This may not be directly an FS2Crew problem but I am not able to use the voice control version.

 

I bought a headset/mic combination, a Microsoft LifeChat LX-1000, from Amazon. I'm using Windows 7 64 bit and a Creative SB Audigy sound card.

 

I set up voice recognition and worked through the training programme and the various bits of text to read and I was mostly understood ok. However, I did notice, when setting up the mic, that when I spoke, quite loudly, the level was not high - the coloured level indicator only moved about 5mm from the left hand end, even after setting a +20dB boost in Windows. However, troubleshooting brings up nothing. Wndows says there is no problem and the mic is working fine.

 

When I fire up the voice version of FS2Crew the voice button won't stay on so my speech is not heard. Is there anything I can do about this? It's back to the button version until I hear from you.

 

I would say how great the voice version is but I don't know yet as I haven't been able to use it!

 

Iain Smith

[...]

 

When I fire up the voice version of FS2Crew the voice button won't stay on so my speech is not heard. Is there anything I can do about this? It's back to the button version until I hear from you.

 

I would say how great the voice version is but I don't know yet as I haven't been able to use it!

 

Iain Smith

 

Hi Ian, lets see if we can help.

 

I am particularly interested in the above two lines.

 

When you say the software won't stay on, do you mean that the console opens and then closes itself? Could you clarify for us.

 

Don't worry, problems like this get solved, and you will be up and running.

 

Alex

When you say the software won't stay on, do you mean that the console opens and then closes itself? Could you clarify for us.

 

Hi Alex, thanks for your response. To clarify, the console stays open but when I press the button labelled "voice" the 'on' indication just stays for a second and goes off. The console remains but any speech I make does not get a response.

 

I assumed that the "voice" button had to be pressed to activate the speech recognition and should stay on?

 

Iain

Hi Alex, thanks for your response. To clarify, the console stays open but when I press the button labelled "voice" the 'on' indication just stays for a second and goes off. The console remains but any speech I make does not get a response.

 

I assumed that the "voice" button had to be pressed to activate the speech recognition and should stay on?

 

Iain

 

Hi Ian,

 

Ok, you should never have to press that button, it should be on automatically when you install.

 

Lets troubleshoot.

 

1)What operating system are you using?

2) Uninstall FS2CREW voice, and delete any folders relating to FS2Crew for the NGX.

3) Can you please double check you have the latest update from PMDG, Download the SP1C update via the pmdg website [your orders etc] and install. Back up your panel configs and routes etc before hand.

4) Reinstall the latest FS2CREW version which is now 1.3

 

After that, please tell me if you have any problems,

 

Alex

Hi Alex,

 

To answer your points one at a time:-

 

1) Operating system is Win 7 64 bit.

 

2) Have uninstalled FS2Crew and deleted files as you suggested.

 

3) Downloaded the SP1c update files from your links and re-installed them.

 

4) Have re-installed FS2Crew version 1.3, which I had before.

 

For all this I had UAC turned off and my AV prog disabled.

 

The result? No change. Having loaded AS2012 and then FSX and selected which NGX I'm using and the starting airport, I then fire up FS2Crew. The console appears but the voice button is not illuminated and pressing it does as before - a brief flicker of 'on' and then nothing.

 

I can call up the cfg panel and there are just two choices in the "headset audio device" window - "Speakers (SB Audigy)" and "Digital audio interface (SB Audigy)". Whichever one is selected makes no difference.

 

I intend to use the speakers for the voices and sounds, not the headset which is just for the mic. I was told on this forum that was ok.

 

I keep thinking that it's the microphone which does not have a high enough level but I don't know if FS2Crew is able to detect that.

 

Iain

I don't know if this could be relevant in this case but I had the same problem and Bryan pointed out that using System Mechanic, which I do, can cause a problem with third party software and speech recognition.

 

He has updated the manual to point this out.

 

Re-installing windows 7 completely solved the problem for me, and I use a selective registry check routine in System Mechanic, and registry backup, now to prevent its recurrence.

