This file contains advices and useful samples to correctly configure DXHUNTER, in order to obtain sound performances either on a Sound Blaster sound card (or equivalent), or on the PC SPEAKER; you'll learn how to properly set parameters into SBLASTER.INI file, in order to enable RX AUDIO CAPTURE/PLAYBACK functions, MULTIMEDIA ARCHIVE, VOICE KEYER and LOOP RECORDER. Before reading this section a suggestion: please, perform your first tests running the program under PURE DOS SESSIONS, not under Windows. Windows itself could you introduce some new problems, and it could be much more difficult for you to get everything properly working. Only when everything will be working fine under DOS, then you can pass to Windows and solve any further problem step by step. Finally, if you're going to use DXHUNTER's inner applications such as DACDMA and RECDMA to play and record audio files, please check that they work on your sound card, by trying to play any VOC file with DACDMA (copy DACDMA.EXE into \VOICE then type DACDMA a.voc). If DACDMA plays the file but remains locked at the end of the file, probably your card is set to a high Interrupt. Try to change the interrupt to 5 (to discover the current interrupt, type SET at the dos prompt, you'll see a line with BLASTER A220, I5... where I is the Interrupt). The program has been tested succesfully on quite a large variety of audio cards and when I wrote the code, I respected basic rules indicated by Sound Blaster specification, so if your card is Sound Blaster compatible everything should work fine. If you encounter problems, don't give up, describe the problems in a msg. to me, via RADIO BBS: IK4VYX@I4UJB.IEMR.ITA.EU (Fabrizio). Audio functions discussed in this section are ruled by the parameters contained into SBLASTER.INI file, these parameters have been numbered between 1 and 22 to be easily referred and discussed. Before starting, consider that changing data into SBLASTER.INI is a rather delicate operation. You must not add or delete lines, even if empty. Notice that some lines start with a "'" character: these are comment lines and are not considered by DXHUNTER. If you accidentally remove the "'" character from any line, then DXHUNTER will parse the parameters with a wrong order and the results will be unpredictable. If you accidentally damage SBLASTER.INI file and you are not able to restore it, don't worry: delete it and reinstall. The installation program will create a new SBLASTER.INI, containing default values, without changing any other file. If you want DXHUNTER to perform AUDIO and MULTIMEDIA functions youll'have to change some parameters into SBLASTER.INI file; this both if you are running a freeware (unregistered) version, to check some functions (remember: an unregistered version behaves like a registered one only during the first 5 minutes of a session; see file REGISTER.TXT for details), and if you are running a registered version, to configure it permanently. First you need to know the full path where your audio board software has been installed (often C:\SB16\ or C:\SBPRO\ etc., depending on your sound card type) then you'll have to discover which DOS applications (if any) come with your audio board to play and record audio files (often these applications are VPLAY, WPLAY, VREC, WREC normally placed into SB16\VOCUTIL\ or SBPRO\VOCUTIL\ subdirectories or ÿ ÿ SOUNDS.TXT page 1 also PLAY and RECORD in \SB16\ for newer models). These DOS applications normally accept an option set to specify how to operate: sample rate, mono or stereo, quiet screen mode, width of the sample (8/16/32 bits); so you need to know also this option set, to include correct options into your commands. To discover a program's option set normally you can read the program's manual or type program's name without any option or followed by /H or /?, this usually works and shows a quick screen option summary for the program. In some unlucky cases it's possible that your sound card doesn't support any DOS application to play and/or record audio files...in this case you can use some DOS applications that come with the DXHUNTER SW multimedia packet: once installed, you'll find them into the DXHUNTER\VOCUTIL\ subdirectory, DACDMA to PLAY and RECDMA to record; both DACDMA and RECDMA accept the -rnn option in the command line, where nn is a number that specifies the sample rate and defaults to 10000 samples per second, if this option is not specified; these 2 applications present at least 2 important limits. The first is that the maximum length of a single recording is fixed to 64K which, translated into time, means about 6.5 seconds if you use -r10000 option (default), or 13 seconds if you use the -r5000 option...it's not much, but it can be enough to create or reproduce short audio files for example in voice key