Hi there,

I am using a MSI motherboard. There are four on-board audio output - Line out (main L/R), CS out (center/sub), SS out (side L/R), RS out (rear L/R). So it supports up to 8 channels.
I plugged four pairs of headphones, and test with system built-in audio test, and sound works fine. (The pic shows the system setting surround_sound_410.jpg )
When I set up in Pure data, I choose the right audio output with 8 channels, and test [dac~ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]. Only the first two channels have sounds (it's from Line out, the main L/R). The other six channels do not have any sounds.

Do you have any idea why this happened? What else solutions I could give it a try?
The PD runs on Windows.

@swell07 Hi, you could try and see if under the menu Pd > Media > Audio Settings... under Output Devices, the Channels are set to 8, because I think they default to 2.

@weightless Hi, I set up 8 channels in audio settings.

@swell07 In Pd Audio settings you will need to click "use multiple devices" and set up each pair of speakers....... 2 channels each..... as the souncard will report them separately when queried.
David.

@whale-av Hi David, Thanks for the reply. I tried that, but I may not route the speakers in a correct way. When I use multiple devices, how can I distinguish them with [dac~] object? Because there is only one option for the output device, which means I will choose the same four device for the audio output.

@swell07 You will need to tick all 4 devices, even though they are the same device..... and set them to 2 channels each. That should work, but there is no guarantee that they will be in the "correct" order.
But yes, you then use [dac~ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]..... Pd will add each pair to a "multiple device" automatically increasing the indexes.
Even using ASIO (using Asio4All http://tippach.business.t-online.de/asio4all/ for example) they can pop up in the wrong order, although usually the wrong order is sticky.... they always pop up in the same wrong order when you start Pd. It might change if you re-install the soundcard driver, or there might be a way to re-order in the Realtek setup panel in Control Panel (if there is one).

PS, I think you can leave your Windows setting as stereo if you wish...... Pd just asks for the list of audio pins from the os and lets you choose from what is available.
David.

@whale-av Thanks for the detailed explanation. I tried 4 devices as you said, but still there is only sound from [dac~ 1 2] but not other outputs from 3 to 8.

When using ASIO4all, I am not able to add multiple devices, and there is no sound at all.
Now I doubt whether the on-board sound interface supports 8-channel-output in Pure data or not 😂

@swell07 If you have separate headphone outputs as you say, then it probably has 8 outputs. The question will be whether you have access or the soundcard will only decode surround sound.

What does Asio4All show when you click the spanner and expand the list of pins on the left hand side.
Asio4All and Pd start working properly together when you re-start Pd having set up the Asio4All panel while Pd was running. You start Pd, select ASIO, select Asio4All and set the number of inputs and outputs you want, open the little green or red icon in your tray, set the Asio4All controls to match your Pd settings and tick the pins you want to use.
If you set 30 inputs and 30 outputs in Pd for Asio4All it doesn't matter. Pd will just not use ones that don't exist.

Then close Pd. The Asio4All icon should disappear after a few seconds. If it doesn't (and maybe even if it does) check your task manager to be sure that Pd.exe or Pd.com is not running. End the task if it is.

Then restart Pd and the (now it should be green if working properly) triangle should appear in the tray..... and you should have your 8 channels. It is a good idea to tick the "use callbacks" button in the Pd audio settings......... AND some of the terminology is different.......
Block size 64 in Pd translates as "Asio Buffer size 64 samples" in Asio4All.
Post a pic of the Asio4All control panel if it does not work.
David.

@whale-av It works!!!!! ahhh you save me today hahahaha... so stupid that I forgot to choose ASIO4All as input device... now I got sounds from all 8 channels 👍

@swell07 Brilliant!