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Multiple Soundcards Under Linux?

Posted by Cliff on from the stereophonic-boxen dept.

Magnus Huckvale asks: "We'd like to kit our new flat out with a MP3/Linux stereo system, with a set of stereo speakers in each room. Does anyone have any experience with fitting more than one soundcard to a Linux box? Is it possible to synchronise MP3 players outputting to different cards? What other capabilities can we build in given the hardware? What (cheap) soundcard would do? PCI or ISA?" While this is an interesting question, I think it would be easier to wire both sets of speakers to one soundcard rather than fiddling with two (and the headache involved in getting both to work properly). What do you all think?

1 of 11 comments (clear)

  1. Two ways. by jfunk · · Score: 2

    If you really want to use multiple soundcards you could get the mp3 player to simultaneously send output to two audio devices, say, audio0 and audio2. The source is out there.

    However, I recommend using an external audio switch (if you want more than one to be on simultaneously, I'd recommend an active one). If you build it yourself (easy) you can use, say, a parallel port to switch which ones will be on or off.

    If you want to try either of these, I can help you. Email me and I'll elaborate.