headphone slider to have a separate PC channel available for output

mnewbill

Hi,

knowing the headphone slider on smartSDR is only for hardwired headset, I propose to include an option in settings to give it a PC audio channel just like the speaker slider has,

reason: some headsets are Bluetooth, etc, and that would be great to assign in windows a channel for the speakers (which i did) and a separate pc audio channel for the headphones in the PC that this slider will control, this way I could have the pc speakers working, and pc headphones working, and easily switch between them by just raising and lowering a slider, or have them both live if desired. - handy on a workbench listing from speakers, and throw on headset to talk, and not have the dead ear speakers this way.

I know I can go in audio on the pc, and choose, but I feel we have a slider not doing anything useful on a "remote pc", it could get a use this way.

thanks,

K4Kfi

SM6KZW

I completely agree with K4Kfi, @mnewbill. The way SmartSDR for Windows currently handles PC audio is quite restrictive compared to other modern software.

Currently, SmartSDR is hardcoded to use the Windows "Default Playback" and "Default Recording" devices. This is a significant limitation for anyone who uses their PC for more than just radio. If I want to listen to the radio through a headset while keeping my system sounds or other applications on my desktop speakers, I am forced to constantly toggle global Windows settings, which is inefficient and clunky.

To build on K4Kfi’s suggestion:

1. Device Selection: We need the ability to select specific audio hardware (Output and Input) within SmartSDR’s settings, rather than being forced to use the Windows System Default. This would allow us to map the "Speaker" slider to one PC device and the "Headphone" slider to another (like a Bluetooth headset), exactly as the OP suggested.
   
2. UI Logic: The "Headphone" slider should ideally be context-aware. If we are operating in Remote/PC Audio mode and no physical headphones are connected to the radio's back panel, that slider currently serves no purpose and only adds confusion. Repurposing it as a second PC audio channel would be a massive productivity boost.
   
3. Dedicated Audio Tab: Adding a dedicated "PC Audio" configuration tab in the settings menu, similar to how we configure DAX, where we can assign specific hardware for remote RX and TX audio would solve these issues and make the software much more flexible for multi-purpose workstations.

This change would transform the "Remote PC" experience from a basic "mirror of system sound" to a professional-grade audio interface that respects the user's local hardware setup.