Apache Labs Community Forum

How would one hook up the Steinberg unit?
To the speaker jack on the rig? Or somewhere else?

de Mike W9MDB

I use VAC at present on UMC 204HD so Steinberg would be the same for me.

That's the computer side...that I understand...

But how are you connecting audio from the rig to the audio interface?

Mike

There is no audio connection from the rig , its a digital interface, all VAC

So what is the connection from the rig then? Ethernet? If it's ethernet how does it get to the sound device? What's the digital path from rig to sound device?

I'm confused....I am, of course, familiar with the Ethernet via voice meter...

Mike

Color me dense...Scott's article mentions the Behringer...not how to hook it up.
These sound devices we're talking about have mic connectors that would have to have audio going in them to feed the USB bus coming from the device.
That's where I'm a bit confused as to where the audio gets into these devices.
On my ANAN 100 I have a headphone jack which would be too high for instrument level input to the device. Or use one of the line levels from the accessory connector that provides line level.

Mike

This is a placeholder topic

w9mdb wrote:Color me dense...Scott's article mentions the Behringer...not how to hook it up.

Sure it does.

These sound devices we're talking about have mic connectors that would have to have audio going in them to feed the USB bus coming from the device.

That's correct. And they have audio outputs, too.

That's where I'm a bit confused as to where the audio gets into these devices.

The audio goes into the device's mic connector and the audio comes out of the device's audio output connectors.

Think of it this way:

In the ANAN hardware unit (which is not a radio, it's just the hardware part, the radio is formed from both the hardware and the software that runs in the PC, i.e. PowerSDR or Thetis), inside that unit, say your ANAN-100, there is a custom "sound card". You can use that sound card to get receive audio out of PowerSDR (or Thetis), and to get transmit audio into PowerSDR (or Thetis). The mic, headphone and speaker connectors on the ANAN hardware unit are all connected to this "sound card" (note it's not a separate card, but it could be, all the circuitry just happens to be on the Hermes SDR board in there).

If you wish to use a sound card, or sound interface, that is inside or attached to your PC, you can do that instead of using the sound interface built into your ANAN hardware. However, to do that you need to use the so-called "VAC" interface that is built into PowerSDR and Thetis. By going into the VAC setup tabs you can select whatever sound hardware is attached to your PC and use that in lieu of what is inside the ANAN hardware.

73,

Scott

The only question I really have is what do you hook up from the rig to the Behringer (or whatever device). The headphone jack level could/would be too high and would have to be careful not to overdrive the Behringer...or do you hook up the line level pins from the accessory jack?

I would think the accessory jack but does somebody actually have it hooked up that way?

Mike

Unfortunately you are still not getting it, Mike. You don't physically make any connections between the ANAN and the audio interface (Behringer or otherwise--there is also Steinberg, Focusrite, Presonus, etc.).

Mic/Speakers <--> Audio Interface <--> PC <--> ANAN

With this configuration there are ZERO audio connections to the ANAN-100, ANAN-7000, whatever.

Don't forget the 90% of the radio is SOFTWARE. PowerSDR (or Thetis) does all the heavy lifting. The audio needs to get in and out of PowerSDR (or Thetis). If you connect mic's and speakers to the ANAN that's one way. If you connect mic's and speakers to a Behringer that's another.

The connection between the Behringer and PowerSDR is done in SOFTWARE.

Maybe where I'm getting confused is I thought we were talking about low latency. Why do you need low latency on Mic or Speakers plugged into an external audio device? What's the advantage vs just using the mic/spkr plug on the computer?

Mike

If you buy an interface that supports the ASIO driver standard it will have substantially lower latency than MME or WDM. With proper tuning, tweaking and settings it can have 10ms lower latency than using the connections on the ANAN.

A more obvious advantage is that you can connect professional microphones like large diameter condenser mics using fully shielded and balanced cable into a truly balanced differential amplifier input, including proper 48VDC phantom voltage if necessary, without any need to build special cables or screw around with balanced-to-unbalanced connections. You can get some really fantastic mic's like the Behringer B1 or MXL990 for under $100 dollars and connect them in a way that is highly resistance to RFI.

The ultimate advantage is that it lets you put the entire station elsewhere and run from a computer that can be in your office, or on your couch, or wherever, inside your home. See my qrz page for an example of this.

That makes sense....I'm 100% digital for several years now...but if I ever get into phone again sounds good...or CW....

I was trying to figure out how the thing would be for digital user...but I guess not better than ethernet for latency.

Mike

This is totally inapplicable to digital mode operations.

There should be no audio hardware involved with digi mode op's with our radios. Everything should be connected via software.

w-u-2-o wrote:This is a placeholder topic

Thanks for splitting this topic out Scott