Front panel audio header cable adapter/extender? - Page 2

Reece · 12-01-09, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Is that something that got added to Control Panel when you installed the sound card? I don't have it but the Xonar DX Audio Center shows up there, that came with my sound card install. There may be something I can do from there - I've only played with it a little and haven't even begun to look at the documentation on it.

Yes this was installed with the card, you should have similar settings here!

Not familiar with your card, did you check to see if there is a jumper on the card to select between front and rear panel, just a thought.

frau kaleun · 12-02-09, 08:44 AM

I reenabled the onboard audio just to see what effect that would have, if any... btw the Realtek HD Audio options mentioned above only apply to that, which is what I figured anyway. Once it was reenabled another option appeared (which I'd read about in the board's manual, finally got to it online) for selecting HD for the FP audio, which I did since I'm using the HD connector on the FP cable. (If I disable the onboard audio, all other subsets of audio options disappear from Setup since they're no longer relevant and I don't get to select any options for FP audio at all.)

Nevertheless, the only difference after the reboot/reset was that when I plugged the phones into either the front or rear onboard audio jacks, the onboard audio software program opened to inform me that I'd plugged something in and wanted to confirm it was headphones since that was the jack I had used. I confirmed that it was but all of that didn't disable the speakers and give me sound from the 'phones via either jack. The only sound from the headphones came when it was plugged into something controlled by the sound card, which the FP isn't. And even when it is plugged into the card instead of the board, the FP jack still doesn't work. So maybe the FP only works if onboard audio is enabled and NOT superseded in any way by an installed sound card, or if the card and the motherboard are somehow sharing the connection provided by the FP audio cable. (That seems to be the point of the connection mentioned in the card's manual altho' for the life of me I can't see how to make that happen since the FP cable doesn't seem designed for it and I can't find something that is.)

The audio card's rear 'phone jack is shared with one of the surround sound speaker jacks, which of course already has a speaker jack in it. I took the speaker jacks out and put the 'phones in instead and did get sound from them, but of course I wouldn't be using that jack for them anyway since the speakers are going to stay connected 100% of the time and they provide a headphone jack to use in that case.

Anyway - onboard audio once again disabled, FP audio cable plugged back into the motherboard where it was when I started, audio via card and speakers sounds great and the card's software program seems to be working fine to manage them. Dedicated 'phone jack on speaker control doodad works fine and is convenient enough to substitute for FP jack, so it's not like I'm *missing* a feature I really need, lol.

The only thing that still puzzles me is that bit from the card's manual about plugging one end of the FP audio cable into the card, and one into the motherboard. I still can't figure out what the heck that means since there are only two "ends" to the cable and one of them surely needs to be plugged into the front panel, while the other doesn't have two HD connectors to split between board and card and I can't find anything that would make that possible.

I may still go back to Asus and see if there's any additional documentation for the board and/or card that clarifies things, if only for my own peace of mind.

Reece · 12-02-09, 07:56 PM

Well I suppose it works to a degree and you may have to put up with it that way!!

One thing I forgot to mention is that the FP connector could be either only AC97 (most common on older box's) or HD and AC97), if the latter then you only use one or the other, the HD option for newer cards has the pins arranged so that the speakers will cut off when plugging in the headphones, however on the creative card this doesn't happen by default you have to set it that way in the Control Panel App mentioned above:

frau kaleun · 12-02-09, 08:39 PM

It's a brand new system so I've got the choice of either HD or AC'97, I'm using the HD. I've only scratched the surface of the audio software that came with the card but if/when I start to play with it more I'll keep an eye out for something that would cut off the speakers when the FP 'phone jack is in use, just in case. Otherwise I'm happy with the setup I've got for now.

Thanks again for all the input.

Reece · 12-02-09, 08:55 PM

Arclight · 12-03-09, 12:40 AM

One last thing I can think of is that you need to enable/configure the FP output on the card, likely in a program provided with it. Weird it's giving you such a hard time.

I think the bit in the manual refers to the "connection" at the FP connectors themselfs, at least that's how I interpreted it when I read it. The writers of the manual of the card don't know how things are with your case, so I think they're just pointing out that one end needs to be hooked up to a sound device and the other end to the FP connectors.

Good luck.

frau kaleun · 12-03-09, 05:32 PM

Aha.

Finally had a chance to do some deeper digging around in the support forum for the card and found that a lot of other people were asking the same question about FP audio for headphones.

Apparently (at least according to the most helpful reply I found so far) the card simply does not have auto-detect for the FP headphone jack and no matter what internal connections you set up it will never disable the speakers and switch output to 'phones just because you plug them in there. There is indeed some type of option in the audio control software that has to be switched over by the user. Can't understand why they would give the option of FP input at all and then not put in an auto-detect feature, but what do I know?

