This morning on Twitter, I happened to mention that during raids, I have game sounds coming through my speakers, while I listen to Ventrilo (and Skype) through my headset. A couple Twitterati, Kadomi, who tanks like a girl, and Stoppableforce, who is a Stoppable Force, asked how I manage that.
It took me a few minutes, and a prompt from Stop, to realize they weren’t asking me how I do podcasts (I’d recently linked to one, and I was tres confuzzled).
Sennheiser PC 166 USB Professional Gamer Headset
The solution is quite simple: Use a USB audio output device in addition to your soundcard. In my case, I use the Sennheiser PC 166 USB headset (pictured) (but any USB headset will do) together with my speakers, which connect (via the subwoofer) to my audio card.
Similarly, you can use a standar (analog) headset (with separate mic and headphone plugs), and USB speakers. You could probably use USB headset + USB speakers, as long as they are individually identified within Windows or OS-X (rather than collectively as “Windows default soundcard.” (Sorry, Pike and other Linux users, I’ve no idea if any of this works under Linux.)
I’d bet many of you are thinking, “Why won’t this work by plugging my analog headset into the front-panel jacks, and my speakers into the rear sound card jacks?”
The reason, unfortunately, is because you don’t have discrete audio streams from those two outputs. Thus, whatever is channeled to the headset, will also go to the speakers. And, in many cases, plugging in a headset will mute your speakers. Bummer, huh?
If you have motherboard sound plus a sound card enabled, you might be able to do this, except in every case where I’ve left the motherboard sound enabled and added a sound card, Very Weird Things happen. If you would like to give it a try, go with my blessing, but be very careful you don’t blow out something on your mobo!
So there you have it: How to have your tunes and Vent at the same time, without having to wonder why your Raid Leader wants you to “do the Locomotion”!
“discrete”
But yes, I have a similar audio setup, and it actually causes a few fits if I need to re-install or re-setup Vent for some reason, as Vent tries to use the audio feed from the built-in sound card (which has nothing attached) before using the USB mic.
The USB mic is quite loud and clear, though — It came from a copy of IBM ViaVoice for Mac so it’s distinctly dorky and 2001-iMac-ish, but it works much better than the other headset that I have which is supposed to plug into a sound card.
Ouch.
That’s the product of too little sleep, I hope. Fixed in both places; thanks. 
Every once in awhile, I need to reset Vent to the USB headset, and also I occasionally have a problem where I can’t hear in Skype, although I can see the faux-VU meter bouncing along merrily. Only solution to that problem is a reboot.
Incidentally, while I didn’t mention it, my settings in Ventrilo select the Sennheiser explicitly as both the Output and Input devices. I also have “Use Direct Sound” checked for both channels. Hardware Input Mixer is Microphone (Sennheiser).
I use the USB dongle from a Logitech headset, which has a mic and output jacks on it, to which I’ve plugged my favourite Sennhiesier headset (great way to get a normal 3.5mm headset on a USB plug).
Logitech Premium Notebook Headset (where the dongle came from)
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/webcam_communications/internet_headsets_phones/devices/223&cl=US,EN
On a Mac I just then set the WoW sound to Built In, and set the main Mac sound to the USB headset.
I also explicitly set my Vent to the USB instead of default because I want to be able to play songs out my main speakers and use the headset for clear Vent.
Yea, doing this on a mac is just flat out ezmode
It takes a bit more setting up sometimes but, yes, we Linux nerds can do the same thing. I had (in a previous laptop) a Soundblaster Audigy 2 Notebook (great little PCMCIA soundcard) for my game sounds, using the built-in sound card for voice chat.
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That’s how I had my audio set up with my Logitech headset. It was nice not having to make a decision between music or vent.
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That’s how I have mine set up too – not really sure how I managed to do it, but it does tend to just work when I plug in my headset with it’s usb adapter.
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Ooh, that’s handy! Thanks for the idea!