functions. The second limit is that the files created with RECDMA are raw data files, so these files can't be joined using the utilities WAVJOINT or VOCJOINT; in addition they can't be played using applications that accept. VOC or. WAV standard formats, so you can play them only with DACDMA. Even if you are able to join different files produced with RECDMA, then you have to reproduce the result using DACDMA with the 64K length limit: joining has no practical effect. So if you use RECDMA and DACDMA, you'll not be able to get some services such as joining your recordings when using the multimedia archive or recording long or medium duration audio pieces. ***Important: if you downloaded only DXH52E1 block from a BBS, you must download also DXH52E2 block, to add audio capability. ***Important: if the first parameter in SBLASTER.INI is not set to YES, then RX AUDIO CAPTURE, VOICE KEYER, AUDIO ARCHIVE (F10) and LOOP RECORDER functions will be disabled. VOICE SPOT ANNOUNCEMENT parametrs 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. VOICE SPOT ANNOUNCEMENTS are performed on incoming New Ones if you choose a VOICE alert type (in CONFIG or using Alt-A at run time); then if you set the parameter 7 (VOICE COMMENT ON SPOTS) to YES, all the spots will be announced, not only New Ones. A VOICE ANNOUNCEMENT is performed also if you request the last spot's playback with Alt-R or if you use Alt-R in the New One list (in this case the selected spot is played back). If your PC has a sound card, you must set the first parameter into SBLASTER.INI to YES, then in parameter 2 you must specify the name (without the path) of the DOS application that has to playback VOC audio files (ex. VPLAY or PLAY); in parameter 3 you have to set the audio file extension to be used (normally VOC or WAV: if you want to use WPLAY set it to WAV and convert all files from VOC to WAV format using the batch command VOC_WAV into \VOICE\ directory). In parameter 4 you have to specify the full path (closing it with a backslash) ÿ ÿ SOUNDS.TXT page 2 where DXHUNTER will be able to find the DOS application you specified at point 2 (common settings, depending on sound card model, are C:\SBPRO\VOCUTIL\ or C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\ or also C:\SB16\). Parameter 5 must contain the full path where DXHUNTER will be able to find the audio VOC or WAV files (C:\DXHUNTER\VOICE\ or C:\YOURPATH\VOICE if you installed DXHUNTER to a different path than the default one, then YOURPATH means that you have to specify the PATH where you installed). Parameter 6 contains additional options for the playback application; usually a /Q forces that application to operate in QUIET screen mode, but if the application you use doesn't recognize this option, you can set to > NUL which produces the same result (screen content will not be affected while playing). Parameter 7, if set to yes, enables VOICE SPOT ANNOUNCEMENT on any spot, not only NEW ONES (useful for people who are blind or that can't see the screen); if parameter 1 is set to NO, a CW comment is executed. DIRECT PLAYBACK. If spelled letters are scanned slowly (a long time between a letter and the next one) or if you want letters to be spelled as quickest as possible, you can leave parameter 2 empty: doing so, DXHUNTER will reproduce letters directly on the sound card (without shelling to any application: much faster) but with a little worse playback quality. In this case (direct playback by DXHUNTER), if you find that each letter reproduction is too slow or too fast, then in parameter 6 instead of /Q or >NUL, you can place a number between 1 and 100; this number adjusts playback speed; start with 12 then reduce if reproduction is slow, or increase if reproduction is fast (the number represents a sort of delay). If your sound card doesn't support any DOS application to playback audio files then you can use this DXHUNTER direct mode or also you can specify DACDMA in parameter 2 and C:\DXHUNTER\VOCUTIL\ (or C:\YOURPATH\VOCUTIL\) in parameter 4; in this case set parameter 6 to > NUL (or leave it empty if you get screen problems when running DXHUNTER under Windows. VOICE SPOT ANNOUNCEMENT on PC SPEAKER. If no sound card is available in your PC, you can have a VOICE ANNOUNCEMENT on the PC SPEAKER anyway. Minimum suggested requirements to perform this function with acceptable quality are a 286 PC with the program installed on Hard Disk (not running on floppy). Otherwise the spelling coud be very slow (a long time between letters) resulting to be unacceptable (if you your PC is a fast 8086 or 8088 you can try anyway). To perform VOICE ANNOUNCEMENTS on the PC speaker you must set to DOS the first parameter, to VOC_SHOW the second parameter and specify the correct full path (C:\DXHUNTER\VOCUTIL\ or C:\YOURPATH\VOCUTIL\), where