Audio Question

[shadowpr]

I have the Creative Sound Blaster Xtreme Gamer installed on my computer. It works fine with Vista 64, but now that I have Linux Mint installed, I find out that there's no driver support.

My question is this: Can I somehow have both my onboard and soundcard installed and just use the sound card for vista, and onboard for linux?

If so, how would I do this?

I like linux so far, even though it took me all day to get my video drivers to work, and a reinstall cause i messed it up.

[Lespaul20]

You can do it. Just enable it in BIOS, it most likely will be installed automatically in Vista so just make sure your dedicated sound card is the default audio device and you should be good to go.

[shadowpr]

Excellent.

Would I have to take the connections from the case and plug them into the mb or leave them on the sound card then? Or could I use both and just have one set up as the HD, and the other the AC?

[shadowpr]

Well, I now have sound in bot Vista, and Linux Mint. Vista is using the Creative card, and then when I switch OS's I just unplug my speakers from there, and plug them into the mb, and start Linux and use theonboard sound.

On;y problem is that now I can only use the front headphone jack while in Linux since I hooked it up to the MB. Need to figure how to get it set so I can use it for both OS's.

Ideas?

[That Loaded Bloke]

if you have stereo or 2.1 speakers you can use a splitter cable so that both your onboard linux sound and Windows X-Fi sound card work without need to crawl under the desk.

As for the front panel this might prove tricky - but if you want to avoid bending/kneeing/crawling you could always plug an extension cable into X-Fi, e.g.:
and have a socket near monitor all the time.
http://images4.thomann.de/pics/prod/187694.jpg (http://www.thomann.de/gb/rode_vc1.htm)

To accomplish both tasks you need two stereo jack splitters, one headphones extension cable, one 1/8" jack to jack cable (actually two but you have one already anyway)

1) Plug a mini stereo jack splitter into line out on the X-Fi
http://images4.thomann.de/pics/prod/127027.jpg (http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_sssnake_1847_yadapter.htm)
2) Plug an extension (with male and famale mini jacks on ends) cable into one of the outputs on this splitter.
http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/regular/9/3/3/545933.jpg (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Performance-Plus-Headphone-Extension-Cable-18?sku=360653&src=3SOSWXXA)
3) plug another mini stereo jack splitter into your speakers and connect with both X-Fi (via its splitter) and onboard audio using 2 separate stereo cables (you have one already)

[dchristey]

Nice. That annoys the hell out of me - forever plugging in headsets!

[shadowpr]

Thanks for that tip. A split cable complete skipped my mind.

That would definately help me so I wouldn't have to keep changing my cables around back there.

As for using the headphones, I figure it out. I can plug my headphones into the jack on the tower while in linux using onboard sound, and when in windows, I just plug it into the speaker set, and that disbles the speakers so I just get the headphones. It actually works out nicely.

Thank you again.