Syntrillium Backup Forums :: View topic - Surround Sound System for Terratec dmx 6 Fire?

Brad · Posts: 106

I've got the Terratec dmx 6 Fire sound card. It has outputs for surround sound, but it has three outputs; one for the "Front", one for the "Rear", and the third for "Left/Center" and "Right/Subwoofer" combined. (All of these outputs are on the PCI card at the back of the computer)

Presently I'm using the "Front" output of the 6 Fire to the only audio input of a bookshelf stereo and it works fine.

I've looked at Home Theater surround sound systems, but they only have one audio input and I have three audio outs on the 6 Fire.

All of the outputs of the 6 Fire have to go to a powered source, I tried hooking up non-powered computer speakers to the Rear out but it didn't work. Plugged in my stereo to the Rear out and it worked.

What kind of system/configuration should I use?

Thanks

Brad

MusicConductor · Location: USA Posts: 1524

You're going to either have to get powered speakers, or a better class of home theater receiver. Better ones do include at least one 6-channel analog input, which would work fine with your Terratec with the proper breakout cables. People who want to play DVD-A or surround SACD (yes, there are about 7 in the world) have to have this kind of receiver input because a digital connection to a receiver is often or usually impossible with those formats. So the $200-500 6-speakers-and-a-receiver-all-in-one-box garden variety system must be avoided like the plague for what you need to do!

Brad · Posts: 106

MusicConductor, Thanks for your reply. Another question; I found a system, the RCA RT2600 with the six analog inputs, but they are three sets of RCA jacks. One set for the front right and left speakers, one set for the rear or surround speakers, and the third set for the subwoofer and center. Each set of inputs for the RT2600 share the same speaker configuration as the outputs of my Terratec. Now, could I use a Y adaptor to go from my Terratec with the 1/8 in. (3.5 mm) mini jack outputs to the two RCA jack inputs of the RT2600? It seems to me that it would work. Am I correct?

Thanks again,

Brad

fm2030 · Posts: 7

Out of interest, what kind of results could be achieved by using two seperate pairs of different amp / speakers, and trying to set the levels about right? Close enough for rock and roll?

MusicConductor · Location: USA Posts: 1524

Brad, I think you're on to something...

This RCA unit gives you plenty of power (100 watts x 5 channels) and an input that indeed will work with Y cables just as you've described. I can't comment on the quality of the sound, however; a unit at that price range may be sensibly designed and clean enough for a 'straight-through' input such as you'd be using, but you'll never know until you try it. Purchase from a retailer with a reasonable return policy and you'll likely not be able to go wrong.

The speakers that come with it, however, are a different story. I can only think of one reason to listen to something over low-end speakers such as would come with this, and that is to find out what happens to your mix when played over such speakers! Hook up something better to this and you might just be amazed at the difference. So that is my recommendation: if you buy this, and it will work to some degree, don't use the speakers that come with it. If you do, it will be very difficult to mix anything reliably so that it will give the intended result on any other playback system.

Fm2030, your question is sadly my life. My "temporary" surround set-
up (now two years and going!) is a mismatch of amp/speaker and self-powered units. This approach may indeed be close enough for rock-n-roll, however, depending on the speakers. (How the sound is amplified is not so critical.) To make a 5.1 system astonishing, the speakers must be of matched timbre and have respectable phase linearity. Anything short of this distorts the results out of perspective one way or another (balance, detail, space will all suffer in varying amounts). How much that perspective can be pulled out of whack and still be acceptable is somewhat up to you and your choice of music.

The workaround is to use a system with some EQ options (but what then of phase consistency, right?), and above all, to get the balance and relative phase matched and the room quiet.

Most people with 5.1 hear only a fraction of the intended impact due to poor speaker systems and acoustical types of matters -- and it costs a fortune to do it right, so it may be better that way than not at all?