KT4 Ultra in multi-zone audio system

If you want to see a MSI KT4 Ultra used in a home theater and multi-zone (whole house) sound system, have a look at this page! 8)

Well I got my DAC today and I'm happy to report that everything is going to work the way I hoped. So here is my setup:
1. Main zone - ATV connected to Denon 1909 with HDMI for both audio and video.
2. Zone 2 - ATV connected to DAC using optical audio and DAC connected to Denon using RCA composite.
3. Dolby digital setting on ATV set to "auto"
When I am watching in the main zone I get 2 channel audio when listening to music and Dolby digital with Netflix or iTunes tv shows.
When music is playing, if I switch on zone 2 the audio plays through my outdoor speakers just fine. My Denon display shows a 2 channel audio input.
If I leave zone 2 on and put some multi channel content on the ATV (like Netflix) the outdoor speakers give off a static feedback sound. This is the one glitch in the setup and was expected since the DAC can't process multi channel sound. But since I never plan to use the outside speakers for anything but music it shouldn't be a problem.
So it appears that the auto setting is not purely based on the capabilities of the HDMI device connected to the ATV but actually the programming that is running at the time. Makes sense.
Think I will keep the ATV 3.

Similar Messages

Multi-Zone Audio with itunes?

I am trying to develop a Multi-Zone Audio System, and i would like to use itunes as my basic software. Since all my family are using ipod/iphone.
My question is how to get 2 or more itunes playing different songs at the same time? or how 1 itunes play different playlist?
Although itunes allow user to create more than 1 libraries, still can't compatible to multi-zone function
anyone have other idea or suggestion?

I believe you're going to need multiple computers hosting iTunes to these Airport Express units. Each iTunes can only play one feed, to as many (or as few speakers as you'd like).
So your iMac can stream to the bedroom while watching Youtube videos locally (with local speakers disabled), and another computer (Mac or PC, desktop or laptop) can be providing internet radio to the kitchen.
I'll follow this thread to see if there actually is a device (or software) that allows for multiple source playback from the same computer.

Setting up a multi-zone stereo system in my home with Airport Express

I'm trying to set up an in-home stereo system using iTunes as my main hub. I want to play iTunes as well as Pandora and possibly Sirius. Can I set this up with Airport Express? Would I control everything through iTunes on my MacBook or an iPad? How is this all wired if I have some existing external speakers with a receiver in my family room, built-in ceiling speakers in the kitchen, and outdoor external speakers? I am comparing this to a Sonos system, but the Sonos is not really in my budget.
Also, what is the difference between Airport Express and Airport Extreme? What would I need for this situation? Thanks in advance for your help.

>I want to play iTunes as well as Pandora and possibly Sirius. Can I set this up with AirPort Express?
From iTunes you can stream a single audio source to one or multiple 802.11n AirPort Express Base Stations (AXn), but you cannot stream multiple audio sources to separate AXns. You would need a third-party product, like Rogue Amoeba's Airfoil to stream audio sources other than from iTunes.
>Would I control everything through iTunes on my MacBook or an iPad?
You could do either.
>How is this all wired if I have some existing external speakers with a receiver in my family room, built-in ceiling speakers in the kitchen, and outdoor external speakers?
Of the speakers you mentioned, only the ones connected to the receiver would work directly connected to an AXn. The audio output port on the AXn is a combo 3.5 mm stereo analog/optical digital port. Assuming your receiver accepts either analog or digital audio input, you can feed the output of iTunes or Airfoil from the AXn to the receiver. In turn, the receiver (if configured for whole home stereo) can feed the kitchen and outdoor speakers.
>Also, what is the difference between AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme?
What's similar: Both are Internet routers that provide wireless. Both provide the ability to share an attached USB printer. What's different: The Extreme has a built-in Ethernet switch. The Extreme supports sharing HDDs and printers together or separately via a USB hub. The Express has a built-in audio circuitry, the Extreme does not.
>What would I need for this situation?
Only the Express can accomplish providing an audio stream.

KT4 Ultra - How do I enable optical digital out?!

