N9PBJ
Member
Just wanted to throw this in here. I see in the wiki that someone described this method but said it was theoritcal. Since I'm using it actively I thought I'd just make a post on how I do it.
I'm utilizing two pieces of software:
Audio Compressor & Limiter by Stephan Hotto. (Audio Compressor & Limiter)
Freeware
and
Virtual Audio Cable (Virtual Audio Cable Home Page)
Apx $25 for a license. There is a trial version available that inserts a voice saying 'trial' in to the audio that you can use to see if it will work for you.
Instead of dedicating the primary audio card on the computer to the feed, I'm using a USB sound card that came with a Plantronics headset I used to use for Skype. The computer sees it as a C-Media USB Headphone. If you use a secondary usb sound card on this, make sure windows is set to still use your onboard card as your primary, or it will usually try to play sound / music out of the device that was connected last. You can set the default by (in windows 7) clicking on the speaker icon in the notification area and selecting playback devices. Then right click your onboard card and select 'set as default device'
The Scanner's speaker out connects to the mic in on the USB sound card via a standard 1/8" stereo to stereo cable. I then set the Audio Compressor & Limiter software to use the C-Media USB Microphone as the input, and the Virtual Audio Cable as the output.
ScanerCast RR edition then uses the Virtual Audio Cable as the input for the feed.
That's the fairly simple part. What's taken a lot of tinkering, and I'm still doing it, is tweaking the settings in the audio compressor and limiter software.
I've attached a screen shot of my current settings. I've basically used the same method described for the hardware in the wiki at Managing Audio Dynamics and Leveling - The RadioReference Wiki
Only difference is the limiter function. Only reason I have it turned to -9DB is to cut back the ear blasting alert tones for fire/ems dispatch. It doesn't effect voice at all so far.
Have said all that, I am still considering picking up a good used hardware compressor/limiter. With the addition of a new external antenna I may add a second feed and having two channels in the hardware would be nice.
So, hope it helps a little if anyone else is thinking of doing this. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
73's N9PBJ
-Dave
I'm utilizing two pieces of software:
Audio Compressor & Limiter by Stephan Hotto. (Audio Compressor & Limiter)
Freeware
and
Virtual Audio Cable (Virtual Audio Cable Home Page)
Apx $25 for a license. There is a trial version available that inserts a voice saying 'trial' in to the audio that you can use to see if it will work for you.
Instead of dedicating the primary audio card on the computer to the feed, I'm using a USB sound card that came with a Plantronics headset I used to use for Skype. The computer sees it as a C-Media USB Headphone. If you use a secondary usb sound card on this, make sure windows is set to still use your onboard card as your primary, or it will usually try to play sound / music out of the device that was connected last. You can set the default by (in windows 7) clicking on the speaker icon in the notification area and selecting playback devices. Then right click your onboard card and select 'set as default device'
The Scanner's speaker out connects to the mic in on the USB sound card via a standard 1/8" stereo to stereo cable. I then set the Audio Compressor & Limiter software to use the C-Media USB Microphone as the input, and the Virtual Audio Cable as the output.
ScanerCast RR edition then uses the Virtual Audio Cable as the input for the feed.
That's the fairly simple part. What's taken a lot of tinkering, and I'm still doing it, is tweaking the settings in the audio compressor and limiter software.
I've attached a screen shot of my current settings. I've basically used the same method described for the hardware in the wiki at Managing Audio Dynamics and Leveling - The RadioReference Wiki
Only difference is the limiter function. Only reason I have it turned to -9DB is to cut back the ear blasting alert tones for fire/ems dispatch. It doesn't effect voice at all so far.
Have said all that, I am still considering picking up a good used hardware compressor/limiter. With the addition of a new external antenna I may add a second feed and having two channels in the hardware would be nice.
So, hope it helps a little if anyone else is thinking of doing this. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
73's N9PBJ
-Dave