X-Fi Front I/O Panel

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Mansize_tissue

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If i were to replace the flat ribbon cable used to connect the front i/o panel to the sound card with a rounded one, would i need to get an IDE cable or floppy cable?

Also, when i'm using headphones, am i best to have the volume set to max within Windows and use the knob on the front i/o bay to adjust volume, or have the knob set to max and adjust it within Windows?

Thank you.
 
1) You can probably round it yourself...it's a proprietary cable, so unless you know how to make your own, then it'll be difficult to find one that is already rounded.

2) Personally, I would set it to 50% in windows and adjust volume levels with the knob. It doesn't make sense to adjust it in windows all the time...can't fine-tune the volume level in game with the windows audio panel.
 
[+Duracell-];1031305557 said:
1) You can probably round it yourself...it's a proprietary cable, so unless you know how to make your own, then it'll be difficult to find one that is already rounded.

2) Personally, I would set it to 50% in windows and adjust volume levels with the knob. It doesn't make sense to adjust it in windows all the time...can't fine-tune the volume level in game with the windows audio panel.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply. At only 50% i can't get it loud enough using the knob. Would you advise against setting it to 100% within Windows?

I could try rounding it i suppose. Would i have to split each individual cable in the ribbon, though?
 
Try it at 100%, and see how the audio quality sounds. You are the ultimate judge, afterall.

The concern of course is that as the signal strength increases, distortion can increase, but by my experience audio distortion is more a function of your speakers and amplifiers than the original, digital source.

If the clean digital signal has it's volume upped by windows, I don't see why there should be any distortion until it reaches your speakers, and they reach their limit.

Of course, with your computer outputting its volume at max, smaller turns on the analog dial will have greater effects on your speakers, and maybe put your speakers at risk of blowing if you turn them up too high. Different speakers have different tolerance for loud audio, it really depends upon their quality.

I think you should test different ways, and see what suits you. Maybe set your front panel to full blast, and then adjust the windows volume so that the system is on the loud side of comfortable. That way you know that even full blast audio won't hurt your ears, or your speakers.

About rounding your cables, the old school way to do it was to cut between the wires in groups that evenly divide into the total number. Eyeballing the cable, it looks like it's at least 50 wires, so try groups of seven (7x7=49). That way, bundled together (ultimately by either zip ties or shrink wrap, it will be square/ roundish.
Of course, it was way easier with IDE cables back when there were only 20 wires, and you could rip them by hand, but a steady hand and an exacto blade will do the job with the tiny wires.
 
fold the cable in half. then fold again in half.

Then, if by chance, you have some heatshrink material and sleaving. sleave that thing! That's what I did for my cable. 100% better.

*or you could just fold in half and fold again and zip tie at the bases and middle. The cables will hold this way as well.
 
I think i'll experiment with different volumes within Windows and see if it makes any difference like you said, alhava.

Also, concerning the stupid ribbon cable which comes with the card: if i definitely can't buy some sort of ribbon cable, i guess i will have to make this one round myself. I don't know which method to use, though. Either fold it, or cut it.

Although, i'm pretty sure a normal IDE cable would work. Take a look here, someone else has done it. All you need to do it poke a hole through one of the pin receptors and it should be good to go. I've also spoken to someone else who did the exact same thing with an ATA66+ cable.

Thanks again for your replies.
 
Mansize,

I don't think its worth the risk cutting it.

seriously though....the heatshrink looks very good on it. i used the heatshrink/sleave normally usedfor PSU connectors. i would dare to say its almost thinner than a rounded IDE cable. and you don't have that huge plastic thing at the end of the ribbon.

hmmm...let me try to take some pics tomorrow.

anyways, having said all that....if you want to get it sleaved/roounded....you can get the ribbon sleaved at performance-PC. They do a great job on sleaving and great customer service.


http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=61&products_id=266

OT: I realized you and I have the same video card and motherboard. Are you using the stock cooler on the vid card? I wanted to get the HR-03 Plus, but it won't fit on this board (awful PCI layout)
 
Yeah, i'm using the stock video card cooler. I don't really need an after-market solution because, with the fan on 85%, it never goes about 80 degrees Celsius anyway. Even if i did want it the PCI layout, like you said, is rubbish and i'd lose the sound card.

Do you think i should just buy a rounded IDE cable, like this? Unfortunately i live in the UK, so i can't get it sleeved at performance PC. What size shrink rap would i need if i were to do it myself?

EDIT: On second thoughts, would this work ok?
 
Those look like reasonable solutions, I believe using an appropriately modified HDD cable would work just fine. After all, wires are just wires.

However, the article mentions the risk of "cross talk" on ATA66 cables (I think) the insulation was a but thicker than the newer (last 5 years) where we have like 50+ wires or something.
as is mentioned by the article you linked, current hard drives have a grounding wire between every signal sending wire to reduce cross talk and data corruption. Hard drives contain safe measures/ error checking to reduce data corruption, but sound cards do not.