the program VOC_SHOW is placed, in parameter 4. In this case the parameter 6 will have to be set to > NUL (or left empty if you get screen problems when running DXHUNTER under Windows). Some PC SPEAKERS perform acceptable audio quality with all kinds of sound, some others work well only with sharp tones so that a voice message could result unreadable. In this case you can try to connect an external speaker replacing your PC buzzer probably obtaining a quite better reproduction quality. ANY FURTHER FUNCTION HERE DESCRIBED REQUIRES THE PRESENCE OF A SOUND CARD, SO YOU CAN SKIP THE REST OF THIS SECTION IF NO SOUND CARD IS PRESENT INTO YOUR PC (THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY ÿ ÿ SOUNDS.TXT page 3 DISABLED WHEN THE FIRST PARAMETER HAS BEEN SET TO NO OR TO DOS). *** Important: if a sound card is installed, you'll have to set also parameters between 8 and 22 in order to obtain RX AUDIO CAPTURE, VOICE KEYER and LOOP RECORDER functions. For parameters proper settings, read the following part of this section. As a general rule consider that default settings will have to be changed when necessary, this both in case of paths and in case of program names and options. Some options then may not be supported by some playback/recording applications, in this case when possible, not supported options shall have to be replaced by equivalent ones or removed when an equivalent option doesn't exist. RX AUDIO CAPTURE parametrs 8,9,10,11. The defalt file format for this function is VOC (parameter 11) because it allows a slow recording sample rate: 5000 samples per second, this means an audio bandwith of 2500 Hertz, enough for our application with consequent disk space save, an important matter for long recordings. The WAV format accepts a minimum sample rate of 11025, this results in a better quality of the recording but it takes more than the double of disk space, if compared to the VOC at 5000. The default setting for parameter 8 (the recording command issued with Alt-F5) is: C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\VREC TEMP.VOC /A:LINE /R:8 /S:5000 /M:MONO /Q This command string may be translated as follows: record using the VREC recording application placed into C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\ creating a file named TEMP.VOC. Then you can see different options following: /A: specifies the recording source and may be set to LINE or MIC, in this case we suppose that RX output has been connencted to the sound card LINE input; /R: specifies the single sample width in bits, it can be 8 (1 byte:enough for us) or 16 (2 bytes); /S: specifies the recording sample rate (in this case 5000 is allowed as discussed above because a VOC file format is adopted) if you choose WREC to produce a TEMP.WAV file then you've to set /S:11025; /M: specifies the recording mode MONO or STEREO (MONO for us); then /Q quiet screen operation (if your program doesn't recognize it then substitute it with > NUL). Notice that above settings have been stated in order not to waste disk space: a STEREO quality or a 16 bits sample width, would not influence recording quality but would result in doubling the disk space occupiance. Above options are normally accepted by the most of Sound Blaster (not all) DOS audio applications. If you find problems, the only way to solve them is to read your software manual or start the application without any option (in this case VREC) or followed bi /H or /? options, to get an help on accepted options and their meaning. Examples: *Old 8 bit SB (path C:\SBPRO\VOCUTIL\, prg. VREC, /R option not supported, because the sample width is 8 bit only): C:\SBPRO\VOCUTIL\VREC TEMP.VOC /A:LINE /S:5000 /M:MONO /Q WAV file format is not supported by this SB model *Old 16 bit SB (path C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\, prg. VREC): C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\VREC TEMP.VOC /A:LINE /R:8 /S:5000 /M:MONO /Q If you want to produce WAV files instead of VOC (because you want to export recorded files to Windows applications): ÿ ÿ SOUNDS.TXT page 4 C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\WREC TEMP.WAV /A:LINE /R:8 /S:11025 /M:MONO /Q *New 16 bit SB (path C:\SB16\, prg. RECORD): C:\SB16\RECORD TEMP.VOC /A:LINE /R:8 /S:5000 /M:MONO /Q If you want to produce WAV files instead of VOC (because you want to export recorded files to Windows applications): C:\SB16\RECORD TEMP.WAV /A:LINE /R:8 /S:11025 /M:MONO /Q If no DOS recording application comes with the sound card: C:\DXHUNTER\VOCUTIL\RECDMA -r 5000 TEMP.VOC >NUL In the last case recording length is limited to 64K, about 13 seconds if you sample at a 5000 speed. As a general rule you'll have to change the commands depending on your particular situation. The parameter 9 is similar to 8 but acts on