Audio card info

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Hi,
trying to find out info on my audio card. Running Win 7-64 bit Home Ed. & an Intel motherboard. When I go to Sound (control Panel) only have a generic Hi Def audio listed under speakers, sound & comunications all list something but nothing under Recording (devices). All device drives should be upto date-when I check for driver updates I always get the msg to download an IDT driver for the audio- but it won’t install, as I get an error msg. driver download not compatable & then it stops installing. I have been trying to access audio from an old turntable & am using a Magix pre amp & Audio Cleaning Lab 16. When I plug it into either the microphone jack in the front OR the blue jack in the back (hope that’s the correct one) & actually play the turntable I get an eror msg Magix- “The wave shape device MS Sound Mapper cannot record this format! Reason- A device ID has been used that is out of range for your system”. I’m only guessing that I actually need to know the audio card I have so I can get the correct driver so, since Belarc doesn’t list an audio card— how can I find out what type of card I do have. MB=Intel DG965S 2.4 gHz core 2. Sound does work on the turntable when I disconnect the headphone jack cables to the PC.
Any info would be great- thanks
judy

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Have you checked Device Manager (Control Panel, Device Manager) to see if the Sound device is listed there? Mine lists just High Definition Audio Device. It sounds like your sound device is onboard. Perhaps a visit to the PC manufacturer’s web site, support area will have drivers where you can determine what it is. I have found that the PC manufacturers are usually pretty good about having drivers available for the devices they install.

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Morning…yes mine also only says Hi Def Audio Device under Sound-speakers, under the Recording tab it lists “No audio device installed”. Unfortunately I no longer have an off the shelf/brand named PC- it’s been rebuilt/improved a few times by a local computer repair store so… I guess I’d better call the shop & ask this morning. Thanks for the info.

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Here’s the closest I could find on the Intel site – Intel® Desktop Board DG965SS — Technical product specification. Here’s a little information about High Def Audio – Intel® High Definition Audio

Joe

--Joe

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Hi,
trying to find out info on my audio card. Running Win 7-64 bit Home Ed. & an Intel motherboard. When I go to Sound (control Panel) only have a generic Hi Def audio listed under speakers, sound & comunications all list something but nothing under Recording (devices). All device drives should be upto date-when I check for driver updates I always get the msg to download an IDT driver for the audio- but it won’t install, as I get an error msg. driver download not compatable & then it stops installing. I have been trying to access audio from an old turntable & am using a Magix pre amp & Audio Cleaning Lab 16. When I plug it into either the microphone jack in the front OR the blue jack in the back (hope that’s the correct one) & actually play the turntable I get an eror msg Magix- “The wave shape device MS Sound Mapper cannot record this format! Reason- A device ID has been used that is out of range for your system”. I’m only guessing that I actually need to know the audio card I have so I can get the correct driver so, since Belarc doesn’t list an audio card— how can I find out what type of card I do have. MB=Intel DG965S 2.4 gHz core 2. Sound does work on the turntable when I disconnect the headphone jack cables to the PC.
Any info would be great- thanks
judy

Judy,
Hello, try downloading and installing “SIW” (system information for windows) free program … If any program can …this one will tell you everything about your “PC” http://www.gtopala.com/ Regards Fred
PS: download is way down on the bottom of page,

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Fred, Thought you might want to know. Microsoft Security Essentials flagged files in the SIW program and I let it delete them. The program still seems to work.

Gretchen,
Hello and thank you for you input. As i do not run “MSE”, SIW was not flagged by Norton 360 or Malwarebytes…. but as Jack has pointed out (most excellently)sometimes your security will “flag”,or block a program that is perfectly safe. (for various reasons) I had to “set up” Norton 360 because in some cases it would delete a download automatically (even if it was not installed, and on a different HD) Basically sometimes you will have to rely on your own judgment in these matters. Regards Fred

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Gretchen, when obtained from a reliable source (e.g. author’s site, majorgeeks.com, or similar reliable download site) , SIW isn’t a security threat when used appropriately by authorized person(s). As it does however include program code that very thoroughly interrogates the system hardware and software environment, including detailed network and remote connections/computers assessments, it might be considered as such by some security threat-assessment programs.

Some of these kinds of threat-assessment programs kind of go nuts when they “see” a program that contains code that examines ports and remote connections…even though Windows system management programs contain similar code. Their “issue” is that it’s a third party program that contains the code. They properly warn you of the exposure, but generally can’t determine whether it presents a real-world threat or not. The problem is some threat-assessment programs will simply and calmly ID and flag a possible exposure to you, while others assume absolute worst-case and jump up and down screaming “Spies!, Assassins!, Evil Zombie mojo!…Kill it…kill it…kill it!” even when a program does not present a real-world threat.

