SoundMAX using Vista driver - surround speakers not "sticking"

Hello,

I have the Asus P5B, which uses the SoundMAX hardware (not sure as to the
modle/version). Vista has installed a "High Definition Audio Device" driver
for this. I have a 4 speaker setup (analog connections using the 3.5mm
jacks), and when going through the "Sound" configuration in Control Panel,
where you can pick your speaker setup, clicking the "Quadraphonic" setting
produces no sound in the rear speakers.

Now, if I choose 5.1 or 7.1 and continue through the setup procedure, I can
go back in and "test" the sound for all speakers - and I CAN get sound out of
the rears. However, this setting does not "stick", or seem to work for any
application that would use sound positioning (Half Life 2 for example).

The SoundMAX drivers that Asus has provided are apparently still unsigned,
thus I cannot install them in x64.

Anyone else having the same issues?

Thanks!

-Ryan

Hi Ryan

I have the same issue, I am running "Vista Ultimate Retail" version it seems
that the sound is recognized for digital output SPIF and I have analog output
with 4 speaker setup. It worked fine with XP pro that I had. My motherboard
is an ASUS P5PL2 and it has integrated sound SoundMAX Audio System. I looked
at the ASUS site but no help there.

I have been looking all over for some fix or instructions that I can set to
change this. When I delete this component and re-scan the computer it still
comes back as the same this. Digital output. I need analog output, I believe.

I wonder if Microsoft will come with a update with this, because not
everyone is running a Digital Audio System.

Please reply with some insight

Thanks

Reg

"Ryan Dinan" wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I have the Asus P5B, which uses the SoundMAX hardware (not sure as to the
> modle/version). Vista has installed a "High Definition Audio Device" driver
> for this. I have a 4 speaker setup (analog connections using the 3.5mm
> jacks), and when going through the "Sound" configuration in Control Panel,
> where you can pick your speaker setup, clicking the "Quadraphonic" setting
> produces no sound in the rear speakers.
>
> Now, if I choose 5.1 or 7.1 and continue through the setup procedure, I can
> go back in and "test" the sound for all speakers - and I CAN get sound out of
> the rears. However, this setting does not "stick", or seem to work for any
> application that would use sound positioning (Half Life 2 for example).
>
> The SoundMAX drivers that Asus has provided are apparently still unsigned,
> thus I cannot install them in x64.
>
> Anyone else having the same issues?
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Ryan

Hi Reg!
I believe I had the same problem with it being set to "digital" output at
one point in time as well... It happened after I tried installing the
SoundMAX drivers from Asus's website...

I think I fixed that by removing the hardware from the hardware manager and
rebooting, thus allowing Vista to install the "High Definition Audio Device"
generic driver. Either that, or I was able to go into the sound
configuration and select "analog speakers", or something to that effect... I
can't really recall.

Now, mine is currently recognized as analog output, and even shows little
icons of each 3.5mm jack that the motherboard has. But like I said, the
sound configuration doesn't stick for multiple speakers (quadraphonic, 5.1 or
7.1). Perhaps the answer is like you mentioned - maybe it only works for
digital speaker systems, and not analog. This is bad, considering there are
many analog multi-speaker systems out there...

I'm not about to re-invest for new "digital" speakers, as these Altec 641's
still sound amazing, even if they do use analog inputs.

Microsoft, please look into this!

Thanks,

-Ryan



"Reg T" wrote:

> Hi Ryan
>
> I have the same issue, I am running "Vista Ultimate Retail" version it seems
> that the sound is recognized for digital output SPIF and I have analog output
> with 4 speaker setup. It worked fine with XP pro that I had. My motherboard
> is an ASUS P5PL2 and it has integrated sound SoundMAX Audio System. I looked
> at the ASUS site but no help there.
>
> I have been looking all over for some fix or instructions that I can set to
> change this. When I delete this component and re-scan the computer it still
> comes back as the same this. Digital output. I need analog output, I believe.
>
> I wonder if Microsoft will come with a update with this, because not
> everyone is running a Digital Audio System.
>
> Please reply with some insight
>
> Thanks
>
> Reg
>
> "Ryan Dinan" wrote:
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have the Asus P5B, which uses the SoundMAX hardware (not sure as to the
> > modle/version). Vista has installed a "High Definition Audio Device" driver
> > for this. I have a 4 speaker setup (analog connections using the 3.5mm
> > jacks), and when going through the "Sound" configuration in Control Panel,
> > where you can pick your speaker setup, clicking the "Quadraphonic" setting
> > produces no sound in the rear speakers.
> >
> > Now, if I choose 5.1 or 7.1 and continue through the setup procedure, I can
> > go back in and "test" the sound for all speakers - and I CAN get sound out of
> > the rears. However, this setting does not "stick", or seem to work for any
> > application that would use sound positioning (Half Life 2 for example).
> >
> > The SoundMAX drivers that Asus has provided are apparently still unsigned,
> > thus I cannot install them in x64.
> >
> > Anyone else having the same issues?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > -Ryan

[cynva]

Hi there, I´ve got an ASUS P5PL2 and I have fixed the problem about the windows vista driver for the integrated sound Soundmax system. Check this turkish site and download the driver "SoundMAX ADI Audio Driver v6.10.1.6100 for 32bit/64bit Windows Vista". Believe me. WORKS since the very begining.