so... i've found a zillion places on the web where people have written something like: "I hate crawling under my computer to switch from my headphones to my speakers, and I can't find a resale switcher box that does this, so here's my DIY project!" And then they proceed to show how to build a stereo switcher box that takes 3.5mm plugs. Ok, that's great. But I am trying to up the ante in two ways:
1. I'd like to switch between two different sets of headphones and two different sets of speakers. Big deal, right? Just make it a 4-way switch instead of a 2-way switch?
2. I'd like to use headSETS instead of headPHONES, which means that I'd like to not only switch the audio out from the computer, but also the mic in. I *could* build two boxes to do this, but that's a pain to operate since you'd always have to switch both boxes and user error (or confusion) could end you up listening to the earpieces of one headset and talking into the mic of another.
So what I'd really like to do is to make a switch that has 3 or 4 settings:
1: computer audio out -> headset 1 earphones; headset 1 mic -> computer mic in.
2: computer audio out -> headset 2 earphones; headset 2 mic -> computer mic in.
3: computer audio out -> speakers; nothing to computer mic in.
4 (optional): computer audio out -> speakers 2; nothing to computer mic in.
So it would be great to have a single switch that does all this? Questions:
- does such a switch exist? I *think* it's a 4-way, 4-pole (not sure if this is the right term), non-shorting switch. if so, where would i find it? i'm in Palo Alto if it matters.
- do i just wire ALL the grounds together - is that okay?
1. I'd like to switch between two different sets of headphones and two different sets of speakers. Big deal, right? Just make it a 4-way switch instead of a 2-way switch?
2. I'd like to use headSETS instead of headPHONES, which means that I'd like to not only switch the audio out from the computer, but also the mic in. I *could* build two boxes to do this, but that's a pain to operate since you'd always have to switch both boxes and user error (or confusion) could end you up listening to the earpieces of one headset and talking into the mic of another.
So what I'd really like to do is to make a switch that has 3 or 4 settings:
1: computer audio out -> headset 1 earphones; headset 1 mic -> computer mic in.
2: computer audio out -> headset 2 earphones; headset 2 mic -> computer mic in.
3: computer audio out -> speakers; nothing to computer mic in.
4 (optional): computer audio out -> speakers 2; nothing to computer mic in.
So it would be great to have a single switch that does all this? Questions:
- does such a switch exist? I *think* it's a 4-way, 4-pole (not sure if this is the right term), non-shorting switch. if so, where would i find it? i'm in Palo Alto if it matters.
- do i just wire ALL the grounds together - is that okay?