output audio to two devices in Win XP? (PulseAudio?)

[Nod5]

I want to output audio in Win XP from various applications (audio players, video players, browsers) to two audio devices at the same time (two local soundcards, one internal and one external).

Switching between two devices is easy: just change the device and (re)start the application. But to output the same audio to two devices simultaneously is harder. I have searched and found many forum posts on the web stating that it is not possible. But I also found some posts claiming that PulseAudio can do it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PulseAudio

PulseAudio is a sound server, a background process accepting sound input from one or more sources (processes or capture devices) and redirecting it to one or more sinks (sound cards, remote network PulseAudio servers, or other processes).

That's what I want! It also says "OS Cross platform" and the official website http://pulseaudio.org/ says:

Supported Operating Systems
Linux (any modern distribution)
Solaris
FreeBSD
Native Win32 (no cygwin)

But here's the problem:

I went via http://pulseaudio.or...i/DownloadPulseAudio to http://www.cendio.com/pulseaudio and grabbed the binaries but can't get them to work. When I follow http://pulseaudio.org/wiki/FirstSteps and enter "pulseaudio -nC" at the command line I get this error:

pulseaudio -nC
W: pulsecore/random.c: failed to get proper entropy. Falling back to seeding with current time.
W: pulsecore/core-util.c: secure directory creation not supported on Win32.
W: pulsecore/core.c: failed to allocate shared memory pool. Falling back to a normal memory pool.
W: pulsecore/core-util.c: WARNING: Only sockets can be made non-blocking!
W: pulse/mainloop.c: WARNING: cannot monitor non-socket file descriptors.
W: pulsecore/core-util.c: WARNING: Only sockets can be made non-blocking!
W: pulse/mainloop.c: WARNING: cannot monitor non-socket file descriptors.

Ok, I hope I can get some feedback either on how to get PulseAudio to work in Win XP and do what I'm after or on some other application on XP that will accomplish that.

[Nod5]

I'm reviving this thread since I'm planning a christmas party and would really like to be able to play the same music in multiple rooms.

My emergency backup solution is to buy splitter adapters for the audio cables and the run all audio through one soundcard only. But the dual card solution would be much slicker and more flexible (I could turn off the music in just one room via the computer). So, has anyone at DC gotten PulseAudio or anything similar to work in Win XP by now? Aren't you hosting any parties? With music? In places with multiple rooms?

[Nod5]

(posted in wrong thread)

[Nod5]

Hi, time for yet another post in this thread where I (very seldomly) talk to myself  

I just did some new searches on this problem but didn't find a solution. But I'm thinking of another, second best solution: using two instances of some media player, tied to one output soundcard each and exactly syncronized somehow, possibly through an autohotkey script. So the user would only use (and perhaps also only see) one media player window. But clicking pause there will instantly pause also the other one. The same goes for changes to the playlist, jumping to a location in the song and so on. Does this seem doable? Any other feedback? And if someone knows an application that already does what I want (output to two soundcards simultaneously) then post away of course.

[cmpm]

Here's a Winamp solution if you use Winamp.
Or want to try it. You probably saw this in your search.
I don't know if it works.

http://forums.winamp...d.php?postid=2612277

[scancode]

Is a few msec latency a problem? If not, Virtual Audio Cable [$30] available at http://software.muzy...ng/vac.html#download might do the trick for you.

Simply output whatever you want to play to a virtual cable, and use the KS version of AudioRepeater [http://software.muzychenko.net/audiorepeater_ks_158.zip] to output to both soundcards.

^{Disclaimer: I have no relationship whatsoever with the named products or coders or aliens.}

[Nod5]

Hi and thanks for the feedback. I've tried all relevant winamp plugins I've found, including those in that thread, but can't get it to work (alternatively, not working without delay). Also tried AudioRepeater last time I looked for a solution to this but got delay problems. The speaker positions for the two soundcards will be close enough for it to sound weird. I've also searched for some foobar plugin but can't find one that fits the bill. That's why I'm now more leaning towards trying to get two separate mediaplayers instances in sync.

[scancode]

Hi and thanks for the feedback. I've tried all relevant winamp plugins I've found, including those in that thread, but can't get it to work (alternatively, not working without delay). Also tried AudioRepeater last time I looked for a solution to this but got delay problems. The speaker positions for the two soundcards will be close enough for it to sound weird. I've also searched for some foobar plugin but can't find one that fits the bill. That's why I'm now more leaning towards trying to get two separate mediaplayers instances in sync.

-Nod5 (February 06, 2010, 03:29 PM)

Have you tried the Kernel Streaming version? If you use the same settings in both soundcards you shouldn't have any latency issues...

Is getting a 4ch (or more) soundcard out of the question?

[JavaJones]

Shoutcast as the source, streaming to dual player instances (Winamp or whatever player), each tied to a different sound card. Since it's streaming from the local system, it should have either no delay, or *equal* delay between each player (provided you set the streaming playback buffers for each player to be the same!). Note that you should be able to setup Shoutcast to play not just MP3s from e.g. another Winamp instance, but also the loopback or line in or whatever else, thus it should be able to stream any audio on your system...

- Oshyan

[Nod5]

Hi, tried installing the Kernel Streaming version but couldn't get it work - probably doing something wrong.
I like the shoutcast idea! I'll try to set that up when I have more time (have no shoutcast experience).

[Edvard]

Maybe it's overkill, but how about VLC?

Run one instance as a streaming server:
http://www.engadget....-anything-using-vlc/
http://www.iupui.edu...m/live/howtovlc.html

Run two more instances (as you mentioned), one using each soundcard.

Whaddya think?

[Nod5]

Thanks, that might also work. Though I'd like to use a program with more advanced playlist features (like Winamp or foobar2000 if possible) to control as the stream source, so I'll try the shoutcast possibility first I think. Have not had time to actually try to set it up yet.

[Nod5]

I just gave VLC a shot. I get streaming/receiving to work but on pause/new track things get desynced from buffering or stops playback altogether  . I've tried enabling/disabling/changing cache values (between 0 and 300) on both the stream and the receiver side but still have these problems. Any ideas on any settings that might solve these problems?

Using 3 VLC instances:

no 1 (server):
- media > Streaming...
- add... (some mp3 file)
- show more options
- stream
- next

- new destination: UDP
- display locally CHECK
- add
 - adress: your local ip
 - port: 1234
 - profile: audio - mp3

- click "plus tab"

- new destination: UDP
- display locally CHECK
- add
 - adress: your local ip
 - port: 1235

- next
- stream


no 2 (receiver, outputs to soundcard 2)
- media > open network stream...
- protocol: UDP
- adress: @
- port: 1234

no 3 (receiver, outputs to soundcard 1)
- media > open network stream...
- protocol: UDP
- adress: @
- port: 1235