recording playback (alt-F6) instead of recording creation. Examples: *Old 8 bit SB (path C:\SBPRO\VOCUTIL\, prg. VPLAY): C:\SBPRO\VOCUTIL\VPLAY TEMP.VOC /Q WAV file format is not supported by this SB model *Old 16 bit SB (path C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\, prg. VPLAY): C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\VPLAY TEMP.VOC /Q If the recorded file has a WAV format: C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\WPLAY TEMP.WAV /Q *New 16 bit SB (path C:\SB16\ prg. PLAY): C:\SB16\PLAY TEMP.VOC /Q If the recorded file has a WAV format: C:\SB16\PLAY TEMP.WAV /Q Notice that if you want to create and playback WAV file format instead of VOC you'll have to replace TEMP.VOC with TEMP.WAV in parameters 8 and 9 and set parameter 11 to WAV. If no DOS playback application comes with the sound card: C:\DXHUNTER\VOCUTIL\DACDMA -r 5000 TEMP.VOC > NUL In the last case playback length is limited to 64K, about 13 seconds if you recorded sampling at 5000 Hz. During playback it's possible to activate an automatic switch (useful if you want to redirect SB audio out to the headphones); this switch is performed via a hardware line of the same (parallel) port specified for LOOP RECORDER (see below); see file LPT_232.TXT into \DOC\ directory, for details about hardware interface construction and connection. MULTIMEDIA ARCHIVE parameters 11,12,13,14,15,16. The multimedia archive is a stand alone application (ARCHIVE.EXE) ÿ ÿ SOUNDS.TXT page 5 which allows you to manage stored text (Alt-F4) and audio (Alt-F7) files, previously captured by DXHUNT (Alt-F3 to capture text, Alt-F5 to record audio). From DXHUNT you can load directly this archive with Alt-F8 (if your PC has enough free memory, otherwise you may run it from the main MENU program selecting ARCHIVE or start it directly at DOS prompt, typing ARCHIVE). With the multimedia archive you can select an audio or text file mode (with F10; anyway text mode is the only allowed mode if parameter 1 has not been set to YES) then select and playback audio files or view/edit/print text files. The parameter 11 specifies the file format managed by the archive (VOC or WAV depending ont the format chosen for recordings in 8). The parameter 12 specifies the command used to join grouped audio files into a single one. Set to C:\DXHUNTER\VOCJOINT /T for VOC files, C:\DXHUNTER\WAVJOINT /T for WAV files, depending on the file format set for parameter 11, if you choose one of the suggested commands then leave parameter 13 empty, of course if you installed on a non standard path you'll have to set the correct path C:\YOURPATH\VOCJOINT /T...) If you use RECDMA and DACDMA in parameters 8 and 9 then you can't use the join facilities as explained above, cause RECDMA creates non standard files not accepted by the XXXJOINT applications, then consider that DACDMA can play maximum 64K, so jointing files has no practical utility in this case. Parameter 14 specifies a filter (preset to *.TXT;*.INI) which is adopted by the archive when showing the files in text mode; you can set the filter you want, respecting the showed syntax. The parameter 15 specifies the printer port; valid settings are LPT1, LPT2 LPT3, COM1 or COM2; if you specify a COM port, attach also port settings as follows: COM1:9600,N,8,1. Parameter 16 specifies archive root path (archive tree structure will be: ROOT\ARCHIVE\YEAR\MONTH\ where ROOT\ is the path here specified) if you leave empty then archive structure will be created starting from DXHUNTER's installation directory. VOICE KEYER parametrs 17,18,19. For recording and playback parameters (17 and 18) the discussion is as above (8 and 9). A difference is that the default format here is WAV (so you could create your own WAV files using Windows audio edit facilities), then here you have no file name specification (above it was TEMP.VOC or TEMP.WAV) because the file name varies (from file_0.wav to file_9.wav) depending on user's keystroke (Shift-F1/F10 to record, Alt-F1/F10 to playback) Another difference is that here the recording source is MIC (/A:MIC) cause it's probable that you will record your audio files speaking at the microphone. If you find it difficult to create audio files using Shift F1/F10 then you can use Windows audio editing facilities, then name created files as file_0.wav to file_9.wav, move them to DXHUNTER's main directory (ex. C:\DXHUNTER) then transmit them with Alt-F1/F10. Examples: *Old 8 bit SB (path C:\SBPRO\VOCUTIL\ prg. VREC and VPLAY, /R option not supported): parameter 17: C:\SBPRO\VOCUTIL\VREC /A:MIC /S:11025 /M:MONO /Q parameter 18: C:\SBPRO\VOCUTIL\VPLAY /Q Notice that in this case you must use a VOC format cause the WAV one ÿ ÿ SOUNDS.TXT page 6 is not supported, so set also parameter 19 to VOC. *Old 16 bit SB (path