Help setting up multiple sound cards in a single Windows box

[NicePants42]

Ok, so I've got on board sound, and X-fi, and a USB audio device for a VoIP headset. The problem is, Windows seems to want to use the most recently installed solution by default, and the only way I know of to control what audio device actually outputs the audio is to enable/disable audio devices in the device manager.

My question is this: Is there a way that I can configure Windows to use certain audio solutions in certain circumstances? For instance, if I wanted to leave my X-fi and my USB audio solution enabled, could I tell Windows to use the X-fi for games, music and movies, and use the USB solution only for programs like Skype?

Anyone know if this is possible in Vista?

Thanks in advance for your help, TG.

 

[Rob Williams]

I am not sure that you could tell specific applications which sound card to use, because most refer to the default. Unless the program itself allows you to select a sound card, then it's probably not possible.

However, you don't need to go into the device manager and do things that way. If you right-click the speaker in your system tray and hit properties, you can change the default sound card for both playback and recording that way. I have to do that on my Windows PC to switch between primary speakers and my headset.

I don't have Vista installed right now to see how it handles things, but I can't see it being any different. I do know that one advantage to Vista is that you can control the volumes to each open application, but I'm still not sure about setting a sound card to a specific application.

 

[madstork91]

I got this one

I too have an on board sound card (a great one at that) and an X-fi card. Here is how it works in XP:

Whatever you set to the default device will initially be your well... default device. You can however in most (I cant even think of the name of the one program I didnt see this option) change the sound card setting from the default to the card of your choice. You will see this in the instance of windows media player under options.

As for your USB device, set it as the default sound recording and im assuming that it will be the default input device.

 

[NicePants42]

I am not sure that you could tell specific applications which sound card to use, because most refer to the default. Unless the program itself allows you to select a sound card, then it's probably not possible.

However, you don't need to go into the device manager and do things that way. If you right-click the speaker in your system tray and hit properties, you can change the default sound card for both playback and recording that way. I have to do that on my Windows PC to switch between primary speakers and my headset.

I don't have Vista installed right now to see how it handles things, but I can't see it being any different. I do know that one advantage to Vista is that you can control the volumes to each open application, but I'm still not sure about setting a sound card to a specific application.

Thanks for the reply. I've managed to get it sorted out.

 

[Rob Williams]

Thanks for the reply. I've managed to get it sorted out.

Did you happen to figure out a way to have it automatically set a specific application to a certain sound card? If so, I'd love to know!

 

[madstork91]

name an application rob...

 

[Rob Williams]

I don't mean a "specific" application, I mean being able to make it so a certain application would use the same sound card each time. It's possible to do so, but I'm just not sure if it's possible in Windows. I don't feel like installing Vista to find out.

 

[Rory Buszka]

There are some programs like Teamspeak and Audacity that can choose an audio output device that's different from the default one. One of my friends uses an Audigy4 sound card for his music and video playback and system sounds, and uses the onboard sound on his motherboard for Teamspeak. This way, his TS conversations don't go echoing through his entire house, but his music does. The front panel audio jacks on his case are connected to the motherboard's onboard sound.

 

[NicePants42]

I don't mean a "specific" application, I mean being able to make it so a certain application would use the same sound card each time. It's possible to do so, but I'm just not sure if it's possible in Windows. I don't feel like installing Vista to find out.

MadStork gave a nice picture on how to set up default audio in Windows from the Control Panel.

However, if you want a certain program to use a certain sound solution other than the default, you can't use Windows to set this up. Rather, the particular program you want to adjust must give you the option of selecting your sound solution.

In my particular case, I had a keyboard with onboard sound that I wanted to use with Skype, and an X-fi for everything else. So I set the X-fi to default, and (since Skype lets you set the audio device) I was able to navigate Skype's menus to use the keyboard's audio with Skype.

[Shameless plug]
Review of the device that prompted the question. I used a picture virtually identical to Stork's when detailing the setup.
[/Shameless plug]

 

[madstork91]

MadStork gave a nice picture on how to set up default audio in Windows from the Control Panel.

...

[Shameless plug]
Review of the device that prompted the question. I used a picture virtually identical to Stork's when detailing the setup.
[/Shameless plug]

Wouldnt be the first time I've been used for, or refered to in, such a thing. Doubt it will be the last.

Damn... I dont even get paid for this shit. :-/ Then again... I love just being around you guys. I learn something everyday.

 

[Rob Williams]

MadStork gave a nice picture on how to set up default audio in Windows from the Control Panel.

I wasn't asking how to set a default device... I gave instructions on how to do that in the post before that one.

Either way, what I want to be done, can't be done. That's all I am going to assume. Why it's not possible, I don't know. It sounds like something simple to accomplish.

 

[NicePants42]

Wouldnt be the first time I've been used for, or refered to in, such a thing. Doubt it will be the last.

Damn... I dont even get paid for this shit. :-/ Then again... I love just being around you guys. I learn something everyday.

I didn't get paid either, and if I had to give credit to someone for answering my question, it'd have to go to Rob W. and Matthias99 and Markbnj at Anandtech. Unfortunately I did not see your picture until this morning; I commented out of respect for the similar way in which we went about trying to provide eloquent instructions pertaining to this question.

I wasn't asking how to set a default device... I gave instructions on how to do that in the post before that one.

Either way, what I want to be done, can't be done. That's all I am going to assume. Why it's not possible, I don't know. It sounds like something simple to accomplish.

I didn't mean to tell you something you already know, I was only trying to make it very clear that (AFAIK) Windows only allows setting a default device for certain fuctions, while setting specific devices for specific programs requires that the program allow you to set those values.

 

[madstork91]

You win this round rob... you win this round...