cmASIO feature in Thetis

[Trucker]

Went to my local Guitar Center today to purchase a Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD. They were completely sold out. After talking to the guy that made me a good deal on a set of Tannoy Reveal 501A powered studio monitors, I ended up buying a Universal Audio Volt 1 USB audio interface. It was a trade-in and they wanted $89.00 for it. I bought a new XLR microphone cable and a pair of 1/4" TRS cables. I thought my speakers had a balanced TRS connector as well as an XLR connector. WRONG!! The 1/4" connector is a unbalanced TR connector. So, those will have to be returned. They were out of the 6' TRS to XLR male cables. They did have them in 20' length. But, those were really expensive.
I went ahead and ordered the correct cables from Amazon. They will be here next Wednesday.
I registered the Volt 1 on the Universal Audio website. Then downloaded the latest ASIO drivers too. The firmware was up to date. So no problem there.
The guy at Guitar Center told me that the Behringer was not as good as the Universal Audio volt 1. That they regularly have people returning them because of problems. And he said the ASIO drivers were more stable than the drivers for the Behringer.
I found the ASIO driver listed using Regedit. I didn't make any changes to the entries in Thetis in the Registery. I did notice that the ASIO driver is listed now in the VAC listing in Thetis. So, hopefully, Wednesday will be an easy day to get the interface going.
James
WD5GWY


The Volt 1 uses an external 5 volt power supply. And has a USB-C connector for data. Plus, it provides 48 volts phantom power as well.

[w-u-2-o]

Guitar Center is the proverbial candy store! [Obi-Wan] One must be cautious with one's wallet when in Guitar Center [/Obi-Wan]

You are lucky to have one near you. The closest to me is 90 minutes away.

I'm shocked that the salesman was disparaging the Behringer. I was using a UMC202 before I got the Presonus and the Behringer was nothing but wonderful. Great pre-amp's, and the driver is second to none. Super stable and immensely flexible via the Behringer control panel. Much better than Focusrite or Steinberg. I can't speak to the Universal Audio interface but it looks quite nice.

For powered monitors with balanced inputs I love the small JBL 305's, and that's what I have (the older first generation units) but they are a bit pricey. The small Presonus monitors are insanely good for the price and you wouldn't go wrong with those.

[Trucker]

I was surprised when he said what he did. I looked at some other new interfaces they did have on display. Most were pretty expensive. I asked about used items and that's when he showed me the Universal. After he explained the details of it I decided to give it a try. I have 45 days to return it for a full refund if I am not satisfied with it.
One thing I noticed using the utility to look at installed ASIO drivers, was an entry for Realtek ASIO drivers. I am guessing that is for the on-board Realtek audio chipset. I had no idea it was there. Or for that matter, how I would use it with Thetis.
Yes,I am fortunate to have places like Guitar Center nearby. ( 3 miles away) very nice folks working there.
James
WD5GWY

[RobB]

For what it is worth I have Motu M2 running CMasio without the fruit and veg middleware. It's so fast i can now for the first time monitor myself in the headphones and not be put off by the latency. Perfect for tailoring your TX audio.
Thanks for the innovation Bryan. BTW I often listen in on the US/VK group you frequent on 40

[Trucker]

Finally hooked up the Universal Audio Volt 1 interface this evening. I get the green CM icon on the lower right side of the Thetis display. I have VAC turned off. But, turning the volume up in Thetis or the Volt 1 just produces a high pitched squeaking sound. I tested the interface by running Ritchie's YouTube video from earlier in this thread. The audio works perfectly. (sounds fantastic)
In Thetis, i get the green slider bar movement when touching the microphone. Windows tests show all the microphone input working correctly. As well as the speaker output. If there's a setting in Thetis audio panel that might be wrong, I cannot find what it is. I am almost certain it is something simple. Which means, it would be something I overlook!
There is mention of buffer settings for the interface. I cannot find a utility for the Volt 1 that allows changing any settings. Searching on their website has been less that successful. I even tried Voicemeter Potato to see if I could get it to work. No such luck.
Anyway, at least I know it does work. Just for some reason, (pilot error most likely) proper audio output from Thetis isn't working.
I am open to suggestions.
James
WD5GWY

[W4WMT]

I get the green CM icon on the lower right side of the Thetis display.
But, turning the volume up in Thetis or the Volt 1 just produces a high pitched squeaking sound.