OK, guys, now I'm this far: | | from going totally nuts here. How on earth do I enable digital out on the onboard C-Media soundcard on the KT4 Ultra? I used to have the KT3 Ultra, and that had a special mixer setting that did that trick, but I can't find anything here. I have heard mentioning of an MSI control panel item, but I have none. Is this a fault from my installation of the mobo, or does it not excist?
Hope somebody can help me, I have done without this for quite some time (I hadn't even connected the sound bracket), but with my main optical soundcard blown I really need this now!
Thanks a lot in advance! 8)

Thanks again. I did, and it worked. The amusing thing is that afterwords I tried uninstalling the apps, and the digital still worked. So now I get to keep the digital output without any annoying extra sound apps! :D
My next project is probably impossible: I'm trying to get a Zoltrix Nightingale Pro 6 to work with digital output. I actually had it working nicely side by side with the C-Media interal soundcard (it just renamed the interal soundcard to "C-Media xxx 2"), but I could not get digital output. So my guess is that they are mutually excluding. But I can probably put the Zoltrix in another computer and run that zone (we're talking multi-zone sound system here) from that PC. 8)

Apple TV2 missing analog audio output for multi-zone system

Found out the hard way that most receivers can't support digital audio in multiple zones (i.e., Zone 2). Since Apple TV2 (ATV2) dispensed with any analog output, if you have a whole-house system that depends on mult-zone to distribute audio to various speakers, you won't be able to use ATV2 to stream music to anything other than Zone 1. The only outputs are HDMI and optical (both digital audio). I think I found a work around (which, of course costs more money) which is a "de-embedding" device from Atlona that takes HDMI in and splits out the audio to analog and passes the HDMI through to the receiver. The analog audio output then lets me connect to the analog in on the receiver so it can stream to all zones. I figure Apple just didn't have enough real estate on the new product to make room for analog, but it's a pain. Hope this helps someone. If anyone knows a better work-around, I'd love to hear it.

I have the same issue with a MacMini I use for music. My solution was to use an inexpensive optical splitter - one feed to the optical input of my receiver and the second to a DAC. Then run standard RCA audio cables from the DAC to the analog Zone 2 inputs.
Here is a link for a DAC
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?cid=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302&pid=6884&seq=1&format=2
They should have the splitter as well.

KT4 Ultra No Audio Device...

I have the KT4 Ultra MS 6590 Mobo, and I have never had any problems with the sound until recently...
I took the computer into the shop (cuz it was giving me blue screen system errors when I was trying to reinstall XP), and they got it up and running, but I have no sound!
Every time before this, I could just use the MSI Live Update and it would d/l the CMedia sound drivers for me. But now, there is no option to do so.
So I went and downloaded the drivers manually, but there is no exe included in the d/l, and I can't get it to install using the Add New Hardware feature either.
I am at an impass. I've tried several different drivers, nothing works. It still says I have no audio device installed.
PS - I lost my driver cd that came with the mobo.
I don't understand why all of the sudden I cannot get sound. I've had this mobo for almost a year now (I lost track), and I have NEVER had this problem before.
If anyone could help me out that would be great, I miss my sound oh so much.

possible they have messed with bios and turned off sound or used jumpers to diable sound take alook around the usb headers .
also check ya screw mounts even though all has been fine at work i have seen 7 msi boards with no sound when the metal screw mounts have been miss placed or not removed from under the sound chip area. check the sound chip area look under the board the shop or you might have mounted it wrong and bent pins or damaged the area. also check ya got no serious irq conflicts although they have to be serious.

KT4 Ultra, Video - Audio Conflict

Doing an upgrade to a KT4 Ultra with VIA KT400 chipset and Athlon XP 1800. System will not boot past POST with the on-board audio enabled or on-board disabled and a PCI audio card installed. After the card has been removed or on-board audio disabled it boots fine. I've tried the PCI card in several locations as well as removed the old drivers. Nothing seems to improve the situation. Video is eVGA Geforce 4 AGP 4x card. eVGA tech seems to think it was a problem with the VIA chipset.
Any thoughts?
Jim
KT4 Ultra, VIA KT400, Athlon XP 1800, eVGA Gforce 4 MX440 64mb, (1) 256 Mb RAM, Win-ME

Yeah. Check that sound card. What kind is it? I have three sound cards in my computer right now, in addition to the built in and one USB: Soundblaster Live! Value, SB Audigy Platinum EX and one Zoltrix Nightingale pro 6. No problem. So it's a fault, not a common behaviour. I actually have problems with a SCSI card on one KT4 but no problems with it on another one. So it might just be that the two cards does not like each other. I would have to say that computers are like women: We will never fully understand them, and sometimes they give you trouble for no apparent reason, but when they work as they should, they're hard to beat at what they do! :D

PROBLEMS AGAIN, MSI KT4 ULTRA GIVE POOR STABILITY IN MY SYSTEM!!!

