Will my sound card for multi channel work?

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I bought Startech’s 4 Channel PCI Sound Card and am trying to get it to work on multi channel recording with no luck. Is there anything I need to do to get it to work? Or will it even work?
P.S. My computer is Windows 7

2

Windows drivers and software is probably not going to do it, but it might work if you install the latest Startech drivers and software.

Koz

3

I know. In order to get the card to work, I had to install the driver that came on the cd. I installed a few additional things on it not knowing if it would help or not.

4

Open Audacity and go to “Help > Audio Device Info”.
Wait a moment for the device information to appear.
Copy and paste that information into your reply.

5 
==============================
Default capture device number: 1
Default playback device number: 9
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: Wave (C-Media PCI Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: Stereo Mix (Realtek High Defini
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: CD Player (C-Media PCI Audio De
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: Microphone (C-Media PCI Audio D
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: Line In (C-Media PCI Audio Devi
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 6
Device name: Aux (C-Media PCI Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 7
Device name: Stereo Mix (C-Media PCI Audio D
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 8
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 9
Device name: Speakers (Realtek High Definiti
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 10
Device name: Realtek Digital Output (Realtek
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 11
Device name: Speakers (C-Media PCI Audio Dev
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 12
Device name: Primary Sound Capture Driver
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 13
Device name: Wave (C-Media PCI Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 14
Device name: Stereo Mix (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 15
Device name: CD Player (C-Media PCI Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 16
Device name: Microphone (C-Media PCI Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 17
Device name: Line In (C-Media PCI Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 18
Device name: Aux (C-Media PCI Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 19
Device name: Stereo Mix (C-Media PCI Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 20
Device name: Primary Sound Driver
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 6
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 21
Device name: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 6
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 22
Device name: Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 23
Device name: Speakers (C-Media PCI Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 6
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Selected capture device: 13 - Wave (C-Media PCI Audio Device)
Selected playback device: 21 - Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available capture sources:
0 - Master Volume
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - CD Audio
1 - Master Volume
==============================
Capture volume is native
Playback volume is native

I understand that none of the input channels excede 2, which means it’s only mono and stereo. :frowning: That sucks. The reason I bought this sound card for audacity is because it said 4 channel in it’s title (rear and front). So what now?

6

Audacity is only seeing 2 recording channels.
Is this the device? http://intrl.startech.com/Cards-Adapters/Sound/Sound-Cards-Video-Cards/4-Channel-PCI-Sound-Card-with-AC97-3D-Audio-Effects~PCISOUND4CH
If so, it appears to have 2 recording channels (one stereo channel) with the “4 channel” description referring to playback.
Audacity does not currently support multi-channel playback.

7

drat :p.