Audio problems

lotan · 02-07-2006, 09:31 AM

Hi all its my 1st post!

Im kind of new to this car pc thing, I have recently installed a VIA EPIA M10000 Mini-ITX pc into my car, along with 2x 2 channel JBL gto 400w amps.

im useing 1 amp to run the front speakers and 1 to run the rear speakers.

Now this is prob gonna make me sound like a idot, but i need some help with it.

After many hours of trying different front end software i have encounted the same problem with them all.

I set my sound levels up with the windows sound tool (the rear and front levels and wave levels),but when ever i use any of the front end software programs Ie roadrunner, centra fuse ect ect, and try to lower or raise the volume levels, my front sound level in the windows set up is lowered right down to the min level and can no longer be heard, this happens every time and with every front end i have used.

this is starting to drive me insane and i am now useing windows media player! with a remote, so not the ideal solution hehe.

am i doing somthing really really stupid or is this a common problem?.
i would really apresiate anyones help with this.

3onDubs · 02-07-2006, 12:38 PM

Are you going directly from your via epia to your amps, or are you using a soundcard?

lotan · 02-07-2006, 02:14 PM

im going directly from my via onboard sound to my amps with 2x rca leads.

DavC · 02-07-2006, 03:44 PM

Not sure about others, but on Roadrunner, in the RRconfig there is an option at the bottom of the music tab, something like "Master volume for weak sound cards" cant remember off hand, but this seems to fix it anyway.

Good luck

lotan · 02-07-2006, 04:10 PM

thanks loads ill try that and see what happens

DavC · 02-07-2006, 04:14 PM

No probs, let us know how you get on.

Out of interest, are you using surround sound? Or have you just split the stereo output cable to both amps. Is it onboard sound your using?

lotan · 02-07-2006, 04:47 PM

I tryed setting the sound option in RR to master.

and it only moves the front input vol meter then, ( it leaves all the rest where they are so it doesnt really get quite or loud but it moves the front up and down.

im useing the onboard sound from the motherboard which is 5.1 by useing the smart enable feature on it, which is set to on and off in the windows vol settings, hope that makes sense how i worded it ).

would this prob poss be fixed by useing a USB soundcard a 5.1 one?, or will i still get the same prob?.

DavC · 02-08-2006, 08:31 AM

I've been trying to get that smart 5.1 working on mine (got the same board as you) but had no success. I have heard that is what happens and the volume would only control the front when set up that way. So afraid I cant help you there!

So I guess you only have two choices:
Get a Y splitter any run all speakers from the "front" on your on board sound. Or get a sound card. Fairly confident either option will work, but of couse both have disadvantages!

lotan · 02-08-2006, 09:48 AM

ta for the info m8, least i know now its me onboard sound thats a bit knobby.

how do you run the sound from out of yours? do you use a external soundcard or do you just use a y splitter?.

am i also right in thinking that if i go the route of useing a y splitter i will lose the customize ability of setting up the separate channel levels?.

DavC · 02-08-2006, 11:26 AM

Yeah that would be right, you'd just have stereo, and you would lose the function to change the fader on the PC. This could be set up on the amp and just left though, wouldn't be too bad. And of couse you would lose the whole surround sound, but unless you watch DVDs and stuff in your car much it shouldnt really be an issue. Certanly the cheepest option anyway, and less of a headache too!

lotan · 02-09-2006, 08:59 AM

i got some y splitters in the end fort i would try this route 1st and see how it was, installed them in me lunch hour.

RR still does the same as before I.e, when i use the vol control in RR to up the vol or lower it, it resets the vol in windows to 0, but at least its doing it to my front and my rear speakers now so they both go quite at the same setup amp lvs, when i increase the vol after this has happened its all ok and works how it should its just the 1st time i touch the vol after RR has booted now.

thanks loads for the help davc.

3onDubs · 02-09-2006, 02:22 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by lotan

when i increase the vol after this has happened its all ok and works how it should its just the 1st time i touch the vol after RR has booted

This is the way it should work...this is how road runner works for me too. When I use my steering wheel controls with road runner, the first time i press the volume, the volume jumps down (i think this was intended in the design), and after that it just works normally....this is probably just in case the volume was set to be too high before the computer was shut off the last time...

lotan · 02-10-2006, 03:29 AM

ah thats cool then it now means mines working fine then ).

thanks for that

3onDubs · 02-10-2006, 11:32 AM

no worries

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