It is possible t use 5.1 to have different stereo sources in front and rear?

RaK · 04-15-2004, 10:59 AM

Hello guys,

I am new to CarPCing, but quit impressed about the possibilities. I plan to build a dual head system to enable my kids in the rear to listen to music and view films while using GPS navigation on the front display.

So one question comes into my mind. Is there a software outside which makes it possible to hear two different stereo sources over a 5.1 system on the front resp. on the rear speakers?

Perhaps this is also used in the DJ scene to hear different sources over the headset and the normal loadspeakers?

KR

falconey · 04-15-2004, 11:39 AM

Anything's possible, but I think you may want to have a plan together before you start working out this type of set up. Do you have any idea of what your set up is going to be? I also have another question why would you want this again? I mean think about it you'll be trying to listen to the GPS and the kids will be listening to music. It's not like you're in seperate rooms or that they'll have headphones.

Anyways a simple unexplained answer to your question is yeah you can do it. You'd have to have an a/v switch in between your two inputs and your amp or hu.

RaK · 04-16-2004, 09:21 AM

@falconey: your questions could be answered in a simple way. I plan to implement two jacks in the rear to connect headsets to it. So the sound for kids is comming over headsets and it will be possible to hear a different source (of course not to loud) in the front.

Your suggestion is a sort of "Hardware solution".

I was thinking about a "software solution" which uses the 5.1 out of the motherboard/soundcard to play different sources on the front and rear speakers.

god_of_cpu · 04-16-2004, 09:31 AM

I don't think this would be easily possible from what I know of how the mixer works in windows. You can only send sounds to a line I don't think there is anyway to control what channel on the line the sounds go to. Globally you can change the how much sound goes to one channel relative to the others, but not which sounds go to a channel.

The right way to accomplish what you want is to have 2 sound cards. One for GPS and one for whatever other app your running. If your lucky, the software will let you select which output device to use, but don't count on it, most software just uses the preferred sound output device chosen in the windows control panel. The best way to get around this would be to just write a small app that switches the preffered sound device in windows programmatically whenever it is run, then it runs the app.

Banderon · 04-16-2004, 01:02 PM

I use some DJ software (PCDJ) that does just that. If you have 5.1 output on your comp, it outputs seperate audio streams to the front stereo/rear stereo channels.

However, I don't know of any programs that implement this on an OS-wide level.

God of CPU said it best... two soundcards, apps that let you choose sound output, or write your own.