Thats if you run it in standard 5 speaker mode. For example if i switch my Yamaha amp to run in Pro logic II mode then it will run the vocal through the center channel and the music though the other speakers. Of coarse its not perfect as its done from a 2 channel signal.
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5.1 Audio on Mac Pro
- Thread starter ComeOnDieYoung
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Thats if you run it in standard 5 speaker mode. For example if i switch my Yamaha amp to run in Pro logic II mode then it will run the vocal through the center channel and the music though the other speakers. Of coarse its not perfect as its done from a 2 channel signal.
I think I had to buy the optical audio cable. The cable hooks up from the optical audio out on the Mac Pro to the optical audio in on the control panel.
You have to remember to set the sound output in the sound system preferences, but you only need to do that once.
And I checked the options (while I was in front of my Mac) I have on the Z-5500s, it has:
Stereo
Stereo x2
DD PLII Music
DD PLII Movie
Stereo seems kind of useless. Why would you want sound out of only 2 speakers. Stereo x2 uses the four speakers (not the center). DD PL II Music uses all 5 speakers.
I tend to leave it most of the time on DD PLII Music.
You also need to set it in the DVD player app to get the 5.1 to pass through.
Very good point. Alot of people miss that.
I don't play DVDs much, so I forgot about that.
Okay, I have the Z5500 as well. Could someone check if 5.1 works with Windows in Bootcamp? A way to test this would be to play a DVD in Windows. The Z5500 should give you an extra option under "effects", which would be 5.1 (or DTS, if you're playing a DVD with DTS sound)
--Erwin
--Erwin
'Nother question: If the speakers don't specifically have 5.1 digital decoding, can they still produce "real" Dolby 5.1 surround sound? For example, the Logitech X-540 speakers. I'm just having a semi-tough time justifying $260 for the Z-5500 when I live in an apartment that has automatic $100 fines if there's a noise complaint.
No. The Mac Pro only has one stereo minijack output and one optical output, and the optical output can only send out encoded 5.1 which needs to be decoded by some sort of external box. A 5.1 system like the X-540 won't even be able to hook up to the Mac Pro, since it demands the "3 minijack" method of sending all six channels to the speakers. To use those you'd need to buy an external device like the Firewave or something similar.
EDIT: This is why I wish NVIDIA still made their Soundstorm chip that was on some old nForce 2 boards back in the day. It'd encode in real-time surround sound from any source in the system to Dolby Digital and spit an encoded stream out over optical to any external decoder. Is there any chip that still does this, and if so, why won't Apple use it? That'd be nice.
Yeah, sorry, I meant to add that I would get the FireWave as a connect. I'm just slightly confused by the description (I'm NOT someone who knows a lot about audio stuff) ...
So is that saying that the FireWave has the processing needed to do Dolby 5.1? And that with it, the X-540 would work correctly? See, it's the "not an amplifier" vs. what it actually supports that's confusing me.
Yeah, sorry, I meant to add that I would get the FireWave as a connect. I'm just slightly confused by the description (I'm NOT someone who knows a lot about audio stuff) ...
So is that saying that the FireWave has the processing needed to do Dolby 5.1? And that with it, the X-540 would work correctly? See, it's the "not an amplifier" vs. what it actually supports that's confusing me.
Yes, and yes.
Not an amplifier just means that it's not designed to power un-powered speakers. All computer speakers are amplified (the amp circuitry usually residing in the subwoofer, simply because there's room) and so they take a "line-level" input.
Thanks! Now to figure out if I want to spend $130 on the speakers and connector that I'll use for a few years and be reasonably satisfied with, or $260 on the Z-5500 that will connect to anything and be future-proof for probably a decade or more.
on windows you can play dvd in several ways
-pass through, the digital stream (dd, dts) is passed via optical to your decoder
- optical out, decoded, but stereo
- jack, stereo
- other soud card (in my case harmonyaudio) decoded, multi channel and with speakers connected with 3 mini jacks.
Personally I don't use optical out on my pro since I use that input on the 5500 to connect my skybox and the coax to my dvd player
-pass through, the digital stream (dd, dts) is passed via optical to your decoder
- optical out, decoded, but stereo
- jack, stereo
- other soud card (in my case harmonyaudio) decoded, multi channel and with speakers connected with 3 mini jacks.
Personally I don't use optical out on my pro since I use that input on the 5500 to connect my skybox and the coax to my dvd player
I thought everyone said you can't use the optical out at all under windows
where'd you see that? that'll suck for me, if true. oh, well, i guess I can run 2 cables to the receiver.
Originally Posted by XianPalin
I've been trying to figure this out too. Some people were saying you can't do optical 5.1 under Windows, is this correct?
