Standalone enables you to visualize anything you can hear?

[SimonORorke]

G-Force Standalone enables you to visualize anything you can hear?

I have just upgraded from G-Force Gold to G-Force Platinum for one reason only. I thought G-Force Standalone would allow me to easily switch between G-Force and my audio player, in this case MediaMonkey.

Here's a description of the problem I was trying to solve. With G-Force Gold in Windows XP, I can Alt+Tab from G-Force to MediaMonkey. But the only way to get back from MediaMonkey to G-Force is to minimize or normalize MediaMonkey and any other maximized applications and then click on G-Force with the mouse. I sometimes have several maximized applications running. I'm used to using Alt+Tab to switch between them. So in this context, switching back to G-Force can be a tediously protracted procedure.

I am not interested in any of the other Platinum features, but decided it would be worth paying the $15 upgrade fee just for the convenience of getting round that problem.

But would G-Force Standalone do what I want, I wondered? I read the documentation on G-Force Standalone at http://www.soundspectrum.com/g-force/standalone.html carefully to find out. It says:

G-Force Standalone enables you to visualize anything you can hear and is exclusively available in G-Force Platinum Edition. Note: The Mac OS X operating system does not allow for visualization from the built-in sound card, however, it does allow for use of line-in, microphone, and other audio inputs.

Good, I thought. From my understanding of that paragraph, one or the other or both of two things must be true:
A) I will be able to select MediaMonkey as an audio input source from within G-Force Standalone.
Or
B) I will be able to get G-Force Standalone to visualize whatever sound is being produced either by the computer's built in sound card or by my external audio interface. In scenario B), G-Force Standalone would not be able to display track detail text. But that is no big deal.

When I got G-Force Platinum up and running, I found that neither A nor B works.
A) G-Force Standalone does not offer MediaMonkey as an audio input source.
B) G-Force Standalone offers the microphone and line inputs of the computer's built in sound card as audio input sources, but not the sound card as such. That sounds like the OS X-specific limitation described in the documentation. But I'm running Windows on an ordinary PC. G-Force Standalone cannot see the USB external audio interface at all. If G-Force Standalone really is limited to physical audio inputs in Windows as well as in OS X, that would be consistent with the fact that this particular USB external audio interface only has outputs and no inputs.

So I'm stuck with using G-Force as an add-on to MediaMonkey. So the problem I'm trying to solve is just the same with G-Force Platinum as it was with G-Force Gold.

So why does G-Force Platinum not do what I want? I can see three possibilities:
1) I've made an unwarranted misinterpretation of the documentation.
2) I've made an understandable misinterpretation of the documentation. In that case, I suggest that the documentation be made clearer.
3) G-Force Platinum really is supposed to do what I want, i.e. either A) or B) or both as described above. In that case, maybe there's a workaround I need to know about. Or maybe there's a bug that could be fixed.

[jerohm]

Let's talk about any "stand alone" program. The best it can hope for is to tap resouces provided by its operating environment, namely the operating system OR its drivers. You are blaming the wrong component. Some soundcard drivers DO provide a "capture what you hear" (recording) source... and some DON'T... Programs can't unless they are written for a specific agreed upon interface. There is a way around this, but it is implemented through standard mechanisms, namely a third party driver. Virtual Cable is a driver and allows one applications output to be routed to another applications input via virtual sound device hooks. VC is very flexible, has a nominal cost (not free), and can be intimidating if you only want to use it on its most basic level (the price for its flexability I guess). It is NOT a perfect solution, but it is available (for XP anyway) and works.

RE: http://www.ntonyx.com/vac.htm (if you are interested in knowing more)

[SimonORorke]

I did not mean to assign blame, though now I can see that my comment might come across that way. Sorry about that. I was just trying to find out what is happening and what I can do about it.

Thanks for the explanation and tip, jerohm! Virtual Audio Cable sounds like it should provide exactly the workaround I need. I have just downloaded its trial version from http://download.cnet.com/Virtual-Audio- ... 67766.html. I will try it out and report back.

In the light of jerohm's explanation, I suggest that a useful addition could indeed be made to G-Force Standalone's documentation. My USB audio interface does not come supplied with a driver for Windows XP. It just uses the generic "USB Audio Device" driver that is built into Windows XP. The built-in sound card comes with its own driver. They both have the same limitation that jerohm has explained. In particular, having the limitation in the generic "USB Audio Device" driver is going to affect a lot of different models of audio interface under XP. So G-Force Standalone's documentation could mention that the same limitation that it quite rightly describes for OS X also applies to many audio drivers under Windows. There could also be some discussion in the documentation of possible workarounds to the problem, such as jerohm has suggested.