*shrugs*

I could've sworn I clicked on something in there that said "Headphones" and it didn't work but maybe I had the FP cable plugged into the motherboard at that point and that made a difference, who knows? I've forgotten how many different combinations of things I toyed with, lol.

Anyhoo - since the speaker system jack *does* have auto-detect, that seems like the best way to go all around.

frau kaleun · 12-03-09, 07:45 PM

So... I got home, had some dinner, chilled a bit, fired up the computer, rechecked everything in Setup, loaded Windows, opened the audio control center, and found an option in the output menu for "FP headphones" which I could *swear* was not there the last few times I tried adjusting anything via the software.

I do have the FP cable plugged directly into the sound card now, maybe that's made a difference, or else it was something I did in Setup whilst trying to puzzle this out that did it.

But the real kicker is that, even though I've looked everywhere, I cannot find my headphones.*

*Please note that although I have not yet reinstalled GWX3, I did leave my printout of the user manual right here on the desk, and I'm pretty sure it ate them.

Arclight · 12-04-09, 10:27 AM

GWX ate my headphones huh?

Well, at least you're making progress.

frau kaleun · 12-04-09, 11:43 AM

Eh, they were old and pretty crappy and I was due for some new ones anyway. But I'm sure they're around here somewhere, I probably carried them into another room and put them down in some unlikely spot and then tossed something else on top of them.

Although it's possible I had them in one hand and something I was throwing away in the other hand and got mixed up when I went past the trash can. I have caught myself within a few centimeters of tossing my glasses in the trash on more than one occasion.

Arclight · 12-04-09, 12:06 PM

Kinda like realizing you don't have the remote control in your right hand and go looking for it, only to discover you were holding it in your left hand the whole time.

frau kaleun · 12-04-09, 12:25 PM

Or the frantic search for your sunglasses when they're perched on top of your head.

Arclight · 12-04-09, 02:44 PM

Wondering where your baseball cap is, untill you try to scratch your head and notice you just had it on backwards.

frau kaleun · 12-04-09, 03:17 PM

Yeah but you know if at some point I reach up to scratch my head and find my headphones are sitting up there, I'm gonna feel really stupid.

With any luck I will never find them. Good excuse to buy new ones.

Arclight · 12-04-09, 10:57 PM

If you want to buy new ones, just do it. If you find the old ones you'll have something in case of emergency.

Or hold out till christmas, but that might be a long wait.

12-02-09, 08:44 AM	#17
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	I reenabled the onboard audio just to see what effect that would have, if any... btw the Realtek HD Audio options mentioned above only apply to that, which is what I figured anyway. Once it was reenabled another option appeared (which I'd read about in the board's manual, finally got to it online) for selecting HD for the FP audio, which I did since I'm using the HD connector on the FP cable. (If I disable the onboard audio, all other subsets of audio options disappear from Setup since they're no longer relevant and I don't get to select any options for FP audio at all.) Nevertheless, the only difference after the reboot/reset was that when I plugged the phones into either the front or rear onboard audio jacks, the onboard audio software program opened to inform me that I'd plugged something in and wanted to confirm it was headphones since that was the jack I had used. I confirmed that it was but all of that didn't disable the speakers and give me sound from the 'phones via either jack. The only sound from the headphones came when it was plugged into something controlled by the sound card, which the FP isn't. And even when it is plugged into the card instead of the board, the FP jack still doesn't work. So maybe the FP only works if onboard audio is enabled and NOT superseded in any way by an installed sound card, or if the card and the motherboard are somehow sharing the connection provided by the FP audio cable. (That seems to be the point of the connection mentioned in the card's manual altho' for the life of me I can't see how to make that happen since the FP cable doesn't seem designed for it and I can't find something that is.) The audio card's rear 'phone jack is shared with one of the surround sound speaker jacks, which of course already has a speaker jack in it. I took the speaker jacks out and put the 'phones in instead and did get sound from them, but of course I wouldn't be using that jack for them anyway since the speakers are going to stay connected 100% of the time and they provide a headphone jack to use in that case. Anyway - onboard audio once again disabled, FP audio cable plugged back into the motherboard where it was when I started, audio via card and speakers sounds great and the card's software program seems to be working fine to manage them. Dedicated 'phone jack on speaker control doodad works fine and is convenient enough to substitute for FP jack, so it's not like I'm missing a feature I really need, lol. The only thing that still puzzles me is that bit from the card's manual about plugging one end of the FP audio cable into the card, and one into the motherboard. I still can't figure out what the heck that means since there are only two "ends" to the cable and one of them surely needs to be plugged into the front panel, while the other doesn't have two HD connectors to split between board and card and I can't find anything that would make that possible. I may still go back to Asus and see if there's any additional documentation for the board and/or card that clarifies things, if only for my own peace of mind. Last edited by frau kaleun; 12-02-09 at 09:03 AM.

