Dual source audio output????

[bzollinger]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and macs. I've been a proud mini owner for many months now, and now I've taken the plunge. I ordered a 2 Ghz dual G5!! I'm stoked and can't wait to get it. I've got one curious question that I was looking for help with.

I want to run an optical (toslink) signal from my Xbox, to the digital input on the G5, and then run another optical cable to my Harman Kardon home theatre receiver. The point is to be able to listen to iTunes AND the action on the Xbox at the same time.

A friend of mine does it with his PC and a creative sound solution. I've tried with the mini while running the M-audio transit with no luck.

Can this be accomplished "out of the box"? Is there a software solution that can do it? Or do I need to buy an external or PCI sound card that can pull it off?

Any insight would be appreciated. I did many searches on google and on mac rumors, but couldn't find anything that was close to what I want to do.

Thanks in advance!

Ben

[bzollinger]

Is this the proper forum for this thread? It seems like someone would have done this or could attempt it..... Thanks in advance from a newbie.

[bzollinger]

I guess this might be is too cutting edge for the audio buffs here. I suppose I'll wait until my system gets here and try it. Then I'll post the results so everyone will know. :rolleyes:

www.alaskaphotographs.comwww.portfolios.com/bzollinger

[Yebot]

listening to iTunes and playing with an Xbox is cutting edge? :eek:

No seriously though -- I don't think you can do what you want to do 'out-of-the-box.'

Chances are you'll need to open a recording application of some sort that will be able to monitor the incoming optical signal from the xbox. Then with all of the G5's audio routed through the optical out (may need to get into the Sound system preference to config this) then you should be able monitor the summed xbox and itunes signals through your HK.

The pro-version of Quicktime could be your recording app ($29). Just set it up to record and leave it on pause or something. you get the idea. A $0 option for you might be Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/).

[pulsewidth947]

I cant confirm this as I dont have optical in on my Powerbook, but I do a similar thing to what you want at work (using the line in of course).

Go to Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI setup. In the Audio setup you wanna get the properties for your Optical in, and set your clock source.

Now below that you should be able to check the box labelled Thru for the device? That should route the signal to your output. Thats how I get it working in Jaguar at work.. Good luck.

[faintember]

I cant confirm this as I dont have optical in on my Powerbook, but I do a similar thing to what you want at work (using the line in of course).

Go to Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI setup. In the Audio setup you wanna get the properties for your Optical in, and set your clock source.

Now below that you should be able to check the box labelled Thru for the device? That should route the signal to your output. Thats how I get it working in Jaguar at work.. Good luck.

I second that advice. You may have to play around with it a bit, but it should work fairly well, although you will prob have to play with the levels of the individual signals to get a nice mix.

-cameron

[bzollinger]

Ah ha! Cutting edge got your attention! Thanks for the replies guys. That's good news that I can probably pull this off. If needed I'll buy a prog or a sound card, but after springing for a new G5, I gotta be careful.... :D Bye, bye mini, hello G5!

According to the authorities, the mac mini is the gateway mac.....cause it leads to heavier substances like a G5. :p

[Yebot]

According to the authorities, the mac mini is the gateway mac.....cause it leads to heavier substances like a G5. :p

Nice analogy ... and welcome.

[bzollinger]

I cant confirm this as I dont have optical in on my Powerbook, but I do a similar thing to what you want at work (using the line in of course).

Go to Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI setup. In the Audio setup you wanna get the properties for your Optical in, and set your clock source.

Now below that you should be able to check the box labelled Thru for the device? That should route the signal to your output. Thats how I get it working in Jaguar at work.. Good luck.


So this sounded real promising and was excited to try it. Today was the day and it was unsuccessful. I tried every combination of settings for the input and output, along with every combination from the Xbox (i.e. mono, stereo, dolby digital, dts..), nothing worked. In fact when the input was receiving a signal it blew away ANY output. Only a reboot would fix that.

So if anyone has any idea on how to get this to work that would be awesome. I'm pretty sure that I could buy an after-market sound card and that would to the trick, but come on, I've got optical in/out!

So maybe someone knows about a third party audio mixing solution that I could try.