I’ve used SIW for years (pre-Win7) without any security or operational issues. It’s an excellent and very mature program by Gabriel Topala http://www.gtopala.com/ and a free version is available for personal use.*

Fred, Thought you might want to know. Microsoft Security Essentials flagged files in the SIW program and I let it delete them. The program still seems to work.

*I have no personal or financial interest in SIW, its creator/author, majorgeeks.com, or any of their affiliates.

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Thanks Fred, Joe & Ted for the info- I contacted Intel via chat & well…according to Intel, my motherboard DG965SS doesn’t support Win 7. So.. my options are either uninstall Win 7 & reinstall XP or Vista or get a new motherboard. Figures. Think I need a :cheers & it;s only 10 am-ish here.
Thanks again for all of the help. I learned something., & yes, I did run the MS Win 7 compatability program beforehand & gave the printout to the shop. think I’ll make a call.
bye

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Hi Judy,

My Intel motherboard is the DG965WH and it does not support Windows 7, but I have no issues on my desktop running Windows 7 Pro 64 bit. Your motherboard and mine use the same Chipset Device Software. Don’t give up because of what Intel told you. There are no guarantees, but you might get the same results I got.

Download the Intel Chipset Device Software located on Intel’s support site for your board. The Chipset drivers control critical chipsets on your motherboard. You will have to scroll down under Select an Operating System to find Windows 7 64 bit. It is interesting Intel made these available even though our boards are not officially supported for Windows 7. Even is this does not help your audio issue, you may be able to download Intel’s Vista 64 bit audio driver, and it might work acceptably on your Windows 7 computer.

I downloaded Windows 7 compatible Chipset Device Software (drivers) from Intel months ago, and they solved several issues. I also downloaded and installed the latest Vista 64 bit BIOS ver.1754 located here. It is best to download the executable (.exe) version of the BIOS, marked as preferred in red print.

Another alternative if the Chipset Device Software does not help with your audio. Your audio in integrated into the motherboard. You can buy an inexpensive Sound Blaster Audigy card and disable your onboard sound in the BIOS. I use the SB Audigy, and Creative Labs has Windows 7 drivers for it.

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Thanks for the tip Gerald- well I ended up after the updated driver install getting a new sound card an SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio at my local computer repair store-they installed & updated the BIOS. Went to trial run the rig this am & ZIP- no detectable sound when I plug the Magix pre am into the blue linein/mic plug in the back. I can only get horrible sound when I plug into the front mic jack which just isn’t right! The turntable is an old Sears with only a L & R speaker jacks & a headphone jack- when I have just the turntable speakers setup (nothing into the PC) get OK sound from the record or cassette- same with the headphone unit. Time to fix some breakfast & bangmy head against a wall — then call te repair shop.
Thanks

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It works now! Somehow during the conversions from XP to Vista to Win 7 the sound card got misdirected so it would only listen (ha-ha) to the front jacks min & headphones & ignored the real jacks in the back. Took some tinkering and a special beta program for Win 7 by Creative for the new soundcard & all jacks are actually working properly. Took 3 turntables to find one that worked correctly- correct playing speed & I can actually say I have complete my first vinyl lp to cd project Thank you all for your help-THANKS again Joel, Fred (really like SIW!), Gerald & Ted- you steered me in the right direction!

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It works now! Somehow during the conversions from XP to Vista to Win 7 the sound card got misdirected so it would only listen (ha-ha) to the front jacks min & headphones & ignored the real jacks in the back. Took some tinkering and a special beta program for Win 7 by Creative for the new soundcard & all jacks are actually working properly. Took 3 turntables to find one that worked correctly- correct playing speed & I can actually say I have complete my first vinyl lp to cd project Thank you all for your help-THANKS again Joel, Fred (really like SIW!), Gerald & Ted- you steered me in the right direction!

As an aside, Judy, which program, if any, do you use to restore your vinyls?

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As an aside, Judy, which program, if any, do you use to restore your vinyls?

Kim,

I’m not sure what program Judy uses, but I use Spin it Again with my USB turn table. I has the ability to look up the album and determine the track breaks along with a host of other features for cleaning up a recording that has pops and hiss issues. You can buy it here: http://www.acoustica.com/spinitagain/buy.asp I think it is $35. They offer a trial version that you can download and use (I think it has a 30 day limit or reduced functionality – I can’t remember now because I bought it about a year ago.)

Andy

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Judy,

Thank you for posting your solution. It may very well help another Lounger some day.

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This posting may just help a friend who had a similar situation where Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor said the motherboard was compatible but turned out to be not so stable.

Thanks!

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Glad your problem is solved.

However, your comment on the Sears turntable having a “speaker” output reminds me that some people may not know that audio outputs and inputs come in different flavors. This can cause audio quality problems and even non-functionality. One device’s output is not necessarily directly compatible with the input jack of one’s computer or audio/video card.

