2 Sound Cards

[Prototype]

I do a bit of audio editing at home, so I'm thinking that running two sound cards might be helpful.

One I have strictly for headphones when I record voice.

The other, I want to have things like Firefox, and playback run out the speakers, and the other sound card.

Is there somewhere that I can chose what runs off what sound card within Windows (Still running XP)?

[Rathji]

I have never tried anything like that you are suggesting, but probably a good place to start would be in whatever software suite that is provided by your manufacturer. Often you can determine what input/output jacks be used, and I assume that with that functionality you could somehow offload some things to one card and the rest to another.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Prototype

I do a bit of audio editing at home, so I'm thinking that running two sound cards might be helpful.

One I have strictly for headphones when I record voice.

The other, I want to have things like Firefox, and playback run out the speakers, and the other sound card.

Is there somewhere that I can chose what runs off what sound card within Windows (Still running XP)?

I haven't used XP for years so I can't remember where it is exactly but in the sound settings in Control Panel, you can switch audio outputs between devices easily. What Rathji suggests won't work because the software that comes from the manufacturer will only work with that specific card and usually cannot even see other devices so you have to do it at the system or application level.

For a time, I did run two soundcards (onboard + PCI 7.1 soundcard) for various sound engineering and music production purposes but I mostly had to switch between either and could not use both at the same time unless the individual application that I was using allowed selection of devices within it (such as Media Player Classic / MPC Home Cinema / Winamp, etc. does)

[TorqueDog]

Firstly, stop using Windows XP. In my experience, Windows 7 is able to manage multiple audio peripherals better than XP.

Second, it does come down to whether the software you use supports specifying an output audio device. Windows can specify your 'universal' audio device (system sounds, crap you hear in IE, etc) and then the application itself can choose from the available output devices.

[Two Fivenagame]

You shouldn't need more than one soundcard as long as you have multiple outputs/inputs already.

Search for asio4all which might help.

[Icon]

Originally Posted by Two Fivenagame

You shouldn't need more than one soundcard as long as you have multiple outputs/inputs already.

Search for asio4all which might help.

A lot of soundcards also allow you to re-assign outputs as auxilary inputs and v.v. as well... so play around with that before trying to get 2 cards working imo.

[Prototype]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Firstly, stop using Windows XP. In my experience, Windows 7 is able to manage multiple audio peripherals better than XP.

I've had this computer, through minor upgrades here and there, since about 2005. It's ran fine for me, and what I need it for. I won't be upgrading windows on it. In fact, when it dies, I'm going Mac. But until that time, I will keep working with the little computer that could.

As far as running two sound cards, neither has multiple outputs, and I have desktop speakers running, and would like to run headphones as well. Will play around with it this weekend, and see what I can come up with.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Prototype

I've had this computer, through minor upgrades here and there, since about 2005. It's ran fine for me, and what I need it for. I won't be upgrading windows on it. In fact, when it dies, I'm going Mac. But until that time, I will keep working with the little computer that could.

As far as running two sound cards, neither has multiple outputs, and I have desktop speakers running, and would like to run headphones as well. Will play around with it this weekend, and see what I can come up with.

Are you sure about that? Even in 2005 every onboard solution should have rear output and headphone output.