Recording from 2 different sound cards

[halfdesicaffeine]

To all,

Recently, I decided to broadcast a radio station with a bunch of my friends. We all decided that not only would we do it live through Shoutcast, but we would also like to record sessions and possibly Podcast them. Anyway, to the point:
Basically, I would like to be able to plug in multiple headsets into my computer. Ideally, we would like to have three or more, but we can always start out with just 2 to be simple. Anyway, the idea is that we would be able to record from both headsets and also listen from both headsets. These headsets have jacks, not USB, so they have two jacks on the end of the cord: one mic jack and one sound jack. After rummaging through my piles of random computer stuff, I found a sound card and installed in into the computer, loaded drivers, etc. But now, I'm not quite sure where to go. It seems that I can't get both sound cards to be active at the same time. When I talk into the mic on headset A which is plugged entirely into one sound card, I can only hear what I'm saying on headset A. The same goes for headset B. Is there some way to cross-connect the two sound cards so they can listen from each other, or is there some sort of driver or software to do this? Or, would it be easier to find a microphone and sound jack splitter that would allow me to plug two mics and two speakers into only one actual mic/sound jack?

Thanks for your help and advice,
-Mike

[Loopy]

Hmm.... all I can think of is buying yourself a recording soundcard (studio card professinal card WHATEVER you wan't to call it) check out www.sweetwater.com for soundcards. It might be more trouble then it's worth to use two sound cards in one system, usually in the windows control panel you can pick 1 card to record from. Pro sound cards have multiple inputs and the software to work it all and process your final product, along with mixing it.

[meatwad]

Yeah, it's a real pain in the *** because most of the inexpensive equipment doesn't really allow you to do what you're asking. I use SAM3 for my broadcast and it really only allows you to run one device through the software at a time. We end up getting around it by bypassing the output from a software like Google Talk or TeamSpeak into our conversation.

You might be able to patch it so you have your mic into soundcard A and then have a cable patch from your line out on A to your line in on B and then have a mic in B and get it to work that way. Not sure though.

[CeeBee]

Windows is not so good at using more than 1 soundcard for input or for output at the same time. However, you can use one card for input and the other for output, but not both.
You are better off getting a mixer http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search , they are not that too expensive and you have better control than with a mouse.
Also use a good dynamic mike, those cheap PC ones sound.. well... cheap.

[CeeBee]

Also check out this thing: http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search
I have read good reviews, but I am not so much a fan of this type of things.. for me 2 turntables and 2 cd-players with pitch control hooked to a mixer work much better

[halfdesicaffeine]

We end up getting around it by bypassing the output from a software like Google Talk or TeamSpeak into our conversation.

Yeah, I do actually have Teamspeak. How can I program TS to do this?
Are you saying I should program TS to capture from one soundcard, set Windows to capture from another, and then set my recording software to capture a stereo mix so that I captures all sound? Or, will somebody have to be on a different computer and then be on the same TS server for this to work? I'm trying to do this so two people can be on the same local machine.

Thanks for you help.
-Mike

[meatwad]

Yeah, I do actually have Teamspeak. How can I program TS to do this?
Are you saying I should program TS to capture from one soundcard, set Windows to capture from another, and then set my recording software to capture a stereo mix so that I captures all sound? Or, will somebody have to be on a different computer and then be on the same TS server for this to work? I'm trying to do this so two people can be on the same local machine.

Thanks for you help.
-Mike

Well I don't usually run the connection on my end when we do multiple DJs. It has something to do with enabling the master sound I think and then patching that through your broadcast software. In SAM there is a setting that allows you to broadcast out whatever sound comes out of your sound card, which when you have teamspeak running is everyone's voice.