Rear speakers disappear

[Alec]

Sometimes 4-speaker output on my LIVE! soundcard goes out, I mean the rear speakers. It´s rare, but it does happen. Anyone know a cause for this?

Specs:
Celeron 476MHz
256Mb RAM
SoundBlaster LIVE! (CT4620)
Nvidia GeForce 2 MX400 64Mb SDRAM AGP @220/180MHz + Detonators 23.11
Cambridge Soundworks FPS1600 (wooden subwoofer)
Windows XP Pro + DirectX 8.1
Creative´s XP drivers (downloaded)

[The PIT]

My 5 : 1 go to 3 : 1 under win2k and I have reset them under audio hq before playing a dvd. This doesn't happen under 98 so I would it's creative driver bug.

[Alec]

Yes, I guess it is. I uninstalled the drivers, deleted the remaining registry entries and installed drivers again. It seems to work fine now. I think it has to do with saving presets in the Surround Mixer.

[Johnny Ray]

Hey.....and don't think you''ll solve the problem by getting an Audigy Same problem here, with WinME. It does seem to happen less frequently, but it is annoying.

John

[Alec]

It´s strange how the Creative "engineers" can´t figure out how to sort out such a common problem. More than strange, I find it incredible.

P.S. I was wrong. The problem still happens sometimes.

[J1NG]

Just what exactly happens? Do the speakers produce absolutely no sound at all (not even the standard hiss), or are they not producing sound signals they recieve from the sound card, but they are actually working (they produce the hiss)?

There was a problem with the original Four Point Speaker system a couple of years back (And they could still be using the same dodgey get up) Sometimes a rear speaker (left one for me) would go out thinking that it was in standby mode (into something like standby mode). And the only way to get it back on was if you managed to get a strong enough signal to wake it. Usually by opening the fridge downstairs in the kitchen would you believe it It wasn't anything to do with the sound card.

So anyway, which is it exactly?

J1NG

[The PIT]

The rear speakers just switch off completly. Switch to 4 : 1 mode and you hear them clunk on switch back to 5 : 1 and you're in business.

[Johnny Ray]

It's the same situation with the Audigy as PIT describes. Nothing to the rear (no hiss, nothing). As far as I've noticed, this only happens at start-up. That is, I've never been using the system and had the rear-channel disappear.

It only happens occasionally, so I've just written it off as being yet another feature of using a Creative product.

John

[J1NG]

Typical, csw.creative.com doesn't even have the online manual for the fps1600.

Anyway, if it's anything like the original 4.1 (FPS1000), then you can try the following to diagnose what's causing the problem, software or hardware.

Use the dual line connections (front and rear connections) if you have them. Make sure that you disable "digital output only" in the volume. Now unplug the rear connections, both front channels should be sent through to the rear speakers (As original 4.1 FPS1000). If that produces sound from all speakers, it's a driver/software thing and can be more easily fixed. (As to how I don't know since I don't write Creative stuff )

If that doesn't work, pull out one of your working (usually front) speakers and plug it into the rear sockets. If it still produces no sound (not even the hiss) then they're still using the v cheap stuff and possibly the same get up as the origninal 4.1, in which case, either call them and get them to fix/replace or wait till you get a new set of speakers.

Personally, I think they're still using the el cheapo stuff for their Four Point speakers. Their 5.1 speakers appear fine so far.

J1NG

[Beezer]

Same thing here, but only on my WinXP machine. I've never had the problem on my P3 Win98 machine (2 years), but since I've gotten my new AMD 1700 with WinXP I notice the rear speakers going out about once a week or so. Even had the front right speaker go dead on me once. Only thing that gets them back (for me) is a reboot.

What's going on with the XP support for the Live anyway? Am I missing something, or is there no Liverware available anywhere? Their website talks about being on CD only, but does not offer a way to order the CD. I downloaded the XP drivers, but in AudioHQ the Speaker setup doesn't work (says it's not supported in XP).

[Alec]

Strange... as soon I start Winamp (DirectSound output) the rear speakers start working.

Also, I´m using XP and I downloaded the XP drivers from the Creative website and the rear speakers work fine after I start a DirectSound application.

Try installing the XP downloaded drivers and then updating to these non-official drivers (you´ll have to choose which):

http://shs-sound.paraknowya.com/

[Beezer]

Thanks for the link...
I saw this thread in their forum and thought it interesting:

http://shs-sound.paraknowya.com/discus/

Especially the part about UT sound distortion -- which I also experience occassionally.

OK, the link doesn't quite go to the exact thread I had in mind, so here's a quote...
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By Anonymous on Sunday, September 09, 2001 - 11:07 pm:

Here's the fix: (my system: WinXP 2600 and fps2000)

Go into control panel, then Sounds and Devices, click the advanced button under Speaker Settings. Where it says Speaker Setup: Change it to 5.1 surround sound speakers. I realize that we are only running 4.1, but 5.1 is same without the center channel. It worked for me. I still suffer sound distortion problems in Unreal Tournament at random.


By Joschi on Monday, September 17, 2001 - 11:25 pm:


Hwy Anonymous: To avaoid sound distortion in Unreal Tournament reduce the hardware acceleration for you SB!Live by 2 Levels ( basic direct sound acceleration ).

Then the sound distortion is gone ....
-----------------------

[Johnny Ray]

Well, well, well. Just switched to XP from Me on the box with the Audigy. The sound quality in Me was pretty good. Now even during the sound check in AudigyHQ the sound is distorted in XP. This is after the driver update. Hmmm......

John