incase u hav a 5.1 surround speakers u can set them as such, but when u need to use a microphone jus set it in the right jack and reconfigure or redetect your spoeaker configuration and it wud be detected as "quadrahponic speakers".. with 4 under use and the other plug wud be for microphone. if u hav to record something using ur microphone, then i doubt a 5.1 channel recording ??

or u cud use another comp or source for mike?
/legolas