Using 2 sound cards - on board and installed

[bdonedge]

Does anyone know if it is possible to have a seperate sound card from your on board, but use both? I have a sound card I use for recording and it doesn't have 1/8" input for headphones or desktop microphone. I use them for gaming which is often, but I can use my other soundcard to run through my stereo. I'd like to use both and switch back and forth when I deem necessary, so is that an option?



Here is my setup right now, and it might be a little easier to understand:

I have one computer I game on which I use onboard sound with. I use 3.5mm headphones and desktop microphone through it

My second computer is an old piece of *** I have my super nice sound card hooked up to. It has ONLY component and HD audio input/outputs. It doesn't have a single 3.5mm connection on the entire thing. Only RCA, etc. On that computer, because the sound card drivers make it so that it is the main card, I am unable to use 3.5mm audio equipment.

I want to take that card and put it into my main rig because I want to get rid of this old computer and give it to my dad. But if I put it in my main rig, the drivers will make it so the sound card is the default and it will automatically uninstall the onboard drivers, making the 3.5mm connections useless. Basically i'd like to know if there are other ways to make the onboard audio work simultaneously with the other sound card

 

[verbalizer]

In the windows control panel goto sounds and audio devices and check the audio tab to see which sound device is set as the default device.

Windows will push all sound to the default device.

So if you have 2 sound cards in your PC you need tell windows which device you want as your default.

Now to use the other sound card/device the application you are running needs to allow you to choose an audio device either with a config file of by using a setting in the application.

Some TV card software will allow you to choose your audio output device so that you can have windows sound on one and the TV on the other.

 

[bdonedge]

Now what if the drivers of the new video card automatically uninstall the drivers of the onboard sound? That seems to be the issue I'm having, so it's as if it doesn't exist.

 

[bdonedge]

Better yet, is there a cord that will take my 3.5mm mic and convert it to be able to plug into a analog RCA cable?

So a female 1/8inch connector to a RCA (the red and white) male?

 

[Mousemonkey]

Best answer selected by mousemonkey.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey