Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

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K8EZB
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Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby K8EZB » Thu Jun 16, 2022 2:40 pm

Relative newbie here having purchased an AL7K a few months ago. All has gone mostly smoothly, and I have completed 1300+ QSOs on SSB and data modes to date, including 145 countries worked on FT8. The few issues I have had were entirely due to pilot error or failures to understand correctly the posts here, and were easily corrected with more study or searching or posting questions on the ALC forum. After some serious time refining the audio chain set up and adding an EV RE 27 mic to the station, I am getting superb audio quality reports. One issue still eludes me: I haven’t been able to figure out how to get RX audio to play through the PreSonus powered studio monitors attached to the computer (and which are working well with various other computer apps). I am guessing this is easy to fix and is a result of my not understanding some aspects of the set up needed. I am using VAC for TX and RX audio, with no direct audio connections to the radio via a UMC204HD interface with UMC ASIO v5.0 drivers. What I am missing is how to steer RX audio to the computer speakers. I can hear RX audio in the UMC headphone monitor jack and have been using this as a workaround to date; it works but with drawbacks. I have Voicemeeter Potato installed and am using it for FT8 (in case VMP is part of the solution). Running Thetis 2.9.0.6 and Win 10 with latest updates. AFAIK, everything else works. Any guidance appreciated.

Thanks,
Rick
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby w-u-2-o » Thu Jun 16, 2022 2:56 pm

Rick,

I moved this topic because it is not a Thetis question.

If I read your post correctly, the monitors are connected to the PC's built in sound card and not the UMC204HD, correct? And, since they are Presonus monitors, that means they have a balanced input available, either TRS or XLR, available, correct?

Assuming that's correct, then IMHO the easiest thing to do is to attach the monitors to the UMC204HD. Use the Main Out connectors and use a fully balanced microphone type cable with a 1/4" TRS on the UMC end and either a TRS or XLR on the monitor end, depending on exactly which Presonus monitor you have (which one do you have?)

After that all should work fine. The only other thing you have to do is to go into the Windows sound control panel and select the UMC Main Out as the Windows main output device. The all sounds coming out of the PC, be they from Windows, Youtube, Thetis, whatever, will come through the UMC.

That's how I'm set up and it works great (I have a Presonus Studio 192 Mobile and JBL LSR305's).

73,

Scott
K8EZB
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby K8EZB » Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:01 pm

That's how I'm set up and it works great (I have a Presonus Studio 192 Mobile and JBL LSR305's).


Thanks, Scott. Was hoping to solve this with a few clicks of the mouse (no additional cables) but maybe not. I'll give this a try.

RB
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby w-u-2-o » Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:09 pm

There ARE other options, but they are not as elegant, nor as simple.

Option A: give up ASIO. If you give up ASIO (switch to MME or WDM) then you can set different input and output devices in Thetis VAC. Change the output to your built-in sound card and you are done. But that's a bad option because then you give up the low latency of ASIO. I've measured that on my machine and it make an 85ms difference! 170ms if you consider the entire RX-to-TX transition!

Option B: install Voicemeeter, interface Thetis to Voicemeeter, use Voicemeeter as a patch panel to route mic audio from the UMC to Thetis and RX audio to the monitors. This keeps the low latency on transmit but not on receive. Half as good for twice the complexity.

Better to buy the cables ;)
K8EZB
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby K8EZB » Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:14 pm

Scott,

Better to buy the cables ;)


Agree!

My PreSonus speakers dont have an XLR connector (these are low end monitors), but do have a 1/4 in TRS connector. Looks like these cables will do the job: https://www.amazon.com/PreSonus-Eris-E3 ... 89699&th=1

RB
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby K8EZB » Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:17 pm

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w-u-2-o
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby w-u-2-o » Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:22 pm

That should do it. Rolling the dice on Chinese/Amazon product, but we all do that :D

If you have a music store, e.g. Guitar Center, near you, you could do it the old fashioned way and have them after a short car ride.

Those are nice speakers, I bet the radio sounds great. Everyone should use powered studio monitors. You've got twice the speaker there, both in quantity and quality, compared to, say, Heil, and for half the price :)
K8EZB
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby K8EZB » Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:26 pm

Rolling the dice on Chinese/Amazon product, but we all do that :D


I hear you on this issue but batting 1000 so far with this stuff. We'll see!

Thanks - an easy fix!

RB
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby K8EZB » Thu Jun 16, 2022 7:31 pm

The only other thing you have to do is to go into the Windows sound control panel and select the UMC Main Out as the Windows main output device


I dont see a choice in the W10 Sound Playback panel that matches your words. Here are the relevant choices:

> OUT 1-2 BEHRINGER UMC 204HD 192k

> OUT 1-4 BEHRINGER UMC 204HD 192k

> OUT 3-4 BEHRINGER UMC 204HD 192k

I am guessing that the OUT 1-2 is the correct choice?

RB
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby w-u-2-o » Thu Jun 16, 2022 8:25 pm

I think you are correct. My old UMC202 is gathering dust, it's been a long time! But you can't break anything by choosing the wrong one!
K8EZB
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby K8EZB » Thu Jun 16, 2022 8:28 pm

Thanks. TRS cables arriving from Amazon tomorrow.

RB
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby K8EZB » Fri Jun 17, 2022 9:35 pm

Better to buy the cables ;)


Success! Cables worked and now have RX audio and Win audio on the PreSonus powered monitors.

Thanks,

RB
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Routing VAC RX audio to my speakers

Postby w-u-2-o » Fri Jun 17, 2022 10:58 pm

That's the way to do it! Bet it sounds great!

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