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Sound over a Network?

J

jen4950

[H]F Junkie
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Joined
Apr 25, 2001
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Not quite sure where this should go..

But is there any way or application that allows sounds or sound card output to be played over a network and thru another machine's sound card?

There is a practical application here-

I've got my new machine right next to my old machine, and 3 monitors for 2 computers. Well, I've got a KVM that works great for switching the keyboard and mouse between the two (tap Scroll Lock twice), and I just don't have the monitors or speakers hooked up thru the KVM. Working exactly how I want it as a matter of fact.. All screens stay with their respective machines and I can work between the two.

I've got them networked together with Gigabit ethernet and a bridge for the network connection to the router and cable modem. - I maintain a gigabit connection between the two without having to go thru the 10/100 router.

Only problem- Sound is hooked up thru the new machine to the speakers. I don't want the sound switching between the machines. For instance, If I am watching TV on the new one or a movie on the old one, I don't want the sound interrupted when I switch between them, or more importantly I want sound from one when I am working on the other. Another example is that I am running all of my IM stuff on the old one, and I like the audible alerts- but can't hear them the way I'm running right now.

Any suggestions for sound from the old computer, thru the 100/1000 connection, to the new computer and out to the speakers without a mechanical or otherwise non-software switch?

PIC:

Sound_1_W.jpg

BIG PIC

Far left Sony and Samsung on an ATI 9600XT-AIW, the new machine which is a P4 Prescott 3.2Ghz. Screen on the right connected to old P4. New P4 is under the desk, old one on the right.

If you'll notice, I've got the TV playing on the Sony, some Windows stuff on the middle one, and a movie playing on the right screen.

(And shit all over the place :D - Almost done setting everything up...)
 
How about getting another set of speakers.. Find some stylish small ones that will get the job done and look nice and are cheap.
 
That kinda defeats the purpose of having nice speakers.. Besides- I already have enough crap floating around incase you haven't noticed :D And I want to be able to have the surround capability from both machines, movies playing at either one etc.. The most likely scenarios that I see are playing a movie on the old one while working with the new one; or playing games etc on the new one.

Also, I've got a remote control for my new sound card, and a single source of sound/noise is the goal- i.e. one mute button.

[edit] Another motivation for this approach is my next project. I plan on upgrading the sound system with a receiver, great speakers etc.- so one source and set of speakers is the goal..[/edit]
 
Just hop down to best buy or where ever and get one of those audio switches that takes multiple inputs and outputs to a single set of speakers. You can't process sound on one computer and make it come out on another, as far as i know, without some special, probably non-exsistant software.
 
Yeah, as cool as that would be, I have never heard of anyone being able to do this.
 
you can also get a Y adapter. There are some quality cables out there.
 
Chix4mat said:
Yeah, as cool as that would be, I have never heard of anyone being able to do this.
Click to expand...
This has been done in linux for years. arts and esound come to mind. They offer network transparency so you can listen to the audio anywhere. I don't know of any windows equivalents though.
 
jen4950 said:
That kinda defeats the purpose of having nice speakers..
Click to expand...
Oh, I thought you said it was just for using with IM and windows crap. Just get a Y adapter like cosmos pointed out. Then both PC's will be playing thru the same speakers.
 
Met-AL said:
Oh, I thought you said it was just for using with IM and windows crap. Just get a Y adapter like cosmos pointed out. Then both PC's will be playing thru the same speakers.
Click to expand...


Yeah- sorry about not being clear.. I want high quality sound thru one set of speakers and sound card.

Having a great time with my new machine no matter- :D This thing is freakin' awesome!
 
if you have two computers (READ two sound cards) and one set of speakers i would just link one sound card's out to the others in. But you have the AIW I see... which uses a Line-In. Also, you'd have to have the computer plugged into the speakers on all the time. (something tells me that your computers are on very often sound this wouldn't have been a problem) A digital out from one to a digital in on the other would also probally work. But that is no different from doing sound over a network really.

