Using 2 Soundcards..

[kjv1611]

Does anyone know if it is possible to use 2 PCI slot sound cards on the same device. I would assume that you could have both installed, and was wondering if possible to use 2 of them if they are different kinds. For example, I was wondering if a SoundBlaster Audigy card and an M-Audio Delta 44 card could be used in the same machine.

Any advice there would be apreciated. This is not terribly important at this point, but thought it might be something I'd get a chance to try. The Deltal 44 only has 1/4 inch audio inputs/outputs, I believe, and that is why I thought of maybe using 2 sound cards on the same machine.

The machine has Windows XP Pro installed, but it's an old machine (500mhz processor, 288mb sd ram, and an 80gb hard drive I threw in). It already had a DVD-rom, and I added a Plexwriter 48x24x48 cd burner...

Stephen
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV

 

[joemck2004]

It should work. On my laptop, I have the internal (on-board, but wired as if PCI) AC97 card and an external USB SoundBlaster. WinXP handles it perfectly! When the SoundBlaster is plugged in, it plays everything theough it. When it isn't, it uses the AC97. I set the SB as the default card, and Windows remembers this.

As for using two PCI cards, which (presumably) are both quite permanent: Windows will only use one at a time for playback or recording. It will also let you use one for recording and the other for playback. You can't play through both at once, at least not with "normal" Windows programs. Some programs let the user override the Windows default device, so you might be able to use such programs to play different things over the cards simultaneously.

 

[kjv1611]

Does anyone know of any software or hardware that would allow to use both at the same time? Maybe use one for input, and one for output - that would be my ultimate desire. Could it be done by setting the default device for input and output to each device accordingly?

I would want to set the default input to the Delta-44, and output to the Soundblaster. The computer is currently being used to record audio off of a really old professional sound mixer (for a church sound system). And so far, we've just been testing, and it's not always turning out very great.

Stephen
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV

 

[joemck2004]

You shouldn't need anything special for that. Just set the default playback and recoding devices in Sounds and Audio Devices in Control Panel. Using this setup, you should be able to record through one card using one instance of SndRec while playing through the other card with another instance of SndRec.

(Or any other audio app that obeys the defaults. I used SndRec as an example because it's a simple, stupid app that comes with Windows.)

 

[thewifey85]

I'm currently running a SB Audigy (w/breakout box) and an Echo Mia card on my studio PC. I've also set up a friend's studio PC to run an SB Live and a Delta 1010. Both running WinXP Pro. I've not found a way to have one dedicated for input and one for output, though I have tried. I make the switch using the Audio Devices depending on what I need.

 

[kjv1611]

thewifey85, it sounds like you do a lot of audio stuff with pc's. Would you have any recommendations for a sound card - price concious while at the same time, having good quality to take audio off of an old sound mixer for recording? I thought of the delta-44, b/c I saw one on ebay for a pretty cheap price - comparable to retail price.. Anyway, I got outbid, b/c someone else wanted it worse.

Any recommendations there? I currently have a 500mhz computer with 288mb ram, so not a lot of power in the machine - it's an old Gateway that was not being used. I've got Windows XP Pro currently on it, and it currently has a sound card, a Creative - not Sound Blaster or audigy.. I always forget the model when I try to remember.. but it's an old one, nonetheless.

The recording is mostly for speech, and some music, but nothing fancy. Would there be any value from getting something like a M-Audio Delta card or an audigy with a break-out box? The card currently there only has one line-in, a mic in, a speaker out, and a line out.

Stephen
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV