Help! Someone with experience working with voicebox+PC mod

[manlai]

Hi all, I've just about finished my PC mod that includes a trimmed down voicebox unit (just the 3 vertical bars modulator). I managed to make it into a slightly oversized drive bay device that screws into a drive bay (just background info, not really relevant to my problem). The system itself is built and running Vista Ult 32. Currently, I have the voicebox audio cables basically wired into a single audio jack plug like a regular headphone plug. I ran the cable to the outside of the case and plugged it into one of the audio output jacks on the motherboard. However, I cannot get the audio to pipe into my regular output (HDMI) AND the analog output (KITT vox plug) at the same time. I can use realtek audio to switch from one to the other and have either the KITT vox light up OR have actually audio through my HDMI connection.

I have seen many others with similar problems piping audio out to more than one device in Vista when they did not have the same problem in XP. I have not found a solution and really doubt there is one at this point in time with my current setup. Therefore, my question becomes how do you guys who have installed voxes into your PC mods (or really any kind of vox installation) connect the audio so that it does not have to override your regular sound output? - especially people familiar with hooking these things up with PC's and particularly with Vista SP1. What connections did you make? How did you get it to work?

Just to be clear, I have no intention of changing OS's as it would kind of defeat the purpose of an HTPC setup and I have no other versions of windows available for install. Since my sound (and video) output is through the same HDMI connection, getting a splitter or something to that effect doesn't seem practical. Essentially, I'm hoping there's either (1) a relatively easy software fix or (2) a different wiring solution to hook the audio inputs from the vox to my motherboard. I'm guessing (2) is the more realistic probability.

Thanks in advance. I'd appreciate any help you have.

[manlai]

oh, the MB is a biostar ta790gx

[RafaelLOJ]

@ some point the HDMI plays to a speaker, right? Tap into that signal for the VU...

Raf

[manlai]

not so, my HDTV (what the system is connected to) doesn't have a passthrough sound feature. I don't use a separate sound system with a passthrough feature either. I would have to set it to output to separate speakers, which would create the same problem all over again.

Anyway, I figured out it can't be done right now in Vista. It's due to the fact that Vista handles the audio stacks differently from XP and cannot provide synchronized audio to 2 different devices simultaneously. I just needed to make sure I wired it correctly (which I did) and see if there's any other options. I'll have to write my own driver or wait until waveRT implementation fixes that problem for me.

In sum, phase 1 of the system is done and it runs very nicely. Phase 2 is a ways away with a 4870x2 and possibly a TV card. Here's what it looks like right now:

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh46 ... CF0004.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I managed to do the mods without access to a machine shop or most professional tools unlike all the true case modders. Turned out ok considering. I may do a work log in the future if there's sufficient interest. The voicebox ended up being a bit bigger than a standard drive bay but it mostly fits...

[RafaelLOJ]

Any way you can get it to play through the PC speaker (not sure if they are still used in Vista), but I know some PC's had built in speakers & would play wav files through it.. maybe it can simultaneously play through that and you can tap into the jumpers...

I also saw a 12v board Christian now makes for about $30, it's a mic to pickup / activate the VU... check ebay...

Raf

[manlai]

no pc speakers in this rig. Built it from ground up with a bare case and PC speakers would've just taken up precious space seeing as it's an HTPC case and doesn't have a whole lot of room to begin with. I saw the mic pickup thing since I've been in contact with Chris as well. I could rig up my own mic if I wanted that setup but I'd rather have it working with synchronized pc audio as opposed to picking up ambient sounds. For now I'm going keep pounding away on writing my own audio driver. Good input though Raf.

[RafaelLOJ]

Are there pins on the mother board to connect a PC speaker too? If so, you could just hook up to the pins...

Raf

[njamont]

well i am going start on my car pc project soon

this im doing to it

i have a voice box from jupitere and im going to hook it up to the 3,5 inch jack wire that runs from my car pc to my aux on my car

im going to make a block between the cables that i can connect the voice box on
it should work like a charm

you can also do that and mount that block inside your pc and let the wire to the speaker run out of the case in the back

[RafaelLOJ]

That VU is designed to run off speaker level input, not line level... It may not work with that signal, the 3.5 jack off the computer, may have to run it off a speaker...

Raf

[njamont]

hmm maybe your right

i thought the vu meter just needs audio input that i gets from a audio signal hence the wire from the speaker out from my pc

[weeezl]

Is there no audio output from the HDTV at all? besides its built in speakers, i mean as in Aux out or Scart out that can feed an external source?

Usually if they are new enough to have HDMI there is a way to get audio out, because if it has scart you use the scart out to record off the HDMI input

What make and model is your HDTV? I might be able to help you.

[manlai]

Raf, what you just stated is exactly why it doesn't work connecting to the audio pins on the MB... that's what I tried first. Maybe a line level converter would work? I tend to think the same barrier would exist since WaveRT currently doesn't allow multiple audio device outputs simultaneously.

Weezl, my tv has an audio out, but it doesn't have a pass-through feature. By that I mean it can't output to internal speakers AND to the external device (in this case, the vox) at the same time. This would lead to my previous problem since I do not have an external sound system - don't need the extra bulk or expense since I'm not a giant audiophile anyway (although I understand it would be easiest that way because dedicated sound systems have those features). The vox works fine if I make it the main audio device OR if I have my tv audio output to the vox. But either way, I would have no sound since I cannot get sychronized output to any actual speakers.

[manlai]

oh my tv is the Samsung Series 950 lcd.

[manlai]

check that, by line level converter I meant amp... but then I would still have the same issue since Vista would recognize it as a separate device, just as it is now.

The easiest solutions for other vox pc builders (not me though since I don't have a standalone sound system) is to get a spliter for the audio from the pc, or use XP instead since XP audio stacks actually does support multi-device output (also not for me since I only have Vista Ultimate). A less desirable option is to plug it in to your sound system since... well.. sending audio to different devices simultaneously is essentially its raison d'etre. The downside to that is having to run a long cable that extends from the inside of your pc case all the way to your sound system.

[weeezl]

oh my tv is the Samsung Series 950 lcd.

I have the Samsung PS50A Plasma, very similar electronics.

Ive been playing with the tv trying to figure this out, you can use the internal speakers and feed an external source but only from the opitical digital out, I guess this wouldnt be of any use to you because it would require an external amplifier/reciever.

Sorry I cant be of any more help bud.

Weeezl.