Winamp CD playback in digital domain? (1 Viewer)

[Vince Maskeeper]

Ok.

As you might know- in a standard PC setup, the analog output from the back of the CD drive is routed the soundcard directly. So when playing back CD, the computer is just acting as a controller, and the audio is bypassing the processor completely and playing back direct to the card.

In my house I have 2 PCs that do not allow you to connect the analog output directly to the card. My HTPC has an M-Audio Audiophile card, and my desktop machine has an Echo Audio Gina studio card.

So, for these cards, I have to use a program that can actually read the data off the cd via the IDE controller, convert it, and send it to the audio card.

I recently installed WINAMP on the HTPC- and it worked perfectly right off the bat (for the HTPC the connection from the card to the receiver is digital- so maybe it is able to deal with passing spdif PCM striaght from the disc to the receiver).

However- I cannot get Winamp to work on CDs with the Echo card. I can get Windows Media Player to work fine (in decodes cds in the digital realm)- but I hate Media Player and would much rather use winamp.

Does anyone know the right settings/plugins to use to make Winamp play CD audio back in the digital domain- rather than just passing it via the analog on the drive? Again, My HTPC did it fine without any work, but I'm guessing it's because it's passing direct from the drive to the SPDIF output on the card. I know it's possible on the desktop machine because WinMedia Player works fine.

-Vince

 

[Camp]

Do you have a digital-out cable going from your optical drive to your Echo card? That's the only way to get digital audio to a sound card on a PC.

If you don't have this cable Windows Media Player (and WinAmp) is not getting a digital signal. If you don't have that cable yet you're able to send a digital signal from your PC to your receiver then your sound card is converting the analog (from your optical drive) and sending to your receiver.

 

[Matt DeVillier]

camp,

you can have digital cd audio playback via the IDE cable (no cable connecting the cdrom to sound card is necessary), and that is what vince is trying to do.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Quote:

I checked the output options... (CTRL-P) - it has 4 output plugins, and I've tried all 4 with no change. I checked WINAMP's site and found nothing in the line of plug ins, and nothing to allude to the fact that the player should require a plugin.
I also tried each of the available input plug ins- and still get nothing. Figured it should be an input plug in, so I'm off to the Nullsoft site again to see if they have anything for input that will do it.
-Vince

 

[Jeremy-P]

I'm not sure exactly what you need, but this might help. Apparently you must also disable the default in_cdda.dll in your winamp dir for it to work.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Jeremy,
Thanks! Funny, I had just found it and installed it, and got it to work... and when I came back to post the link- your post was there!
http://www.winamp.com/plugins/detail...omponentId=546
That did it, and I didn't have to remove the CDline in plugin. Although only one of my 2 drives work (the DVD plays fine, the burner doesn't)...
Weird, I don't have this plugin downstairs, but that machine works fine.
Well, whatever.
Thanks again for the help- sometimes it takes talking the problem out before realizing how to approach it...
-Vince

 

[Jeremy-P]

Vince, i'm guessing the reason you can't hear cd audio from your cd burner is the same reason as mine, that you didn't connect the little cable (forget what it's called) from the drive to the sound card when you installed it. I deliberately didn't connect it because I only use my DVD-rom drive to listen to cds, but that's probably what you need to do if you want to.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Vince, i'm guessing the reason you can't hear cd audio from your cd burner is the same reason as mine, that you didn't connect the little cable (forget what it's called) from the drive to the sound card when you installed it. I deliberately didn't connect it because I only use my DVD-rom drive to listen to cds, but that's probably what you need to do if you want to.

And that was the whole point of this post- you don't need the cable. None of my soundcards even have an input for that cable.
I figured out a setting in that plug-in was wrong, and now both of my drives play just fine, without any extra cables, reading audio raw data off the IDE controller.
-thanks again to everyone who helped
Vince

 

[Hugh M]

yes, those cables are sort of a legacy thing nowadays. Not needed unless you want to use the CD/DVD drive as a standalone like device.
funny thing is, before I read Jeremy's post I had that darn link in my clipboard and was ready to post it. Then I read his, then I read Vince's. Man, I get third place!!!
http://www.winamp.com/plugins/detail...omponentId=546

 

[Jeremy-P]

LOL, proof that I wasn't even paying attention

 

[Hugh M]

yeah, whatever. I'm taking fourth place too.
http://www.winamp.com/plugins/detail...omponentId=546