Recording with two scanners problem

[HelixArray]

Hi, I'm unsure if this is a hardware or software problem.

I'm wanting to add another scanner and record to the same PC. I've been using Xcorder for a few years now. I searched the forums and bought a handful of these cheap USB 3D soundcards. These cards work great. However, when I run two instances of Xcorder I just end up recording bleed over/cross traffic(for lack of a better term) from both of the scanners. Xcorder is seeing both of the seperate mic inputs as one, so I get two .wav files with duplicate traffic instead of separate mic recordings.

How would you guys record from two different scanners and get two different wav file outputs?

I'm on windows 7

Thanks, Helix

 

[paulears]

Can't you just use one, and make up a splitter to send scanner a to left, and scanner b to right. The software will record a twin channel stream, which can be separated into two mono streams in most software.

 

[HelixArray]

Hey, paulears. Thanks for the reply.

Ok, I think I get what your saying. I was reading this wiki(below) on a two scanner feed and the diagram showed two scanners feeding into one jack via a mono Y-cable(Radio Shack #42-2542). I finally found a 3-way splitter in the garage similar to (Radio Shack #42-2458) has two rings and says "S" on all three ends. Guessing that's stereo.

Gonna try this out tonight and report back tomorrow.

Setting up your Broadcasting Station - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[paulears]

I suspect no. You need the inputs wired differently. scanner one goes to the splitter, with the jack wired tip and sleeve, and the other scanner wired to the splitter wired ring and sleeve. Using ready made cables will simply be a stereo split which will connect both scanners outputs together. This is NOT good practice at all. Personally I'd just put both scanner speaker cables into one plug. It's not quite as simple as buying ready made cables, because they won't be wired the way you need. There are some 3.5mm to 2 x phono connector adaptors on the shelf, for connecting things like CD players etc - these are wired correctly, but still need you to solder up some phono (RCA) type connectors to a speaker lead.

 

[NJFFDisp]

I have had a similar problem, except I was attempting to use three separate instance of Two Tone Detect. I had three separate scanner connected to three separate sound cards, and had three separate Two Tone Detect applications running.

I could not get windows 7 to settings to recognize more than one sound card at a time. I have recently identified two possible solutions.

1. A utility software Welcome to IndieVolume! | IndieVolume which claims to be able to harness the use of more than one sound card at a time.
2. Replacing the soundcard with a single sound card with multiple channels. The Delta 1010LT has multiple input channels off a single sound card.

Unfortunately, I have not tried either of these two options the motherboard on this computer went, I am hoping to have a new motherboard in, in a week and will advise if either work.

 

[HelixArray]

Hey, paulears and NJFFDisp

Sorry for the late reply guys. Man, I caught the flu around halloween and I had about given up on running two instances of this Xcorder. My last go was with audacity, which I like... and while researching that, I've found the NooElec dongles! OMG I've spent the last view weeks surfing the waterfall in SDR# and loving every hour of it!!!

@NJFFDisp There was a guy who had an add here selling two of those cards and he said he had like 4 scanners hooked into his. I'm looking into a new card myself. Opened up a new can of worms though. I can't get this audacity to record my dongle, only the mic inputs will record . I think the Asus Via software that controls the onboard soundcard is getting in my way somehow.

Thanks again guys.