FAQ: How Do I Get 5.1 Audio From My M10000 Onboard Audio?

Maheriano · 08-28-2006, 05:35 PM

What You'll Need:
RCA Y adapter with 1 female end and 2 male ends
3 RCA Y adapters with 1 1/8 male end each and 2 RCA male ends each
A 4 channel amplifier and a single channel amplifier
.........OR..........
A 5.1 channel amplifier (either way, it has to run 4 speakers and a subwoofer)
2 lengths of thin switched wire
Windows XP

Wiring:
- There is a J2 jumper on the M1-ATX for an amplifier on/off switch, you'll have to find out how to run a switched wire with your PSU. From the M1-ATX, use this wire to run a remote switched signal to each amplifier.
- Plug one of the 1/8 inch ends of the Y adapter into the green sound port of the motherboard and run the other end to the 2 front inputs of the amplifier.
- Do the same from the blue sound port to the rear inputs of the amplifier.
- Plug the 1/8 inch end of the last Y adapter into the red sound port of the motherboard and plug the RIGHT channel on the other end into the female end of the other Y adapter. Plug both ends of this Y adapter into the inputs on your subwoofer amplifier.
- This is assuming your 2 amps and computer are already getting power and grounded properly. And that your subwoofer is already hooked to your subwoofer amplifier.

Software:
- Go here and download the new audio drivers for your motherboard.
- START MENU > CONTROL PANEL > SOUNDS AND OTHER DEVICES
- Do the following.

- Change the sound output to 5.1 Surround Sound.

- Click OK
- Click VOLUME under the Default Device section.

- Click Options and then Advanced.

- Click the ADVANCED button under the Front section.

- Enable Smart 5.1 and hit OK
- Start Menu > Settings > Control Panel > Sounds And Audio Devices > Audio tab > Volume under Sound Playback > Options > Properties > Other > select Multi Channel > check all 4 boxes > OK > Options > Advanced > click Advanced under the rear slider
- Enable Magic5.1 and click OK
- Mess with the volume of both your front/rear sliders in the volume control and also the gain on your amp to get your preferred sound out of your speakers.
- Start Menu > Control Panel > Sounds And Audio Devices > Audio tab > Volume under the mic section > Options > Properties > Other: multi-channel > check all boxes > OK
- This is your new volume panel, it will allow you control your front/rear/subwoofer/center all independently. Now by changing the volume on the slider for the subwoofer and also the gain on your amp, you'll get the desired amount of bass from your subwoofer.
- You'll notice you still have a RCA jack hanging near your subwoofer because you're only filtering one side into your amplifier. This jack is for your center channel. If you have a center speaker, you can patch this cable into an amplifier and power a center speaker for full 5.1 sound.

You can make this pseudo if you wish, or delete it all together. I'm going to clean it up after I check it all to make sure it's exact, I did it from memory.

jschrauwen · 09-21-2006, 12:24 AM

Your software instructions clearly lay out 5.1 procedures but the hardware/wiring directions only address 4.1 with a small note to addresss the 5th (center channel). Why not include the 5th channel wiring connection info in with the rest of the amp connection info - less confusing or missleading. Nice write-up BTW.

Is there actually enough power on the lines running directly from the MB to the amp? Don't some amps require a minimum voltage input? What sort of voltage are we possibly looking at that will be available to the amp once we've made the extensive run of RCA cables from the front of the car to the rear where the amp(s) is/are located?

CARLOS_CET · 09-25-2006, 08:14 PM

What did I do wrong. I set the jumper on the mobo and tested both outputs but got nothing. It's been a while since I did it (3-4 months). I use Frodoplayer and winxp. Does the software have to support 5.1? Will frodoplayer support 5.1?

Maheriano · 09-28-2006, 07:56 PM

The audio is all controlled through Windows and the motherboard drivers. ARe you using the M10000? You shouldn't be moving jumpers on the motherboard.

CARLOS_CET · 10-02-2006, 11:52 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Maheriano

The audio is all controlled through Windows and the motherboard drivers. ARe you using the M10000? You shouldn't be moving jumpers on the motherboard.

Yup, I have an M10000. I tried this procedure this weekend. I really want to get it working. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. I've followed all the steps and kind of get lost here...

