RoMac 10 Band Equalizer FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions -- Updated 06/28/08
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How do I know if my computer and sound card are compatible with the RoMac 10 Band Equalizer? Updated 06/22/08	Download and install the program. After installation and the software starts up without an error, normally that means your system is compatible. After proper sound card setup, if you hear yourself through the speakers with a slight delay, your system is definitely compatible. See Quick Start for more information. See this Microsoft article on full duplex sound cards. Not all sound cards are created equal! Creative and the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz cards seem to have excellent quality. Many inexpensive sound cards have very poor microphone preamplifiers. Many built on the motherboard sound cards, pick up quite a bit of noise from the motherboard. When installing a PCI sound card use a slot that is as far away from other cards installed in the computer, especially video cards. This will help in reducing any noise picked up from other cards installed in your computer. If you hear an echo that sounds like unprocessed audio followed very shortly by processed audio and the "No Mon" on the sound card level dialog is available make sure that it is checked. If the Mute on the Microphone on the play side is available, this need to be checked. Most high end sound cards have very proprietary controls and sound card levels will have to be controlled through the software that came with the card. If you hear both processed audio and unprocessed audio, the "Monitor" function needs to be disabled The system was developed with a Creative Audigy 2Z card. It's also been tested extensively on the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz and M-Audio Delta 44 card. Although the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz is discontinued, they are still readily available on EBay for usually less than $30.00. Apparently the Santa Cruz card was used in many Dell models and are quite plentiful. The Turtle Beach Santa Cruz Card is highly recommended. See other sound card information here... The smallest system that the software has been tested on is 400 MHz Celeron with 256 MB of memory with Windows 2000. The equalizer has been tested on Creative, Intel High definition sound systems, and some Dell Latitude Laptops. See FAQ #20 for using the Santa Cruz Card running Windows Vista 32 bit See question #21 and the Help File under "Sound Card Trouble Shooting" for help in solving interruptions in the audio stream. If you are going to use the software for both transmit and receive, some cards will not switch quickly enough between transmit and receive. This is usually manifested by when switching into transmit, there is a small short burst of noise going to the transmitter. (This is left over audio in the sound card buffer from the receiver). If you intend only using the the transmit equalizer, this should not concern you (See FAQ #11). Some sound cards need a microphone plugged into the Mic jack and/or something in the Line In jack in order for Windows to recognize the input devices. If you get an error message about no sound card "capture device" found your sound card may require something to be plugged in.
There are two microphone controls in the Windows Mixer. Which one is which?	This is probably the most confusing part of the internal Windows sound system. When you double click on the speaker icon in the system tray, that brings up the "Play" control. The microphone control in this panel should be "muted". If you don't see the microphone control go to "Options->Properties". In the list box check "microphone". Close that Dialog box and now check "mute" under microphone. Now to get to the microphone control that we really want, go to "Options->Properties". Check the button that says "Record". In the list box make sure the microphone is selected. Click "OK". Now check "select" underneath microphone. This is the microphone control that you will use set the audio level going into the RoMac 10 Band Equalizer. The RoMac 10 band Equalizer can access the correct "Windows Mixer Control" by selecting "Sound Card->(Output or Input)" Starting with Version 1.2 the RoMac 10 Band Equalizer has built in controls for setting up the Windows Sound controls. The built in controls are much easier to understand which control does what!
I get reports of distorted audio while using the RoMac 10 Band Equalizer.	First determine if the distortion is from overdriving something, or is it RF getting into the audio system. The peak indicator of the equalizer should be peaking up about 1/3 to 1/2 the way up. None of the indicators should ever be yellow or red. See the help file for the equalizer to understand setting up the audio levels in your system. If everything looks good as far as the audio levels go, then it could be RF getting into the system. If your sound card to radio interface doesn't use an isolation transformer (600 ohm/600 ohm), then that is the first place to look. Use an isolation transformer! If you have built your own interface, enclose it in a metal box, not plastic. Make sure that neither side of the input (from sound card line out) to the isolation transformer is grounded. Use quality shielded cable and shielded type connecters. Make sure all connections are tight and soldered well. Make sure the computer case is well grounded to the stations ground. Do not use a small gauge wire, use a piece of coax braid, preferably 1/2" wide. Make it as short as practicable. You may also try using some ferrite cores at the line out, line in on, and Mic in on the computer and/or on the interface unit. Wrap 8 to 10 turns using type 43 material. For really stubborn cases of RF on the audio, you may want to remove the sound card and bypass the tip and sleeve of the Mic In, Line In, and Line Out with .01 uF capacitors. Even though today's sound cards built using surface mount components, the area around the audio jacks still should have some room to work. You will probably need to an ohm meter to find which connections are the ground, sleeve and tip. In my own station even while running the legal limit, I found that except for 160 meters my audio was clean. A grounding strap from the computer case to my station ground took care of the problem on 160 meters.
I sometimes get reports that it seems that my last syllable of a word is being clipped.	The RoMac 10 Band Equalizer has a very small delay in it. The delay is from the processing of the audio stream. The slower your computer the longer the delay will be. If you are keying your transmitter with a manual PTT arrangement, make sure to leave your PTT switch down just a bit longer than normal. If you are using the audio stream from the equalizer to drive the VOX in your transmitter, this will not be an issue.
