all the time and when I turn on the PC speakers, the sound comes in front of me.  If I want to play the music on the receiver, I turn it on and the music comes out of my home theater.

It is rather inconvenient to plug and unplug the speakers jack every time I want to change the sound source.

On my old PC I had Turtle Beach sound card that would allow me to simultaneously have both analog and digital signals available.

Thanks in advance.

[Dark Mantis]

I am pretty sure that there is a setting on the Realtech HD Audio Manager on the Speakers page at the top right marked Device Advanced Settings If you click on that you can then click the radio button for Mute rear output device when front headphone plugged in

[kmecko]

Thank you Dark Mantis

I am putting together my first Gigabyte PC and I have read many of your posts.  Thanks for being so helpful.

Now, back to subject.

I saw this option and I tried the button, but there was no effect.  Maybe I did something wrong.  If I understood you correctly, I am supposed to click on "speakers/headphones" Tab and then on Advanced Settings and uncheck the radio button "Mute rear output device when ...".  I wll try it again and let you know what the result was.

[Dark Mantis]

The icon I am talking about is in the system tray (maybe show hidden icons) and is called Realtech HD Audio Manager. Once there and in the advanced section you will need to check the radio button to mute the speakers when you plug in the headphones. If I understood your question correctly that is what you are trying to do.
 Maybe you are using a different version of Windows, I am using Win7 64 bit.

[kmecko]

Dark Mantis,

I do not want to mute any of the outputs.  I want to be able to have both analog and SPDIF signals available at the same time.

[Dark Mantis]

Sorry my bad. Anyhow the mechanics are the same apart from in the Advanced section you click the second radio button down which says something like make front and rear outputs both work at the same time.

[kmecko]

Dark Mantis,

I opened Realtek HD Audio Manager and tried checking and unchecking all buttons and options that was humanly possible and yet I was unable to make analog and digital output play the same sound.

I was able to make them play different sounds simultaneously, though (SPDIF was playing music and analog was playing test sounds), but never I was able to have the same song played at both analog and digital outputs.

At one place the "shared mode" was mentioned but I was not able to figure out what does the "shared mode" mean.

Regards,
Ivan

[Dark Mantis]

I am afraid I can't help any further but I willask absic if he can have a look at your thread. He is our audio guru and if it is possible he will know how.

[Dark Mantis]

Hi again

I have been discussing the problem with absic and he has pointed me to a post on another forum that seems to have cured the problem.

This is a quote from nightcruiser:

Hello I now have analog and digital (spdif) simultanius on windows7 RC1 64 bit
so if it can be off any help hers howe i did that.
right click the speaker down to the right off the screen, player units (or what ever it is named in english, it where you change analog or digital) click the tab recording right click stereo mix ( i have realtek) click on properties, click tab listen, click in box liten to, in dorp down chose your digital output, ok.right click stereo mix, selekt as standard unit. now go to first tab (the one were you pick standard unit for plying sound) and pick your analog as standard. your done, works for me now i have analog sound to my tv and digital to my surrondsystem simultanius. hop its of use for some one.

You can see the whole thread here if you want to:  http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/254601-10-realtek-digital-audio-problem

Thanks to absic for the help.

[kmecko]

Worked like a charm!

Thank you Dark Mantis, thank you absic and a special thank to NightCruiser.

To recap:
1) right click on the speaker icon (volume control) right down in tray area (next to the clock).
2) click on Recording devices
3) right click on Stereo Mix
4) click on Properties
5) click on Listen tab
6) click in box Listen to this device (check)
7) from drop-down menu select your digital output - in my case it was Realtek Digital Output (Optical)
8 ) click on OK
9) right-click on Stereo Mix
10) click on Set as default device
11) now click on Playback tab at the top
12) right-click on Speakers
13) click on Set as default device

That should do it.  What remains is to adjust volume levels.

[Dark Mantis]

Well it might have taken a while but at least we got there in the end.