Can't figure out how to play music on multiple speakers.

[Undercover_Man]

I have a Genius SW-G5.1
I'm using PotPlayer64 and also VLC
I USED to be able to play music through at least two speakers plus the subwoofer.
VLC stopped after an update and I tried multiple players and found PotPlayer64 could do it.
Then more updates later and now I can't figure out how to make my music play through all my speakers and subwoofer.
I can't remember if I could only play through the front L/R speakers or if it just played the same stereo audio out the read speakers as it did the front speakers.
It definitely played through the subwoofer though.
I can't figure out the settings that I used to use to force PotPlayer to use front and/or rear speakers as well as the subwoofer.
I'm using Windows 10.
Audio default settings are as follows:

Audio Renderer: Auto
Pass-through Renderer: Default output device
2nd Audio Renderer: Do not use (Recommended)
Speakers: 2/0/0 - 2.0 Stereo (Recommended) @16-bit
Sample Rate: Same as input (Recommended)
Output: PCM (Default) (Recommended)


I want to say the Speakers setting was set to something else and maybe the Audio Renderer or Pass-through Renderer too. I can only get it to play on the center speaker only or just the front left and right speaker with zero subwoofer.
I go to the Windows Sound setting and press Configure button on my speakers and it's set to 5.1 and also tests fine out of all speakers and subwoofer. Games will also play using full 5.1 as well. Also, no matter what combination settings I try in the PotPlayer audio settings, I can only hear audio from music from the front left speaker. Ran Windows troubleshooter and it finds nothing wrong.

Ideas?

 

[Undercover_Man]

OMG, after trying more things, I randomly updated some audio driver. Nothing said anything needed updating, but I saw the date was a few years old and there was a button to update it and after Windows restarted IT WORKED!!! I've been stuck with one speaker music for YEARS. It's still weird it works though when surround worked with other things. Maybe it had to do with how it played back mp3 files. But no, videos with stereo audio did the same out of one speaker. Finally hearing music out of all speakers and with BASS. Windows is so weird.

 

[Undercover_Man]

Ok, so it works and sometimes it doesn't. It's almost like a driver is glitching maybe? For example, I was playing music in VLC. I opened up Audition to do some work. Didn't notice if all speakers were in use. But when I closed it and went back to my music, I noticed it went back to 2.0 instead of 5.1 audio playback. I configure the speakers and all work fine in the test. I closed the Chrome tabs using audio (Youtube, Spotify, etc.) Nope, still 2.0. I'm betting if I restart my computer it will work fine again until something triggers it to stop.

Also, while it's working, Whenever I play a youtube video or something from TikTok app, there's a small chance that once the audio initiates for a video it will put out a really LOUD static sound for I think 5 seconds before continuing normal playback.

I don't have any sound card. Just using the motherboard for audio. It uses Realtek HD Audio. Maybe I should just get a sound card since I'm starting to edit again and might be doing music again connecting my guitar to the computer. Until then.....

Ideas what could be causing my audio issue? Everything is up to date too.

 

[Armenius]

You want the speakers setting in PotPlayer set to 3/0/2+LFE for 5.1 surround (front/side/rear channels + Low Frequency Emitter).

You may want to get an internal or external sound card. Despite so-called "advances" in onboard audio, it has always been terrible, and the poor shielding causes audio output issues. You really can't go wrong with the Sound Blaster AE series as far as sound cards go. I use an AE-5 for my speakers and G6 for my headphones.