Hi James,

First off, Scott is correct: the Behringer UMC202HD is a no-brainer hookup. If you can get a refund from Guitar Center, I recommend you do so and spring for the UMC202, they're only $99 from Sweetwater, Amazon, etc.. Plus, it has two mic inputs which can come in handy.

I have no experience with the Audio Volt 1, so there will be a learning curve involved for both of us. If you're getting the green CM icon on the Thetis status bar, then the Audio Volt 1 is complying with everything Thetis needs for proper operation.

In the Windows sound control panel, try disabling the Audio Volt 1, in both the Playback & Recording tabs. If there's a setting for exclusive mode in the advanced settings, turn that ON.

What driver name did you populate in the registry ASIOdrivername key value?

73,
Bryan

[Trucker]

Hello Bryan thanks for replying.
ASIOdrivername key value is: Universal Audio Volt
The same thing that is shown when I run hostsample.exe
I followed your instructions and still only get the odd audio sound as I turn up the volume on the Volt. It's odd that YouTube video audio plays back perfectly.
I guess I will go ahead and return the Volt and get a 202. I would have thought that since the indicator in Thetis was green, that audio would play back from Thetis properly. I had hoped this interface would work. It has separate power connection for 5 volt DC which I think is nice to have.
James
WD5GWY

[W4WMT]

Hi James,

Unfortunately, you have become the guinea pig for the Audio Volt
Can you email me the detail output screen from hostsample?
What I'm looking for is the not the first screen that comes out, but the one with all the gory details about the Adio Volt.

73,
Bryan

[Trucker]

Ok, I give up. I went ahead and ordered a Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD from Amazon. It will be here Saturday. I will take the Universal Audio Volt back for a refund. It's odd that it works with other applications like YouTube,but just puts out a squeaky sound with Thetis as you turn up the volume on the Volt. And Thetis shows the green indicator. Plus, microphone input works.
Oh well!
James
WD5GWY

[rbduck]

Ok, I give up. I went ahead and ordered a Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD from Amazon. It will be here Saturday. I will take the Universal Audio Volt back for a refund. It's odd that it works with other applications like YouTube,but just puts out a squeaky sound with Thetis as you turn up the volume on the Volt. And Thetis shows the green indicator. Plus, microphone input works.
Oh well!
James
WD5GWY

You will definitely prefer the UM202HD after you use it!

[Trucker]

Hi Scott, I just left the house. I will be back home shortly.
I don't know how I did it earlier, but I did see the extended screen in hostsample.exe.
Could you tell me what the key combination is to bring that part up again?
James
WD5GWY

[W4WMT]

Just press any key, and the subsequent screens are generated, until all the running ASIO drivers have been reported.

[rbduck]

Correct me if I I'm in error here. Or tell me if I have it right. I am using the value of "UMC ASIO Driver" under the ASIOdrivername string in the registry. To adjust the MIC audio level I enable the MIC button on the Thetis GUI. This is after I adjust the input MIC level on the UMC202HD. This seems to work well. I call myself thoroughly reading all the occurrences of this subject on the forum , but I may have missed something.

The reason I got off on this was because when I first activated cmASIO I was not getting enough audio to drive my amplifier to the same power levels I previously had with VAC. Even with the MIC adjustment at maximum now I still don't get quite the audio I had with VAC. It's not enough of a difference to be a problem. There are so many new and improved functions added lately I can't keep up with it. I appreciate all the work that goes into making Thetis fabulous.

