New Biostar Mobo -Realtek888-No Recording Sliders

> > > New Biostar Mobo -Realtek888-No Recording Sliders

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Member Since: Aug 27, 2007

Sorry for the length here but I want to be thorough. Very frustrated now.

New Biostar Tforce 550Se mobo. Realtek 888 HD audio onboard will not allow me to control individual recording sliders. The rec. sliders are non functional in windows mixer. In Realtek HD mixer, the slider channels show and are labeled but no actual slider buttons to drag. Stereo Mixer Rec volume works on both mixers as do all playback sliders.

I have a hauppauge wintv go card that cannot assign a channel to record (feeds line in) and the tv tuner cannot control line in volume because it doesn't show any rec. mixer channels to link with.

Audacity sound editor doesn't show individual rec channels to select either because Realtek HD has them
disabled.

Basically anything I want to use that relies on adjustible Rec. channels will be useless in this "fancy Realtek HD audio mixer."

I e-mailed Biostar and havent heard back yet but did from Realtek and got this.

"Hi,

Your audio system is mixer recording type . You can not adjust volume gain control for each item . Please try to contact your TV tuner card manufacturer to check this compatible problem . We follow Microsoft HD Audio Device Definition .

Best Regards
PC-Tech"

Can't adjust individual rec. channels? You've got to be kidding me. That makes absolutely no sense. All this boast of 7.1 HD audio and fancy EQ and spatial sounds...but they disable individual record sliders? Why bother to show the rec. channels in the mixer at all if they don't have a function.

Even my 4 year old Asus and ECS boards running A97 audio can control individual record levels.

So much for a system UPGRADE?

I've temporarily installed an old Mad dog predator 5.1 sound card which works but audio rec. levels are low from all sources internally and externally with sliders maxed. Tv audio is ok to listen but low and scratchy on recorded shows.
Cheap old card and NOT a good solution.

I didn't just spend all this $ to build a new system only to have LESS functionality and find myself wanting to use my old computer or need to go buy a new sound card.

I've seen a similar topic on other forums "no rec sliders in Realtek" but no solutions (and per Realtek its normal)

FINALLY....I get to ....The QUESTION:
Has anyone experienced this and is there a work around or other Realtek (or 3rd party) drivers that will work with the 888 HD audio hardware on board to enable recording sliders?

Help...Pleeeeease!!
Thx Dave

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Hold 'Em Czar
Member
Since: Dec 30, 2004

Aug 27, 2007 09:14 pm

ok these 'sliders' what exactly do you use them for....i've never had to use mine, i just keep everything maxed and leave them. are you using your card's "line inputs"? if so, they will not be adjustable....in order for you to be able to adjust the gain, you need a 'preamp' which is usually on a 'mic input'.

also the card isn't all that geat IMHO for recording purposes, and beyond a re-install from the driver i'm not sure what to tell you.

heres a link to a generic ASIO driver that works pretty well on most cards. www.asio4all.com

all the best

wyd

Member
Since: Aug 27, 2007

Aug 27, 2007 09:33 pm

Recording sliders are used to control record levels for individual rec. sources. Wav audio, MIC, Line in, CD/aux...etc. When I do audio mixing/editing I have an external mic and a cd playing and need to be able to fade music in and out on the wav channel...or line in if i'm using an exernal audio device. -- Audacity sound editor has the ability to record from each of these sources too but cannot access any of them if they are disabled in Realtek mixer.

I'll check the link you provided.
Hopefully someone has open source drivers or mixer that will work.

Thanks for the reply.

Anyone else?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Aug 27, 2007 11:03 pm

You will only have 2 channels of recording with that onboard sound chip. I don't think that the Realtek uses WDM which is what is needed for the ASIO4ALL drivers to work. I think you are stuck with the generic MME drivers with the Realtek onboard soundcard, which will not work well for full duplex use of the card.


Member
Since: Aug 27, 2007

Aug 27, 2007 11:42 pm

Great! Thought u might say something like that but I suspected as much. I figured the slider channels showed in the mixer bcus that's built in the software but not active bcus the hardware doesn't support it.

I was looking at a Gigabyte mobo with similar specs prior to buying this one ...but I'm afraid that uses Realtek audio as well.

I need a mobo with AC97 audio but I'm sorta limited in mobos bcus I want min. 3 pci slots and those are disappearing which doesn't make much sense since there aren't too many PCIx1 cards yet either.

Good thing I got lucky to find a board with 4 pci slots. I may need to waste one on a decent sound card. Of course...to get one with a mixer that supports adjustable input channels... and how do you know until you open and install it? Then how returnable are they? I don't feel like playing "card games."

Guess I need to post in some hardware forums and see if anyone has recent sound cards with individual rec channel adjust so I know what to buy.

Thanks for the replies.

Hold 'Em Czar
Member
Since: Dec 30, 2004

Aug 28, 2007 12:01 am

ya can get a pretty good USB external soundcard/audio interface on the cheap....that's a solution that i'd go with instead of a new motherboard.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Aug 28, 2007 06:29 pm

OK, so how many channels of audio input and output do you need? That will help find a card that is right for you.
There are plenty of PCI interfaces out there that will do 8 channels. Which it sounds to would be enough.

Oh ya, and they work fine without any headaches. I have never had trouble installing and getting them running at all.

Member
Since: Aug 27, 2007

Aug 28, 2007 06:55 pm

Actually I could care less about surround sound and lots of output channels. Stereo out is fine. Main thing is seperate line in and mic in and control over all record channels.

I downloaded the C-media 8768 drivers and they seem to work better with my 8738 card than the 8738 drivers. Slightly more rec level and a bit better output sound and nicer mixer.

Tv card still has low volume and a staticy slight feedback squeal on recorded shows. It sounds fine just listening so the tv analog out is ok but internal recording via the pci bus might've been damaged playin the sound card/ driver game.

I looked at the creative line of cards at the egg...but none of the 4 jack CL cards will work. They all share mic/line jack. I've never seen that b4. What if you want a mic and line in device at the same time?

Gotta look closely at these cards b4 buying. Several in the $20 range including compusa and others at the egg are the same C-media 8738 board as my mad dog predator sound card.

I saw diamond 7 and 8ch cards and a few others in the 30-50 range with LOTS of jacks but reviews are mixed. I saw some external usb sound cards but limited inputs and not sure if they would do what I want with individual recording mixer channels.

I'm a bit annoyed since I just dropped over 4bills on a new system. Didn't plan on more $ for a sound card or anything right now. That's money I cud spend on XP if I decide to upgrade from w2k.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

> > > New Biostar Mobo -Realtek888-No Recording Sliders

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