help me! how do I set up multiple speakers from one source??

[JoeyHazard]

do they exist?? or is there a way I can use a 7.1 channel sound card and each channel output be used as a stereo out??
basically, what I'm trying to do is create a home-wide speaker system, so my pc can act as a jukebox for my mp3 & wma playlists. I basically want to wire up a pair of decent powered stereo pc speakers in each room of my house & my outdoor patio and have them all running to the same source.
Can someone help me or point me in the direction of help so that I don't have to take my soundcard and run ****** radioshack stereo splitter jacks from the back of it to do this??
thanks
Joey

[AndyH]

In general, no. Those multi-media cards do not have separate pathways out in the same manner as true multi-track soundcards. The soundcard receives a multiplexed signal (single input from computer to soundcard) and produces the necessary mix to the outputs via DSP processing. If playing a stereo file it generally only gives the signal to the main right and left channels; if the file has more channels, they go to the appropriate outputs. You can use the outputs independently only if your soundcard actually has eight separate channels.

[JoeyHazard]

but my question still exists....do seperate channel sound cards exist? and where can I find one if they do?
or..am I stuck running stereo splitters to each pair of speakers from the single audio out?

[sabianq]

The M-Audio Revolution 7.1 side connector plate has 4 stereo line outputs for the 7.1 audio, a line input, a microphone input, and an S/PDIF RCA connector.

you can configure the output to be just about anything you want.

http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/product_pics/big/revolution_7.1.jpg

quoted directly from the published M-audio 7.1 revolution:


You will run into a variety of surround formats when playing DVDs, some of which
include 2.0, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1.

This section is meant to provide a quick
explanation of some of these formats.

2.0 - This is a stereo soundtrack. This soundtrack can be expanded up to 7.1
channel playback with a Dolby Pro Logic® or SRS Circle Surround II® decoder. It
will play out of the left and right speakers without decoding. Headphones are
generally stereo or 2.0 devices.


2.1 - This is a stereo soundtrack with a separate LFE(Low Frequency Effect, or the
low-end frequencies designed only for subwoofers). Sometimes this soundtrack
can be expanded to surround playback with a Dolby Pro Logic® or Circle
14
Surround® decoder. It will play out of the left, right and subwoofer speakers.


4.0 - This signal is the same as 4.1, only without the LFE channel.


4.1 - This is how most feature films from 1970-1980 were mixed. It will play back
from the left, center and right speakers with a mono signal going to all of the
surrounds. An additional “point one” signal gets sent to the subwoofer in all of
the following formats, called .1 because it only uses up 1/10th of the data of the
other channels.

5.0 - is signal is the same as 5.1, only without the LFE channel

5.1 - This is how most current DVDs are released. Dolby Digital® and DTS®
soundtracks usually have 5.1 channels. This signal plays back from the left,
center, and right speakers, plus two surrounds, left and right, and LFE channel.


6.1 - This signal sends three channels to the front: left, center and right. There
are also three surround channels: left surround, center surround and right
15
surround. This is the format used by Dolby Digital EX® and DTS ES®.


7.1 - This is a further refinement of the 6.1 system described above, where the center
surround channel is played back on two center surround speakers in order to provide
better diffusion of the center surround audio. Some technologies, such as Microsoft’s
Windows Media 9, also provide the possibility of playing back content encoded with
7.1 discrete channels of audio.
You need specialized software to play back surround audio formats using more
than two channels. Much of this software is included in the drivers or the software
bundle for Revolution. See the installation CD that came with your Revolution 7.1
for more information, or check the M-Audio website.



this sound card will work great for what you want.
it has 4 stereo outs that are line level.
you could even plug in 8 direct boxes and send balanced signals through out your house, then have amplifiers inn each room that can be manually controlled.

[sabianq]

do you guys at Sweetwater sell it?

it would make a great addition to your product line.

[sabianq]

The other option is to get yourself a 70 volt two channel amplifier and create a distributed sound system, but that can be more complicated.

[AndyH]

I could certainly be wrong, but I don't read that, or anything on the M-Audio site, as saying there are 8 independent channels. Those four two-channel output jacks all seem to be connected back to one DSP chip.

There are many true multi-track soundcards. The M-Audio Delta 1010 is one: 8 analogue output channels plus S/PDIF.

[ecc83]

If you are only sending stereo why bother with a multi output card? Just feed the card out into as many bal line send chips as you need, a sort of reverse mixer. Also I am not sure how long a bit of cable you could hang on a sound card.

For a nice tidy(but expensive) way to do it Google Russound.

I have some of their bits and pieces and it even works over CAT5 UTP but my setup is shielded.

Dave.

[itsplayed]

If you are only sending stereo why bother with a multi output card? Just feed the card out into as many bal line send chips as you need, a sort of reverse mixer. Also I am not sure how long a bit of cable you could hang on a sound card.


Yes, I setup something similar with the PC feeding a standard surround sound home theatre reciever in a tanning salon.

[Audiodude]

do you guys at Sweetwater sell it?

it would make a great addition to your product line.
The Revolution card is part of M-Audio's consumer audio line. We can sell it special order, but we don't stock it. It's around $110, I think.

We primarily stock their pro line. The consumer line is available in mainstream consumer electronics stores (places like Best Buy), while the pro line is only sold through the pro audio / music retail channel (places like Sweetwater).

[Audiodude]

do they exist?? or is there a way I can use a 7.1 channel sound card and each channel output be used as a stereo out??
basically, what I'm trying to do is create a home-wide speaker system, so my pc can act as a jukebox for my mp3 & wma playlists. I basically want to wire up a pair of decent powered stereo pc speakers in each room of my house & my outdoor patio and have them all running to the same source.
Can someone help me or point me in the direction of help so that I don't have to take my soundcard and run ****** radioshack stereo splitter jacks from the back of it to do this??
thanks
Joey

There are a number of ways to do this, by the way, and they don't involve multi-channel audio cards or Radio Shack splitters.

Here's a couple:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LS3/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JIBS/ (mono - so you'll need two of these)
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SwitchWitch/