Playing Computer Audio Through Stereo System?

I thought this would be a simple matter of connecting my Audigy Platinum
soundcard's "line out" socket to the VCR input on my Hi-Fi system, but
there's no sound. No outputs are muted on the soundcard's control panel and
all the volume sliders are turned up pretty high.

I've tried playing CDs and MP3s with Winamp and radio with Media Player. It
all sound fine through the computer speakers but there's no sound at all
through the stereo.

The VCR input on the stereo works okay - I play my stereo VCR though it all
the time.

Any idea what the problem could be?

TIA,

Greg

 

That's a simple problem.
Just buy one of those cheapie cassette recorders for about $20. Put
the built in microphone in front of your computer speakers and record
the stuff. Then play the cassette on your stereo.

 

That's not really a very elegant solution, nor will it give very good sound.
I hope you offered that as "tongue-in-cheek".
To the OP:
What kind of cable(s) are you using to connect the line out of your PC to
the VCR line in of the stereo? The cable should have a 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo
plug on one end and two RCA phono plugs on the other end. If you don't have
that cable, get one and it should work. Or course, the stereo system should
have the appropriate input selected. You might try a different input on the
stereo system... such as the tape in, aux in, CD in, etc. The VCR input on
your stereo system may be bad.

Cheers!
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.

 

I'm not familiar with the Audigy Platinum, but I would check that you
don't have it configured for 5.1 or some such thing that makes the
output you're using something other than plain vanilla "line out."

 

Are you sure the line out of your sound card is actually a line out and not
a line in?

 

According to the soundcard manual. I had no trouble recording tapes from the
stereo to my hard drive using the soundcard's line in. Very puzzling.

Greg

 

That's what I'm using.

You might try a different input on the

It's a rack system and VCR is the only auxillary input (I have to use it for
a CD player too as the built-in one's kaput). It works fine for CDs and
Nicam stereo from the VCR.

Greg

 

It does have a 5.1 setting but it's set to the default 2 speakers.

Greg

 

Try using the speaker out connection instead -- does _that_ work?

 

Do you own the whole soundcard, as in you own the actually sound card that
goes in the PCI slot (of course you stated that much) and the "drive" that
goes with it, its a front panel that goes in place of a 5 1/4 bay that
allows from easy line in, out and other connectors to be easy to access. It
connects (at least for my Audigy 2 Platinum) by an IDE cable to the sound
card in your PCI slot and a connection to the PSU. This information will
help in fixing your problem. Also test the "line out" directly by using a
pair of headphones in that output connector to listen to hear if any sound
is being put out. Also go to creatives site and look up in there help and
see if your problem is there. Also what operating system are you using, and
what version and, if applicable, what service pack has been applied?

-glasnostJDC

 

Yes, I have the breakout box in a front panel. It's an Audigy Platinum 1
though - much the same.


It connects (at least for my Audigy 2 Platinum) by an IDE cable to the sound

Doh! Why didn't I think of that?

No, listening with headphones there's no sound coming from *any* of the
outputs except the "line out" between the "rear out" and "mic in" sockets.
That's where the computer speakers were plugged in and when I connect *that*
output to my stereo VCR in it works fine.

I misread the Audigy Manual connection diagram and I was trying to use the
Audigy's "rear out" output into my stereo before.

This is great and thanks very much for your suggestions. But I really need
the computer speakers plugged in a well. Any idea how to mamage that with
only one line out socket?

As you know, the Audigy outputs are:

Analog/Digital Out
Line Out
Rear Out

I don't think the breakout box at the front has a "line out" socket.

Greg

 

The back.

I thought the spdif and optical outs on the front panel were for portables
and stuff?

Greg

 

If you touch the mini stereo plug contacts with your finger, with the rca end
plugged into your receiver, do you hear a hum? You should. If hum, your sound
card is at fault, if no hum, your receiver is at fault.

 

http://www.americas.creative.com/support/manuals/Files/Platinum_Pictorial.pdf
Is this the right sound card?

 

Yep, that's the one.

Greg

 

Sorry about that there are no line outs on the front (wasn't at the PC with
that sound card at the time). Make sure the speaker setup is setup to
"2/2.1 Speakers" . Take a pair of headphones and hook them up to the line
out of your sound card (it is the 3 rd connector from the firewire connecter
on the actuall sound card). If you have sound from the headphones, check the
cable you used to connect your VCR, no sound check the software setup again.
Do this and lets go from there.

-glasnostJDC

 

Sorry, I guess my earlier post wasn't very clear.

I did what you suggest yesterday and the only output that put sound through
headphones was the "line out" and when I connect that to the VCR input on my
stereo it works great.

The problem now is that I used to plug my computer speakers into the "line
out" socket but now it's in use by the stereo VCR input lead. I'd like to
have the computer speakers connected as well if possible.

If there's no way of doing this I can live with it. It's great to have the
computer to stereo connection working at all and thanks for your trouble.

Greg

 

Yep, I've got an adaptor and the speakers work fine in the headphone socket,
so, problem solved.

Again, many thanks for your time and trouble.

It's always good to know this newsgroup's here when I start blundering about
with the TV, stereo etc.

Greg

 

I'm not familiar with your sound card. But here's a thought. I have used
older sound cards that forced you to use either line out OR speaker out.
Never both simultaneously. Maybe there's a setting to select line out in
the interface software ( other than the generic mixer control )?


Greg Barlow wrote in message ...

 

I would hazard a guess that most sound chips/cards today are pretty much
set for a line output. I base this guess on the fact that I haven't seen
unpowered speakers in a long time. I've have had my system hooked up to
a regular stereo in the past. One thing to keep in mind though, always
double check the volume setting before switching inputs!

Dave