Deceptively Difficult Windows Audio Routing Problem

How is possible to insert VST Audio Effects, running in an ASIO Host, into the Windows Audio Stream?

Goal : talk with a processed voice when using Skype. Not interested in the various 'voice changer apps out there, but intend to use pro vst effects for things like compression and noise reduction.

Steps :

Speak into a headset, and pass the audio to Ableton Live (ASIO VST Host)
- No Problem - Have a Bluetooth headset windows audio device. Can pass its input - my voice - into my EMU 1212M "PatchMix" mixer via the 'Listen to this device WIndows "Mic Properties" dialog. From there I can mute the direct signal and pass it into Ableton via ASIO.
Process my voice in using a VST chain in Live, routing the output back to windows where it can be used as a device in Skype.
- This is the tricky part. I can pass the processed audio back out to my EMU Mixer, but the resulting stream will not appear within Skype since it is an OUT stream; not IN.

So, the remaining problem is to find or write a piece of software something akin to a virtual webcam, but for audio.

Does anyone know of such a driver/device which can make an output of one windows audio device appear as an input of another virtual device?

PixelRouter

Posted 2011-02-18T04:09:30.947

Reputation: 71

Plug a cord into your output and jam that into your other input. Use input 2 in skype..? Maybe that would work. – None – 2011-04-23T14:35:46.957

Answers

You might have some luck with Virtual Audio Cable by recording the mic directly into Live, routing Live's audio to VAC. Then just tell skype to use VAC as its input device.

Nik Reiman

Posted 2011-02-18T04:09:30.947

Reputation: 511

1A good idea, for sure, and yet also a dead end. The trouble with VAC is that its lives in the Windows Audio world of WAV and DX and not the ASIO world of Live and it's vst effects. Yes, its possible to use Live with WAV/DX audio, but you can't use both at the same time, and as soon as you lose ASIO your out of the game because DX latency is impractical for realtime processing. i.e. my EMU ASIO can do several effects with a 32 samples buffer vs 1024 clicky/poppy samples with DX. – PixelRouter – 2011-02-19T05:50:22.797

Damn, didn't realize that VAC isn't for ASIO. That is a bummer. Maybe you could couple that with asio4all to get an ASIO interface to the WDM/DX driver? – Nik Reiman – 2011-02-20T10:46:35.870

1Another good idea Nik, but I haven't but, as far as I can see, that dog don't hunt. (in a Dana Carvy imitating Ross Perot Voice). ASIO4All sorta brings DX devices into the ASIO world, but they bring along the usual DX latency. – PixelRouter – 2011-02-22T21:20:26.123

@PixelRouter The VAC website mentions: "With an ASIO wrapper like ASIO4ALL from Michael Tippach, you can use VAC in ASIO supporting applications." Might be worth checking. – mtone – 2012-05-14T19:27:17.287

You can try using Clownfish for Skype. It supports VST plugins for its voice changer.

Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is an interface for integrating software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware with software. Thousands of plugins exist, both commercial and freeware, and VST is supported by a large number of audio applications.

Installation instructions:

Download compatible VST effect

Extract or install downloaded VST pack

Copy VST effect files (*.dll)

Go to Clownfish's installation folder ( ex. C:\Program Files\Clownfish\ )

Paste VST files to 'vst' subfolder( ex. C:\Program Files\Clownfish\vst\ )

Restart Clownfish to reload newly installed VST Effects

Let the fun begin :-)

Bogdan Sharkov

Posted 2011-02-18T04:09:30.947

Reputation: 1