Problem With 5.1 Surround Sound Output

[Joe Ciaravino]

Windows 7 64 bit OS with Realtek integrated sound on motherboard. If I go to the Realtek application on my computer and test the speaker output, I get a correct test sound from all front, rear, center, and subwoofer speakers. However, when I play music with WM Player, iTunes, or any other application, I only get stereo sound (front pair speakers work only).

 

[BorisTheAnimal]

In the Realtek app there should be a box on the configuration page that you should be able to tick.

The box is "Speaker Fill" and when you hover over it: Speaker expansion makes stereo sound hearable to multi-channel speakers!

This is how it looks for me:


Cheers, Boris

 

[dsperber]

Windows 7 64 bit OS with Realtek integrated sound on motherboard. If I go to the Realtek application on my computer and test the speaker output, I get a correct test sound from all front, rear, center, and subwoofer speakers. However, when I play music with WM Player, iTunes, or any other application, I only get stereo sound (front pair speakers work only).

I know this sounds like a simple question and no disrespect, but is your source multi-channel, or stereo?

CD-audio is only 2-channel stereo, so if that's the the original source for your music then it would also be 2-channel stereo. It's understandable that 2-channel music would be played back through your two L/R fronts.

On the other hand, genuine multi-channel sound (e.g. from playing a BluRay/DVD, or from a media file with multi-channel audio) would of course be heard from all your speakers.

 

[Joe Ciaravino]

In the Realtek app there should be a box on the configuration page that you should be able to tick.

The box is "Speaker Fill" and when you hover over it: Speaker expansion makes stereo sound hearable to multi-channel speakers!

This is how it looks for me:
View attachment 384374

Cheers, Boris

Yes that works. Thank you.

 

[Joe Ciaravino]

Windows 7 64 bit OS with Realtek integrated sound on motherboard. If I go to the Realtek application on my computer and test the speaker output, I get a correct test sound from all front, rear, center, and subwoofer speakers. However, when I play music with WM Player, iTunes, or any other application, I only get stereo sound (front pair speakers work only).

I know this sounds like a simple question and no disrespect, but is your source multi-channel, or stereo?

CD-audio is only 2-channel stereo, so if that's the the original source for your music then it would also be 2-channel stereo. It's understandable that 2-channel music would be played back through your two L/R fronts.

On the other hand, genuine multi-channel sound (e.g. from playing a BluRay/DVD, or from a media file with multi-channel audio) would of course be heard from all your speakers.

You have analyzed things somewhat more. When I playback some older recordings, possibly if not probably recorded in monaural, these only emit sound from the "front" speaker pair. When I now play audio (probably) recorded/reproduced in stereo, the sound emits from ALL speakers.

In any event, I am now satisfied with the results, despite the fact that I don't fully understand the process used to simulate 5.1 channel audio. I am grateful for both of your comments as well as your helpful remedies, Animal and DSPerber.

In the final analysis, my system now emits sound from all 6 speakers when playing stereo recordings..............simulated "matrix" sound, which is what I want. When playing older, monaural recordings, the sound emanates from the front speakers only. That is perfectly acceptable. When "true" surround sound is played back, I assume that it is truly reproduced from all 6 speakers, although I cannot discern whether it is "fidelity" reproduction or not.

 

[BorisTheAnimal]

Hey nice to hear you got it fixed, and am happy to help!

Cheers, Boris

 

[anwaypasible]

I don't fully understand the process used to simulate 5.1 channel audio.

there's only four ways to go about it:
1. you are simply copying & pasting the front left to the rear left - the front right to the rear right.
2. you are analzying the audio of stereo that is capable of using virtual speakers & then every time the virtual speaker gets close to either the rear left or rear right, instead of asking all the timing of the speaker & room to do the virtual speaker, you instead simply play the audio from the rear speaker.
3. you could also use the rear speakers to pull & drag on the soundwaves from the front speakers to enhance or strengthen the virtual speakers.
4. using either number 2 or 3, you could add environment effects (including re-mapping of the speaker location).

ever since consumers have been able to buy speaker systems with rear speakers, they've taken half of the phase away from the front speakers and used it for the rear speakers (thus preventing the front speakers from being able to do it while in 'surround' mode - unless those channels are discrete).
i can hear audio from behind me using two front speakers, simply depends on whether the audio file has such an fx in it or not.

i haven't played with all of the different virtual surround modes in existence, but i also know the ones i have played with don't really do 2, 3, or 4.
i also haven't heard anybody talking about systems being able to do it.
seems the headphone industry has been the only subject that gets any attention about it.

here's an audio file that plays audio from behind: https://youtu.be/fSSLQf95-Nc