Button for PC internal Sound settings

74 views
Skip to first unread message

Torbjörn Toreson

unread,
Jul 16, 2025, 5:33:07 AM7/16/25
to digitalvoice
While testing with FreeDV I frequently need to adjust the speaker och microphone levels in the computer, i.e. Sound with Playback and Recording. One way of many to open those settings is the command mmsys.cpl.

Is it possible to add a button, preferably above or below the present Audio/Record to the left possibly namned "PC Sound", that would invoke mmsys.cpl?

73/Torbjörn/SM6AYM

Mooneer Salem

unread,
Jul 16, 2025, 11:44:37 AM7/16/25
to digita...@googlegroups.com
Hi Torbjörn,

We have a pending feature enhancement to shrink the size of the Filter window and/or add a volume dial to the main window (https://github.com/drowe67/freedv-gui/issues/952). If the latter's done, this would be tied into the existing volume control in the Filter window. Is there something that can be done with this particular control to reduce/eliminate the need to open separate applications?

(I ask this because the exact application that would need to be opened is platform-dependent, and I'd like to avoid platform-specific code unless I absolutely need to.)

Thanks,

-Mooneer K6AQ

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "digitalvoice" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to digitalvoice...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/digitalvoice/7d339f51-23ed-4310-b44b-87488bd2c0c3n%40googlegroups.com.
Message has been deleted

jdow

unread,
Jul 16, 2025, 6:10:24 PM7/16/25
to digita...@googlegroups.com

How are you addressing PC audio? If you are using the mmeapi.h functions waveOutSetVolume does the trick.

    //	level LOWORD = left HIWORD = right. 0 silence 0xffff max
    waveOutSetVolume (m_hWave, 0xffffffff);

{^_^}    Joanne/W6MKU

Mooneer Salem

unread,
Jul 16, 2025, 8:16:34 PM7/16/25
to digitalvoice
Currently FreeDV doesn't touch the OS volume settings. Using the Filter window you have up to IIRC 20dB of audio gain available for both the microphone and speaker (which is applied by the application itself). We can adjust this higher if needed/desired.

-Mooneer K6AQ 

Message has been deleted

Torbjörn Toreson

unread,
Jul 18, 2025, 11:50:29 PM7/18/25
to digitalvoice
Hi Mooneer,
I made a reply but it seems it got erased so I will try again. I understand the need for platform independency. So mmsys.cpl for Win can be discarded. The need to adjust the soundcard in the transceiver or in a TNC-connection still exists and is very essential, but opening those Sound-levelsettings can be done in another way. Moving or replicating the program internal gain-settings from the filter-window to the main window would be very much appreciated, both gain for microphone and speaker.
73/Torbjörn

Dayne Aldridge

unread,
Jul 18, 2025, 11:50:30 PM7/18/25
to digita...@googlegroups.com
I would like to add one additional change of the type being considered.  That is a button that transmits a single sine wave (carrier) for tuning purposes (there may need to be a tuning level as part of this too).  This would speed the process of changing bands/frequencies and also aid in setting the power out at the correct level for those of us that using auto antenna tuners.

You probably know this but the reporter table columns need adjusting each time it is opened.  It would be great if the column widths would be recalled.

Thank you for the great work you are doing.  RADE is fantastic.  Looking forward to the next version.

Dayne K8CHY

Torbjörn Toreson

unread,
Jul 18, 2025, 11:50:30 PM7/18/25
to digitalvoice
Hi Mooneer, thanks for the reply. 

I had not studied the Filter window so much, but thanks to your input I looked at it a bit further. I find that the Gain settings for Mic and Speaker obviously are working within the FreeDV application and does not affect the settings for the soundcards. I had a problem that one of my PC's internal mic gave a very low signal in spite of 100 % level setting in the soundcard mic part, but using the Filter I could increase the overall gain so that the PC mic was fully usable.

If those Gain-settings are moved/or replicated to the main window it would be nice to have both the Speaker and Mic Gain available. Then the levels for the soundcard's spkr and mic levels could be set to a suitable setting and not needed to be adjusted further.

During my testings I have found that there is a very big difference in speach quality and levels between various speakers och microphones in different PC's och separate table microphones and headsets. After discarding bad sound quality devices there remains to adjust the levels, so it would be very nice to be able to do that directly on the main window.

The reason to open the Windows Sound (comsys.cpl) is that it must be used to make appropriate settings for the soudcard in the Transceiver or a separate TNC-soundcard to have appropriate levels for the digital programs as well as setting the levels for the soundcard(s) for the microphone you speak into and the loudspeaker/headphone you are listening to. But it is rather easy to open this anyway, and I did not think of the need to be platform independet, so you could disregard that request.

73/Torbjörn
 
onsdag 16 juli 2025 kl. 17:44:37 UTC+2 skrev Mooneer Salem:

Mooneer Salem

unread,
Jul 20, 2025, 4:07:36 PM7/20/25
to digitalvoice
Would it be worthwhile to have a table of microphones somewhere with an indication of their suitability for FreeDV? It might help us list out some general requirements in the documentation, anyway. 

-Mooneer K6AQ 

Message has been deleted

Bill - WA2TQI

unread,
Jul 23, 2025, 12:39:58 AM7/23/25
to digitalvoice
Is the SQ window realty necessary. Audio is muted unless a decode takes place. Maybe some of the Mic and Speaker stuff could be use in that location rather than SQ

Mooneer Salem

unread,
Jul 23, 2025, 4:49:12 AM7/23/25
to digita...@googlegroups.com
Hi Bill,

Squelch is still used for the legacy FreeDV modes, so it probably can't be removed right now. That said, the controls for it are disabled as of 2.0.1 if you select RADE and the volume control for 2.0.2 will look something like this:

image.png
(where the dial value changes depending on whether you're transmitting)

Thanks,

-Mooneer K6AQ

Bill Hurlock

unread,
Jul 29, 2025, 9:47:10 PM7/29/25
to digita...@googlegroups.com
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages