Realtek bypassing CDs

[Mark]

Any one know why sound effects and equalisers used with the Realtek in-built
sound on my A8N-SLI Deluxe using latest drivers ignores audio CDs?
I've used Media Player and Realtek's own Sound Manager to alter the sound to
no avail. Equalisers and effects in WMP don't work for instance but do for
WAV files. In fact, the volume and mute doesn't work either.

When the system had a SB Live! card the equalisers worked but for some reason
the Realtek drivers ignore anything plugged into the motherboard CD audio
input.

Is it just the Realtek drivers or something else I've not got set up on my
system?

Mark

 

[Ed]

Any one know why sound effects and equalisers used with the Realtek in-built
sound on my A8N-SLI Deluxe using latest drivers ignores audio CDs?
I've used Media Player and Realtek's own Sound Manager to alter the sound to
no avail. Equalisers and effects in WMP don't work for instance but do for
WAV files. In fact, the volume and mute doesn't work either.

When the system had a SB Live! card the equalisers worked but for some reason
the Realtek drivers ignore anything plugged into the motherboard CD audio
input.

Might help if you plugged the cable into the SB cards CD audio port
instead of the motherboards.

Is it just the Realtek drivers or something else I've not got set up on my
system?

Mark

Don't have much experience with realtech sound but IIRC on my A7N8X
(Realtech 650 chip) with a 4 speaker setup only the rear speakers were
effected by the Realtech EQ.

If I had a A8N-SLI the first thing I'd do is disable the onboard
realtech crap and drop a Audigy 2 card (or better) in it. ;p

Ed

 

[Mark]

Might help if you plugged the cable into the SB cards CD audio port
instead of the motherboards.

The SB Live card wouldn't work on the A8N-SLI with Creative drivers. It's now
in another computer. Long story, tried everything...

Don't have much experience with realtech sound but IIRC on my A7N8X
(Realtech 650 chip) with a 4 speaker setup only the rear speakers were
effected by the Realtech EQ.

4 speaker set up here. Just seems to be WAV files that are affected.

If I had a A8N-SLI the first thing I'd do is disable the onboard
realtech crap and drop a Audigy 2 card (or better) in it. ;p

See above experience with Creative sound cards. I'm looking to install a
card though, one that will provide good audio from CDs and DVDs. I don't play
games.


Mark

 

[Stephan Grossklass]

When using digital playback, the EQ should work. Why use analog playback
that is likely to catch interference and only comes from a CD-ROMs own
shabby DAC when you can transfer things digitally via the data cable
that's needed anyway?

See above experience with Creative sound cards. I'm looking to install a
card though, one that will provide good audio from CDs and DVDs. I don't play
games.

Look here:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&f=59

Some candidates ($25...$200US):
Chaintech AV-710
Guillemot/Hercules Fortissimo IV
Terratec Aureon Sky/Space
M-Audio Revolution 5.1
Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1LT
E-MU 0404
ESI Juli@
M-Audio Audiophile 192
E-MU 1212m

If you're interested in a card, look out for potential drawbacks. Not
all of them can drive headphones directly (if you need that), some need
adapters from TRS to RCA, stuff like that. Not all of them may be
available to you.

Stephan

 

[Mark]

When using digital playback, the EQ should work.

And so it does! Thanks Stephan!

Why use analog playback that is likely to catch interference and only comes
from a CD-ROMs own shabby DAC when you can transfer things digitally via
the data cable that's needed anyway?

I've always done that, I think I initially had some problems way back but on
my new kit it seems OK.

Thanks also for the advice on sound cards. I've already looked at

AudioTrak Maya Prodigy 7.1
M-Audio Revolution 5.1 PCI
HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 Gold PCI Dolby

and particularly like the look of the M-Audio card but not sure on the
included software if any.

Mark

 

[Stephan Grossklass]

Thanks also for the advice on sound cards. I've already looked at

AudioTrak Maya Prodigy 7.1
M-Audio Revolution 5.1 PCI
HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 Gold PCI Dolby

The last one is only good for purely digital output, most notably
realtime AC-3 encoding. Analog out should be crappy (input even more
so), can't expect any miracles from a CMedia chip (8768+ in this case).
The swappable opamps are merely a gimmick. The other two cards (I assume
you meant the less expensive Prodigy 7.11LT?) should both be very good.

and particularly like the look of the M-Audio card but not sure on the
included software if any.

I can only find these software extras in the details:
* Wakeboarding Unleashedâ„¢ (published by Aspyr, under license from
Activision) and WinDVDâ„¢ 5 OEM version
* Surround sound demos Tranquility Base.wma and Renaissance.wma by David
Miles Huber

Stephan