Help with Voicemeeter Banana

USB headsets to digital audio workstation software...
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LarryW
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2020 11:19 pm
Location: Garden Valley Idaho

Help with Voicemeeter Banana

Postby LarryW » Sun Aug 30, 2020 1:04 pm

First---sorry for posting this under a ongoing thread! Also, I have attached oe3ide response below---

Due to the fact that somehow I ruined my front mic input on my radio and now am attempting to use VAC as my main route.

All I am wanting to do is use my USB headset and control both the radio audio and a online SDR through Voicemeeter Banana.
I have got some of it working but after a bit it all seems to run together in my brain due to too many selections.

Is there anyone that could mimic the following and let me know how to set it up properly. I have looked at YouTube videos but just have not come across the one that fits our application.

I think most of my problem is not totally understanding the proper routing of things

Rig
PC
Voicemeeter Banana
USB mic with headset

Goals are to listen to both the radio and a online sdr at the same time and control both volumes on Banana.

Thank you in advance for your kindness!
Larry
N7ZDR

Hi,

I would suggest:
1) make Voicemeter Banana (or Potato) as your default sound device in windows (I use VAIO 3)
2) select your physical mic-in device as "hardware input 1" in VM
3) "hardware out A" should then be again your physical soundcard

=> so you have all your audio coming from windows (incl. web sdr) routed to your headphones

Cause atm I dont haven an anan, I guess Scott can give you the infos for Thetis/openHPDSDR.

73s
Ernst
https://www.oe3ide.com
7000 mkll Thetis v2.8.11 21k3
P2_v2.0b
Dell XPS 8930 i5-9400/Behringer 202HD/Audio-Technica BPHS2 headset, USB PTT, Behringer XR 12 (Rack in a Box)
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w-u-2-o
Posts: 5540
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2017 1:47 pm

Re: Help with Voicemeeter Banana

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Aug 30, 2020 2:10 pm

This is easy...after you've done it once ;)

First, uninstall Banana, reboot, install Voicemeeter Potato, reboot, then go into the Windows Sound Control Panel, find every instance of a Voicemeeter device and, in the advanced properties, change the sample rate to 48KHz. Do this for both the recording and playback tabs. Also change the sample rates for your USB headset to 48KHz if you can, and your PC speakers if you have any.

In the advanced tab of the USB microphone, turn AGC OFF. Make sure the level is at 100%. Make sure the levels for your headset speakers are also at 100% (at least to start with).

With that chore out of the way, let's just concentrate on making things work with Thetis, first, and leave the online SDR for later.

Make the following channel assignments in Voicemeeter Potato:

Assign the USB headset speakers to Hardware Output A1.
Assign the USB headset microphone to Hardware Input A1 (the leftmost channel).
Assign the PC speakers to Hardware Output A2.
Assign Thetis VAC1 to Voicemeeter VAIO for both input and output (also known as channel B1).
Assign Thetis VAC2 to Voicemeeter AUX VAIO for both input and output (also known as channel B2).

*** NOTE: the naming conventions of the three "virtual" channels in Voicemeeter Potato are HUGELY confusing. They will not appear the same to everyone. The first virtual channel (sixth slider after the first five "hardware" sliders) will not have "Aux" or "VAIO3" in the name. The second will have "Aux" in the name. The third will have "VAIO3" in the name. Just do your best here, it may take a little trial and error.

Assuming you have the assignments correct, now you need to set up "sends", "routes" or "patches", as they are known in the audio mixing world. Those are the buttons next to each slider. They are labeled A1 through A5 to correspond to the first five "hardware" channels, and B1 through B3 to correspond to the three "virtual" channels. I'm going to call these "sends" because they act to "send" audio from one channel to another.

On channel A1 activate the B1 button to send USB mic audio to Thetis.
On channel B1 activate the A1 and A2 buttons to send Thetis RX1 audio to your headphones and speakers.
On channel B2 activate the A1 and A2 buttons to send Thetis RX2 audio to your headphones and speakers.

Use the "master section" A1 and A2 sliders to control speaker and headphone volume.
Use the hardware A1 slider to control microphone gain.
Don't mess with any other sliders, just leave them all at 0dB.

You will be able to use the third virtual channel, Voicemeeter VAIO3, aka B3, to route audio to and from digi mode software if you wish.

You can right click on the channel labels in Voicemeeter to customize them which might help you keep track of things.
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LarryW
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2020 11:19 pm
Location: Garden Valley Idaho

Re: Help with Voicemeeter Banana

Postby LarryW » Sun Aug 30, 2020 6:22 pm

Scott,

Thank you for the very detailed response.
I did get both headphone and pc speakers working and Mic output. Some how I have it on B3?? I have attached some pictures below. I fired up a sdr and heard it directly through the headset but am unable to feed it into the chain yet.

I now see that only B2 has the Thetis symbol (before all 3 had it) not sure if this means anything.

Larry
Attachments
B!,B2,B3.JPG
B!,B2,B3.JPG (142.33 KiB) Viewed 3912 times
VAC 2.JPG
VAC 2.JPG (102.07 KiB) Viewed 3912 times
Potato 2.JPG
Potato 2.JPG (256 KiB) Viewed 3912 times
Potato 1.JPG
Potato 1.JPG (274.7 KiB) Viewed 3912 times
7000 mkll Thetis v2.8.11 21k3
P2_v2.0b
Dell XPS 8930 i5-9400/Behringer 202HD/Audio-Technica BPHS2 headset, USB PTT, Behringer XR 12 (Rack in a Box)
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w-u-2-o
Posts: 5540
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2017 1:47 pm

Re: Help with Voicemeeter Banana

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Aug 30, 2020 10:05 pm

Larry,

As I warned you about, you need to pay attention to the Voicemeeter device names. You have VAC1/RX1 on B2 ("Voicemeeter Aux") and VAC2/RX2 on B3 ("Voicemeeter VAIO3"). If you want to use B1 it will be just "Voicemeeter VAIO".

However, you can leave it just the way it is for now, with the following changes:

On B3: turn on the A1 and A2 sends, turn off the B3 send. The you will be able to hear RX2 if you are using it (with VAC2 on, of course).
On A1: turn on the B2 send, turn off the B3 send. This will send mic audio to the VAC1 interface on B2 (the VAC2 interface can not accept mic audio).
In both VAC1 and VAC2 check the "stereo" box.

You should be able to transmit and receive properly at that point.
User avatar
LarryW
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2020 11:19 pm
Location: Garden Valley Idaho

Re: Help with Voicemeeter Banana

Postby LarryW » Mon Aug 31, 2020 2:50 am

Thank you Scott,

Yes, it all kind of starts running together after some time. This reminds me of years ago learning how to double clutch and shifting a 18 speed truck. Until I had someone draw it out on paper to see what needed to be do then, I took right off.

Well I did get it all working-- now it's just a matter to playing with it a bit and learning.

Now I can get rid of all them extra wires on the desk which in turn should help out of any RF.

I would still like to know what happened to the front mic jack on the radio as it is dead as a door nail!

Thank You
Larry
7000 mkll Thetis v2.8.11 21k3
P2_v2.0b
Dell XPS 8930 i5-9400/Behringer 202HD/Audio-Technica BPHS2 headset, USB PTT, Behringer XR 12 (Rack in a Box)

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