[WriteLog] Using the Sound Card

[Phil Duff]

> ------------Original Message-------------
> From: "Robert McGwier" <rwmcgwier at comcast.net>
> To: "Writelog" <writelog at contesting.com>
> Date: Mon, Aug-18-2003 0:59 AM
> Subject: RE: [WriteLog] Using the Sound Card
> 
> 
> Some of you may know that I am doing lots of DSP programming
> for ham radio but just in case you did not, I am doing maybe most
> of the DSP software defined radio project http://www.flex-radio.com
> and re-doing PSKCORE.dll thanks to Moe Wheatley trusting me with
> the source as well as re-doing WSJT with Joe Taylor.  In addition,
> Mako-san has given me a way to add MMTTY support across networks
> so I can run my software defined radio remotely and return the
> audio samples to the application in the shack.  This will be used
> to deliver audio to the new PSKCORE, and other things as well
> as MMSSTV.
> 
> For all of this work and for several important projects at work,
> I have done testing of various sound cards.  Some of them are
> truly awful and some of the really big name ones are right there
> with the WORST of them on recording,  you know, the part where
> we get our audio in from our radios?  We need to constantly
> be reminded that sound cards were brought along by gamers and
> audio/video OUTPUTS.  The gazinta has been neglected for the
> gazouta on the consumer products.  I always believed you had
> to pay a fortune to get decent performance in a sound card.

What kind of difference could hams expect to experience in practical useage of this sound card with RTTY, PSK, MFSK16, DVK, etc. sound card applications versus a "truly awful" sound card? 

How do I know or find out if I have a "truly awful" sound card?  A "Rightmark Audio Analyzer" was mentioned as a test tool.  But what characteristics do we look for to separate the good from truly awful?   

73 Phil NA4M


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