At what point should I be able to get an output out of the mic connection? I had the mic connected to my amp input and heard nothing during the setup. Maybe my mobo is broken?

- Start Menu > Control Panel > Sounds And Audio Devices > Audio tab > Volume under the mic section > Options > Properties > Playback > check Subwoofer and Rear Output boxes > OK I don't see these options. I updated my driver and got these options but when I install the Audio Codec, those options are not there anymore.
- Enable Magic5.1 and click OK I don't see this option.

Please help.

Maheriano · 10-02-2006, 12:38 PM

I did that writeup from memory, I'll get the exact path today. Check back tonight, I'll try and get it posted for you. Just make sure you have the new drivers downloaded and installed.

CARLOS_CET · 10-02-2006, 06:15 PM

Thanks man. I did get the newest driver. Thanks again..

tibby01 · 10-04-2006, 04:59 PM

after fighting with the 5.1 i realized that my plugs had fallen out fo the jacks slightly. plugged them in and now all work except for the fact that i get SUPER low volume out of the fronts.

i have a mII board though, and i think the "M" at the end of the chipset number that i have only notice on II boards causes problems because i have only been able to get vinyl deck working wiht a really old driver package from gigabyte that has an older version of vinyl deck. im going to try a new driver but im thinking its going to cause errors with vinyl deck again. oh well, ill keep trying.

carlos, you have to first setup the speaker as 5.1 under ADVANCED SPEAKER SETTINGS.

Maheriano · 10-04-2006, 08:18 PM

Hey, sorry about not posting that for you, I had to move all weekend, then I thought I fried my motherboard, returned it, and realized it was my PSU I fried....IT STINKS. Then when plugging in my monitor, I broke that so I have to buy a new one, it's been a huge headache. BUT, I will try very hard to get this for you tonight after 12.5 hours of work, so take a look for it late tonight or early tomorrow and it should be here.

* all components mentioned above are from my desktop, not my carputer

Maheriano · 10-04-2006, 09:50 PM

I've updated it to read the actual Magic5.1 enable below. I'll see if I can verify the Smart5.1 as well.

Quote:

- Start Menu > Settings > Control Panel > Sounds And Audio Devices > Audio tab > Volume under Sound Playback > Options > Properties > Other > select Multi Channel > check all 4 boxes > OK > Options > Advanced > click Advanced under the rear slider
- Enable Magic5.1 and click OK

Maheriano · 10-04-2006, 11:56 PM

Smart 5.1 is verified as working, the whole writeup should now be correct. Feel free to PM me directly if you have more problems. You might want to check your Device Manager to make sure the drivers installed properly.

CARLOS_CET · 10-05-2006, 06:40 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Maheriano

Smart 5.1 is verified as working, the whole writeup should now be correct. Feel free to PM me directly if you have more problems. You might want to check your Device Manager to make sure the drivers installed properly.

Thanks for the update. I'll check my setup again. Sorry to hear about your desktop. If you have a chance, can you post the version of your audio drivers so I know that I have the same ones.
I know I had a wierd problem where I installed the Vinyl Deck, the small icon appeared in the taskbar. Than I updated the audio drivers, and the icon in the taskbar was gone. I re-installed the vinyl deck but that still didn't make it come back. Anyway, I should be able to figure that out.
Can I ask what front end your using? I just want to make sure that there should be sound coming out of my setup if I have 5.1 enabled. I'm using Road Runner. Thanks again.

Maheriano · 10-07-2006, 08:01 PM

I'm using Road Runner as well, are you sure it's not the channel settings on your amp? I'll check the version of the audio driver for you after work.

Pishaa · 10-13-2006, 04:11 PM

Conifirmed working on a SP13000 too.

tibby01 · 10-17-2006, 02:48 PM

did you ever get that driver version maheriano? i would greatly appreciate it.

you are postive that all the speakers are recieving correct signals too, right? could you do me a favor and test the fader/balance to make sure you can get the sound to come out of each speaker independently?

it seems that with mine the signals are being blended incorrectly into other channels. like part of the power that should be going to the fronts is going to the rears. whenever i decrease the level on the fronts, the rear gets lowered too. im sure its just a ****ty driver problem.