Using a rounded cable *may* result in audio distortion between your sound card and your front panel bay. HDD cables are pretty cheap, I think it would be worth experimenting with.. fold it, hold it with tape, and see if it causes noticeable and audio distortion.

If you're using shrink wrap, the folding method would be a lot easier and safer than the cutting method, the only concern is that the ends don't look as neat.

One alternative could be using your own insulator in between the folds (or cuts) of your rounded cable, and that could solve even the potential of cross talk. cardboard strips, silicon gel or glue could all work, but it isn't something I've done before. This should all get shrink wrapped together so it will be less unsightly.
 
I wish i could get an IDE cable which is just terminated at either end, and doesn't have any connectors in the middle. I think i will just buy an IDE cable and see if it causes any problems. If it does, i'll have to modify my current flat, ribbon cable. What size heat shrink rap am i best to get? Bearing in mind it'll have to fit over the connecters at each (well, one) end.
 
you can twist the connector ends sideways to squeeze them through a smaller shrink tube.

I don't know shrink tubing well enough to recommend a particular gauge (or however it;s measured). Best bet is to go to an electronics store, and try to slide differing sizes over your cable. Maybe they will have a heat gun you could even borrow?
 
alhava said:
you can twist the connector ends sideways to squeeze them through a smaller shrink tube.

I don't know shrink tubing well enough to recommend a particular gauge (or however it;s measured). Best bet is to go to an electronics store, and try to slide differing sizes over your cable. Maybe they will have a heat gun you could even borrow?
Click to expand...

I have a heat gun; well, my dad has... but i'm sure i can borrow it. I'll buy an IDE cable and, if it hinders audio quality, i'll try sleeving my existing one with some sort of insulation.

Thank you for all of your help. ;)
 
SeamasterPG said:
How about this one?
http://www.computercablesource.com/round-ide-cable-24-inch-1-drive-ultra-ata-133-black-347.html
It has the 40 holes open, no like regular ide ribbons.
Hope it helps.
Click to expand...

Cheers, that should work. I made the mistake of buying one with one of the wholes filled in and, when i tried to drill through it, i was left with a mangled-mess of a hole and there was no way a pin would go in. :(

Unfortunately, i can't seem to find one with all of the holes open in the UK; i guess i have some more searching to do.
 
Mansize_tissue said:
Cheers, that should work. I made the mistake of buying one with one of the wholes filled in and, when i tried to drill through it, i was left with a mangled-mess of a hole and there was no way a pin would go in. :(

Unfortunately, i can't seem to find one with all of the holes open in the UK; i guess i have some more searching to do.
Click to expand...
Try a needle pin. The one that have a ball or something plastic on one side, and the needle on the other. I've done it before and it came right out.
 
alik4041 said:
Try a needle pin. The one that have a ball or something plastic on one side, and the needle on the other. I've done it before and it came right out.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the suggestion. I tried that before drilling. I put the connector on the end of the cable in a vice, got a needle and a hammer, and i still couldn't penetrate far enough to open up the hole. Was filled-in hole you pushed a hole in filled solid with plastic, or was it just a little bit on top which you had to push through?
 
About 1mm was the thickness. It was a grayish white molding but wasn't thick or deep at all. I didn't push down on it however. I inserted the pin at an angle of 45 degrees or so, then I simply bent the pin and it popped right off ;)
 
alik4041 said:
About 1mm was the thickness. It was a grayish white molding but wasn't thick or deep at all. I didn't push down on it however. I inserted the pin at an angle of 45 degrees or so, then I simply bent the pin and it popped right off ;)
Click to expand...

Oh, i guess it's different to the cable i had then. It was solid plastic all the way down. Where exactly did you insert the pin?
 
In the middle of the little greyish thingy and just pushed it towards an edge. You might want to try inserting the pin in one of the corners of the hole and see if you can pull it out like that. Just put pressure on the plastic peace and it should pop off.
 
alik4041 said:
In the middle of the little greyish thingy and just pushed it towards an edge. You might want to try inserting the pin in one of the corners of the hole and see if you can pull it out like that. Just put pressure on the plastic peace and it should pop off.
Click to expand...

I guess the cable i had was different. the filled in hole was just made with the same plastic as the whole connector, and couldn't be popped out because, well..., it would be like just pushing a pin through a solid block of plastic.

dook43 said:
What's a sleave?
Click to expand...

Something to wrap round a wire. A heat-shrink material can be used, slipped over the wire then heated up so it shrinks around it. Or some sort of braided material can be used, and the wire can be pushed through it, usually with heat-shrink at either end to finish it off nicely.
 
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