More details are below, but bottom-lining it: make sure you match the output device’s electrical outputs to the input device’s electrical requirements (output signal strength and circuit impedance), use proper impedance connecting cables for the type of signals and connections involved, make sure your cables aren’t too long for the input/output types you’re using, and use decent quality cables.

Audio/Video Signal Level (Strength) and Circuit Impedance
One example is that “speaker” or “earphone” level audio output will overload the “line-in” audio input of a typical PC. This can produce highly distorted audio…e.g. the ‘horrible’ sounding audio you described earlier. It could even permanently damage the PC audio input circuit. Conversely, a device’s “line-out” signal may not have enough “strength” if one is trying to connect to an “audio-in” input. Because different manufacturers may use different labeling, the only way the user can determine how to properly connect the output of a given device (e.g. a turntable) to an arbitrary input connection of a device (e.g. a sound card) is to read the detailed specifications of both devices.

In the case of properly matching an “overloading” audio signal, you can purchase or make a VERY simple passive circuit (consists of a few resistors and capacitors) to match the “speaker” or “earphone” output signal level to the PC “line-in” input. Conversely, an active “pre-amplifier” or “pre-amp” may be required to boost an “weak” output signal to the level required by the input device. Another factor is that passive circuit impedance matching may be also required (this may be labeled as “High-Z to Low-Z” matcher or similar. There is a similar problem with microphone and turntable phono cartridge output impedance. A High-Z impedance microphone or turntable phono cartridge output won’t work with a Low-Z impedance microphone/phono input, etc.

(note: The passive circuits should be quite inexpensive but like some cable manufacturers/resellers some of the purveyors of these devices may overprice by practically obscene amounts. An active pre-amplifier will cost more. Of course higher quality usually means higher price, but some purveyors definitely abuse the consumer in these areas.)

Cable Impedance
There is also a connecting cable intrinsic electrical characteristic called “impedance” that can cause a similar problem for both audio and video signal input levels. This is not the same as the “circuit impedance” and “High-Z/Low-Z” impedance mentioned above. This is the impedance of the connecting cable(s).

For the cable impedance matching part of the issue the solution is often simply determining and using the correct impedance connecting cable. An example is provided below.

Example of cable impedance matching requirement:
A common problem with both audio and video impedance matching is simply using the right or wrong connecting cable. For example, for the best signal on a (RCA type) composite or component video connection one needs to use a 75 ohm impedance cable. This impedance is different from many common single or paired-cables frequently provided for audio Left and Right stereo RCA type inputs/outputs. Although many people “get by” using poorly designed and/or cheaply made audio “RCA” cables to connect their composite video signal…the signal may be slightly degraded by doing so. One may or may not be able to detect the difference in image quality depending on other factors…including the quality of the video card and the display. This will be similar to image quality degradation people may get by using excessively long, improperly designed, or poor quality audio/video cables. (Because analog audio frequencies are lower frequency than video signals, the impact on audio signal degradation caused by slightly “off” cable impedance and slightly lower cable quality is often not noticeable to the casual listener.)

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_jack
(I added some qualifiers in parentheses)
“Although nearly all (analog) audio-visual connectors, including audio, composite and component video, and (digital) S/PDIF audio can use identical 75 ohm (impedance) cables, sales of special-purpose cables for each use have proliferated. Varying cable (design and) quality means that a cheap line-level audio cable might not successfully transfer (composite and) component video or digital audio signals due to impedance mismatch and poor shielding quality….”

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Jack-
It actually gets worse these days, as some equipment has “smart jacks”. On a Palm Treo, you can plug any of the following into the same jack and the electronics auto-sense impedance and line level to make the correct electrical connections internally for:
Mono earbud
Mono earbud with mono mic
Stereo erabuds
Stereo earbuds with mono mic

And one some computers, they do all of that AND autosense line/vs/mic level on the input, so it can all get quite confusing. To make things worse, at least among laptops, the line level inputs are very rarely built in any more, making an external (USB or card slot) audio device essential. I’d avaoid Creative Labs like the plague, after extensive problems with their devices and Vista drivers. Their support was worse than useless, actually provided incorrect solutions and wrong files. There are a number of web threads from a lot of folks who had the same joy with this once-standard vendor.

One of the reasons that many folks have problems with Vista/7 audio, is that MS forgot to tell the world that they totally changed the way audio is handled in NT6 products. In order to accomodate multiple audio streams (when your email goes “Ding!” you no longer get that mixed into your recordings, hooray!) and better-than-CD audio quality (think DVD and 5.2 sound systems) they just went and pulled the rug out from under all the old stuff. Things just don’t work the way they used to, although they usually work well if you can figure out where they moved the furniture to.

BW, I use Audacity for recordings, and find the automatic click-pop-hiss filtering to be useless. Other than that–love the program, warts and all.

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have your repair shop recheck the leads from the earphone jack to the mainboard.

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