Hi, i get problems when overclock (fsb) my cpu with 133 fsb to 136 ONLY!!! , only support the overclock my cpu 1800(1533mhz)--to(1580mhz), high fsb 137 or high freeze , restart my system when run games or aplication with geforce 3 ddr 64mb, i modify vol agp to 1.8 , but get error again.
HELP ME!!!
I NEED NEW BIOS THAT STABILIZE MY SYSTEM!!!
System:
MSI KT4-ULTRA 6590-SR
CPU XP 1800+
256 DDR SANSUMG
T.VIDEO GEFORCE 3 DDR 64 detonator 41.09 agp4x
WINDOWS XP PRO SPK1
POWER 350 WATTS CODEGEN

Thanks for you help, but my power 350 watts codegen work a:
20A---3.3v
30a---5v
However i read guide revision 12-12-02 about psu and all configuration is correct !!!!!!
My powersupply not is problem
I NEED THAT MSI MAKE NEW BIOS FOR KT4-ULTRA!!
Thanks

KT4 Ultra (C-Media Sound System

I recently installed The KT4 Ultra and ran the installation
CD. Everything went perfect. It was immediately up and
running. I have since found that I cannot get a CD to play
out of the rear speakers. I have tried with the S-bracket
and without it with the rear speakers plugged into the Line
In. The software has been set accordingly to 4 speakers in
each case. I know it is not the CD rom or the speakers.
Does anyone have any ideas . ALSO sound comes out of all
4 speakers for mp3's, wav files, midi's that are already
on the hard disk. It is just the playing of cd's.
THANKS

It's upto the software to emulate the rear channels since CD is stereo.
Try winamp 2.8 with the output plugin set to direct sound, works every time.

I want to create an airplay whole house audio system

I want to build a multi-zone whole house airplay audio system. I used airplay very successfully at my old house and love the ability to independentaly control different airplay devices with the Remote app on my iphone.
So, here is what I have in my new (old) house. There are 10 pairs of speakers in various rooms throughout the house. I'd like to create 10 different airplay zones utilizing 10 Airport Expresses and a multi channel amp. I'd use the audio out on each express to feed the amp. What I don't know is if I can place 10 airport expresses right next to each other without the wifi going crazy. I thought about running CAT5 to that location and putting in a switch and feeding the extremes via CAT5 and disabling the wifi.
Any suggestions if the above would work in a wifi configuaration? I'm thinking I should go CAT5 though and disable wireless.
Thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

You guys are ON IT! This is what I did with the Airport Express product:
http://www.inwallblog.com/wp/apple-airport-express/
It's only one zone but it's what got me started.
With that multi-zone amp, the AirPlay feature really starts to shine. 6 Airports plugged into that amp and you've got full control with all your rooms from your iPhone....how cool is that!
The only downside I can see is that you need multiple iTunes libraries running at the same time to listen to something different. Or you could have the music downloaded onto your phone. Or you could use Apple Match. Or....oh meh gosh, I think I'm an AppleFanBoy.

Kt4 ultra bios

have a strange paradox regarding disturbing message at boot up.
when i boot my system i recieve a message:
"no drive attached to fast track controller. no bios detected.."
i love msi boards and have used this forum in past very sucessfully with the assistance of BAS.
I donated my old system to a freind in need. It was all of 11 months old and was a very stable system built on a k7t pro 2-ru. It had all the bells and whistles. what a mistake.
my new system is as follows:
kt4 ultra fisr
256 mb ddr3200 samsung (as recommended by msi)
m-audio revolution 7.1
ati all in one wonder radeon 8500 64mb
2-80gb western digital special edition hard drives
dvd/cd combo lg electronics gcc-4320b
athalon xp 2200
550 watt antec tru-power psu
lian li case with 4 fans (of which only 3 work with the power supply while allowing fan monitoring)
klipsch pro-media 5.1 speakers
winxp pro
how i got there to the afore mentioned msge regarding controller and no bios detected...
I was experiencing a lot of problems with the new set up
such as:
1. system crashes while viewing tv
2. unexplained boot up of system in the middle of the
night (that was freaky and kind of humorous)
3. other system reboots and difficulty of system
shutdown
4. device driver failure messages regarding the ati card
such as "atimmc.exe driver failure"
all system crashes revolved around the ati card and after recoveries many registeries were messed with as expected.
all in all I got by with the system as long as i remained off applications involving the radeon card.
last week I checked into the forum here and noticed issues with this motherboard and radeon cards.
i went to the ati site noticed updated drivers, and at the msi site, updated bios for the kt4 ultra boards.
i did not have a floppy so i backed off flashing the new bios onto the board. I currently have the first version (1.00 or something), the screen flashes so briefly these days.
i decided to reformat the drives and reload xp onto the new system and then retreive the newer drivers for ati card. upon installation while reading my neurophysiology book upon boot up is when xp informed me that no bios was detected. xp asked me if i wanted to continue. so i did continue with sucessfull installation of xp.
being quite surprised that i could still get system on board, i am wondering how to get the bios to be detected and if I should try and flash new bios, if this will correct this. I am also with fresh install of xp having no difficulties shutting down system now and i am no longer having mystery unassisted boots of the system.
all in all, before the bios problem i was just wondering about the stability of the board with the ati radeon card.
Now I am very concerned with the message, "no driver attached to fast track controller... no bois detected"
any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
Boy, do i miss that k7t board...
thank you,
Eric

