How to: Play MP3's through 6 channels. (5.1 setup) Itunes 6 works with 5.1 - Overclock.net

Lysdexik · 04-06-08

I've had this question forever and I know a lot of people are still clueless when it comes to this topic. Like countless other people, I have a 5.1 setup and always wanted to play music through all 6 channels (5 speakers and the sub). I finally figured out how to do it. (Some of you may know this, many do not.)

Step 1: Download and install Foobar2000. It is a lightweight audio program and has been proclaimed to be better than the rest in terms of audio quality by many people.
The player is also highly customizable, and can be made to fit anyone's style.

Step 2: Download a user made Channel Mixer. Click here. When you download it, it will be in the 7z zip file format. To extract this format, you need a program called 7Zip, which many of you are familiar with.

Step 3: Once the file is extracted, you need to copy it to wherever you installed Foobar2000. The file goes into the "Components" folder. Default location is C:/Program File/Foobar2000/components

Paste it into there.

Step 4: Start up Foobar 2000. For now your library is most likely empty, that's fine. Go to File, preferences, DSP manager. On the right side of the window you should see a list of installed components. There should be one called "Channel Mixer".

Click on Channel Mixer and click the arrow pointing to the left. You have now chosen to use Channel Mixer. Click on Channel Mixer and click "Configure Selected" on top. You should see this kind of window:

As you can see I already have my settings configured. Chose how many channels you have(6 for a 5.1 setup). Then go into the Subwoofer tab and chose "Use subwoofer" and put the volume to high. Press OK and then Save All in the DSP preferences window. Restart Foobar and your music should play through all your speakers.

If I missed anything, please tell me so I may add it.

aksthem1 · 04-06-08

Nice how to. I don't use foobar but I know WMP(yeah I know spare me the pity) and a few other media players do it as long as Windows has 5.1 enabled in the Audio control panel.

dr4gon · 04-06-08

Nice, is this the only program to do it? I've been wondering if there was a way rather than enabling "matrix" on my speakers.

Retrospekt · 04-06-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by aksthem1

Nice how to. I don't use foobar but I know WMP(yeah I know spare me the pity) and a few other media players do it as long as Windows has 5.1 enabled in the Audio control panel.

I have tried every audio program I know and none of them would output to 5.1 for me. I have 5.1 set in vista, but it still wouldn't do it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dr4gon

Nice, is this the only program to do it? I've been wondering if there was a way rather than enabling "matrix" on my speakers.

I think there are stereo to 5.1 converters that work as standalone programs, but that's just an extra program to run.

Lysdexik · 04-06-08

It is possible to output 5.1 sound from other programs such as itunes, but foobar2000 has many more features than that of itunes.

The sound quality that foobar outputs is also of higher quality than that of most mainstream programs and has the much more tuning/tweaking options for audio junkies.

dr4gon · 04-06-08

thanks, +rep #401 to you!

oh wait, yeah itunes does do it. maybe I was thinking of WMP.

Retrospekt · 04-06-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lysdexik

itunes can output 5.1, but foobar2000 is SO much better than itunes.. at least I think so

I think alot of people would agree with me on that

I don't know how long I fooled around with iTunes, and it just wouldn't do it.

I think a lot depends on what sound card people are running. I have onboard 5.1, so maybe that's it.

zacbrain · 04-06-08

well this is helpful, but i think someone else has a faq like this.

thanks for the helpful faq though.

dglkn · 04-06-08

I remember the Creative Audio Control Panel would upmix stereo signals to 5.1 on my Audigy 2 ZS Notebook. However, I didn't have to do anything at all with the onboard sound on my M2N-SLI Deluxe. I even had it on 5.1 in the speaker settings and Windows Media player would upmix it automatically and correctly.

Right now I'm running Amarok in Ubuntu. All of my speaker settings are set at 5.1 and it still upmixes correctly.

Lysdexik · 04-06-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by dglkn

I remember the Creative Audio Control Panel would upmix stereo signals to 5.1 on my Audigy 2 ZS Notebook. However, I didn't have to do anything at all with the onboard sound on my M2N-SLI Deluxe. I even had it on 5.1 in the speaker settings and Windows Media player would upmix it automatically and correctly.

Right now I'm running Amarok in Ubuntu. All of my speaker settings are set at 5.1 and it still upmixes correctly.

That may be, but nothing that I have seen compares to the amount of customization available in Foobar2000.

I like the fact that with Foobar2000 you can keep it looking so simple, or on the other end of the spectrum have it looking very professional. With the amount of themes that are available for it, there is something for everyone.

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How to: Play MP3's through 6 channels. (5.1 setup) Itunes 6 works with 5.1

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