[oe3ide]

Correct me if I I'm in error here. Or tell me if I have it right. I am using the value of "UMC ASIO Driver" under the ASIOdrivername string in the registry. To adjust the MIC audio level I enable the MIC button on the Thetis GUI. This is after I adjust the input MIC level on the UMC202HD. This seems to work well. I call myself thoroughly reading all the occurrences of this subject on the forum , but I may have missed something.

The reason I got off on this was because when I first activated cmASIO I was not getting enough audio to drive my amplifier to the same power levels I previously had with VAC. Even with the MIC adjustment at maximum now I still don't get quite the audio I had with VAC. It's not enough of a difference to be a problem. There are so many new and improved functions added lately I can't keep up with it. I appreciate all the work that goes into making Thetis fabulous.

whats your mic-level?

Thetis_yP1aKWwSMo.png (1.45 KiB) Viewed 4290 times

[Trucker]

Bryan, I emailed you a photo of the hostsample output screen.
Here it is just in case you don't get it.
James
WD5GWY

20240103_110335.jpg (4.21 MiB) Viewed 4282 times

[rbduck]

Correct me if I I'm in error here. Or tell me if I have it right. I am using the value of "UMC ASIO Driver" under the ASIOdrivername string in the registry. To adjust the MIC audio level I enable the MIC button on the Thetis GUI. This is after I adjust the input MIC level on the UMC202HD. This seems to work well. I call myself thoroughly reading all the occurrences of this subject on the forum , but I may have missed something.

The reason I got off on this was because when I first activated cmASIO I was not getting enough audio to drive my amplifier to the same power levels I previously had with VAC. Even with the MIC adjustment at maximum now I still don't get quite the audio I had with VAC. It's not enough of a difference to be a problem. There are so many new and improved functions added lately I can't keep up with it. I appreciate all the work that goes into making Thetis fabulous.

whats your mic-level?

Thetis_yP1aKWwSMo.png

I have my MIC level set to the same 1db you have displayed there. I assumed that it should be set to something close to 0db while not negatively affecting any of the other settings. I've only used Voicemeeter and VAC in the past.

Does the COMP button work as well?

[W4WMT]

I emailed you a photo of the hostsample output screen.
Here it is just in case you don't get it.

That all looks perfect!
The only thing left to try is more room in the fifo. Maybe it's a little sluggish and needs more help with thread synchronization.
Add a DWORD value to the same reg key called ASIOblocknum and enter the value of 12.
See if that helps.
73,
Bryan

[W4WMT]

I have my MIC level set to the same 1db you have displayed there.

Make sure the LINE/INST and the PAD buttons on the UMC are both popped out.
Turn up the gain on the UMC until the CLIP led starts blinking, then back off a smidge.
Turn OFF the 48v slide switch on the back, unless your microphone needs it,
Increase the MIC gain slider on the Thetis console, until the Thetis Mic level meter consistently hits zero db.

[rbduck]

I have my MIC level set to the same 1db you have displayed there.

Make sure the LINE/INST and the PAD buttons on the UMC are both popped out.
Turn up the gain on the UMC until the CLIP led starts blinking, then back off a smidge.
Turn OFF the 48v slide switch on the back, unless your microphone needs it,
Increase the MIC gain slider on the Thetis console, until the Thetis Mic level meter consistently hits zero db.

Yes, the adjustments were made exactly as you describe. I did adjust the MIC output up until just before clipping. The Behringer UMC202HD is a very versatile, small piece of hardware and the ASIO driver is very stable Mine is 4 years old and has worked well. I have a Audio-Technica and a D-104 connected to mine. I can switch to a different mike in a few seconds. Where I had questions were about the audio controls. I think I'm good on that subject now because I found a schematic of the audio chain. It cleared my questions seeing the audio path through the radio. I appreciate your help and suggestions.