I get an error that only one instance of the RoMac 10 Band Equalizer can be launched.	Make sure you didn't start a second copy of the equalizer. If it is the only instance that is running, it is probably due to lack of system resources or a sound card incompatibility. It may also be your preferred playback and recording devices in the Windows Control Panel are set to something other than your sound card. Ensure your sound card drivers are up to date and DirectX compatible. Install DirectX 8.0 or higher. The smallest system that the equalizer has been tested on is a 400 MHz Celeron with 128 Mb. You will need to upgrade your memory capacity and/or processor.
I get an error there is no sound card installed	Check the preferred sound devices in the Windows Control Panel. They should be set to your sound card, not something else such as a modem device or mapping device.
License Key doesn't seem to work	Make sure you're not mixing zero's and the letter O. The "0" is a bit more elongated compared to the letter "O"
When using the space bar to key my transmitter, the equalizer turns off and on. Updated 06/22/08	Issue resolved in Version 2.7.3. Changed to radio style buttons to turn equalizer on/off The focus on the main panel is set to the EQ On/Off button. Use the tab key or mouse to move the focus to another control such as one of the equalizer sliders.
When the Noise Reduction is on, the receive audio is very distorted.	Some distortion is inevitable. If there seems to be excess distortion, reduce the sound card level on the "Line (in)" on the "play side" (slider on the far right), or reduce the audio levels from the receiver.
How do I set the audio levels on the sound card for receive.	Set both the "Line Record" and "Line" (Record Side & Play Side) to 1/2 way. Turn the Noise reduction on. The Peak level indicator should peak about 1/2 way while there is a signal, and fall to around 1/10 of the way up while there is a pause in the speech. Adjust the "Line Rec" and "Line" control appropriately.
RigBlaster Pro Setup	Cable the RigBlaster Pro as outlined in the manual. Make sure the jumper P6 is set "Mic OUT to Computer Enabled" (See section Mic Mode Jumper - P6 in the manual). Ensure a jumper is placed on P1 across the "GNDTIE" position. Turn the RigBlaster Pro On, place Process Switch to the on position. Your microphone is now connected to your sound card and then routed to your transceiver. When you press the PTT, the RigBlaster should be sending the proper signals on the serial line and routing the audio for for the RoMac 10 Band Equalizer & Receive filtering software.
Other stations seem hear a "leading echo" at a much reduced level. Especially prevalent when using the noise gate.	If you are utilizing a sound card interface unit that routes the microphone audio, some audio is leaking through to the radio. On interfaces that utilize a jumpering scheme to accommodate different radios, double check your wiring connections. Check for a defective relay on the interface unit, and/or cable the microphone directly to the sound card. (Ground to sleeve, hot side to tip, ring no connection).
When using the software there is a "burst" of noise when the software is placed into the transmit mode when mode is either "Space Bar" or "Rig Interface"	The most common cause of this that the sound card in use either does not have the capability to have a sound buffer placed on the hardware, or the operating system is not set to use hardware sound buffers. Some "on the mother board sound chip sets" will report that the sound buffer has been placed in hardware, where it really is still placed in software. The most common solution to the problem is to go to "Control Panel -> Multimedia ->Audio->Advanced" ->Performance" and set the "Hardware Acceleration" slider to maximum on both the recording and playback devices. If none of the above solutions work you may have to add a small delay to actually placing the transceiver into transmit. See this simple delay circuit.... On some sound cards that require the "Line" control muted at all times, set the level slider down to the bottom. This may help the noise burst problem on those sound cards.
Heil microphones and sound cards.	Most sound cards have a positive DC voltage on the "ring" of the microphone connector, in order to work with the typical electret computer microphone. Although your microphone is monaural, use a stereo jack to connect the microphone, and leave the ring floating (not connected). Some types of microphones do not like to see any DC voltage on their microphone elements. If there is DC voltage on the microphone element somehow, simply put a 1 mF (non-polarized) capacitor in series with the microphone in line. Most later Heil microphones have this de-coupling capacitor installed, most older ones do not.
When running under Vista the program crashes when I attempt to open the Sound Card Level dialog to adjust my sound card settings.	Check to see if the software is set to run in a compatibility mode. Go to Windows help and type in "make older program work" and select item #1. Make sure the shortcut is set not to run in any compatibility mode for an earlier version of windows. Also ensure that any sound card drivers installed are 100% Vista compatible. Starting with Version 2.4.3 (build 10/30/07) software will not crash, but the "Master" sound level control will not work correctly.
