Creative SB Live - No sound

[markcpp]

Help. I am struggling to get my sound up and running. I instlled the ASUS p4pe mobo with onboard sound. I am not able to get the sound to work, and I will take any recommendations. I've checked the BIOS to make sure it was enabled. Other than that, I don't know what to do. (yes, my speakers are plugged in and work with my old computer/sound card). This is problem #1.

Problem #2 is my old sound card, Creative SB Live Value. I gave up on the onboard sound in an effort to hear something and yanked my soundcard from my old mobo. I placed it on the new mobo, disabled the onboard sound in the BIOS and booted up. I installed the latest drivers for the soundcard.....nothing. I still don't have sound. (and the speakers are still plugged in). Any suggestions?

I don't see any conflicts in my device manager, and I pulled the sound card out of my new computer and reinstalled it on the old one just to make sure it was still working, and it worked fine. I also have tried different PCI slots.

Thanks for any help. I'd love to figure both sound issues out.

Mark

 

[Jadow]

the SB Lives, are poorly labeled, are you sure you plugged your speakers into the line out jack?

 

[markcpp]

yeah, it's in the right jack. It works on my old computer, so I'm sure I have the right jack.

Mark

 

[markcpp]

??........still too quiet over here.... : (

 

[pukemon]

Are you running Windows XP? If you are, it should have built in drivers so sound will work straight out of the box. You will want to upgrade to the newest Creative drivers though, but the built in ones will at least provide you will output so you know it is working. Make sure nothing is muted, or that your outputs are are going to the right places. (are you using the SPDIF digital output?)

 

[MadRat]

It can be a tough balancing act to find resources when you use certain NICs (especially Linksys cards) or older VIA KT133/A chipsets that use the 686B southbridge.

 

[apoppin]

Just . . . possibly . . . your SBlive! is now SB[/i]dead![/i]. :Q

Hardware failures are not unknown on old sound cards . . .

edit: Oops, I see it still "lives" in another MB.

Well, then . . . . . . try removing ALL your PCI cards and move it from slot to slot. Failing that, a sound "rap" on the desk worked for me (before it finally died after 4 years in a new install . . . Me: happy owner of a new Philips Seismic Edge).

 

[wfbberzerker]

make sure the volume isn't off in the control panel. that always gets em!

 

[markcpp]

thanks for the replies......

I am runing windows XP, and I still got no sound upon the first boot. I installed the latest drivers from the creative website.

No, I'm not usig the S/PDIF digital output. I don't really know anything about that. I had it installed, but then I removed it thinking that there was a potential conflict there.

I know the sound card isn't dead b/c I have pulled it out and put it back in my old computer and it still works.

The volume isn't muted in the control panel......i wish it was, but it wasn't. : (

If I plug in the microphone and pull up the sound recorder and blow or talk into the mic I see the sound waves on the screen. So, that gives some hope. I still don't hear anything though. I think I'm going to reinstall XP and try again..........maybe even go back to windows 98 and see if it work under 98?? Does anyone know of any compatability issues between the p4pe mobo and creative live SB value card? I never thought it would be this difficult. I am probably missing something very obvious/easy, but I've checked everything I can think of. Any more suggestions??

Mark

 

[MadRat]

Could the speakers be bad?

 

[markcpp]

Speakers aren't bad. They work with my old computer. They are Boston Acoustics BA735Digital Speakers w/Subwoofer.

Mark

 

[markcpp]

Ok. I reinstalled XP.....still nothing.

I took my old hard drive w/windows 98, and put it in my new computer, and the sound worked fine.

So, it appears to not be working with XP for some reason. Any suggestions?

Again, I have the Creative SB Live Value that I got with my gateway computer about 3 years ago. I have the Boston Acoustics BA735 Digital Speakers w/Subwoofer.

Thanks for any help.

Mark

 

[MadRat]

Try these drivers: http://www.asus.com/support/download/item.aspx?ModelName=P4PE

 

[markcpp]

thanks. I had already been to that site and d/l the latest.

I think the problem is my speakers. I did a search on the internet and I have seen other people saying that the same speakers I have (Boston Acoustics BA 735 digital) do not work with XP. Other said there's did work. So, I'm searching for some more info there, but I am fairly confident that is the problem.

If anyone has experience with these speakers and XP, I'd love to hear from you. thanks.

Mark

 

[markcpp]

GOT IT!!!!!!!

Turns out that I d/l from creative's web site weren't for digital output. Gateway's site had some drivers for the SB Live Value card for digital output, and that did the trick.

So, now I have sound. I'm still curious why I cna't get the onboard sound to work, but I cna figure that out another day. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Mark

 

[Ne0]

Maybe because your onboard sound doesn't support digital output? I have those same Boston Acoustic speakers, and it'll work only with digital signals (Soundblaster live digital out).

 

[Ne0]

If your onboard sound is Digital, make sure you check Digital Output Only in Volume Control -> Advanced.