I originally purchased two different sound cards The Behringer UMC202HD and a Sound Blaster AE-9. The Sound Blaster was terrible card. It had very few purposes I could find for Ham Radio. At least for me. It was also expensive compared to the Behringer. I wish still had it so I could make a a comparison. One of it's problems was instability. I would like to see if the cmASIO setup would improve things at all. I do know that cmASIO has helped the UMC202HD to be very very stable.

[W4WMT]

Hi Ruben,

One more thing to keep in mind, because it's not immediately obvious, with the UMC202 (and all two input interfaces) both mic inputs are hot at the same time. So be sure to turn down the mic that you're not using,
(Although, it might be an interesting sound, come to think of it.)
73,
Bryan

[W4WMT]

Finally hooked up the Universal Audio Volt 1 interface this evening. I get the green CM icon on the lower right side of the Thetis display. I have VAC turned off. But, turning the volume up in Thetis or the Volt 1 just produces a high pitched squeaking sound. I even tried Voicemeter Potato to see if I could get it to work. No such luck.
Just for some reason, (pilot error most likely) proper audio output from Thetis isn't working.

Hi James,

Managed to get my hands on a Volt 1 today. Nice unit. Works fine here with cmASIO on Thetis. A little higher latency on receive than the Behringer, but about the same on transmit. Only has one mic input, but that's no biggie if you don't plan on doing a lot of microphone switcheroo.

Maybe you got a lemon from Guitar Center? Hard to say. But, at any rate, you should take heart that it will work!

73,
Bryan

[Trucker]

Finally hooked up the Universal Audio Volt 1 interface this evening. I get the green CM icon on the lower right side of the Thetis display. I have VAC turned off. But, turning the volume up in Thetis or the Volt 1 just produces a high pitched squeaking sound. I even tried Voicemeter Potato to see if I could get it to work. No such luck.
Just for some reason, (pilot error most likely) proper audio output from Thetis isn't working.

Hi James,

Managed to get my hands on a Volt 1 today. Nice unit. Works fine here with cmASIO on Thetis. A little higher latency on receive than the Behringer, but about the same on transmit. Only has one mic input, but that's no biggie if you don't plan on doing a lot of microphone switcheroo.

Maybe you got a lemon from Guitar Center? Hard to say. But, at any rate, you should take heart that it will work!

73,
Bryan

Thanks Bryan, I am wondering if I got a lemon or not. The Volt did start working. But, then this evening, I found that I could get audio on every band except 80 meters! I am getting the squeaking sound again. But, only on 80 meters. I am wondering if it has something to do with the Flex Radio installation. I had removed it in the process of trying to pinpoint the problem I was having. And then everything started working. It was working on all bands. So, yesterday evening, I reinstalled SmartSDR on this pc and everything seemed to be just fine. I left everything running overnight and all day today. So, a few minutes ago, I decided to move down from 20 meters to 40 meters. Everything was working fine there. Then, in an effort to zero in on the barely detectable scratchy sound to the audio that I hear, I went into Thetis in the Audio Tab and changed the buffer size to 8. Everything still worked fine. In fact, on 40 meters, the scratchy sound was gone. I knew that there are some real powerhouse stations on 80/75 meters that run some very good stations, so I switched to 80. And just like that, the squeaking sound was back!
I can switch to any of the other bands and the audio is fine. I have my doubts that it is the Volt causing the problem. So, I just uninstalled Thetis and will do a fresh install. I cannot imagine what might have changed.
I may still return the Volt and get the Behringer just on the off chance the Volt has an issue that is random.
Such fun! Almost makes me want to go back to VAC ! ( almost!)
James
WD5GWY

[w-u-2-o]

There's no setting on the various audio tabs that has any effect on cmASIO. It has nothing to do with VAC.

This is starting to sound like RFI. What happens on 80M if you run into a dummy load?

[Trucker]

There's no setting on the various audio tabs that has any effect on cmASIO. It has nothing to do with VAC.

This is starting to sound like RFI. What happens on 80M if you run into a dummy load?