So I guess optical does work, but is only 2 channel? But then bubez was saying under windows you can pass a DTS signal, which is 5.1.... so...
I'm confused
I'll hopefully be getting my Mac Pro tomorrow so I can maybe sort it out a little bit, but I don't have any speakers with Optical input. I didn't buy any because I didn't think I could use them under windows.
I've been trying to figure this out too. Some people were saying you can't do optical 5.1 under Windows, is this correct?
So I guess optical does work, but is only 2 channel? But then bubez was saying under windows you can pass a DTS signal, which is 5.1.... so...
I'm confused
I'll hopefully be getting my Mac Pro tomorrow so I can maybe sort it out a little bit, but I don't have any speakers with Optical input. I didn't buy any because I didn't think I could use them under windows.
It is actually really starting to annoy me now!
I noticed the 'SigmaTel Audio' in the control panel and all the settings are turned on for 5.1, but it's only outputting in 2-channels still.
I've used the VLC media player http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ to play 5.1 audio files in Mac and it's output it in Dolby Digital, but when I've played them in Windows with the same player the audio jams up like a continuously skipping CD. Also when I change the Windows sound settings to 5.1 surround sound in the control panel, it jumps back again to desktop speakers.
I checked out the SigmaTel website http://www.sigmatel.com/products/pcaudio/ to look for an updated driver, but they say they've passed on their audio technology to another company http://www.idt.com/?catID=7233908. So I checked their website out, and nothing to be found!
Why they or
Apple have not brought out an updated driver, I do not know! Especially Apple, seeing they have fully released Boot Camp now.
I too am confused. I run a Toslink cable to my Logitech system and when I run Crysis on XP under Bootcamp the sound is okay but when I check the control panel settings I only see Headphones or 2 speakers. How do I get the DVD drive to pass the 5.1 signal through the optical out to my Logitech system?
Alan
Alan
'trainguy77', it's the exact same problem as me.
5.1 in Mac OSX works flawlessly, but go into Windows and it stays constantly at a 2 channel output. You can force 5.1 output on Windows using VLC media player, but Windows can't handle it and in turn makes the sound seem like a skipping music CD track.
The problem is the sound driver needs to be updated for Windows. Something Apple has already sorted out for Mac OSX to please the customer but not for Windows.
Solution:
1. Wait for 'SigmaTel Audio' to bring out an updated driver - not likely though.
2. Apple to push 'SigmaTel Audio' to make one - more likely to happen if enough people complain about it.
3. Using third party software, of which I know of none.
4. Use a 5.1 sound card plugged into the Firewire port, which I have also heard doesn't properly work in Windows
I may add, I too have a Logitech Z-5500 sound system.
'trainguy77', it's the exact same problem as me.
5.1 in Mac OSX works flawlessly, but go into Windows and it stays constantly at a 2 channel output. You can force 5.1 output on Windows using VLC media player, but Windows can't handle it and in turn makes the sound seem like a skipping music CD track.
The problem is the sound driver needs to be updated for Windows. Something Apple has already sorted out for Mac OSX to please the customer but not for Windows.
Solution:
1. Wait for 'SigmaTel Audio' to bring out an updated driver - not likely though.
2. Apple to push 'SigmaTel Audio' to make one - more likely to happen if enough people complain about it.
3. Using third party software, of which I know of none.
4. Use a 5.1 sound card plugged into the Firewire port, which I have also heard doesn't properly work in Windows
I may add, I too have a Logitech Z-5500 sound system.
What about adding a PCI Express sound card (like creative) to use just in Windows?
Hmm.. Dunno. I presume you mean one that is purely compatible with Windows and not Mac. Would probably work because it would have better supported drivers. I'll have to look into that, but it doesn't solve the problem for people like me who have an iMac or a MacBook.
Hmm.. Dunno. I presume you mean one that is purely compatible with Windows and not Mac. Would probably work because it would have better supported drivers. I'll have to look into that, but it doesn't solve the problem for people like me who have an iMac or a MacBook.
Yes, I meant solely in Windows. Didn't know you had an iMac, as this is the Mac Pro category. I guess you would have to go with a USB soundcard.
Creative does have a PCIe XF-i sound card, however the lack of OS X drivers will only solve the Windows side of the equation.
So, are all Logic users pumping their audio into a receiver of some sort, or just using studio monitor headphones with the built in hardware?
So, are all Logic users pumping their audio into a receiver of some sort, or just using studio monitor headphones with the built in hardware?
So that would solve the problem in windows? There is no issue in OS X, 5.1 works fine.
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
--Erwin