Multi-channel sound output

[Hans-Werner Braun]

(I am not on this list, Please include me on a response)

I would like to make multi-channel (at least 4) sound output work.
I tried three different cards: Live! 5.1, Audigy SE, and Audigy 4,
with the standard FreeBSD 6.0 driver, emu10kx, and OSS. I did not
manage to get more than two channels in either combination. Does
anyone here have a suggestion as to what would works there?

For background, what I am interested in is the recreation of 3D
sound environments, like deploying a microphone array in an ecological
reserve or other interesting sound environments (see
http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/news/050617.html and
http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/news/050402.html for examples or preliminary
work), and recreating it with fairly standard equipment. For example,
once I get the output working, a next question will be how to read
from a microphone-quad (or more) while still getting phasing/etc.
right.

I would appreciate suggestions.

Hans-Werner