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[martinhw]

Hi,
I have been trying a few things and just can't seem to get my 5 speakers to work together. It's a creative Inspire P580 5.1 Speaker System.

My system is as:

Media Center Registered 9.1.319 -- C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center\

Microsoft Windows XP  Workstation 5.1 Service Pack 1 (Build 2600)
Intel Pentium 4 3192 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 1047 MB, Free - 722 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2800.1106 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82 (xpsp1.020828-1920) / Shlwapi.dll: 6.00.2800.1400 / Shell32.dll: 6.00.2800.1348 (xpsp2.040109-1800) / wnaspi32.dll: N/A
Ripping /   Drive D:   Copy mode:Normal   CD Type:Auto   Read speed:Max
  Drive E:   Copy mode:Normal   CD Type:Auto   Read speed:Max
  Digital playback: Yes /  Use YADB: Yes /  Get cover art: No /  Calc replay gain: Yes /  Copy volume: 32767
  Eject after ripping: No /  Play sound after ripping: No  

Burning /  Drive E: PIONEER  DVD-RW  DVR-107D   Addr: 3:1:0  Speed:24  MaxSpeed:24  BurnProof:Yes
  Test mode: No /  Eject after writing: Yes /  Direct decoding: Yes /  Write CD-Text: No
  Use playback settings: No /  Normalization: None

Any Ideas?

Martin

[Omni]

The speaker brand is somewhat irrelevant.    What soundcard are you using?


Usually, in your soundcard's driver control panel, there is an option to specify the speaker type (headphones, 2, 2.1, 5.1, 7.1, etc.).  For instance, for the creative drivers (for SoundBlaster, Audigy, etc.), in the "Speakers" panel, you would first choose 5.1, and then you would also need to make sure CMSS is enabled.  (CMSS is what transforms the 2 input channels into 5.1 output channels.)


Of course, if you want, you can try let MC do the work for you and in the DSP Studio change the output channels to 5.1 (DSP Studio --> Output Format --> Channels).  This will work with the Creative drivers, but I can't speak for the other soundcard drivers.

[martinhw]

Thanx for the reply,

I had set DSP to 5.1(JRSS 2.0) - nothing.

I have a Audigy2 Sound Blaster Card - Running the Audigy Drivers


Martin

[Omni]

Cool... same card as me.

First, turn off MC's stuff. (No offense, JRiver. )  Next, in your card's "Speaker Settings," make sure 5.1 is selected.  Next, at the bottom, click the little icon that will bring up the "EAX Console."  From there, select the "CMSS 3D" tab and make sure it is enabled.  Finally--and this is important![/color], in that same CMSS window, make sure that little Stereo Focus slider is in the middle reading 0%.

By default, the creative drivers set that 100% meaning everything gets piped to only the front two speakers.  (I assume this is a bug, not a feature. )  I spent a half a day trying to figure out why I was not getting 5.1 sound before I finally noticed this.  Hopefully, this is your problem as well. *crosses fingers*

[martinhw]

Nothing changes.
  I just don't know

[Omni]

Well, then, I don't know.  Sorry.  

Maybe a wiring problem?  In the "Speaker Settings" dialog box, under the "Speaker Test" panel, if you click on "Channel," do all five speakers (FL, FR, C, RL, & RR) produce sound?  (She'll say, "Front Left," "Front Right," "Center," "Rear Left," and "Rear Right.")

Also, if you play something via Windows Media Player, do you get 5.1 output?

If both of the above produce positive results, then I know it'll seem to indicate that MC is the problem, but I am almost 100% confident that this is not an MC issue regardless.   My only suggestion is to make sure (for testing purposes) that all plug-ins are disabled (in the DSP Studio box, make sure nothing is checked).

Also, you can try all three output devices:  Wave, DirectX, and ASIO.  (NOTE:  If you try ASIO, you'll need to enable the "Output Format" plug-in in DSP Studio and set the Sample Rate to 48,000 Hz--leave Bitdepth and Channels set to "source.")

