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[Dare978Devil]

Small question, but just wondering.  I have speakers hooked up to my onboard audio and I also have USB headphones.  To switch the output between the two, I just go into "Adjust Audio Properties - Audio - Sound playback" and I change the default device [all XP commands, not MC].  Works like a charm.  However, if I already had MC12 running, it won't pick up this change until I have restarted MC.  I assume it binds to the audio driver or something like that?  All I have to do is restart MC and then it will change the output device, but I was wondering if there was a way to have it recognize the change without the need to restart it.

Thanks,
DD.

[Matt]

Just pick the specific device inside MC > Options > Playback.

For extra credit, you can configure Zones in MC that target each of your devices.  For example, I always have a "Stereo" and "Headphones" zone that talk to different lines on the soundcard.

[glynor]

MC can do this internally.  Stop using Windows to do it.  MC can control the audio output itself.  By default, it simply sends audio out to the "primary sound driver" defined by Windows.  It doesn't have to though.  Go to Tools --> Options --> Playback --> Audio --> Output Mode Settings.  You can choose your output device directly here.

Even better.... Search for Zones here on the forum.  Then, create a zone for your headphones and one for the speakers.  Each zone maintains it's own complete set of output options and DSP Studio options.  So, if you activate the headphone zone and go to that Output Mode Settings dialog and set it to the headphones, then that zone will use the headphones.  Then switch to the Speakers Zone and go in and set it's settings to the Speakers (the sound card).

Then, you can simply switch zones to control which one is active.  In fact, you could play something on the headphones at the same time as you play something else on the Speakers!  Each Zone maintains it's own Playing Now list in addition to all the relevant playback options!

To switch the active zone, do any of this:

• go to Player --> Playback Options --> Choose the Zone.
• Hit Control-T to cycle through the zones.
• You can add a toolbar button to allow you to easily drop-down and choose the active Zone.  Right-click on the top or bottom toolbar and choose Customize Toolbar.

Shoot... Matt beat me.   My post was better though!   ;)

[Dare978Devil]

Holy,

OK, I have two zones now set up which is pretty impressive since I can change the output params to suit the output device.  I can actually hear my two different playlists going at once, so it is working.  CTRL + T is switching between the two, but I have one more question; is it possible to configure it so that if one zone becomes active, the other shuts its output off?

Right now I have the speakers playing, I hit CTRL + T, start a playlist, and I can hear diff MP3s out of the headphones.  I can then use the Synch button to have them play the same song, switch back to the appropriate zone and hit the stop button.  Now I only have the song coming out of the headphones.  So how do I do this all in one step?  What I want is a one-step key-combo.  Hit CTRL + T (or any other key), and switch the outputs.  Toggle it again to switch back.  See what I mean?

Thanks, had no idea zones existed in MC.  I am sure I use less than 5% of the available features in this product :-)
DD.

[richard.e.morton]

Holy,

OK, I have two zones now set up which is pretty impressive since I can change the output params to suit the output device.  I can actually hear my two different playlists going at once, so it is working.  CTRL + T is switching between the two, but I have one more question; is it possible to configure it so that if one zone becomes active, the other shuts its output off?

Right now I have the speakers playing, I hit CTRL + T, start a playlist, and I can hear diff MP3s out of the headphones.  I can then use the Synch button to have them play the same song, switch back to the appropriate zone and hit the stop button.  Now I only have the song coming out of the headphones.  So how do I do this all in one step?  What I want is a one-step key-combo.  Hit CTRL + T (or any other key), and switch the outputs.  Toggle it again to switch back.  See what I mean?

Thanks, had no idea zones existed in MC.  I am sure I use less than 5% of the available features in this product :-)
DD.

I don't think so, no.

sorry.

[glynor]

Yeah... It's not really designed that way.  The best plan (and what I use for a couple of my "mutually exclusive zones") is to just train yourself to stop playback before you switch zones.  So, Control-S, then Control-T.

[richard.e.morton]

Yeah... It's not really designed that way.  The best plan (and what I use for a couple of my "mutually exclusive zones") is to just train yourself to stop playback before you switch zones.  So, Control-S, then Control-T.

or you could use a macro hot key program (or keyboard driver) to do that for you, but that maybe overkill.

[gappie]

or a small bat file with

mc12.exe /mcc 10001,16777216
mc12.exe /mcc 10002,33554432

to start playback in the first zone, the first sentence, and stop playback in the second zone, the second sentence. 

[Dare978Devil]

You guys are wrong!  Well, not really wrong, actually glynor was exactly correct and in fact, the rest of your were also correct but I just didn't understand what you were on about :-).  Forest for the trees I would have to say (although I appreciate the replies).  I didn't read glynor's reply closely enough, but that is exactly what I wanted.  As soon as I fire up MC12, I can see the zone it is set for.  Before pushing play, I can CTRL + T to the other zone if it is headphones and I want speakers.  And then simply press play.  No need ever to use the Windows dialog boxes at all.  Furthermore, most of the time I use MC with the LCD panel off, so I wanted a keyboard toggle I could use to switch output if it started playing out the wrong one.  What I had in my head was CTRL + Z or something like that which would simply flip it between speaker-output and headphone output.  But if I fire up MC using my one-button media kb with my LCD panel off and it starts playing out the wrong output, then I can simply CTRL + S <stop> CTRL + T <switch zones> CTRL +P <play> and it works like a charm.

Thanks for the replies,
DD.

[glynor]

Glad it's working for you!

It would be nice if you could somehow set certain zones to be mutually exclusive (so that starting playback in one would stop playback in the other), but it'd probably be tough from a UI design standpoint to accomplish.