4-pin Analog or 2-pin S/PDIF from CD-ROM

[Xorcist]

Okay, I have a CD-ROM which supplies both of these for output, and I have a sound card which takes both as input. Now my question is... can I use both at the same time? Not to say I wish to play from both at the same time, but rather have them both available, so I can listen to classical music via the analog, but listen to techno via the digital. Or do CD-ROMs usually cancel one or the other based on what's plugged in?

I know S/PDIF is normally used for file to file "digital" recording. And if I wanted to mix something in real-time, I assume that would be beneficial. But I'm not sure how standard applications read the audio. That is to say ones which do not allow you to select an input. I assume they would just look for the standard analog input on the CD-ROM and play via that. Just trying to get all my facts straight.

Hope someone can clear this up for me.

I'd just use the digital connection. You won't notice the difference between the two anyway.

[ArcticFox]

Depending on the sound card, you should have an option in the control panel on wether to use the digital or not. If you can't find it, look in the CD player you use.

[Siliconjunkie]

Um, maybe I am nuts but I never use them. Just power and the IDE. I can happily listen to music CDs, and do anything I have tried to do. What am I missing here?

[Xorcist]

You probably have the same setup as I do on one of my older machines. It has a Plextor drive in it and after installation would showed audio CDs as data CDs in explorer (list of tracks as WAVs, which could be played without any audio cables attached). The data is played the same as if it were played off the hard drive. I'm not sure how to achieve this setup though, might have to do with some ASPI stuff. I've been unable to replicate it on any of my other machines.

But, that aside. It won't hurt any to have both digital and analog hooked up to the drive? That's really what I was trying to find out. I know I can select either or for listening. I just wanted to make sure nothing would go wrong by doing so.

[nukes]

Well, if you were to do that, you may as well use the digital, and keep the analog free for some other device, like a second CDROM or a TV card.