Skip to main content ↑ ↓

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Multiple Soundcards in Windows XP? (Read 4522 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Multiple Soundcards in Windows XP?

Is it possible to use both the MOBO-integrated and a PCI-slot soundcard on Windows XP? I don't need to use both cards simultaneous, but I don't want to restart the computer to switch.

My integraded soundcard is standard AC97 stuff and the other is an Audigy 1.

Thanks in advance

Multiple Soundcards in Windows XP?

Reply #1 –
Mostly there is no problem with having multiple soundcards on one computer. Threre are probably some exceptions to this but not that many. Some problems might arise if both insist on demanding the same resources, such as the same IRQ, but I not sure that is even a problem with XP.

Frequency there is not even a problem using multiple soundcards at the same time, but unless they are designed to work with each other, and properly synchronized, they will generally not stay in time with each other.
 

Multiple Soundcards in Windows XP?

Reply #2 –
Control Panel -> sound speech and audio devices -> sound and audio devices

then select Audio tab in the pop up windows

sound playback
Default device = change to the desired soundcard

Multiple Soundcards in Windows XP?

Reply #3 –
Quote
Mostly there is no problem with having multiple soundcards on one computer. Threre are probably some exceptions to this but not that many. Some problems might arise if both insist on demanding the same resources, such as the same IRQ, but I not sure that is even a problem with XP.

Frequency there is not even a problem using multiple soundcards at the same time, but unless they are designed to work with each other, and properly synchronized, they will generally not stay in time with each other.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=334748"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


IRQs shouldn't matter on hardware made in the last 5 or so years in XP.  Its a legacy thing thats not relevent on modern hardware.

Theres no reason you can't use multiple cards.  I've never had a problem with it.  Actually I believe you can use multiple cards concurrently, though probably you'd need a seperate instance of your app to drive each sound card.

Multiple Soundcards in Windows XP?

Reply #4 –
While you can probably use separate soundcards at the same time (some Creative drivers will crash if any other soundcard is also active, but almost everything else works) the timimg will not be in the same. This matters if you try to record multiple tracks using multiple soundcards, or record via one soundcard and monitor previously recorded tracks through another card. Except as in my previous post above, the tracks from each soundcard will generally not stay in synch.

Multiple Soundcards in Windows XP?

Reply #5 –
Thanks! It works.

Multiple Soundcards in Windows XP?

Reply #6 –
Also note that some motherboards will automatically disable the integrated AC97 chip if a "real" soundcard is plugged in.

Multiple Soundcards in Windows XP?

Reply #7 –
I´ve been using the USB Gigaport AG and PCI Maya 44 MKII soundcards for a long time with no problems in the same PC.