Virtual Audio Cable (free version?)

[frazpo]

Is there a free version of VAC lurking around there on the net? I have read it is free but no luck finding the free version.

Thanks

 

[Boatanchor]

Unless you really need multiple virtual audio cables running at the same time, just download VB-Audio cable. VB-Audio cable works without having to worry about user settings etc..

Also, the free version of VAC has a message superimposed on each virtual cable every 30 seconds or so. That message will disrupt your decoding briefly.

 

[frazpo]

ok so vb audio cable is free with no restrictions but is limited to one cable?

 

[Boatanchor]

ok so vb audio cable is free with no restrictions but is limited to one cable?

Yes, it's free with no restrictions and as far as I know, you can only run one cable/app at a time.

If you want to run multiple apps and SDR receivers at the same time, which you will if you want to run Unitrunker and DSD with two RTL dongles, you will probably have to use VAC as you need one cable to route the trunking channel receiver/audio to Unitrunker and the other cable to route the Voice channel receiver audio to DSD.

Note that if you use a 'traditional' external voice channel receiver with a discriminator port, you can still get away with only one virtual audio cable (VB-Audio) running Unitrunker and use your sound card line in for the DSD decoder.

 

[Boatanchor]

Unless you really need multiple virtual audio cables running at the same time, just download VB-Audio cable. VB-Audio cable works without having to worry about user settings etc..

Also, the free version of VAC has a message superimposed on each virtual cable every 30 seconds or so. That message will disrupt your decoding briefly.

Forgot to mention that if you make a donation to the VB-Cable developers, you can unlock additional 'cables', so for a minimal outlay of $5 or $10 or thereabouts, VB-Cable will actually give you multiple virtual cables, similar to VAC.

 

[bigsat]

There is now VB-CABLE A & B (2 other virtual cable):
VB-Audio Virtual Cables

 

[morfis]

There is now VB-CABLE A & B (2 other virtual cable):
VB-Audio Virtual Cables

As stated earlier, the extra 'cables' are available IF you make a donation. If you are just using the free version you only have ONE virtual cable.

 

[Boatanchor]

As stated earlier, the extra 'cables' are available IF you make a donation. If you are just using the free version you only have ONE virtual cable.

Well worth donating some Euro's to the developers IMHO since it works so well

 

[br0adband]

As stated earlier, the extra 'cables' are available IF you make a donation. If you are just using the free version you only have ONE virtual cable.

They're available for direct download as noted; the page specifically considers all of the available ones as "donationware" now which is a change from the past where you only had access to/the ability to download just the one cable (which was actually listed as "free") unless you did actually make a donation at which point the author would send you a link to a page that wasn't accessible without the particular key in the link (protected access).

Apparently the author decided to release all of them outright with direct download capability so, there they are. And yes, it's most definitely worth a few bucks as a donation, certainly. No muss, no fuss, it just works. Not as feature laden as Virtual Audio Cable but then again it's not trying to be and in its simplicity it's proven itself more valuable - even considering the cost - that VAC has in my experience.

 

[morfis]

They're available for direct download as noted

Though the page makes it look like it is three downloads it is only one.

 

[br0adband]

No, it's not, it's three distinct downloads:

VBCABLEDriver_Pack42b.zip (the original)
VBCABLEADriver_Pack42b.zip (Cable-A)
VBCABLEBDriver_Pack42b.zip (Cable-B)

That's why it's listed 3 times with 3 separate downloads - they are not the same as I've got two of them installed as shown, the original and A and both function. If you try to install just the original one multiple times it doesn't work, obviously, hence having the individual versions.

Even back when the first one was the only one available for a download, when you made a donation they didn't provide you with some "key" to enable multiple virtual cable functionality - that's not how it works. WIth VBCable, each cable is a separate and unique driver, each one is not identical, they have unique IDs hence being able to install them individually.

Also note the link provided above is not the traditional one, this is:

VB-Audio Virtual Cable <<<--- This is where you find only one download for the donationware driver - there is technically no free version anymore of this software like in the past, they altered it to strictly donationware as of July 2013.

Note that the link above has wording above the downloads that says:

VB-CABLE A & B are 2 other virtual cable to connect more applications.

If you are on this page you should have made a donation to support us !

Pic related.

 

[morfis]

br0adband - thanks for the clarification. My apologies for dragging this a little way off the OP

 

[frazpo]

no luck with VAC

VAC virtual audio cable seems to work in a simple test experiment with what I am doing. However VB virtual audio cable causes a "picket fence" sound with the audio. Not sure what would cause it and what the difference would be. Messing with any settings doesnt seem to help. Anyone else experienced this?
with VB audio cable

 

[Boatanchor]

VAC virtual audio cable seems to work in a simple test experiment with what I am doing. However VB virtual audio cable causes a "picket fence" sound with the audio. Not sure what would cause it and what the difference would be. Messing with any settings doesnt seem to help. Anyone else experienced this?
with VB audio cable

Interesting..

I have noticed a similar effect with DSDPlus, but hadn't considered attributing it to VB Audio Cable as I had assumed that this was just another weird characteristic of recovered DSDPlus audio.

I will check today to see if DSDPlus sounds the same with VAC.

Interestingly, I don't get the 'Picket Fence' effect with the original DSD when running either VB Audio Cable or VAC and actually, I prefer the original DSD audio anyway as it is nowhere near as harsh to listen to.

DSDPlus seems to compress the recovered audio to the point where the audio has almost no dynamic range to it.
To me, DSD sounds much more natural, even though the audio bandwidth is slightly less (0-3.5Khz) compared to DSDPlus (0-4Khz).

I have compared the recovered audio of both DSD and DSDPlus to several 'real' radios here listening to the same signals, including an XTL5000 and a Tait TM9155 P25 mobile and to my ear, the original DSD more closely matches what the real radios sound like. P25 audio on a real radio, doesn't sound all compressed with accentuated top end response like DSDPlus..

Don't get me wrong, DSDPlus decodes great, but the recovered audio processing leaves a lot to be desired!
Hopefully, this can be fixed in a subsequent release.

Will report back.... Stay tuned