Making my receiver do analog sounds?

[marcofra2000]

I have a receiver going to my sound card by using optical out connecting from my platinum driver to my receiver but since I can't use it in games to make EAX sounds or something similar I have to go analog but how do I do that?, and what do I need?. Please provide examples with pictures or something that can help me easily

[Staz]

Just to get this straight you are useing your optical output on your sound card to go to your surround sound reciever. But when you play games that use EAX it only outputs an anolog signal so you can't use the optical out?

Is that right?

Does your receiver have a 5.1 analog input?

[marcofra2000]

Originally Posted by Staz

Just to get this straight you are useing your optical output on your sound card to go to your surround sound reciever. But when you play games that use EAX it only outputs an anolog signal so you can't use the optical out?

Is that right?

Does your receiver have a 5.1 analog input?

The thing is that you only get stereo sound going from the PC to the receiver digitaly but my receiver has stuff like NEO and things like that which makes surround music, but in games only the 2 front speakers makes sounds which is stereo so when something is going on, on the back I can't hear it because only my fronts are being used but not my surrounds or my center speaker.

EDIT: Which are the 5.1 analog?, how does the connectore look like?, I thnk I do because I can select between digital and analog signal in my receiver.

[Staz]

OK Now I am confused. You are saying that when you use an optical output you only get stereo, but your A/V receiver can emulate surround sound so that you get sound from all six speakers.

But when you play 3D games you are just getting stereo.

So are you saying that you only get stereo out of your optical output and you want true 5.1 sound from your sound card to your receiver?

That sounds like a driver problem with your sound card or not having your receiver set up right.

I only have a mid level receiver and it has 6 optical inputs and 1 coaxial input as wells as 1 set of 5.1 analog inputs and then I have stereo inputs for every channel. All the optical as well as the coaxial input do 5.1 sound. Your receiver should to. So either the problem is that your sound card cannot do 5.1 (which it can) or there is a driver problem or a setting not set somewhere (is there a controll panel for that sound card). Either that or you have something not set up on your receiver, see if you have an AFD (Auto Format Decode) for the optical input on your receiver.

[marcofra2000]

Originally Posted by Staz

OK Now I am confused. You are saying that when you use an optical output you only get stereo, but your A/V receiver can emulate surround sound so that you get sound from all six speakers.

But when you play 3D games you are just getting stereo.

So are you saying that you only get stereo out of your optical output and you want true 5.1 sound from your sound card to your receiver?

That sounds like a driver problem with your sound card or not having your receiver set up right.

I only have a mid level receiver and it has 6 optical inputs and 1 coaxial input as wells as 1 set of 5.1 analog inputs and then I have stereo inputs for every channel. All the optical as well as the coaxial input do 5.1 sound. Your receiver should to. So either the problem is that your sound card cannot do 5.1 (which it can) or there is a driver problem or a setting not set somewhere (is there a controll panel for that sound card). Either that or you have something not set up on your receiver, see if you have an AFD (Auto Format Decode) for the optical input on your receiver.

OK, first thing is YES to all your questions.
Second I only have 2 otpical and one coaxial. My model is an Onkyo, in my Sing. down in my comp. specs.
I have a bunch of female RCA connections that are used when you have a DVD using analog conector so I thinkg those are the ones you are talking about. When I see a movie in my computer the receiver changes from lets say I have on Neo 6 to dolby digital. There is a control panel in my soundblaster audigy 2 zs platinum. if I press to test my speakers only the two fron't will sound but not the rest in the control panel. I've tried every combiantion in the settings and nothing

[Aedan]

There's a couple of options you could take...

Option 1
Throw out your Audigy 2 Platinum, because it can't encode surround sound over the digital out. It can play surround sound that's already *been* encoded however (Like DVDs for example).

You have an nForce2 board with SoundStorm, right? Well, the nForce2 audio *CAN* encode surround sound and send it over optical, as long as your receiver can decode Dolby Digital (Which you've already indicated it can).

That would be a case of moving the optical cable to the nForce 2 onboard solution, and using the nForce 2 audio instead of the Audigy.

Option 2
Get three sets of leads to take the three outputs from the Audigy 2 to the analog input (That'll be the DVD analog inputs on your reciever.) I presume your receiver has a seperate mode to accept the analog input rather than digital input.

[marcofra2000]

Originally Posted by Áedán

There's a couple of options you could take...

Option 1
Throw out your Audigy 2 Platinum, because it can't encode surround sound over the digital out. It can play surround sound that's already *been* encoded however (Like DVDs for example).

You have an nForce2 board with SoundStorm, right? Well, the nForce2 audio *CAN* encode surround sound and send it over optical, as long as your receiver can decode Dolby Digital (Which you've already indicated it can).

That would be a case of moving the optical cable to the nForce 2 onboard solution, and using the nForce 2 audio instead of the Audigy.

Option 2
Get three sets of leads to take the three outputs from the Audigy 2 to the analog input (That'll be the DVD analog inputs on your reciever.) I presume your receiver has a seperate mode to accept the analog input rather than digital input.

I think I'll go with option two. So I'll buy 3 3.5 mm mini jacks to 2 RCA then so I can get 5.1 surround right?

[Aedan]

I believe that's the case, but as I don't use an Audigy2 , I couldn't confirm that. Depending on the way your PC is set up, you may notice an increase in background noise when going from digital to analog.

It's a shame that the Audigy 2 can't encode Dolby Digital, as it makes the digital output rather pointless.

[marcofra2000]

Originally Posted by Áedán

I believe that's the case, but as I don't use an Audigy2 , I couldn't confirm that. Depending on the way your PC is set up, you may notice an increase in background noise when going from digital to analog.

It's a shame that the Audigy 2 can't encode Dolby Digital, as it makes the digital output rather pointless.

Yeah, but oh well marketing tricks I say

Thanks for everyone helping me here. Gotta love AOA.