Contents

SoundCheck, Voyetra's diagnostic program for Multimedia PC's, simplifies installation and troubleshooting of sound cards, drivers, MIDI and CD Audio devices.

The following Help Topics are available:

MIDI

Digital Audio

CD Audio

Status, Log and Reset Utilities


Status, Log and Reset Utilities

The status box at the right of the WAV and MIDI modules provides information on the results of any testing underway. If no tests are in progress, a suggested procedure is shown.

The Refresh button at the far right of the screen updates SoundCheck after any configuration changes have been made.

The Create Log button at the lower right hand corner of the screen, when clicked, creates a log file named "SOUNDCHK.ERR". This file contains information generated during testing that can be useful to Voyetra's tech support people. SoundCheck is designed, of course, to enable you to resolve hardware and software problems from the computer screen.


MIDI Diagnostics

When the program is opened, the MIDI diagnostic screen shows all the installed MIDI drivers with the driver File Name, input and output devices used by the driver and the status of the driver, shown as an OK or Error condition.

File, device and status information for the Windows MIDI Mapper setup is also shown.

If the status of any MIDI driver does not read OK, consult the manual for the device to make sure the hardware and drivers are correctly installed.

Once the status box shows OK, you can configure and test the MIDI device. If you have performed device configuration changes from within SoundCheck, click the refresh button to update SoundCheck before performing any of the tests.

The following functions can be accessed through the MIDI drivers diagnostic controls:

Test MIDI Output

Test MIDI Input

Configure MIDI

MIDI Mapper


Digital Audio Diagnostics

When the program is opened, the WAV diagnostic screen shows all the installed WAV drivers with the driver File Name, input and output devices used by the driver and the status of the driver, shown as an OK or Error condition.

File, device and status information for the Windows Sound Mapper is also shown.

If the status of any WAV driver does not read OK, consult the manual for the device to make sure the hardware and drivers are correctly installed.

Once the status box shows OK, you can configure and test the device. If you have performed device configuration changes from within SoundCheck, click the refresh button to update SoundCheck before performing any of the tests.

The following functions can be accessed through the WAV drivers diagnostic controls:

Test Digital Audio Output

Test Digital Audio Input

Configure Digital Audio

Sound Mapper


CD Audio Diagnostics

When SoundCheck is opened, the CD information window shows the type of CD driver, the drive designation of your CD-ROM and its status. Two functions are available in this module:

Test CD Audio

Configure CD Audio


Test MIDI Output

Click the Test Output button to bring up the MIDI Output Test dialog. In this box, you can elect to play a Base, Extended or Dual (Both) MIDI test file. A sample file for each type of sequencer is played when you click the appropriate button.

Note that the Sound Check diagnostic program bypasses the MIDI Mapper (unless the MIDI Mapper itself is being tested) and plays the file according to the parameters set by the device. This allows you to differentiate between incorrect MIDI Mapper settings and device driver problems.

By comparing the sound of the three different types of MIDI files as they play, you can determine the type of synthesizer in use and, consequently, which type of file to select for your MIDI programs.

See Also

Test MIDI Input

Configure MIDI

MIDI Mapper


Test MIDI Input

Click the Test Input button to open the MIDI Input dialog box. The Input dialog box shows a row of 17 LED's for each MIDI device connected. The first 16 LED's correspond to the 16 channels of  MIDI and the additional LED is for any MIDI messages that are not channel specific. One row of LED's is shown for each MIDI device connected and the port assignment for the device is shown alongside it.

As you play the sequencer or any other MIDI device connected to your system, one or more of the LED's will light to indicate which MIDI channel is in use.

MIDI input testing allows you to quickly determine the following:

   1. Whether or not MIDI data is being received from the MIDI keyboard;

   2. On which channel it is being received;

   3. Which MIDI jack is connected to which MIDI device;

   4. Whether or not the problem is a MIDI hardware problem.

See Also

Test MIDI Output

Configure MIDI

MIDI Mapper


Configure MIDI

Click on the Configuration button to brings up a dialog box enabling you to change the configuration of the currently selected driver. Although you can access the same dialog box from the Windows Control Panel, this function allows you to change driver configuration without exiting SoundCheck. Once you've done this, click the Refresh button so that SoundCheck will recognize the configuration changes, then run any additional tests necessary.

