Need help with new SB Live! MP3+ sound card...

[HawkNeedsHelp]

I will start off by openly admitting that I can be a little dense when it comes to such things, but, here goes.......

I went out and bought a Sound Blaster Live! MP3+ today (got fed. tax refund ($700 worth) back a few days ago), and got a new set of comp. speakers to go with it. The speakers are just a Creative Cambridge SoundWorks PC Works setup... two small (but nice) "satellite" speakers and a powered-subwoofer that they run through. I tested the speaker/woofer setup on the card I had in my system, a SB AWE64 Value, and it sounded good, aka, the speakers worked fine, so I know that's not my problem.

Now, my problem is this...

I first deleted all the instances of the AWE64 card in my Control Settings/Device Manager settings and then turned the comp off, took out the AWE64 card and put in the Live! MP3+ card and hooked it up with the CD audio cables to the CD (which is a CD Blaster 52X - in case that might matter in the problem solving). I connected the microphone to the Mic In connector on the back of the card and I plugged the speaker/woofer in to the Line Out on the sound card, at least, I think its the Line Out. Its the connector right next to the Microphone In. I am sure that's the Line Out (or at least correct connector for what I want), because the speakers/woofer "popped" when I pulled the plug-in out and then re-insterted it. When I plugged it into the one to the right of it, there was nothing, neither when I pulled it out again. But again it "popped" when I put back into the plug its in now. I also got the drivers installed properly (not any conflicts in the Device Manager).

Ok, now, the main problem... I can't get any sound! Have I got the speaker/woofer jack in the wrong connector on the card or do I just need to install the applications off the Application CD?? I figured I would hear at least the Windows StartUp sound at the startup, but didn't even get that.

Any future help would be greatly appreciated.

(I know the problem can probably be very easily solved, but if it can, the solution is evading me. Sometimes the easiest to solve baffle me to no end.) http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by HawkNeedsHelp (edited 03-27-2001).]

[HawkNeedsHelp]

Any help would be nice, if available. This "probably very simple" problem is driving me crazy, haven't a clue as to what I can or should do to get the sound working.

Thanks.

[fyxxer32]

Am I correct that the cd is a sound blaster too? Ive got a techie friend who says that 2 sound blaster devices in the same box always conflict. Check under conflicting devices..?

[golfcart]

The green port is for front speakers and the black is for rear. Make sure you have the volume turned up in windows and you may want to install the live software and make sure the output is enabled on the port you are using.

[HawkNeedsHelp]

Fyxxer32- thanks for the reply.

And yes, there is conflict, but its not betweetn 2 Creative devices, (and yes, the CD-Rom is a Creative, Creative Blaster 52X).


I now have an IRQ conflict on the 'SB16 Emulation' under the 'Creative Misc Devices'. It wants to use IRQ5, but IRQ5 is being used by my Ethernet card (for cable modem), so of course I can't disable that. And it is also being used by IRQ Holder for PCI Steering.
I had this problem before a while back with my AWE64 Value here a while back, when I slapped a USB adapter card into my comp. I forget, or more accurately, don't remember how exactly I fixed that problem at the time, but I did fix it. And I know I didn't have this problem last night, first night had the new sound card in. I was checking the Device Manager often to look for conflicts and/or possible solutions for there not being any sound.

Any ideas on how to either switch the sound card IRQ to a free one or somehow turn switch the IRQ Holder's IRQ to a free one or maybe disable it somehow? I did it once before, just not real sure what it was exactly that I did to fix it then.


Thanks again.

[SX]

Makesure everything's configured correctly in the AudioHQ mixer. The CD-ROM won't conflict w/ the Soundcard just because it's made by creative, but checking for conflicts helps none-the-less. If everything is installed correctly and hooked up correctly and you still get nothing, call creative.


SX

[SX]

Lol, you posted while I was writing.

I'm afraid I'm not the best at explaining solutions to this kind of problem; I work better when I'm at the computer. Basically you're going to need to make sure you don't have any conflicts (and do all of the stuff in my previous post) and your soundcard should work.


SX

[HawkNeedsHelp]

I got the IRQ mess sorted out, no conflicts now. Still can't get any sound though! Arrgh. Starting to wonder if maybe I wasted $75 on the sound card... I am sure there is nothing wrong with either the card or the speakers, but for the life of me, I just can't get any sound from it, at all.


All I wanted to do was simply upgrade. I guess "upgrading" and "simple" can be the ulitmate oxy-morons at times, either that or "upgrading" and "me" are the oxy-morons. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[HawkNeedsHelp]

Also, I was lying when I said I had the speakers plugged into the Line Out jac, turns out I had it in the Rear Out jac. But funny thing is, I get "popping" sounds with the Rear Out (removing and inserting of speaker plug), and nothing with the Line Out jac. I have the speaker setup right in the Speaker part of the Mixer Settings, its a 2-speaker setup, which I have it as. Why would I get the "popping" with the Rear Out jac and not the Line Out jac when I don't have a 4-speaker setup?? The rear or "surround" speakers (if I had them) would go into the Rear Out jac, wouldn't they?

Ahhh... this thing is giving me a headache.


Here's a suggestion for all you up-and-coming computer designers and engineers out there, make computers and OS's so that when you plug in a new card, everything configures itself and works fine, without a problem, and other cards/system parts re-configure themselves to work without problems too, without any conflicts or work on the user's part!

Ok, ok... I know that's too much to ask for, but hey, would work great for us simple-minded folk. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[HawkNeedsHelp]

I think I got it all figured out now, guys. Finally got my sound now, which sounds very good too. Thanks for all the replies. The headaches can stop now. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif