5.1 Audio on Mac Pro

[Phloem]

Interesting... I'm using a Logitech Z5500 speaker system which supports optical, so I do have surround sound in OSX when playing movies. For gaming I'm using Bootcamp, so I could put in a Creative PCI Express card, right?

--Erwin

I imagine so. I guess you then switch sound cards in the sounds preferences of Windows.

So thinking about it, seeing I have an iMac, I could attach a Firewire sound device that works with Windows and that would solve the problem? Could anyone recommend one (Noting I have digital speakers)?

I just wish someone would code third-party software to solve the problem.

 

[Phloem]

The Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX external USB device seems like it will do the trick. Any other recommendations?

 

[Rankrotten]

Interesting... I'm using a Logitech Z5500 speaker system which supports optical, so I do have surround sound in OSX when playing movies. For gaming I'm using Bootcamp, so I could put in a Creative PCI Express card, right?

--Erwin

Yes this is my setup exactly.

The Mac Pro booted into OS X feeds the Logitech Z5500 via optical and I have installed a Creative PCIe X-Fi card for 5.1 positional audio ( 6ch direct) in bootcamp. Of course the card is simply ignored under OS X but comes alive in Windows. I can now hear footsteps sneaking up behind me in Call of Duty 4 with eerie precision

Pity Creative don't write Mac drivers though...

 

[mphoenix]

I've got the firewave as well... I'm pretty sure it does NOT work under windows, just FYI. I guess you probably know that and that's why you plan on getting the companion 5s, but just throwing it out there just in case.

Well I got the firewave for MacOsX
and Medusa USB 5.1 headphones for Bootcamp Windows and that works for me.
I would have preferred to use firewave for both but I guess windows drivers are not going to happen

 

[GoKyu]

The Companion® 5 multimedia speaker system
A little pricey but you get what you pay for...

Quote from there site. http://www.bose.com/controller?even...ainment/computer_gaming/companion_5/index.jsp

Designed for 5.1-encoded music, games and movies. Our premium three-piece computer system plays multichannel sound that seems to surround you, right at your desktop. And setup is a snap.

I second the Bose Companion 5 system...pricey, but you *do* get your money's worth - these are excellent speakers!

-Bryan

 

[Rufus]

Just to chime in, I did a ton of research on this issue.

The optical output only supports two channels, but it does pass through Dolby 5.1, which is actually encoded in only two channels. But it will NOT allow any application to address more than two channels, so everything besides DVDs / AC3 videos will just be stereo. VLC is the exception to this, as it can encode 5.1 channels into two Dolby channels on the fly. Pretty cool, but only VLC does it.

My primary target was 5.1 out of DVDs AND 5.1 out of World of Warcraft. I ended up buying a Firewave and an Onkyo Home Theater in a box (6 discrete channel inputs on the back, great speakers).

The Firewave works, but I almost wish it didn't. Griffin doesn't support it at all, going so far as to say its not compatible with Leopard. The key is to absolutely, never, ever install their crappy driver / configuration utility. OS X recognizes and uses the Firewave without it. Every once in a while, I have to unplug the Firewave, let it sit and then plug it back in, but otherwise, it just works.

I'm very interested in the Miglia HarmonyAudio mentioned earlier. It appears to be better in many ways than the Firewave.

 

[Phloem]

The Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX external USB device seems like it will do the trick. Any other recommendations?

I bought the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX and it did do the trick. A definitely recommended buy!!

Even though it doesn't say it does, it works with Mac OS as well as Windows Xp (not sure about Vista). In Mac OS, you have to go to Midi setup under Utilities and change the settings. It probably isn't as good as the 'Miglia HarmonyAudio' as Rufus mentioned, as it looks like that's for sound production, but is better than 'Firewave' by Griffin Technology! That's because this one decodes Sound Blaster data used in games, such as EAX.

I also add that the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX has more audio ports and comes with a remote control, all for £30!! (eBay)

P.S. Can't wait for GTA IV in a week's time!!

 

[Jarman74]

The Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX external USB device seems like it will do the trick. Any other recommendations?

The link doesn't work anymore. What product would you suggest now?
I'm not looking for anything fancy, just 5.1 sound while gaming in Boot Camp.

 

[Tesselator]

These work:
http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products.../en_products_overview_pci_express_list#intern

They might be on the "fancy" side though.

 

[Jarman74]

They might be on the "fancy" side though.

They will do the trick just fine. Thanks!

 

[Locoweed]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250538734955[/url]

The shipping time could be lengthy according to the link, so I won't know if it works for any time soon.

 

[Phloem]

I only just sold my Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX the other week. Went for £60!! I was well shocked, especially seeing I originally bought it for less a couple years back! It was a decent product though.

 

[neenja]

Good info in this thread. I am running on a macbook pro 2.4ghz intel core 2 duo. Speakers are the logitech 5.1 x540. It seems here that the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX works on both osx and bootcamp xp. Seems a bit outdated though.. I did some googling and found that the Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 (retails for 59 bucks) seem to work well on both os systems.

Any thoughts?

 

[Phloem]

...It seems here that the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX works on both osx and bootcamp xp. Seems a bit outdated though...

I wouldn't say it was outdated, just because it is old. It delivered quality sound when I had it, reason why I had made a £20 profit when I sold it two years later.

 

[haravikk]

So... does anyone have 5.1 surround working with both Mac OS X and Windows XP on the new Mac Pros?

I have a Griffin Firewave at the moment for my early 2008 Mac Pro and it works fine under Windows 7, so there must be a suitable driver for it somewhere. Do your Firewire ports work for other peripherals under Windows XP? I seem to remember having trouble with a PC a while back that had Firewire ports that weren't recognised by default, and had a hard time tracking down drivers; I would assume for the Mac Pros they're part of the drive bundle that Bootcamp provides though.

Problem with the Firewave is that it has only a few options, and they don't seem to survive after a restart, so although it can do fake surround for 2.1 sources, it's a real hassle to do. It also doesn't let you tweak individual speaker volumes, which is an issue for balance, but if it doesn't stick anyway that's no big loss.


But am I reading this right then, and the optical out on Macs is only capable of passing through already encoded 5.1 (or higher) sound, it can't generate an encoded stream from OpenAL etc.? That seems a bit weak when practically every cheap PC motherboard these days comes with 5.1 or better sound built in, or can add it for practically nothing.

 

[Phloem]

That seems a bit weak when practically every cheap PC motherboard these days comes with 5.1 or better sound built in, or can add it for practically nothing.

Yea, Apple caps the hardware when you go the Windows side, purposely. Partly because of drivers, but mostly because they do not see the need in encouraging customers to use Windows on their machines.

For example, I have 1024MB of shared Video Graphics memory. If I used Windows on the same machine, it's capped less than that, and even though it's meant to be shared graphics memory with the system memory, it does not adapt.

So yea, I think it's down to the drivers the Mac hardware cannot generate 5.1 in Windows, which will mean you'll have to spend out to get an external Windows soundcard, like I did.

 

[ActionableMango]

Over HDMI in Windows with supported software such as PowerDVD or Total Media Theater, you should be able to output everything from your Mac Pro, including the 5.1/7.1 HD audio formats. You'll need a video card that supports HDCP.