VAC Problem

USB headsets to digital audio workstation software...
va7qi
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Re: VAC Tutorial

Postby va7qi » Thu May 28, 2020 4:53 am

Thanks for the tutorial. Although I did use VMB in the past I decided to use VAC with my new Anan 7000. I use Thetis v 1.9.
After a day or so of testing WSJT-x rc2 and after restarting my Windows 10 Home (most recent version) WSJT-X cannot find the VAC devices. I use a single cable and when looking at the VAC control panel I see that it is receiving audio from Anan 7000. When starting WSJT-X it reports "Error in Sound". The Thetis is fine with VAC1 when using WDM-KS, but NOT with MME.

I have done the microphone on setting in audio devices. VAC and WSJT-x have both been re-installed. VAC devices show as working in Windows and Thetis shows activity on VAC1..

Also tried to run FlDigi which also reports an error (Port Audio).

Short of re-installing Windows is there anything else that I am missing?

73 de va7qi, ....Erik.
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w-u-2-o
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Re: VAC Problem

Postby w-u-2-o » Thu May 28, 2020 12:53 pm

Erik,

I split this topic off from the tutorial topic because it's not directly related to the tutorial and could turn into a lengthy problem-solving type topic specific to your situation.

The first suggestion is to upgrade to Thetis 2.6.9, the current release and available from the official TAPR openHPSDR Github repository. You might also consider further upgrading to the 2.7.0 beta, for that look to the 2.7.0 topic in the forum.

There should be two VAC cables instantiated, one to carry receiver audio from Thetis to WSJT-X or Fldigi, and a second to carry transmitter audio from WSJT-X or Fldigi back to Thetis. If you are only using a single cable that could be the cause of all of your errors.

73,

Scott
va7qi
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Re: VAC Problem

Postby va7qi » Fri May 29, 2020 4:06 am

Hi Scott,

I am using Thetis 2.6.9 and it WAS working with just the default VAC installation. Neither TX, nor RX works. I suspect a Windows update even though I have an update blocker installed. MSFT has a way of sneaking some updates through, anyway.

Under the VAC tab I can see activity in both directions, but no over or underflows, except for the first second or so after I enable VAC. Perhaps I will try VB-audio.

What I find puzzling is that VAC does not seem to do anything with MME. Perhaps there is a cue there? I am no expert on Windows.

73 de va7qi, ....Erik.
va7qi
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Re: VAC Problem

Postby va7qi » Fri May 29, 2020 4:53 am

UPDATE:....Solved.

I just uninstalled VAC and installed VB-audio. All is working now - with MME. QRV again with FT-8 and working DX.

73 de va7qi, ....Erik.
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w-u-2-o
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Re: VAC Problem

Postby w-u-2-o » Fri May 29, 2020 10:23 am

Which is why I always recommend Voicemeeter ;)
DL8LAQ
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Re: VAC Problem

Postby DL8LAQ » Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:32 am

w-u-2-o wrote:Which is why I always recommend Voicemeeter ;)


There is nothing wrong with VAC and Windows updates on my pc (W10/64 PRO). I was running VAC 4.15 from 2015 up to know using Line 1 to Line 4 for wsjt-x, fldigi, Audacity, jtdx, spectrumlab.....

Last week I did update to VAC 4.62. But this gave me some strange occurences of eg. multible FT8 signals left and right from a strong FT8 signal. I than installed VAC 4.60 which solved the problem.
VAC is straight forward, just think of two or four cables between Thetis and any digital mode software. No switching, no mixing, no adjustments.

Edit: It turns out that I have a problem with the 4.6x versions of VAC!!!
73, Norbert - DL8LAQ - ANAN-G2 w/display - Richie's latest Thetis version and pihpsdr by N1GP&DL1YCF
DL8LAQ
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Re: VAC Problem

Postby DL8LAQ » Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:48 pm

DL8LAQ wrote:
w-u-2-o wrote:Which is why I always recommend Voicemeeter ;)


There is nothing wrong with VAC and Windows updates on my pc (W10/64 PRO). I was running VAC 4.15 from 2015 up to know using Line 1 to Line 4 for wsjt-x, fldigi, Audacity, jtdx, spectrumlab.....

Last week I did update to VAC 4.62. But this gave me some strange occurences of eg. multible FT8 signals left and right from a strong FT8 signal. I than installed VAC 4.60 which solved the problem.
VAC is straight forward, just think of two or four cables between Thetis and any digital mode software. No switching, no mixing, no adjustments.

Edit: It turns out that I have a problem with the 4.6x versions of VAC!!!


My problem looks like the one mentioned in this tread viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3291#p9914
The pictures show what I have seen and I also could hear a crackling noise using the audio repeater. The problem with 4.6x was kind of intermittend, but I could not find a way to get it functioning stable.

I went back to VAC 4.15 which solved this for me. But I see very many overflows and underflows (see the picture) This is RX2 & VAC2 running a few hours on 144.174. Nevertheless, jtdx and wsjt-x seem to work fine! I did not change all of the settings to get that solved, but will try that tomorrow or later.

Maybe it's time to try banana or potato s/w :-)

Thetis 2.7.0a3, W10/64 Pro latest build 20xx on a I5 board.

Thetis_2020-06-02_20-44-11.jpg
Thetis_2020-06-02_20-44-11.jpg (75.38 KiB) Viewed 9281 times
73, Norbert - DL8LAQ - ANAN-G2 w/display - Richie's latest Thetis version and pihpsdr by N1GP&DL1YCF
k6avp
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Re: VAC Problem

Postby k6avp » Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:11 pm

VAC 4.62 would not work for me after my PC updated to the Win10-64 2004 release. Going back to 4.60 works with 2004.

VAC 4.62 did work before the 2004 update and also works with Windows Media Player, VLC, WSJTx and FLdigi on 2004. Problem would seem to be with OpenHPSDR.

FWIW, a single VAC channel will work for both input and output with OpenHPSDR and FLdigi or WSJTx. However, I use two so that I can repeat the digi program input (radio out) to the PC's speakers with the Win10 "listen to recording device" function - separate channels also seems to give slightly less latency.
DL8LAQ
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Re: VAC Problem

Postby DL8LAQ » Sun Jun 07, 2020 10:27 am

k6avp wrote: FWIW, a single VAC channel will work for both input and output with OpenHPSDR and FLdigi or WSJTx.


Oh, you are right. One vac line is bi-directional. I didn't know that. RTFM :-)
73, Norbert - DL8LAQ - ANAN-G2 w/display - Richie's latest Thetis version and pihpsdr by N1GP&DL1YCF

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