4.1 surround sound via sound plate?

Is it possible to connect an LG LAP340 sound plate to my computer to give me 4.1 sound, Mobo is a MSI 990FXA Gaming with an on board optical port. I am running windows 10 with 16Gb ram an 8 core 4000 Mh processer.

Just pluging it in doesn't seem to work,the sound plate isn't seen in Device manager? Any help please!

Are there any relevant optical input/sound processing settings available for the onboard audio ("Creative SoundBlaster Cinema 2" according to your mobo manufacturer info) in your Windows control panel?

No, I can't see owt. I have an ASUS VS 278 monitor which gives me stereo sound. when I disconnected it to plug in the sound plate sound was still playing through the monitor speakers? but nothing from the sound plate.

No, I can't see owt. I have an ASUS VS 278 monitor which gives me stereo sound. when I disconnected it to plug in the sound plate sound was still playing through the monitor speakers? but nothing from the sound plate.

how is the ASUS connected? if it's via HDMI then your sound may be passing via that...

you may need to change it in windows, right click the little speaker at the bottom, and click "playback devices" - then select the one you need, and set it as default.... (you can also right click each one, and click test to check they are working)

The monitor is connected via DVI. I have a poss. of 6 options if I right click the speaker icon, but only the monitor is available, no sign of the sound plate anywhere.

---------- Post added 24-08-2016 at 19:37 ----------

On the Mobo I have a JSP 1 - S/PDIF out connector, I assume this is for a second optical device?

Use an optical cable from PC to Soundplate

In audio settings on your PC, select the audio device (Optical) as the default audio device.

Set your soundplate to optical in.

Not sure which audio chip that motherboard uses... Realtek? I use a Sony HT-XT1 and if I use optical it doesn't say it's there. If I use HDMI it will say Sony/LG in the settings so don't worry about it not naming the soundplate.

I can't find any thing to do with optical - either in Sound/audio or even Device manager. it (is Realtek by the way). In sound "playback devises" it only mentions my Monitor the other 5 says "not connected"

Do you switch your sound plate on before or after booting your PC?

Might be worth trying to:

(i) switch both (PC/sound plate) off

(ii) cable-connect them (optical or 2nd SPDIF on PC to sound plate optical)

(iii) switch your sound plate on first

(iv) boot your PC next

and then see if the PC/Windows 10/Realtek hardware/drivers "becomes aware" of the sound plate.

Long shot (and you've probably tried it already anyway), but hey-ho.

Also:

when I disconnected it to plug in the sound plate sound was still playing through the monitor speakers? but nothing from the sound plate.

It sounds like your PC is passing audio to the monitor through DVI, so that might be why nothing happens when you plug an optical cable from the PC sound out to the sound plate.

But yeah, in answer to your earlier post, S/PDIF is an optical connector (maybe check whether it is an INPUT or an OUTPUT, though).

I'm looking for a way to disable the sound going to the monitor, I think that it may be causing the prob. I had a Green cable from the computer to the monitor for sound, or so I thought, I disconnected it and still got sound from the monitor, so it must be using the DVI connection to transmit sound as well as pictures/video. the S/PDIF on the MOBO is just a header as such but both are OUT.

I'm looking for a way to disable the sound going to the monitor, I think that it may be causing the prob. I had a Green cable from the computer to the monitor for sound, or so I thought, I disconnected it and still got sound from the monitor, so it must be using the DVI connection to transmit sound as well as pictures/video. the S/PDIF on the MOBO is just a header as such but both are OUT.

If it's only showing DVI and the monitor in the Audio Options of windows, then that is the only choice - your on board sound may be disabled in the BIOS....

Fixed it, HD audio was disabled in the Bios. I had looked before but couldn't find anything for audio, but it was there in Advanced settings - works like a dream now. Thanks everyone!

Thanks Ghozer.