Needa cd/dvd "Y" adaptor cable so i can get music out of either player
 

Both players work. But my MOBO has only one analog connector. Is there such a thing as a "y" adaptor. I don't want to use them at the same time but I do want to have a choice as to which player to use at any given time.

I think linux handles CD player audio on a digital level. In other words, I don't think you even need that one channel. I think ALSA just handles it all over the IDE cable...

Thanks for the speedy reply. If what you say is the case, then why is it that only the drive with the 4 pin mpc cable plugged in makes music? Unplug that drive and put the cable into the other drive and suddenly the first has no audio and the second one does. Are you saying that if I don't use the mpc cable at all, both CD/DVD players should make audio?

Yes, although there might be a setting in your software you have to set. Something like "use direct digital playback" or the like. If you're using KDE, I'd poke around the control panel and the Sound settings. I haven't used Gnome in a long time so I'm not entirely sure where the setting is.

Thanks I will look into what you have said and let you know the results.

You can use the following.

mplayer cdda://

Only if the maintainer of MPlayer included CDDA support for your distribution.

I think all the CD players have this included.

I was always under the impression that the analog cable was there more for when you use the external play controls on the cd drive; that is, when you use it as a stand-alone player rather than using multimedia software. I may be wrong however.

Most software players can be set to use either the analog or the digital interfaces as inputs in any case. Many newer cd/dvd drives, such as the sata ones I installed in my new box, don't even have analog outputs.