Do NOT worry about the fasttrack controller message!!
It just says you don't have any serial-ATA disk attached. This is how to get rid of the message:
In BIOS:
=> Integrated Peripherals
=> OnBoard PCI Controller
=> Serial ATA ---> set this to "Disabled"
Can't say I experience any of your other problems, although I had some problems with the sound card the first time I installed.
Seems as if the problems are fewer the more times you install/format the system.....actually experienced that on a couple of MSI-cards. In the end, everything has worked fine for me, so I'm happy with them (except design and layout of the new nForce K7N2G-cards!! ridiculous!)

No optical-out sound on MSI KT4-Ultra!!

Hi, I have recently set up a system based on the MSI KT4-Ultra board. I'm using an Athlon XP 1700+, a Radeon 9000 video card, and I've installed Windows 98.
Although all the drivers and audio applications which MSI provided installed fine, and 2-channel audio from the on-board sound chip works great both for music and for the 3-4 games I've installed so far, I can't seem to get the optical SPDIF port to work! I bought a cable and connected the computer to my Sony MD-player and attempted to copy my CDs onto MD. I go into the MSI control panel and check the box to enable SPDIF-out, removing the speaker cable from the analog line-out just for good measure. When I plug the optical cable into my MD it recognises digital input and prepares for recording. I press record on the MD and play on the computer's CD-player app, but the MD LED shows "no signal". I'm pretty sure both the MD recorder and cable are OK since I've used them to copy CDs from a Kenwood portable CD-player quite recently, so it must be the MB that's giving me problems. Indeed, when I've stopped playback in the CD-player app and went back into the audio control panel, I found that the SPDIF box had been unchecked of its own accord. I've tried this several times, and I've unplugged the S-bracket and reinstalled it all over again just to make sure it was plugged in properly, and I still get the same problem. All audio works fine except optical out! Haven't got a coaxial cable or recorder so I can't check if the coaxial port is equally buggered or if it's just the optical, but I'm getting really annoyed here: this was the one feature I liked best about this board and the only one which isn't working! Any ideas, anyone?

dude, i think i can get u ur signal, but currently i can only get silent recordings, u may have better luck.
on the minidisc, there should be a switch or button that will toggle synchronised recording on and off, turning it off should get u a signal, but it wont be in sync wiv the cd, ie u cant trust it to form track gaps.
hope that helps, done flame me if it dont, if i manage to get substance to my recording, i will send u the info just in case.
take it easy

