Need help!

[jayhall0315]

Question for the Knowledgeable Audiophiles in the Audience -

(Yes, I know I should be asking this in a different part of the forums, but I find the liquid cooling section to have more traffic and more knowledgeable power users.)

Question: I am running a multiple OS setup with WinXP on one RAID array and Ubuntu/RedHat on another RAID array. I have a X-FI Fatalty soundcard, which works fine under XP, but for which no Linux drivers have been released (which means no sound in Ubuntu). If I boot Ubuntu and I want sound, I can go back into the BIOS and enable the onboard motherboard sound and then pull the 3.5 jacks out of the X-FI and put them into the jacks on the back of the motherboard. What I am searching for is some do-dad that will allow me to simply switch the signal between the motherboard and X-FI quickly and easily. Anyone know of something along these lines.

Any help would be much appreciated,
Jay

[Bun-Bun]

Question for the Knowledgeable Audiophiles in the Audience -

(Yes, I know I should be asking this in a different part of the forums, but I find the liquid cooling section to have more traffic and more knowledgeable power users.)

Question: I am running a multiple OS setup with WinXP on one RAID array and Ubuntu/RedHat on another RAID array. I have a X-FI Fatalty soundcard, which works fine under XP, but for which no Linux drivers have been released (which means no sound in Ubuntu). If I boot Ubuntu and I want sound, I can go back into the BIOS and enable the onboard motherboard sound and then pull the 3.5 jacks out of the X-FI and put them into the jacks on the back of the motherboard. What I am searching for is some do-dad that will allow me to simply switch the signal between the motherboard and X-FI quickly and easily. Anyone know of something along these lines.

Any help would be much appreciated,
Jay

Output singles are easy to split but combineing inputs is a bit trickier. You can make a wye splitter that would do the trick. You can google it to find wiring diagrams.

Other then that just google around for wye splitter for input signals.

[lowfat]

You could always just disable the onboard sound through Device Manager in XP and use an amplifier to do the switching. Although this definitely isn't the cheapest way to go.

[mjassbong]

Here you go:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

Both males will each go to your X-Fi and Onboard sound speaker or Line-Out. Your speaker connects to the female end of this Y cable. No switching necessary. You will always have sound, either in XP or Ubunto.

[Bun-Bun]

Here you go:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

Both males will each go to your X-Fi and Onboard sound speaker or Line-Out. Your speaker connects to the female end of this Y cable. No switching necessary. You will always have sound, either in XP or Ubunto.

Won't work. You can't connect two input sources into one with a simple y cable. I don't feel like explaining the electronics but it wont work... when I get home I may do a search for some devices that will work.

[mjassbong]

Won't work. You can't connect two input sources into one with a simple y cable. I don't feel like explaining the electronics but it wont work... when I get home I may do a search for some devices that will work.

Seems like it may work. Only 1 sound device will be on at any one time. In XP, just disable the onboard sound under device manager. The X-Fi will be disabled anyway under Ubunto since no driver is loaded.

Here's the description of this Y cable from Radioshack:

"This 6" Y-adapter will connect both your modem and sound card to your multimedia speakers. It has an 1/8" jack on one end and two 1/8" plugs on the other.


- 1/8" jack on one end and two 1/8" plugs on the other
- Simultaneously connect modem and sound card to multimedia speakers"

[jayhall0315]

Seems like it may work. Only 1 sound device will be on at any one time. In XP, just disable the onboard sound under device manager. The X-Fi will be disabled anyway under Ubunto since no driver is loaded.

Here's the description of this Y cable from Radioshack:

"This 6" Y-adapter will connect both your modem and sound card to your multimedia speakers. It has an 1/8" jack on one end and two 1/8" plugs on the other.


- 1/8" jack on one end and two 1/8" plugs on the other
- Simultaneously connect modem and sound card to multimedia speakers"

Hey Guys,
I appreciate the ideas. If you have more, keep em coming. One of my tech weaknesses is multimedia and sound crap. As a programmer, I really hate the gjillion codecs out there. This SPDIF, TOSlink, Optical, whatchamakallit crap should really be sorted out. As should the Dolby, DTS, EAX, blah, blah, blah stuff. Let's have two or three universally agreed upon standards and stick with em, I say.

Jay

[jabski]

I really hate the gjillion codecs out there. This SPDIF, TOSlink, Optical, whatchamakallit crap should really be sorted out. As should the Dolby, DTS, EAX, blah, blah, blah stuff. Let's have two or three universally agreed upon standards and stick with em, I say.

Jay

nicely said.
But very true.

[tiro_uspsss]

y dont u just leave the onboard enabled?
r u only using 1 jack? if so, just run an extension from both x-fi & onboard to ur seat, that way, yes u still have to change jack, but u dont have to get up - it only takes 1 sec...
& yes u can have 2 soundcards enabled/used on the 1 OS (ie XP) done it before - *real* simple...

[jayhall0315]

y dont u just leave the onboard enabled?
r u only using 1 jack? if so, just run an extension from both x-fi & onboard to ur seat, that way, yes u still have to change jack, but u dont have to get up - it only takes 1 sec...
& yes u can have 2 soundcards enabled/used on the 1 OS (ie XP) done it before - *real* simple...

Seems like it may work. Only 1 sound device will be on at any one time. In XP, just disable the onboard sound under device manager. The X-Fi will be disabled anyway under Ubunto since no driver is loaded.

Thanks Tiro,
What I am searching for is something like Mjass is proposing (which I guess would work but still not sure because I forgot half that crap from EE206). Just want to make sure that a y splitter can transmit the correct signal in a one way path from the 'on' audio device to the speaker system when the other audio device is 'off'. Does anyone know for sure, if this is correct ?

[tiro_uspsss]

Won't work. You can't connect two input sources into one with a simple y cable. I don't feel like explaining the electronics but it wont work... when I get home I may do a search for some devices that will work.

he's talking OUTput for starters.. in which case i dont see y it shouldnt work... & please, with all due respect, many of us come here (including myself) to learn, never hold back, teach when u can!

[jayhall0315]

Thanks everyone,
After checking the specs and my old textbook on signal propagation, Mjassbong is correct. That Y jack is fine for audio OUTPUT from two sources (as long as one is disabled). (which is all I need). Problem solved and many thanks for the good suggestions.

Jay