Please help me configure my sound options

Hello!

Here is the deal. I'm using the digital out on my M17X R4 to go to my surround sound system. I have the default playback device set to Speakers since I want to use the Soundblaster Creative software and the software doesn't seem to work when I set Digital Output as my playback device.

Anyway, it works fine and all, but I notice a few things. For one, the volume control on the speakers doesn't work at all. I can turn it to 100 or 0 and there will be no change in the sound's output.

How can I change that? I have a gaming keyboard that has a volume control on it and it's rendered useless right now. I'd like to be able to control the volume from my keyboard.

It works if I change the default playback device to Digital Output, but then the Creative software doesn't seem to work.

Is this just how it is or am I not doing something right?

 

For me this was always the case when i had an external audio device connected, it is normal to be unable to adjust the volume from windows task bar because the device is equipped with its own volume control, somewhere else, might be hardware knob, or separate dedicated software.

Also with digital out i think you are only sending the signal to a device which should be responsible for volume control, not the laptop.

this are 2 most possible versions for me

 

Thanks!

What I did to "fix" things was set my default playback device as the Digital Output. This means I can't use Creative software on the sound, but it enables my keyboard to control the volume now. I don't really need the software bells and whistles and I'd much rather have direct control of the sound via keyboard, so I made the switch.

 

that's cool, at least you got it to a way you can feel somehow comfortable with.