KT4 Ultra: conflict w/ expansion cards

This is my first post, so please be gentle. I recently built new PC for photo editing and want to keep this old KT4 Ultra computer for general usage right beside. Both are running Windows XP Home SP3.
My KT4 computer had HDD crash and after replacement and fresh istallation of XP I initially had following expansion cards inside:
USB Expansion card (w/ 4 USB ports) on Slot 2 (INT B#)
Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC on Slot 3 (INT D#)
Terratec EWX 24/96 Sound Card on Slot 6 (INT C#)
Everything was OK until I wanted a LAN connection for sharing of files (mostly) and Internet (via cable modem) between these two. Instead of a broadband wired router I opted for a Gigabit Ethernet card installing it on slot 5 (INT B#).
USB Expansion card (w/ 4 USB ports) on Slot 2 (INT B#)
Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC on Slot 3 (INT D#)
D-Link DGE-528T Gigabit Ethernet Adapter on Slot 5 (INT B#)
Terratec EWX 24/96 Sound Card on Slot 6 (INT C#)
Somehow didn't want to have it on slot 1, so close to video card. Unfortunately after this the sound card was dropped by the system, a yellow question mark in Device Manager.
Further I failed to instal my Bluetooth Dongle which I earlier had used succesfully for communication to my mobile phone. Now my Broadcom USB Bluetooth Device is put under Unknown in Device Manager.
I did experience problems with the sound card several years ago in this very same PC. That time I knew little about system and BIOS setting and had to use another PC for audio purposes (digitalizing of tapes and vinyl).
As reference I used the PCI Interrup Request Routing table, found on page 2-32 in KT4's manual. Funny thing is that Sandra XI tells now that my two Ethernet cards having both INT pin A# while by their slots they should be B# and D#. I don't have true understanding what this means though. In BIOS the PNP/PCI Configurations has all slot IRQs on Auto.
Is this conflict easily cured by re-positioning card(s) on other slot(s) or addressing IRQ settings manually, and if so how and in which order? Or should I remove all the cards and install them in certain order...?
I'm quite exhausted as I had some component issues with my new PC and now this KT4 once again rejects my sound card. Maybe I'm better off by installing it on my new PC, but then this failure with Bluetooth dongle, (which I put on the USB port of KT4, not on the USB exp. card.) Oh my, why can't sound card and ethernet card live together!?!
I would appreciate your help very highly.

Hope you get things like you want them!
Eh, made this in 2003, but I'm not sure if it isn't more confusing than anything else:
"The use and sharing of IRQs aren't mentioned in my MSI manual, (due to the APIC function I think), so I had to go to some ASUS manuals. As standards are standards, I believe things can't be to different. If someone has any addings or suggestions please come forward, so I can adjust the table.
*Please note that this is generally speaking and mainly for ASUS boards a few years old!
**Please note that you should not have any sharing with the IDE controller or similar!
***Please note that it is a good thing to have expansion PCI sound cards in slot 3!
****Please note that surprisingly enough it looks like PCI slot 2 would be free for any device, but AGP cards get hot and bigger so it is not a great idea.
IRQ sharing table
PCI 1 shares with PCI slot 5
2 shares with AGP and PCI slot 6, or sometimes with onboard IDE
3 shares not, or sometimes with onboard audio/modem
4 shares with onboard LAN
5 shares PCI slot 1
6 shares with AGP and PCI slot 5
AGP slot shares with PCI slots 5 and 6
USB 1 shares with USB 2, 3 and USB 2.0
2 shares with USB 1, 3 and USB 2.0
3 shares with USB 1, 2 and USB 2.0
USB 2.0 shares with USB 1, 2, and 3
Onboard audio/modemshares not, or sometimes with slot 3
Onboard LAN shares with PCI slot 4
Onboard IDE shares not, or sometimes with PCI slot 2 "
Normally it is best to let Windows or whatever OS you run do the job. Setting IRQ:s yourself is a (too) big assignment.

KT4 Ultra Line in

I am having problems getting any noticable audio from the blue line in jack on the KT4 Ultra (6590) Has anyone else experienced problems or can offer any advice. There is a feint mumble at full volume thats all, it works if I use the Mic-in jack but not line-in.
Kevin
System Spec
Kt4 Ultra
XP2600 333Mhx
512 Micron Memory
MSI GF4200 X8 video
2 x 80 GB Maxtor drives

Problem solved, disabled usb speakers and it now works.

KT4 Ultra Users - Post here!

Please KT4 users, post here yours machine configuration, OC config and results to compare with my system.
Clock (MHz) Mult FSB (MHz) DRAM Timing
1651.5 9x 183.5 2-3-5-3-1 fast
Results:
SuperPI: 1024Kb Calculation 1:04 (64s)
Cachemem: Read: 1600Mb/s Write 820Mb/s
Cachemem download: http://www.isocdr.hpg.com.br/cachemem.exe
Thanks,
David.
[]'s

Hi. This is to let you and others know that I couldn't achieve even a 1 fsb overclock with my KT4 ULTRA-SR The system runs excellent at stock settings, but any attempt to OC was met with a no go. I am awaiting a new bios ,as my board has the original 1.o bios on it. I saw no reason to flash ,as others with the KT4 had no success with 1.1 and bigger P/S and bigger ram. I had to download the latest issue of FUZZY4 to even get it to display.on the desktop.I guess we will see if the new bios will address any issues on the KT4 boards. BIGDADDY51 :D :D ;(

KT4 Ultra in multi-zone audio system

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