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Quick start guide

 

Picking the correct download

Stereo Tool can run either as a stand alone program, or as a plugin. If it runs as a stand alone program, it typically takes audio input from a sound card (or stream, or AES67 source), and sends its output to a sound card, stream, AES67 output, etc.

If you want to process audio from playout software that runs on the same pc, and the audio doesn't go through a studio/mixing console first, then it's typically much easier to run it as a plugin inside your playout software, if that playout software supports this. Stereo Tool supports DSP, VST2, VST3 and libStereoTool plugin formats. Make sure that the plugin version you download is supported by the playout software, and the same bitness (eg 32 bit for 32 bit host software, 64 bit for 64 bit host software).

If your playout software does not support plugins, you can route audio from it to Stereo Tool using a program like VB Cable or Virtual Audio Cable. These programs create a "virtual" sound card, which can be used to easily route audio between different programs. For both, select an output, for example "Virtual Cable 1", as output in your playout, and as input in Stereo Tool.

 

Installation and set up

To get processed audio, follow these steps:

  • Download Stereo Tool from https://www.thimeo.com/stereo-tool/download/ . Choose the correct build (Windows, Linux, macOS; Intel/AMD or ARM; 32 or 64 bit; stand alone or any of the plugin formats).
  • Run the installer.
  • Start stereo tool.
  • Under I/O, choose your input and output soundcards (or streams, ...)
  • Go to Presets, and select a preset for each of the following: Repair, Processing and Broadcasting.

At this point you should hear processed audio.

 

FM

Specifically for FM, if you're using the sound card in the pc to feed the FM transmitter (and not for example MicroMPX), this is how to make it work (the follow assumes that you're using MPX output with pilot and/or RDS from Stereo Tool, not left/right):

  • Connect the pc to the FM transmitter.
    Most FM transmitters use BNC connectors for the MPX input. You will need an adapter plug or cable that goes from whatever your sound card output uses to BNC. There are many such adapter plugs. You only need to connect 1 channel.
    If your transmitters allow you to connect MPX via XLR, that’s preferable.
    Newer transmitters often support digital MPX in; if that’s available, that’s always the best option.
  • In Stereo Tool, go to Audio I/O - FM Output - advanced settings - More FM output sound card settings, and enable the test tone generator. Make sure it's set to Sine, and set it to somewhere around 400-1000 Hz.
    Check the modulation level (on your transmitter, or on a modulation analyzer), and adjust it to match your local regulations (typically 75 kHz modulation). You can either adjust the sound card output in Stereo Tool, or the input of the FM transmitter.

For analog connections, the following steps are also needed to compensate for any phase linearity issues in the sound card (or transmitter!):

  • Select a tone of 30 Hz, square wave.
    If your sound card (or transmitter) has phase linearity issues, you'll see a (potentially much) higher modulation level. If so, enable "Lows tilt correction (RC)", and adjust the slider to get the lowest possible modulation level. You should normally be able to reach the same level as for 400-1000 Hz.
  • Go back to sine wave, 60 kHz.
    If the level is too low, use "Highs dropoff correction (RC)" to get to the same modulation level.
  • Finally, turn off the test tone generator, and verify that with music, speech etc, you see no overshoots above the configured level.

If high frequencies do not reach the transmitter at all, there could be a sound card issue. We recommend selecting Wasapi or Kernel Streaming mode in the FM sound card setting; if a sound card cannot reach the 192 kHz sample rate that's required for FM, or is not configured to run at 192 kHz, those modes will show you an error message - and not "fail" and revert to some lower sample rate silently.

If you do see overshoots for music, but tones look good, your sound card may have weird phase issues. Contact the manufacturer to see if anything can be done (please let us know as well). (We are only aware of a single manufacturer that had issues with this; after we contacted them they fixed it in their next driver update).