Thanks in advance!

Ben

[faintember]

Hummm..

Did you try opening a audio program, such as Garageband or Audacity to see if you could get the optical in to pass through there, and then onto your speakers via optical out? That may work.

Sorry to hear that the other ideas didnt work out.

Edit: Maybe you could talk to pulsewidth and get him to take a screen shot of how he has his optical i/o set-up. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

[pulsewidth947]

Yeah a screenie would be lovely wouldnt it? Not sure how helpful this'll be as its from 10.2.8, but the theory is still the same.

If I were you, instead of spending money, I'd just go with ghetto analogue connections. Cant say I'm too keep on consumer digital methods - optical compresses the signal slightly and messes with the high frequencies. Unless you need to use surround, but thats a whole other bucket of fish..

Not sure how successful you'll be tracking down an optical 'summer' (as in mixing two signals together, not the season). Digital gadgets tend to be pretty expensive.

I'll trade you your G5 for my PC? I'll even throw in a White Apple sticker to stick on so you wont notice? No? Aww :(

[bzollinger]

Yeah a screenie would be lovely wouldnt it? Not sure how helpful this'll be as its from 10.2.8, but the theory is still the same.

If I were you, instead of spending money, I'd just go with ghetto analogue connections. Cant say I'm too keep on consumer digital methods - optical compresses the signal slightly and messes with the high frequencies. Unless you need to use surround, but thats a whole other bucket of fish..

Not sure how successful you'll be tracking down an optical 'summer' (as in mixing two signals together, not the season). Digital gadgets tend to be pretty expensive.

I'll trade you your G5 for my PC? I'll even throw in a White Apple sticker to stick on so you wont notice? No? Aww :(

So I thought about the trade......naw! Thanks for the advice. I cross-referenced the settings, and they are pretty much the same except for a few design changes. One thing I've noticed is when digital input is selected none of the sliders below are active, they're grayed out no matter the format or bit rate. This is the case whether there is active audio being piped through it or not.

Analog isn't a good option. The xbox supports DTS and dolby digital and so does my receiver, I've just got to get the plumbing right. I'll try the garage band or audacity tonight.

thanks,

Ben

[faintember]

Humm can you get any audio in/out via the optical i/o?

If not, it may be a bad optical input! :( :eek:

btw, thanks to pulsewidth947 for the pic!

[bzollinger]

I got it to work by using garage band. I created a new track and "monitored" it. Then I was able to change the volume and all that good stuff. Also I was forced to dumb-down the signal that the Xbox was sending it to a stereo signal. Does anyone know if the new G5s can handle a DTS or Dolby digital signal? Acording to my testing it can't. It's a little a disappointing that the G5 is cutting edge on some things, but they aren't with audio..... Oh well.

Ben

[faintember]

First of all CONGRATS!!!!

Does anyone know if the new G5s can handle a DTS or Dolby digital signal? Acording to my testing it can't. It's a little a disappointing that the G5 is cutting edge on some things, but they aren't with audio..... Oh well.

Well this would be the catch, i dont think that Garageband can handle 5.1 (or any type of surround sound), whereas Logic 6 or 7, Cubase, etc. can handle surround. So that is probably where the problem lies.

Glad that you got things working, even if they arent top notch. Sometimes it is all about the baby steps, i know this, and it still ticks me off!

[WinterMute]

I got it to work by using garage band. I created a new track and "monitored" it. Then I was able to change the volume and all that good stuff. Also I was forced to dumb-down the signal that the Xbox was sending it to a stereo signal. Does anyone know if the new G5s can handle a DTS or Dolby digital signal? Acording to my testing it can't. It's a little a disappointing that the G5 is cutting edge on some things, but they aren't with audio..... Oh well.

Ben

The optical output will handle both DTS and Dolby surround formats, but only from a DVD source, no-one to my knowledge has succeeded in getting it to distribute 5.1 from a production package.

To be fair, I doubt many are really trying, as they all tend to have hardware solutions that they'd like you to buy...

Still, Logic 7 into a domestic 5.1 rig for pre-mixing would be just fine, saves a lot of time in expensive surround rooms.