12-02-09, 07:56 PM	#18
Reece CINC Pacific Fleet Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Down Under Posts: 32,744 Downloads: 171 Uploads: 0	Well I suppose it works to a degree and you may have to put up with it that way!! One thing I forgot to mention is that the FP connector could be either only AC97 (most common on older box's) or HD and AC97), if the latter then you only use one or the other, the HD option for newer cards has the pins arranged so that the speakers will cut off when plugging in the headphones, however on the creative card this doesn't happen by default you have to set it that way in the Control Panel App mentioned above: __________________ *Sub captains go down with their ship!*

12-02-09, 08:55 PM	#20
Reece CINC Pacific Fleet Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Down Under Posts: 32,744 Downloads: 171 Uploads: 0	__________________ *Sub captains go down with their ship!*

12-03-09, 12:40 AM	#21
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	One last thing I can think of is that you need to enable/configure the FP output on the card, likely in a program provided with it. Weird it's giving you such a hard time. I think the bit in the manual refers to the "connection" at the FP connectors themselfs, at least that's how I interpreted it when I read it. The writers of the manual of the card don't know how things are with your case, so I think they're just pointing out that one end needs to be hooked up to a sound device and the other end to the FP connectors. Good luck. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

12-04-09, 10:27 AM	#24
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	GWX ate my headphones huh? Well, at least you're making progress. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

12-02-09, 08:39 PM	#19
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	It's a brand new system so I've got the choice of either HD or AC'97, I'm using the HD. I've only scratched the surface of the audio software that came with the card but if/when I start to play with it more I'll keep an eye out for something that would cut off the speakers when the FP 'phone jack is in use, just in case. Otherwise I'm happy with the setup I've got for now. Thanks again for all the input.

12-03-09, 05:32 PM	#22
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	Aha. Finally had a chance to do some deeper digging around in the support forum for the card and found that a lot of other people were asking the same question about FP audio for headphones. Apparently (at least according to the most helpful reply I found so far) the card simply does not have auto-detect for the FP headphone jack and no matter what internal connections you set up it will never disable the speakers and switch output to 'phones just because you plug them in there. There is indeed some type of option in the audio control software that has to be switched over by the user. Can't understand why they would give the option of FP input at all and then not put in an auto-detect feature, but what do I know? shrugs I could've sworn I clicked on something in there that said "Headphones" and it didn't work but maybe I had the FP cable plugged into the motherboard at that point and that made a difference, who knows? I've forgotten how many different combinations of things I toyed with, lol. Anyhoo - since the speaker system jack does have auto-detect, that seems like the best way to go all around.

12-03-09, 07:45 PM	#23
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	So... I got home, had some dinner, chilled a bit, fired up the computer, rechecked everything in Setup, loaded Windows, opened the audio control center, and found an option in the output menu for "FP headphones" which I could swear was not there the last few times I tried adjusting anything via the software. I do have the FP cable plugged directly into the sound card now, maybe that's made a difference, or else it was something I did in Setup whilst trying to puzzle this out that did it. But the real kicker is that, even though I've looked everywhere, I cannot find my headphones.* *Please note that although I have not yet reinstalled GWX3, I did leave my printout of the user manual right here on the desk, and I'm pretty sure it ate them.

12-04-09, 11:43 AM	#25
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	Eh, they were old and pretty crappy and I was due for some new ones anyway. But I'm sure they're around here somewhere, I probably carried them into another room and put them down in some unlikely spot and then tossed something else on top of them. Although it's possible I had them in one hand and something I was throwing away in the other hand and got mixed up when I went past the trash can. I have caught myself within a few centimeters of tossing my glasses in the trash on more than one occasion.

12-04-09, 12:06 PM	#26
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Kinda like realizing you don't have the remote control in your right hand and go looking for it, only to discover you were holding it in your left hand the whole time. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

12-04-09, 12:25 PM	#27
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	Or the frantic search for your sunglasses when they're perched on top of your head.

12-04-09, 02:44 PM	#28
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Wondering where your baseball cap is, untill you try to scratch your head and notice you just had it on backwards. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

12-04-09, 03:17 PM	#29
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	Yeah but you know if at some point I reach up to scratch my head and find my headphones are sitting up there, I'm gonna feel really stupid. With any luck I will never find them. Good excuse to buy new ones.

12-04-09, 10:57 PM	#30
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	If you want to buy new ones, just do it. If you find the old ones you'll have something in case of emergency. Or hold out till christmas, but that might be a long wait. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.