C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\, prg. WREC and WPLAY): parameter 17: C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\WREC /A:MIC /R:8 /S:11025 /M:MONO /Q parameter 18: C:\SB16\VOCUTIL\WPLAY /Q *New 16 bit SB (path C:\SB16\, prg. RECORD and PLAY): parameter 17: C:\SB16\RECORD /A:MIC /R:8 /S:11025 /M:MONO /Q parameter 18: C:\SB16\PLAY /Q If no DOS recording/playback application comes with the sound card: parameter 17: C:\DXHUNTER\VOCUTIL\RECDMA >NUL parameter 18: C:\DXHUNTER\VOCUTIL\DACDMA >NUL The 64K limit of course is still present but in this case the recording maximum duration is lower: about 6.5 seconds, cause DACDMA and RECDMA sample rate defaults to 10000 if -r option is not specified, but recording quality is better than the one achieved with -r5000 (in this case if you manage to limit the voice key files to a maximum of 6 seconds then you have a better quality of the transmitted voice: nobody will distinguish it from your real voice). During voice keyer playback you can activate a switch (useful to enable PTT and direct SB audio output to TX mic in); this switch is performed on a hardware port pin, the same pin and port used to activate CW KEY, specified into REMOTE.INI file, see file LPT_232.TXT into \DOC\ directory, for details about hardware interface construction and connection. LOOP RECORDER parametrs 20,21,22. The loop recorder is activated from DXHUNT with Ctrl-L (for REGISTERED versions or during the first 5 minutes of unregistered versions with a 2 seconds recording length limit). With this function you can record on the PC RAM a certain number of seconds from the RX, with continuity; this means that if the recording length is fixed to 20 seconds then if you activate the loop recorder in record mode, and you keep it active for let's say one hour, then when you stop it and play back you'll listen to the last 20 seconds of your recording. The playback can be run at natural, fast or slow speed (+/- keys during playback); this is very useful if, for example, you're working in CW and you want to relisten a piece of reception; for CW novices than the slow speed is a good solution to easily "decrypt" CW code. The recording is temporarly stored on PC RAM, so it doesn't cause continuous write/read operations on Hard Disk. The parameter 20 accepts 2 options: /Snn and /Rnn. The /Snn option influences the maximum recording loop duration (nn seconds) only for the registered versions, otherwise loop duration is fixed to 2 seconds. If your PC is well configured for a free RAM optimization, you can reach values of 25/30 seconds (/S25 or /S30), ÿ ÿ SOUNDS.TXT page 7 otherwise you'll get an out of memory message if the stated value is too big compared to the amount of free RAM; typically you can reach a value of 20 seconds (/S20 the default) in most of the cases. The parameter /Rnn affects the recording/playback sample rate; to adjust this parameter operate as follows: let's suppose that you stated a loop duration of 20 seconds (/S20),then activate the loop recorder (Ctrl-L) and keep it recording for at least 20 seconds (or more); a correct value of /Rnn is reached when the real playback duration (in seconds) equals the number of seconds stated in /Snn option (in this case 20 seconds). If the playback duration is less, then raise /Rnn, if the duration is more then decrease /Rnn (nn is a sort of delay). Start with the /Rnn values suggested in SBLASTER.INI then increase or decrease if necessary. For unregisterd versions, the loop length is fixed to 2 seconds so the reference duration value of 20 seconds above discussed, becomes 2. Parameter 21 specifies a parallel port where to perform a switch during loop recorder playback (useful to direct SB audio output to the headphones). This is the same switch activated during AUDIO CAPTURE PLAYBACK described above (Alt-F6). You can set it to LPT1, LPT2, LPT3 or LPT4. If you leave this parameter empty then no switch will be performed; see file LPT_232.TXT into \DOC\ directory, for details about hardware interface construction and connection. The parameter 22 specifies on which pins of the selected parallel port the switch will be activated. The data pin of a LPT parallel port are 8 and they are numbered from 2 to 9 in the DB 25 pin connector. Parameter 22 contains a mask value which identifies one or more data pins. To calculate the wanted mask (default M=1=pin2) consider that a mask value of 1 (M=1) identifies the pin2, M=2 pin3, M=4 pin4, M=8 pin5, M=16 pin6, M=32 pin7, M=64 pin8, M=128 pin9. To activate more pins, just add corresponding values: if you want a switch on pins 2 and 3 of LPT1, then set parameter 21 to LPT1 and set parameter 22 to a value of 3 (2+1). ÿ THE DXHUNTER: THE SOFT WAY OF HUNTING!!!.ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ SOUNDS.TXT page 8