OT : Listening to Audio CDs without a cable

Nat wrote on 1/13/2003, 2:47 PM
Hello.
I had a Sound Blaster Audigy in my computer for some while and my optical drives were connected to the card internally so I could listen to audio CDs.

Now I have changed for a Wamirack 192L, and I thought that I couldn't play Cds anymore using my computer since I couldn't connect the drives to the card. I just popped a CD and it plays....
I'm a bit surprised, I guess the sound is transfered from the cd to the computer and then to the soundcard, but is this a special function of my DVD drive or of my new soundcard ? Or maybe Windows Media player ?

Thanks,

Nat

Comments

Nat wrote on 1/13/2003, 2:57 PM
I just answered my own question, Windows Media Player lets you choose if you want to either playback CDs using an analog connection (Internal cable) or do a digital transfer.
Well, i'm happy I don't have to use my audigy to listen to cds :)
Geoff_Wood wrote on 1/13/2003, 3:28 PM
Unfortuantely the signal still needs to pass through you SB on the way to the amp/speakers...

geoff
Nat wrote on 1/13/2003, 3:36 PM
Hmmm my current setup completly bypasses the Audigy and I can listen to cds...
My wamirack is connected to the amp and speakers.
Nat wrote on 1/13/2003, 3:37 PM
Oh do you mean that the signal still passes though the internal cable and is then transfered to my other soundcard ?
Nat wrote on 1/13/2003, 3:44 PM
I just disconnected the cables between the Audigy and the drives and can still here the cd. Guess Windows media copied the data to disk and outputs it in realtime
MJhig wrote on 1/13/2003, 7:30 PM
Sonic Foundry's Siren and Windows Media Player both read digital audio, if you have chosen the Wamirack 192L in Multimedia no other soundcard is incorporated.

MJ
Geoff_Wood wrote on 1/13/2003, 10:46 PM
If you have a different audio device selected as default, that is what the MediaPlayer sound will be coming out of. It is effectively the same as playing a recorded wav sound, it's just that it is being streamed from your CD-drive thru the drives data cable. No other connection necessary to the CD (apart from the power cable !)

geoff
Nat wrote on 1/14/2003, 12:05 AM
Guess it's time to throw those little cables in the trash :)
Geoff_Wood wrote on 1/14/2003, 3:13 AM
Yep, those nasty little antennas can just be sitting there picking up trash, even when the input is muted (n some cards).

geoff
Nat wrote on 1/14/2003, 10:01 AM
in my case they were picking up some high pitched hiss coming from a cathode in my case, I know it would have been more clever to remove the cathode, but trashing the cables is more fun :)