A Y-Splitter seems to be the way to go. Unfortunetly I don't know who makes good Y cables. I'd just becareful because a generic Y splitter will work all eight ways... hmm, best way to explain this:
Its very elementary, just bare with me: Y cables have three ends, A B and C. Each end can be an input or an output (ie no filters, just three wires tied togeather). For your setup lets make A computer 1, B computer 2 and C your speakers. The problem I forsee here is that the signal from A would not only get to C but ALSO B. I hope the rest is easy to conclude on your own.

They do make good quality Y cables, as cosmos has already mentioned. I would just make absolutely certin that it has some kind of filterning device to prevent the above from happening. If I've learned anything from Mister X it's that ebay can be your friend :p

I'm sure there is also a way to take sound from one computer and beam it across the network to the computer plugged into the speakers. you jpmkm is right, linux is cool like that but windoze isn't. well, AFAIK... and all i know are stupid windows tricks and how to solder
 
XLShadow said:
Its very elementary, just bare with me: Y cables have three ends, A B and C. Each end can be an input or an output (ie no filters, just three wires tied togeather). For your setup lets make A computer 1, B computer 2 and C your speakers. The problem I forsee here is that the signal from A would not only get to C but ALSO B. I hope the rest is easy to conclude on your own.
Click to expand...

This isn't a problem. Only time type of thing is a problem for me is when I am using a Y splitter to join two composite video sources like my kids GameCube and the my HomeTheater receiver to the same inputs on the back of my TV. If they are both on, the picture is all garbled and probably not good for the TV. Audio...analog audio, tho is a whole different story. Try the Y-Splitter...dont spend a fortune...just get one that has decent ends on it so it doen't give you any problems.
 
I would actually like to know somehting for this as well. I currently have 3 machines, and one set of speakers (I <3 My old Klipsch 4.1's)

I've got the two desk based machines hooked up together, the more permanent box has the speakers hooked up, and I just simply use an 1/8" stereo to 1/8" stereo cable to hook them up. But then there are then times when I wish I could play the sound off of my laptop through the speakers as well.

So if someone does know of a windows based software solution, cough it up!! :)
 
I'd like to continue persuing a network based solution; I'm moving soon and want to expand this to a HTPC setup at my next pad.

I hadn't thought about the digital connections between the soundcards- I'll give that a try..
 
I guess I should add that this isn't from personal experiance. Thats just what I would be worried about if I was doing the same thing for myself. I'm sure a generic Y spitter would work in a pinch, I just don't think its optimal. Network seems the way to go for quality.
I wish you luck with your setup, jen4950.
 
well if you download windows media encoder for the client box and open up windows media player on your speaker set... you can stream the audio.. although it would be a waste of cpu power.

What about using a few of those extra lines the network cable has that doesnt do anything for sound? Like solder l, r, gnd to the network ports.. and then bridge them over to your sound in..
 
awdark said:
well if you download windows media encoder for the client box and open up windows media player on your speaker set... you can stream the audio.. although it would be a waste of cpu power.

What about using a few of those extra lines the network cable has that doesnt do anything for sound? Like solder l, r, gnd to the network ports.. and then bridge them over to your sound in..
Click to expand...

i think doing this would degrade sound quality quite a bit. i'd say go either with the digital-> digital cable for the sound cards, or streaming the audio live over your eithernet, although awdark is right about the waste of cpu power.... good luck though
 
You're right, I don't want to waste any power. I doubt my machines could handle the stress. :( Do you think a 2800+ barton or dual opteron 240's would be able to support it? ;)

"wasting" cpu power isn't much of a concern for me, I don't know about you. I'm pretty sure I can game and dump an audio stream into the network.

I imagine you could do it that way, but then there's the issue of latency. which, for music, is why I've avoided streaming audio in the house, you can't really tune in more then one source and expect to have them all in sync, which is why I'm curious if there might not be something out there that would be designed for live audio streaming.
 
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