Getting nowhere fast

[Audioguy]

I have yet to get past the sound card testing section. I have tried it with two soundcards (Soundblaster Live USB and U24XL - also an external USB soundcard). I have read (and re-read) the available instructions numerous times. I am running this on a PC Laptop runnng Windows XP Home Edition.

I was told by someone else who has the Soundblaster Sound Card that the soundcard software has volume controls. Last night I re-downloaded the driver and still can not find a way to control volume on the soundcard other than through the standard Windows controls (which I also don't understand).

The meters below have two problems (1) I have nothing connected to the left channel and (2) I can unplug the connections from my soundcard and nothing changes?

Here is how I have the various sound settings:

[brucek]

I can see from your Settings page that REW is not seeing any soundcard as evidenced by all the controls being grayed out. There's no use continuing on until you're able to select your card in the pulldowns.

Do you have the soundcard selected as your default soundcard in Windows?

BTW, once you do get this working you will have to de-select the line-in checkbox in the Windows Playback Mixer (and leave it selected in the Recording Mixer), since the line-in in playback will turn on monitor mode (a no-no).

brucek

[Audioguy]

After I first hit the Settings button, the appropriate screen comes up and I am able to select Soundblaster card. I select 44 Hz and right channel. I then hit measure and the input/output selection get grayed. I then hit "next" the appropriate number of times to start and that is when the screen i previously posted shows up

[brucek]

Ah OK, good, lets take it from there then.

You are able to select your soundcard and the input and output devices and select control checkboxes, and when you hit measure all this goes away and returns to default as the selections? I'm also a bit confused why both your left and right channels have information in VU meters when there is only a single loopback cable on the right channel?

For example. Here's the way it should look when creating a soundcard calibration file.

I set up the Settings screen as below (with my soundcard) and the loopback on the right channel:



Then I hit Measure/Next/Next and I have my input and output level showing (on the right channel).



The levels are all set and the soundcard is ready to be tested.

Was yours set up the same?

brucek

[Audioguy]

First question: How did you display your screen shots in the post. I had to take a screen shot, paste it into a Word Document, send the document to my Mac so I could convert to PDF and then send it back to my PC and then attach !!!!

If I can make that simpler, I will snap shot each thing I do.

By the way, is there specific software (other than the driver) that would allow me to set volumes in the Sound Card application versus using Windows volume controls?

[brucek]

How did you display your screen shots in the post.

I use a screen capture program. If you don't have one you select the focus on the screen you want to capture with your mouse, then press Alt + Prt Scr and paste it into Windows Paint, then save as jpg, which can be attached to your post (once you have 5 posts). Use the post padding thread if needed.

is there specific software (other than the driver) that would allow me to set volumes in the Sound Card application

Yes, you need the soundcards application software.

brucek

[Audioguy]

I have changed my Soundcard to the U24XL. Tiny progress!

[Audioguy]

Running into more problems with the other Soundcard. Anyone in the Atlanta area using REW that would be willing to assist. (I'll buy lunch)?

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Audioguy wrote:

First question: How did you display your screen shots in the post. I had to take a screen shot, paste it into a Word Document, send the document to my Mac so I could convert to PDF and then send it back to my PC and then attach !!!!

Yikes, no need to do all that! Do you by chance have Microsoft Office?

Regards,
Wayne

[Audioguy]

Wayne A. Pflughaupt wrote:

Yikes, no need to do all that! Do you by chance have Microsoft Office?

Regards,
Wayne

I then did a print screen, pasted it into Paint, saved as a JPEG and then attached. If there is an easier way, that would be great.

I have made NO progress on getting REW to work as I can't even get the sound card calibrated !!! (and I spent the first 5 years of my work life as a computer programmer !!!)

[brucek]

Is REW still not recognizing your soundcard in the devices pulldowns?

brucek

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Audioguy wrote:

I then did a print screen, pasted it into Paint, saved as a JPEG and then attached. If there is an easier way, that would be great.

Probably not, unless you have that program brucek mentioned. I print screen to Paint, save as a jpg, open in Microsoft Office Picture Manager, crop, resize, save and then upload to a post.

Look at it this way: They say time is money, right? Well, you got a powerful measurement platform for free, so you saved the time it would have took to earn the money to buy something similar. So it's no loss to use some of that time so we can help you get it up and running correctly, right?

I have made NO progress on getting REW to work as I can't even get the sound card calibrated !!! (and I spent the first 5 years of my work life as a computer programmer !!!)

I'm not sure being able to write code is of any help here...

Regards,
Wayne

[Audioguy]

After having spent no less than about 30 hours trying it get it to work, I took my laptop and sound card to a local computer store where they spent probably another 30 hours with no progress. I then sent my PC and sound card to someone who lives in Alabama who runs this application with the same sound card and after many hours, he finally figured out is was a bad sound card. He has the same one I have and simply switching sound cards solved the problem. I bought a new one and all is well.

What a pain but thanks for all of your help