[mdlug] playing redbook CDs on computer

[Raymond McLaughlin]

Robert Meier wrote:
> CD listeners,
> 
> I am unable to hear the audio tracks of cds, though the cd text appears.

<snip>

> How do I capture the audio and direct it to the speakers?
> 

<snip>

> Discoveries:
> The DVDburner has no audio socket, only power and data (ide).
> The motherboard has no cd audio socket (unequipped option).

IDE CD-ROMs have always had a separate audio out, sometimes both an 
analogue and a digital audio out. Until now it seems.

It was always a nuisance to me that you had to have this separate little 
wire, and I sometimes forgot to reconnect it after working on a system. 
It always seemed that the data cable should suffice. But considering the 
limited capabilities of the 486s that were common when IDE CD-ROMs were 
introduced it would have placed a major burden on the system to handle 
it in software. I guess.

I've noticed that SATA CD/DVD drives lack separate audio connectors, and 
vaguely wondered what new software provision has been made for audio 
CDs. But I've never worried about it much because when ever I get a new 
CD I always rip it to mp3 straight away, and then put the disk away as 
an archive.

Have you looked at this intel page:
<http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-014753.htm>?
It talks about a software setting (in Windows of course) to switch modes 
on the CD player, in lieu of having a discrete audio connection. So it 
seems you need a software solution.

In KsCD: -->Extras
  -->Configure KsCD
  -->On "CD Player - Settings & Behavior" check the box labeled "Use 
direct digital playback"

In XMMS: <Ctrl-P> "Preferences", on "Audio I/O Plugins" tab click on "CD 
Audio Player ... [libcdaudio.so]" and then click the "Configure" button. 
and make sure that "Play mode:" is "Digital Audio Extraction", not "Analog".


> Configuration:
> OS: centos-release-5.2.el5.centos
> WM: kdemultimedia-3.5.4-2.fc6
> CD reader: Sony DRU-830A
>   http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay
>     ?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=11035589
>     &SR=sony_search_seo&SQS=dru 830a technical
> Motherboard: Intel Desktop Board D975XBX
>   http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/
>     d975xbx/sb/d3611001us.pdf
> 
> TIA,
> --
> Bob