u/adaminc

I've already solved this, just posting in case anyone else has the same issue.

I just built a new pc using the ASUS B650E Max Gaming WIFI motherboard, and both the front and rear audio jacks were linked, so when I plugged my headphones in, the speakers cut out and sound came through the headphones instead. I didn't want this, I wanted them to be separate so I could have music through the speakers, and say gameplay through the headphones, or whatever.

All signs pointed to an app called "Realtek Audio Console", but I couldn't find it for the life of me.

Took some digging, but I got it all working so they were split into 2 devices. Not that complicated once I found out the snafu that happens.

1. Download your audio drivers from the Asus website, and unpack the zip file into a folder.

2. If you've already installed your Realtek audio drivers, uninstall them, I used device manager to do so. (Win+X for a shortcut menu)

3. There will be 2 setup files from that Zip file, one is just "setup" the other is "AsusSetup". You want to run that second one, AsusSetup. This is the snafu, I ran the regular setup file, which wasn't the right one.

4. A small window will come up saying it is installing drivers/software, then it disappears. Nothing else happens. Reboot the computer.

5. After reboot, go into the start menu and search for "Realtek Audio Console". It should appear in the start menu now.

6. In the bottom left of RAC, there should be a "Device Advanced Settings" option, click that.

7. Under Playback Device, there should be an option to Make Front and Rear output devices 2 separate audio streams. There is also an option for Recording devices underneath that, you may want to do the same for that if you want to use 2 different microphones at the same time.

That's it.

It seems that if you install the drivers via Windows update, or you run the normal "Setup" app from the drivers zip file, they do the same thing and use just the drivers, but no software. But if you run ASUSsetup, it installs its own drivers and the RAC app, which is what you need. I couldn't find the RAC app on its own, so this is how you get it.

Hope this helps!