Can you direct windows system sounds to one of 2 cards?

[K7XRL]

I am trying to build a cheap digital mode interface and I have a USB sound card, and the on board sound card.

I would like to use the USB card for the interface with the radio (but block windows system sounds) and use the computer's on-board sound card to play the windows system sounds.

I am using windows 8.1. Any way to do this?

 

[AK9R]

Most digital mode programs allow the user to select which sound card is used by the program so that takes care of one part of your question.

Where the Windows system sounds go is determined through the Windows control panel. If a playback device is set as "default", the Windows system sounds will go to that device.

 

[K7XRL]

Ok, I will take a look at control panel and see what I come up with. Thanks!

Edited to add: It looks like I can set up one as the overall default device, and the other as the default "communications" device. Windows has a setting that will mute all other sounds when it detects "communications".