If Virtual Audio Cable can provide the workaround, perhaps a future enhancement to G-Force Standalone might incorporate a fix on the same lines. I'm not suggesting it would necessarily be easy!

[jerohm]

The link that I posted was just something I found today with a Google Search. I use VC for a different purpose and paid $30... which I am pretty sure you can still buy it for ... The only reason I mention this, is because I saw a reference to $49 on the link I provided.

That said I have had some issues getting the stand alone program to accept input IF the device wasn't specified as Control Panel ->Sounds and Audio Devices->Audio Tab->Sound Recording Default Device.

VC works excellently for my uses. Post questions if you get hung up.

Authors Page: http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.html

Since I never ACTUALLY tried to use VC for this purpose, I probably should have verified it BEFORE I stated it would work... Well it does work, but ONLY if you set it as the "Sound Recording Default Device" (read above) ... AS A MATTER OF FACT, trying to set the "Audio Input Source" in the "stand-alone" version on my XPro machine seems to have NO EFFECT (BROKEN??) except for the three internal signal generators ... they do work. Hope my efforts saves someone else's time...

[SimonORorke]

I've just tried Virtual Audio Cable to link MediaMonkey to G-Force Standalone. It works. I agree with jerohm that it is essential to have the Windows sound recording default device set to the Virtual Cable before loading G-Force Standalone in order for G-Force Standalone to accept input from Virtual Audio Cable. Strangely, if this is done, G-Force Standalone reacts to the sound, even if none of the Virtual Cable options is selected as an audio input source within G-Force Standalone. Conversely, if the Windows sound recording default device is not the Virtual Cable, G-Force Standalone does not react to the sound, even if one of the Virtual Cable options is selected as an audio input source within G-Force Standalone.

MediaMonkey and all the other audio player applications I currently have on my computer will only output to whatever the Windows sound playback default device is at the time the audio player application is loaded. Therefore if I want to send sound from MediaMonkey via Virtual Audio Cable to G-Force Standalone, I have to have the Windows sound playback and recording default devices both set to the Virtual Cable.

The huge price differences quoted for what appears to be exactly the same program, right down to the version number, is very strange. The link I provided advertises Virtual Audio Cable for $30. And I have indeed just succeeded in buying the full version of Virtual Audio Cable for $30 by following the "Buy online via Avangate" link in the author's web page, whose URL is provided above by jerohm.

[victoria]

Hello,


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Regards
Victoria Heden
usamagicsing.com

[Blood]

I have just discovered this, too.

I used G-Force for several years then did not renew my subscription for about 6 months. During this six month period I upgraded my computer from Vista Ultimate 32bit to Win7 Ultimate 32bit.

After renewing my subscription and downloading the latest version I discovered that the Standalone player no longer visualises music. It worked when I was using XP, and worked on this computer with the previous installation of Vista.

I use a Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi. Usually, I right-click within the standalone window and choose 'What-U-Hear'.

The only reason I purchase the premium version is for the standalone version.

Is there a way to restore the functionality without having to spend more money?

Thanks.

[sitsparky]

As mentioned by jerohm and SimonORorke, the "What U Hear" or "stereo mix" option must be set as your default recording device within your Sound Control Panel on Windows 7 (Recording tab). If you don't see this option there then it is because either your soundcard or audio drivers do not allow access to this audio source. Though, note that Windows 7 ships with generic audio drivers, so I might suggest downloading the proprietary Creative drivers for your specific soundcard from their website.

[juxtiphi]

I have just discovered this, too.

I used G-Force for several years then did not renew my subscription for about 6 months. During this six month period I upgraded my computer from Vista Ultimate 32bit to Win7 Ultimate 32bit.

After renewing my subscription and downloading the latest version I discovered that the Standalone player no longer visualises music. It worked when I was using XP, and worked on this computer with the previous installation of Vista.

I use a Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi. Usually, I right-click within the standalone window and choose 'What-U-Hear'.

The only reason I purchase the premium version is for the standalone version.

Is there a way to restore the functionality without having to spend more money?

Thanks.

I use a creative SB-XFi. my what you hear option is right there listed in GF standalone.

try right clicking the volume icon and see where it says select audio device. there you will have the option of following windows default or selecting the SB driver.

also when in entertainment mode double click the volume icon ans the control panel will appear, then hit the mixer tab and make sure all the what you hear line is checked. when unchecked they are not in use.

in windows not sure if its the same with windows 7 but if you open the windows volume panel look under properties you will see play back and recording, look under each and make sure the what you hear option is checked there as well.

[Blood]

Ahh - I missed that bit! I had previously reset my default recording device to the onboard audio. Thanks - it's working beautifully now

[ted]

Thanks guys, found a lot of useful information!

[FrankN]

Hi Ted,

So glad that these forums were useful! I love it when our users are able to help each other.