PilotEdge Forums

Hi guys,

I'm having a lot of trouble hearing the RX voice from within MSFX. If the PE client is in the forground, RX voice is loud and crisp.
However when FSX is in the forground the RX voice level drops by about two thirds and becomes hard to understand. At takeoff power (BE60) the controller was just a mumble, and lost in the background noise.

I few out of KCNO (N820MH) today and it was very difficult to hear the transmissions of the controller (I must have been his worst nightmare) and the other aircraft.
I can only assume the contoller could hear me ok, but the replies were soft. I've sat on the tarmac (KCRQ I think) ages ago just watching and voice seemed to be ok (subjective), but that was with nothing in the plane running.

The gound controller at the end sounded louder and as if it was someone else, but I could be wrong. Maybe I was just glad to be back on the ground with the terror of my first flight over.

Things I've tried:

On PC:
Volume is 100%

In PE client:
Voice slider is set to 100% (did a restore defaults to see if anything changed) and it appears I have the defaults.
PE Client is running as a normal user (not administrator)

In FSX:
Engine sound is 5%
Cockpit and Environment is 10%
Voice is 100%
Sounds and Voice are set for the primary device and play user interface sounds is ticked. Music is un-ticked.
MSFX is running as a normal user (not administrator)
Microphone is keyed off Saitek yoke through the SD6 programming software

I suspect this has to be a problem at my end, but I don't know what. I didn't get the impression anyone else was having trouble hearing the controller, just me.

Thanks in advance,
Any suggestions or special secret fixes most welcome.

In my experience, its best to use a USB headset as a separate sound device specifically for ATC.

I do the same thing. PE on the headset and the FS sounds through the speakers.

If it is win7, you can turn down that app (fsx) with the mixer, too.

I fly with a headset, but I have everything coming through the speakers no problem.

I have two sound cards, one controlling an avionic intercomm and the other the flight/plane sound effects . All works well even know without sound selection from the PE client.

I have Vista-64 with Plantronics USB headset with only a single sound card. Is it possible to have engine and other ambient sounds thru speakers and ATC through headset? Moreover, is there option to have everything through speaker, like at altitude?

Les Parson wrote:I have Vista-64 with Plantronics USB headset with only a single sound card. Is it possible to have engine and other ambient sounds thru speakers and ATC through headset? Moreover, is there option to have everything through speaker, like at altitude?

When you start the PE client make sure your USB device is set as the systems default sound device. After you start the client you can change back to your speakers and FS should route through them leaving the ATC in your headset. As far as switching back at altitude there is no convenient way at the moment. Keith has stated the next release of the pilot client will make that possible.

Thanks, do you mean make the change in Options on the PE client, or through Windows - Control Panel - Sounds, or exactly where?

windows

Please note that USB audio is not the best companion to FSX and other CPU intensive applications. It may well affect FPS and cause stutters. So in the perfect world it's better to have either the second pci audio card (in addition to your onboard audio), or use the onboard aduio only with the front panel extension. This way you can also get 2 separate sound feed channels (your mobo/driver dependent though) that you can use for general audio and voice and the third way is to use PE on a client pc (LAN), not on your main FSX pc. The only problem in the latter case will be PTT button, that you'll need to transmit via LAN to your client PC. But that can be done easilty via FSUIPC/WideFS, you'll need a payware version of FSUIPC with WideFS. Let me know if you need further assistance.

Sabre.