VATSIM - Audio Configuration

[FredK]

Hi All -

I am in the process of getting VATSIM setup in my cockpit to do some serious "on line" flying training in preparation for WorldFlight. 

I am curious to know how other VATSIM pilots have set up the audio configuration in their cockpits.  My issue is that I want my "ear candy" and to hear it also. For example I use SimA that provides very neat cockpit "ear candy"....A/C ventilation, wind noise, brakes, etc.  All that comes through the 5.1 speaker setup in my cockpit.  However using standard headsets for ATC communication will obviate hearing all that.

Some of the thoughts I have are setting up two instances of the SimA audio module.....one dedicated to the cockpit speakers and the other piped through the headset. Another consideration is to use a single-sided headset.
I'm not to sure how all that will work in practice though.  To this point I have only been using Radar Contact with all audio communication through the speakers.

Your perspectives and experiences on this would be much appreciated.

Fred

[Trevor Hale]

Hi Fred,

When I had my 737 complete, I used one instance of PMSounds (Similar to your sim a sounds I am sure) bringing noise into the cockpit on one set of speakers, and Flight sim sounds on another set of speakers into the cockpit.  then the audio in/out of my headset went to the Squawkbox computer.  I could always hear the ear candy in the cockpit .

Personally find an old clunker of a computer to run Squawkbox and don't run it on the fs computer.

That way too if you really need to listen to ATC you can turn that volume up seperatly. (And they get to hear the cockpit candy at the same time)  I love listening to vatsim traffic as they are on final and you can hear the outer beacon screaming behind the pilots voice LOL

[dc8flightdeck]

My 737 project uses FSX and PilotEdge. I have an external usb sound card for the headset and I manually set it as the default device so that PE will transmit through it. In FSX I set it to use the motherboard PC soundcard for the FSX sounds. When not on PE the ATC in FSX can also be set to use the USB card.

With my FS2004 sim I use a laptop to run PE and that seperates the headset sound from flightsimulator. This set up is handy because I never have to assign sound cards to specific functions when I start flight simulator.

Justin