[DocLotus]

Hi Martin;

This worked for me... (without the quotes)

"http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com:80/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=226,E=0000000000017087427,K=827,Sxi=0,Case=obj(9728),Kb=Creative"

It is the Creative European site (I'm in the USA) but it had the information that I needed.

[DocLotus]

Also, Check this out at the Creative USA Knowledge Base...

"http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com:80/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=405,E=0000000000017088224,K=6066,Sxi=0"

Remove the quote marks & paste into your browser.

Hope something here helps.

[martinhw]

I've had a play around with numerous things.
In Media Player 9 it plays all 5 speakers.
In Creative Test - She says all 5 speakers
In media Center - no joy.

A quick question - sounds silly, but there are actually 6 speakers right!
front left, center, front right, rear left, rear right, and bass box.

If this was not the case, and there are only supposed to be 5 - I've wasted everyone's time  ?

Never mind, I'll get it sorted.

DocLotus, I tried the site you suggested, still only the front working.

[DocLotus]

5.1 means 5 speakers and 1 woofer.

The Five...
Front... Left, Center, Right

Rear... Laft, Right

The One...
The Woofer.

So it's only the rear speakers that are not working with MC ?

Have you tried the MC DSP Studio 5.1 Channels JRSS 2.0 setting ?

To set it up...
* Play some ripped music with MC (only works this way).
* Go to Options.
* Select Playback.
* Select DSP & Output Format.
* Select Output format.
* Select Channels.
* Select 5.1 Channels JRSS 2.0.

This is not real Dolby 5.1 Surround sound but a quasi surround sound.  JRiver said they may include real 5.1 & 7.1 in a future version.

[martinhw]

I boxed the set up - took it to the dealer told him they don't work - he gave me a new box and I installed the lot. Same problem and only with media center.

I just thought it strange.

The rest of the sound is Fab. I put it so loud, it sounds as if they're all working anyways.
 

[DocLotus]

But, have you tried the DSP Studio 5.1 Channels JRSS 2.0 ?

[martinhw]

Yup,
No Joy

From the rear speakers is only a very feint tick tick tick tick tick sound

[DocLotus]

Yes, often the rear speakers in MC produce some weird sounds like underwater or something.  Others have commented on it.

I'm using Logitech Z-680 5.1 speakers which has a hardware decorder built into the control box.  It will automatically convert standard 2 channel stereo into 5.1 channels so I don't usually have the rear channel problem that many others seem to have but sometime even with it the rear channels will sound rather dead or like undereater or choppy.

Hope JRiver adds true 5.1, 6.1 & 7.1 soon so these problems will go away for good.

[Omni]

I've had a play around with numerous things.
In Media Player 9 it plays all 5 speakers.
In Creative Test - She says all 5 speakers
In media Center - no joy.

Based on that, I might want to retract my statement about this probably not being an MC problem.  

At this point I think I'll just bow out and leave it up to the big boys (JRiver crew) to diagnose and solve.

Sorry I couldn't help.

[Charlemagne 8]

I have an Audigy 2 card and all seems to work well. The DSP Output is set to 2 channel and the card is set to 6.1. That way all functions of both Creative and Media Center work... and all six speakers work. I have no dedicated Subwoofer.
Play around in your EAX Console, your Surround Mixer and your Speaker Settings and see if you can discern any boogers.
If your THX is there, you should look there, also. I uninstalled my THX Studio or whatever they call it.

I'm also running directly from the sound card to three analog amplifiers, one for each speaker pair.

You reinstalled Soundblaster to no avail. Have you reinstalled Media Center?

These are just WAGs. Maybe one might help.

CVIII

[martinhw]

Got it working - thanx for everyone's help.
Re-Installed MC - at the cost of a restore.
Regrads
Martin

[DocLotus]

FANTASTIC