Does it exist or do I need to make one?

[The1stCAV]

I want a switch box I can plug in all of my computers sound cards to along with my headphones/mic to.

Is there a switch box out there that will accept

Incoming:
Inputs (Front R/L, Rear R/L, and Center/Sub - 6 total RCA's per PC, or 3 total Stereo 1/8" jacks)
Mic Output per PC as well
Up to 3 PC's / 2 at minimum

Outgoing:
Headset: The typical 1/8" plugs for a set of headphones (1 - Front R/L, 1 - Rear R/L, and 1 - Center/Sub), plus the 1/8" Mic plug (Incoming) and the USB Plug for power
(I currently have a set of Razer Baracuda Heaphones that have the 4 -1/8" plugs and 1 USB plug and I know other 5.1 headphones do as well)

Speakers: 3 - 1/8" Jacks to go to speakers (1 - Front R/L, 1 - Rear R/L, and 1 - Center/Sub)

Function:
Will allow a user to Turn on or off the inputs from any source
Will allow the user to switch between headphones or speakers with ease or send any source to headphones while sending different source/s to speakers, or any combination of.


Right now if I want to go from speakers to headset, I have to get up and plug my headphones into my sound card, unplugging my speakers. Then have to switch again if I want to listen to speakers. I also have one main speaker system and one main set of headphones but 3 PC's within proximity of each other. I would like to be able to have them all send the sound to the single speaker set or headphones (however I wish) or be able to isolate and only listen to one source and turn the others off. I would also like to use the Mic on the headset on any PC connected. This would require a central switch box - is there one out there that is set up for 5.1 set ups? I have found one by Plantronics for a 2 speaker set up and headphones, but that is it.

Any help?

 

[Arainach]

You're essentially describing two separate things: a mixer and a receiver. They're what you need. Although, personally, I say just skip the mixer concept and connect them all through optical to a receiver.

 

[The1stCAV]

The majority of sound cards (Audigy2 ZS and X-fI Cards for sure) do not have "Optical" as a standard option coming out of the PCI slot, so that will not work. Plus, a Mixer/Receiver is a bit too drastic imo.

All I was thinking was a small box of some kind sitting on the desktop that all the PC's could run their cables to from the sound cards, be able to plug in my headset and speakers to that same box and be able to switch between all the computers output sound and chose headphone or speakers to listen to them on.

I have been searching for this now for about 6 months, I assume now it does not exist, so off to Radio Shack and Fry's I guess to make one myself......................thx for the input/feedback.

 

[The1stCAV]

BTW- I figured out a solution...........

My speakers have an on/off switch, my headphones have an on/off switch, so I just went and bought 3 - stereo headphone splitters, plugged those into the sound card, plugged the headphones and the speakers into the splitters and just turn one or the other on/off depending on what I needed.

If anyone else is going through the plug/unplug issues with 5.1 Headphones and 5.1 Speakers and trying to figue out how to switch between, just go to Radio Shack, get the headphone splitters, 3 of them and it works well.