When running under Vista with a Delta 44 or Delta 66 sound card, sometimes the audio is very scratchy. Updated 6/18/08	We are aware of the problem and not sure if its our software, or Vista or the driver from M-Audio. Usually if you go to the Select Sound Card dialog and click "Okay" to reinitialize the sound card, the audio will be clean. This does not appear to be an issue under Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When we have more information, it will either be fixed, or the information will be posted here. This seems to have been corrected with Vista SP1
Which PTT mode does what? (updated 2/08/08)	The "Xmit" mode is intended for users that want to just use the software for equalizing their transmit audio. (no serial port requirements) The "Space Bar" mode is intended for uses that wish to use software to equalize their transmit audio and use the software for filtering their receive audio as well. (Serial port requirements -- Transceiver responds to RTS signal from the software. RTS high = Transceiver go's to Transmit, RTS low = Transceiver go's to Receive) The "Noise Gate" mode is intended for users that wish to equalize just their transmit audio and have the software key their transceiver similar to using VOX. (Serial port requirements --- Transceiver responds to RTS signal from the software. RTS high = Transceiver go's to Transmit, RTS low = Transceiver go's to Receive) The "Rig Interface" mode is intended for users that wish to utilize the software for equalization of their transmit audio, and utilize the software for filtering their receive audio. (Serial Port requirements - The Rig Sound card interface must send to the software CTS high when the transceiver is in transmit, and send CTS low when in receive. The "Receive" mode is intended for users that want to just use the software for filtering their receive audio. (no serial port requirements) In addition or in combination of the above serial port requirements the CW I'der requires the following. "Key on Time" and "Click on Status". The Transceiver responds to RTS signal from the software. RTS high = Transceiver go's to Transmit, RTS low = Transceiver go's to Receive) "Key next Xmit" and "Key every Xmit". The Rig Sound card interface must send to the software CTS high when the transceiver is in transmit, and send CTS low when in receive and transceiver responds to the RTS signal from the software. "Disabled" - No serial port requirements.
There seems to be a "Trailing Echo" that is much reduced in volume and very distorted. (Updated 02/13/08)	Some sound cards exhibit this behavior when RF is getting into the sound card. See Question #3
Even when I set the buffers to "Large" and the sampling rate down to 22050, I still get interruptions in the audio stream when I access other software. (Updated 03/18/08)	There is software that is using up a lot of CPU cycles on your machine. Some antivirus and/or antispyware software has a tendency to us a lot of CPU cycles. Wireless devices such as keyboards and mice are very often problematic. i.e. audio interruptions when rolling a wireless mouse, or when typing on a wireless keyboard. Use the Task Manager in windows to observe which piece of software is using a high amount of CPU cycles when accessing other software on your system. To start the Task Manager either use Crtl-Alt-Del or right click on the windows task bar at the bottom of the screen. To observe CPU usage select "Processes" You may order the CPU usage by clicking on the CPU header. There will be an entry named "System Idle Process" that will show a large number. Do not concern yourself with that process. What you are looking for is a process that shoots up suddenly when accessing other software. Either disable the culprit software or remove it from you computer. Norton Antivirus is famous for being a memory hog as is MacAfee Antivirus. AVG and Avast have free home editions of antivirus software that have a relatively small footprint on CPU usage. RoMac Software will not be responsible for other companies software.
Computer locks up after setting Priority Level to "Highest" in the select sound card dialog.(Updated 3/8/08)	We are investigating the problem. Version 2.6.2 (Build 3/8/08) detects this setting and resets it to "High". The highest setting is disabled. You can also use Regedit to solve the problem. Navigate to the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB and VBA Program Settings\RoMac 10 Band Equalizer\Priority" key, and set the value to 128.
Windows Vista only. I still get audio interruptions even when I set the buffers to large and have the sampling rate set to 44100. (Updated 6/28/08)	Check the advanced settings for your sound card. Right click the speaker icon and select "Playback Devices". Double click the sound device and then select "Advanced". Some sound cards will need to be set to 48000 Hz, while other sound cards may need to be set 44100 Hz. The M-Audio Delta 44 card needs to be set to 44100 Hz - 2 Channel. You may need to restart the software after changing the Advanced Properties of the sound card. Due to the way Vista handles the audio stream under DirectX, a sample rate of 44100 is never recommended. This is due to the lack of support for hardware acceleration under Windows Vista. Some very fast computers may be able to use a sample rate of 44100, but most won't.
Turtle Beach Sound Card under Windows Vista (updated 05/09/08)	The Turtle Beach Santa Cruz XP/2000 drivers will operate with the software under Vista. The game port drivers will fail to install under Vista. Use the driver file from the Turtle Beach website "sc_4193.exe" (under discontinued products). 1). Install the card in an empty PCI slot. 2). The first time starting Vista, answer "No" to look for a driver for the Multimedia device. 3). Run the file sc_4193.exe 4). Let Vista install the drivers. Answer yes when you get the warning about an unsigned driver. 5). The game port driver will fail. When it fails choose "Remind Me Later" 6). Reboot and Vista will prompt you again for a driver for the game port. Answer "Don't prompt me again" Vista's sound mixers will not see the +20 dB on the microphone (Record Device) and will be always on, but the EQ software will be able to access it, in order to turn it off
No sound with M-Audio Delta 44 sound card running under Windows XP and Windows 2000 (updated 05/10/08)	Make sure under "Hardware Settings" in the M-Audio control panel "Independent" is selected under Multi Track Devices.