 

If you don't use System Mechanic then obviously this is not your issue.

 

John

Ian,

 

If the voice button doesn't stay on it's usually the result of two things:

 

1. Your speech recognizer is not set to English - US. Sometimes Australians and Brits forget this step (assuming you're using Windows 7 or Vista)

 

 

2. You ran 'System Mechanic' and it messed up your Windows.

 

 

Best,

Thanks John and Bryan. I have never used System Mechanic (and never would now I've read what it can do!) So it may be the Speech recogniser setting - I'll check that out.

 

Iain

Ok I've moved forward several steps now thanks to Bryan. That setting was the answer and now the "voice" button stays on.

 

However, I am not being heard or understood reliably. I have the display selected so I can see if I have been heard or even understood and a lot of the time there is absolutely no response to what I say. I am saying the standard words and phrases for FS2Crew but I am nowhere near being able to use it as intended.

 

Does this mean I need to spend more time with Windows Speech Recognition to train my computer? Or is there a way of training FS2Crew to recognise my voice and what I am saying?

 

I'm still concerned about the low level from my mic and whether that is the cause. When the rest of you used Windows to setup voice recog, in the microphone test how far along did you light up the level indicator? I only just got a flicker of a few millimetres, which makes me think my mic needs amplifying.

 

So, for now at least, it's back to the button version.

 

Iain

Ok I've moved forward several steps now thanks to Bryan. That setting was the answer and now the "voice" button stays on.

 

However, I am not being heard or understood reliably. I have the display selected so I can see if I have been heard or even understood and a lot of the time there is absolutely no response to what I say. I am saying the standard words and phrases for FS2Crew but I am nowhere near being able to use it as intended.

 

Does this mean I need to spend more time with Windows Speech Recognition to train my computer? Or is there a way of training FS2Crew to recognise my voice and what I am saying?

 

I'm still concerned about the low level from my mic and whether that is the cause. When the rest of you used Windows to setup voice recog, in the microphone test how far along did you light up the level indicator? I only just got a flicker of a few millimetres, which makes me think my mic needs amplifying.

 

So, for now at least, it's back to the button version.

 

Iain

 

Run the speech recognizer tool in Windows 7! Make sure you read the installation manual thoroughly next time ;).

 

Glad you're up and running,

 

Alex

Make sure you read the installation manual thoroughly next time ;).

 

Hi Alex, you're quite right - slap on wrist thoroughly deserved! Having used the button version for a few weeks I had it in my head that I had read all the manuals I needed to read. But if I'd read the voice install manual I'd have been able to sort it out. Sorry for wasting your time.

 

As regards being up and running, that remains to be seen. I haven't been able to use it yet but I'll go through the Win 7 speech recog training again. Having re-set to US English might make a dfiiference. However, I still have doubts about my Microsoft mic.

 

Iain

Well, I'm still not up and running and I'm convinced that my headset/mic is not up to it. It is not a USB device, which I see is the recommendation.

 

Having gone through the Win 7 speech recog tutorial/training three times and having spent 2 or 3 hours on it I fired up FSX and FS2C. I kept the green display on so I could see what the computer thought I'd said and I was only getting one word in twenty recognised. It was impossible to progress through a checklist.

 

So, I have contacted the seller via Amazon (it was one of their market traders) to see if they will accept the headset back for a refund. No big deal if they don't - I won't have lost a fortune!

 

'Til then it's back to the button version.

 

Iain

Hi Ian,

 

Your mic is definitely broken.

 

I highly recommend a USB headset, nothing fancy. You could probably pick one up for around 15 pounds.

 

You should get voice recognition results well over 90 percent.

 

Cheers,

yea a usb is the way to go and iam sure if you go to your local stores sure that u can pick one well priced just have to shop around here i paid around 15$ aust and using voice gives you more than using the button version imo

Thanks Bryan and Pete. The Amazon trader has agreed to take it back for a refund so I'll shop around again.

 

Iain