[arm-allstar] The hamvoip code and audio quality

[Doug Crompton]

Audio quality is
very important to us at hamvoip.org and that is why we have always
promoted the simpleusb as opposed to the usbradio channel driver. All of
our code uses simpleusb by default. The reason for this is simple,
usbradio introduces distorion into the audio path that is readily
apparent. I know there are some who can't hear this or choose to
ignore it  but I can tell you it is in fact there and very irritating
to listen to. The other problem is it is more apparent on transmitted
audio, audio which you send to the network then what you hear back.
So you are often not aware of it until someone tells you.



I have mentioned
this before several times over the years but the reason I am
mentioning it again is that there is a competitive release to the
hamvoip.org releases that exclusively uses usbradio as does the stock
Allstar ACID PC release. While this audio distortion is more
prevalent on small boards, like the Pi or BBB, it also exists to some
degree depending on the computer configuration on PC's.



Almost on a weekly
basis I have a new user connect to my hub and I can tell right away
just by listening to them which code they are using.  Often after my
suggestion they change to the hamvoip code and the audio improves
dramatically.



We believe it is
important to keep our Allstar audio as pristine as we can given all
the other “crap” audio that is out there now in amateur radio. So
if you hear a station whose audio just does not sound right you might
let them know. Newcomers are usually totally unaware of this problem.
People get use to listening to poor audio and unfortunately tend to
accept it over time. This is what is happening with the voice RF
digital modes. You forget what good audio sounds like and you accept
the mediocre. 




At this point there
is really nothing that can be done to make usbradio work better. The
answer is a total rewrite of the channel driver which we have
undertaken and it will be included in our 2.0 releases. We have great
plans to make the audio even better than that provided by the current
simpleusb code with the capability to equalize, compress, expand, or
do just about any audio adjustment.



For now though you
can be assured that by using the simpleusb channel driver (standard in
the hamvoip code) you are providing some of the best voip audio out
there. We are very proud of our code and we take time to make it be
the very best it can be. Pass the word on! 




73 Doug
WA3DSP
http://www.crompton.com/hamradio
 		 	   		  
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