I have a PCMCIA Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook, sound card and this splits the output in to 3 separate signals, 1 for the 2 front speakers, 1 for the back left and right and one for the other speakers and the sub.
What I am trying to do is get the first 2 which is the front 2 speakers and the back 2 and attach them to one RCA port on the amplifier.
To do this I think I am going to have to get 2x 3.5mm to 2 RCA male adapter then attach them to 2x 2 RCA female to 1 RCA male adapter and then attach that to the amp.
However I think this will merge the signals meaning there is only left and right, rather than left, right, back and front, Can anyone confirm that for me. Or will it keep the signals separate?
What's the amp then? The reason I asked for the receiver is because if it has multichannel inputs you can just run mini plug to RCA cables to the back 5.1 inputs.
Ok, I have been thinking and it has just confused me.
I can see how a receiver would solve the problem of the surround sound as each of the speaker would be going out of a designated channel, but surely you can only connect one source to each channel so how do you have multiple things using the same surround sound system, as if you attach them via a preamp then it will merge the signals and if you attach them to the receiver you will have to attach the 2 signals to one RCA port and therefore they will be merged in the process.
And if you have a receiver with multiple channels you will only be able to run 1 channel at a time and therefore it will only play one of the sources (left and right or left back and right back) across 4 speakers.