Windows Sounds through Firewire Interface?

[Advoc]

I did a search and couldn't find anything on the subject. The search function also seems to ignore the quotation marks around my query so it still searched for WINDOWS or SOUNDS rather than "WINDOWS SOUNDS" .. so here goes.

Is it possible to route your normal windows OS sounds through the MOTU?

I have 2 KRK rokit 5's hooked up. There are 3 inputs on the back of each one. a Balanced XLR, Balanced TRS, and Unbalanced RCA. I have the XLR's plugged into my 896mk3's Main Out's and the RCA's plugged into my motherboards onboard stereo out jack. (using a 1/8" TRS to 2xRCA adapter)

This works fine except that since the speakers are powered they each have their own individual volume knob. and the only way I can control their volume together is to grab the windows sound slider in the system tray. Which won't work if I'm using any fullscreen apps that have nothing to do with my DAW. What I'd like to do is be able to ditch the RCA cables and forget about my onboard sound. I'd like to route all my windows sounds (windows media player, youtube, PC games etc) through the motu so that I can control the volume using the master volume knob. Is there a way to do this? There is a checkbox in the audio console but it doesn't seem to do anything.

The only other option I see is to use up a couple of the analog in's, plugging the soundcard into them, except then I"m using up 2 of my inputs, as well as not ditching the soundcard.

I could also plug an optical cable from my soundcards S/PDIF out to the mk3's Optical in, and just route it in Cuemix that way. But that invovles getting a very expensive optical cable for a trivial task. and again. i'm still technically using my soundcard.

Does anybody have a solution to this problem?

[Boglwe]

Yes, Of course you can. The problem you might run into is that a DAW or any program that holds the MK3 hostage might and probably will not return it to 44.1 sampling rate. I believe that windows can use either 44.1 or 48. Most simple communications programs will NOT use 48 (Ventrilo and Teamspeak). I am not sure what OS you are using but I am on Windows 7 64bit. So, in order to confuse you anymore, I will let you try some more until we get an OS from ya.

Also, somebody might disagree with me and that is good, cause we need the information.

I actually am using my ONboard sound for all windows and use the MK3 for all things that CAN use it. That way all my games and communication programs work great, I just route a bus in and out to that sound card. As for volume control there are other options as well, if I understand your problem. Things like MonitorStation from presonis or Big Knob will fix that. The Motu is quite a tool but VERY hard to get right. I am trying to figure out how to make ALL ASIO sounds come out of output 3/4 instead of and icluding MAIN 1/2.

Good luck, please post what you figure out, if anything.

[Advoc]

I'm also running 7 64-bit.

My I use Cubase 5 for my DAW and there is an option in the device properties to allow other programs to use the MOTU when it is inactive or in the background. I can't remember exactly what the checkbox says but its pretty much as you describe.

I'm assuming you would use cuemix or the MOTU audio console to route your windows sounds through the motu right? Would my onboard sound show up as a specific bus in cuemix?

For volume I'd just like to have a physical knob or something to control it. If i'm in a game and I need the volume turned down I don't want to have to alt--tab to turn the slider down. So I figured if windows was getting routed through the motu I could just use the master volume to turn things down.