Scott,
I think you nailed it. I cannot imagine what might have changed that is causing this. I connected direct to my Cantenna and the audio is fine.
No squeaking at all. It is odd that it occurs on only one band. ( I have stepped through every band that I use)
Time to break out some test equipment and track this oddity down.
Thank you for the suggestion.
James
WD5GWY

[Trucker]

Ran a quick test with another radio and no issues on 80 meters. Tested the coax between the 8000DLE and my antenna tuner using my MFJ analyzer. Low SWR and no issues shown. I switched to another coax just to be certain and the same results.
I have even went so far as to revert back to VA. I removed the Volt and uninstalled it's driver as well. Reset my VAC audio settings to what I had been using previously ( Studio Monitors connected directly to the internal soundcard in my Dell pc and connected my cheap USB microphone to the computer) And just like before, there is squealing audio on 80 meters and clean, clear audio on all other bands.
Having not had the squealing when connected to my dummy load while on 80 meters, I would have been certain that it was something in the TenTec 238b antenna tuner. BUT, it is fine on the other bands and with different radios.
This problem originally appeared when I first hooked up the Volt and was on all bands. Bryan asked me to use hostsample and send him a copy of the extended display. Which I did as well as posting it in this thread. Shortly after that, the squealing went away on all bands. I left the 8000DLE and Thetis running all last night and today. I even made a couple of contacts today on 20 meters and received compliments on my transmit audio.
( not that that matters with this issue) The squealing only returned to 80 meters this evening. All the other bands were/are fine.
I looked at Windows Update to see if something new had been downloaded during the day that, in some odd way to cause this. Nothing new has been updated.
I don't know if something is blocking the audio stream /data and for some reason, is only doing it on a single band. I cannot imagine what it would be and how it could be that selective.
James
WD5GWY

Oh, just a few minutes ago, I downloaded and installed Ritchie's latest update on the off chance the problem is in Thetis somewhere.
It doesn't make any difference. The problem still exists.

[Trucker]

Backed up my database and then reset everything. Now, I have audio on all bands again. This is with VAC hookup. I will try importing the backup and see what happens there. Something somewhere got corrupted. If all goes well, the Volt and it's driver will be hooked back up.
Fun, fun, fun!
James
WD5GWY

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Update:
Imported my database and the squealing on 80 meters was right back. Something in the database is corrupt. I guess I will need to redo all my settings again. This should be fun!!!

[Trucker]

I just love this group. I went to the Thetis forum and did a search on Database. And found a suggestion of using an older backup. So, I went to one from the end of last month and imported it. Restarted Thetis and all is well again!!! I have no idea what got corrupted in the database that had been in use.
I will reinstall my Volt and see how that works out. ( I am betting it will be just fine )
Thanks to everyone here that has helped me many times. It is greatly appreciated.
James
WD5GWY

Final update for the night;
Hooked the Volt back up and restarted Thetis. Audio is fantastic on all bands. I am really happy that I don't have problems that I was beginning to think I was having. ( radio glitch or something) Time to go listen to some really smooth audio down on 80 meters!!

[OZ1CT-Ben]

Trynig to get this cmASIO up and run on my PC.... but I dont se any "cmASIO sign" on my screen ???? if no sign then it is not working ????

I can only see the "TCP/IP Cat server" is running

73" Ben

[W4WMT]

Trynig to get this cmASIO up and run on my PC.... but I dont se any "cmASIO sign" on my screen ???? if no sign then it is not working ????

Hi Ben,

Depends on which version of Thetis you are running.
Richie added the cmASIO icon to the status-bar in version 2.10.3.5.

73,
Bryan

[DH1KLM]

Hi Ben,

You need to run 2.10.3.5. If your UMC driver is installed correctly and the entry in the registry is correct (it looks like this), then the green CM ASIO symbol should be displayed. VAC no longer needs to be activated.

umc.jpg (78.21 KiB) Viewed 4043 times