How to select audio output device

[R. Totale]

I have two audio devices on my Windows XP machine, the default motherboard sound and a USB audio device. How do I instruct VLC to use the USB device?

[DJ]

viewtopic.php?t=25958&highlight=output+device

[R. Totale]

The instructions in the thread above are not working for me. I can change the number in the scroll box to any up to 20, and the sound continues to come out of the speakers attached to the motherboard. I'm not sure what the reference to "locking" the audio device in Windows means, the closest thing I see to that on the sound properties dialogs is a checkbox for "Use only default devices" - VLC acts the same whether or not this is checked. Is there some plugin that might help?

[DJ]

You need to LOCK the DEFAULT sound card in Windows for the option in VLC to work. I'm sure I was CLEAR about this.

Yup! it is: "Use only default device" But you will need to check what the default device is and that Windows is recognizing both devices in that menu.

[R. Totale]

You did say that, but I don't know what this means. Where and how does one lock the default card? I couldn't find anything saying lock on the Windows property pages for sound.

[R. Totale]

Sorry, hit reply to quick. Both of my devices are shown in the default device dropdown under Control Panel->Settings-> Sounds and audio->Sound. The default device has to stay being the onboard audio, I want VLC to play to the second device. Checking the "Use Only Default Devices" on unchecking it does not seem to affect VLC's behavoir either way.

[DJ]

Assuming the box is checked in Windows and assuming you have rebooted (required for some operating systems) or a least this is how Windows has worked since Windows 3.11 using 2 sound devices. Assuming you have set a 1 for the device in VLC (0 would be the default device). Also assuming that you actually pressed Save and closed VLC after changing the preferences then it should work.

[R. Totale]

I appreciate your time, but this still isn't working for me. I thought rebooting might be the key, and I did. After booting the checkmark is still on in the Windows Control panel dialogue. My audio player (fb2k) is still happily using the USB device. VLC still uses the onboard audio, no matter how many times I save an alternate setting on the number wheel, close the program and restart or what number I save there.

[DJ]

Sorry to hear that, but I think you will find (if you do a little searching here) that this has come up many time before and each time it has, these are the steps to make it work. The steps were the same in windows 3.11 to provide support for many different programs and a user selectable sound device. To date you are the first to have problems in this area. The only thing I can think of is that Windows is not locking the default device on your machine. If I remember correctly this is handled through DirectX. You might try downloading and installing the latest DirectX runtime.

[Eliot]

It did work for me when I did NOT lock the audio-devices.
Select Number 2, because 0 and 1 are the default.

Eliot.