[Elecraft] USB Sound Card for Win7

[Mark Petiford]

Dick,

You are almost there.  It appears you got through steps 1 and 2, but you also need to do steps 3, 4,and 5 below:

1. Right click on the speaker icon on the lower right of the screen and select Playback Devices.
2. The Sound window will open.  Be sure the Playback tab is selected.  This is where you can select the default device.  More on that below.
3. Right click on Speakers iMac USB Audio System and select Properties in the dropdown menu.

4. The Speaker Properties window will open, select the Levels tab in that window.
5. Be sure the Speakers slider is set to something greater than zero, and be sure the little speaker icon is not muted.  You can leave this window open while you try to play a file; however, be sure to click on OK once the volume is set correctly.


Be sure you have the headphones plugged into the Out jack of the iMac.  Of course, I never make mistakes like that. ;-)


If you are simply playing a file back, you must have the iMac selected as the default device in the Sound window, item 2 above.  That tells your PC to send the digital sound (music) to that device, unless you tell a specific program otherwise.  You do not need for it to be the default device if you are setting it up to work with a program such as FLDIGI.  You will tell that program to send data to that device.  In fact, you probably don't want it to be the default device so you can prevent Windows from sending your music, and every other beep and blurp that Windows makes, out over the air!  That is one big advantage of using a separate soundcard for digital modes.

Hope this helps.

Mark

KE6BB



________________________________
 From: Richard Fjeld <rpfjeld at embarqmail.com>
To: Mark Petiford <rv6amark at yahoo.com>; Phil Kane <k2asp at kanafi.org>; elecraft at mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 11:35 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] USB Sound Card for Win7
 


 
Mark,
 
I have followed your instructions, and I agree with you 
on all.  
 
But I am at this point; I right click on the speaker 
icon, then click on 'playback devices'. I have iMic selected as default device 
under speakers.  When I play a music file, I see the level indicator at the 
far right following the music volume, but no sound.  (My headset and 
iMic work fine on my XP computer)  I wonder what I have 
overlooked.
 
Dick, n0ce
 
----- Original Message ----- 
>From: Mark Petiford 
>To: Phil Kane ; elecraft at mailman.qth.net 
>Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2013 12:33  AM
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] USB Sound Card  for Win7
>
>Phil,
>
>No special drivers required. I use Win7 64 bit and 
  it works great.
>
>Try this: Right click on the little speaker icon in the 
  lower right corner of the screen and click on "recording devices". In the 
  window that opens, right click on "iMic Microphone USB audio system", and 
  click on Properties. In the window that opens, click on the levels tab and be 
  sure the volume is turned up and the button on the right says it is enabled. 
  You may need to experiment with the volume slider vs. the MIC/Line switch in 
  the iMic. I usually keep it on Line, and the volume slider at about 50%. When 
  I turn the volume up to about 20 on the KX3, I get a good waterfall display. 
>
>I have been using an iMic for years, and once I make sure it is 
  enabled and the volume is turned up, it works great for either I/Q or as an 
  input to digital mode software (I use FLDIGI) input. Keep in mind that 
  sometimes, other software will change your settings, so you have to check them 
  again if it suddenly seems to stop working. If you want to use its output as 
  an input to the MIC jack on the KX3, you will have to go thru a similar setup 
  for the "iMic Speakers".
>
>I think this little USB Soundcard is one of 
  the best buys I have made. When I first got it, I too had problems setting it 
  up, but I was simply making it more complicated than it needed to be. I really 
  think it is easier under Win7 than XP because everything can be selected 
  starting with a right click on the little speaker icon. It all starts there. 
  No reason to open volume controls and figure out which menu you need to use 
  next.
>
>Hope this 
  helps.
>
>Mark
>KE6BB
>
>
>