See Also

Test MIDI Output

Test MIDI Input

MIDI Mapper


MIDI Mapper

Click the MIDI Mapper button to open the Windows MIDI Mapper configuration screen. If you have already determined that your synthesizer is set incorrectly, you can use this utility to set it to the correct channel assignments:

Base Level Synth's use channels 11 - 16 with drums mapped to channel 16;

Extended Level Synth's use channels 1 - 10 with drums on channel 10;

General MIDI uses channels 1 - 16 with drums on channel 10.

See Also

Test MIDI Output

Test MIDI Input

Configure MIDI


Test Digital Audio Input

Click the Test Input button in the Wave Drivers module to open the Wave Input Test dialog box. You can use this box to check the recording capability of your sound card.

Click the Start button to begin recording, record a few seconds of speech or music through the recording source your mixer is set to, then click the Stop button.

If you're unsure of your mixer settings, check the documentation that came with your sound card.

Play back your test recording by clicking the Play button.

See also

Test Digital Audio Output

Configure Digital Audio

Sound Mapper


Test Digital Audio Output

Click the Test Output button in the Wave Drivers module to play a test file. A dialog box appears to indicate that the file is actually playing.

If there is no sound, first check the most likely sources of digital audio output problems:

   1. Cables or headphones connected incorrectly;

   2. Incorrect sound card volume setting.

If these are not at fault, use the Configure Digital Audio and Sound Mapper  utilities along with your sound card's manual to locate the problem.

See Also

Test Digital Audio Input


Configure Digital Audio

Click on the Configuration button to brings up a dialog box enabling you to change the configuration of the currently selected driver. Although you can access the same dialog box from the Windows Control Panel, this function allows you to change driver configuration without exiting SoundCheck. Once you've done this, click the Refresh button so that SoundCheck will recognize the configuration changes, then run any additional tests necessary.

See Also

Test Digital Audio Output

Test Digital Audio Input

Sound Mapper


Sound Mapper

Click on the Sound Mapper button to open the Microsoft Sound Mapper utility.

See Also

Test Digital Audio Output

Test Digital Audio Input

Configure Digital Audio


Play Both

Plays a pre-selected file that conforms to MIDI dual level synthesizer standards. Use this type of file if you have a General MIDI synthesizer.


Play Base

Plays a pre-selected file that conforms to MIDI base level synthesizer standards.


Play Extended

Plays a pre-selected file that conforms to MIDI base level synthesizer standards.


Stop

Stops recording or playing the temporary WAV file you've created for this test.


Play

Plays the temporary WAV file you have  just recorded.


Record

Creates a WAV file for testing the Record function of the digital audio device currently in use.


Test CD Audio

Check the information box at the left of the CD Audio module to make sure that SoundCheck has detected the MSCDEX driver and that the MCI-CD driver has been "Opened". If this box shows that SoundCheck was unable to locate the MSCDEX driver, check your "Autoexec.bat" file to make sure a line for the MSCDEX driver appears there.

If no such entry exists in the Autoexec file, you must install MSCDEX and change the Autoexec to include it. This can be done either through the MS-DOS (consult your DOS Manual) or the Setup Program that came with your CD-ROM.

If SoundCheck shows an Error condition in opening the MCI-CD driver, make sure there is a disk containing audio tracks currently in the CD-ROM drive. If there is, click the Configure button to set up the driver.

Once everything checks out OK, Click the Test button to test play a CD Audio track.

See Also

Configure CD Audio


Configure CD Audio

Clicking the Configure button will open the Drivers Box in Windows Control Panel and automatically configure it for CD Audio. If you have more than one CD-ROM installed, you will be asked to select which one you want to use with Windows Audio.

See Also

Test CD Audio