Virtual Audio Cable is a utility that allows you to replace the speaker cable connecting the microphone and speaker with a virtual analog. It is also able to provide sound transmission between different programs. If we talk about practical application, then VAC can be useful in the following cases:
- when you need to convert sound to text;
- when you need to record a conversation through some instant messenger;
- when you need to record audio played on a computer and preserve the quality of the recording;
- when you need to voice the video at home without special equipment.
It does not matter if there is a sound card and what quality it is - the program has a set of virtual tools that compensate for the missing ones. There are two versions of the program - paid and free. The abbreviation VB is added to the name of the latter.
Setup and work with Virtual Audio Cable.
Installing VB Cable Virtual Audio Device
- First you need to download the distributions from the official site (the free version is also distributed there).
- Unzip them and locate the Setup file, right-click on it and select “Run As Administrator”.
- A splash screen will appear where you need to confirm the installation.
- Wait for completion and restart the system.
VB Virtual Audio Cable requires pre-configuration before use.
Configure Virtual Audio Cable
Go to setting up the program:
- At the bottom right there is a speaker icon - right-click on it and select Sound.
- A window with sound devices will open - among them will be the newly installed VAC - you need to select it using RMB and specify how the equipment that will always be used to manipulate the sound.
- Now go to the Sound Recording tab and select VAC again as the main instrument.
From this point on, the virtual device cable will receive all the sounds that are played on the PC (for example, when watching videos in YouTube), as well as through the microphone: the disadvantage of this setting is that the sound is not output to the outside and you will not hear anything . Of course, VAC is downloaded in tandem with other audio processing and recording applications: mixers, equalizers, audio readers, etc. etc. When working with them, you can clarify the settings of Virtual Audio Cable, because by itself it works as a driver or “intermediary” between programs. If you no longer need the VAC, it is deleted via the Control Panel, just like a normal application.
VAC usage examples
Virtual Audio Cable is a very useful program. To understand how to use it, just give a few examples.
- Transcription. Suppose you need to isolate sound from audio or video and convert it into text (say, you found an audiobook, but no text version). To record such volumes manually for a very long time, almost unreal. There are special applications that record dictation, but then you need the sound to go through the speaker. In this case, the quality will be lost due to extraneous noise, distortion of the speakers and the receiving device (imagine the voice recording and understand what the quality will be in the end). To avoid this and direct the sound straight into the transcriber, VAC is just useful. If you followed the recommendations above, then you have it already configured properly - select audio (video) and run the conversion program.
- Sound output in two channels. Suppose you need the melody to play at the same time in headphones and through the speaker (such problems often arise for DJs, DC workers and people who are interested in music). Standard conditions do not allow this. For similar work with audio Virtual Audio Cable is just used. Usually, in such cases, they either buy a sound card with two audio outputs (but it is not cheap, about 6.5 thousand rubles), or install a second adapter (but not every mixer supports this approach). In the second case, VAC helps to organize the joint work of all programs: it is enough to send channels to different adapters.
- Record the conversation. If you talk, for example, in Skype and want to record the conversation in good quality, you need any recorder program and VAC. Settings depend on software features.
