VxSound is an open-source Windows audio workspace for games, music and chat. It combines per-channel EQ, a live mixer, personal left/right tuning, guided listening tools and built-in synthetic reference audio in one native Windows application.
0.2.17 is the current public patch release. The DSP engine, profile system, file preview and four-channel mixer are functional. VxSound does not yet ship a signed virtual audio driver, so separate live channels currently depend on compatible virtual playback endpoints already installed on Windows.
- Editable starting presets across FPS, Music, Film, Voice and Everyday use cases.
- Native WPF interface using VxSound's existing dark theme, purple accent and rounded line-art audio/navigation icons.
- VxSound taskbar/system-tray identity plus tray controls for opening the app, stopping audio and exiting.
- Per-user Start menu registration so Windows Search can find VxSound after the app has been launched.
- Stable-channel in-app updater that reads official GitHub Releases, shows release notes, verifies SHA-256 and can replace/restart the standalone EXE for future patch releases.
- Two EQ profile modes:
- original 10-band graphic EQ with linked stereo or independent left/right editing;
- schema-v4 parametric EQ with frequency, gain, Q, filter type, enable state, channel target and profile preamp.
- Peak, Low Shelf, High Shelf, High Pass, Low Pass and Notch filters.
- Combined and individual filter-response curves driven by the same response math used for automatic digital headroom.
- Draggable parametric EQ nodes for direct frequency/gain editing.
- Bass and treble shelves, low-volume fullness, automatic headroom and a stereo-linked sample-peak limiter.
- Game, Music (Media), Chat and Aux mixer channels with separate profile, volume, mute and virtual-input assignments.
- Research-backed game profiles compiled into broad parametric filters while retaining their documented 10-band research/reference values.
- WAV, MP3 and AIFF file preview through the same VxSound DSP chain used by the active profile.
- Built-in Music, Spatial, Gaming and Movie synthetic reference clips generated locally at 48 kHz / 24-bit stereo.
- Output-bound personal EQ for each ear.
- Guided listening test with Quick, Standard, Detailed and Custom modes from 40 Hz to 20 kHz, pause/resume, retesting, history and JSON/CSV export.
- Validated local profile storage plus JSON import/export with provenance metadata.
- Windows output enumeration, mix-format display and shared-mode format probing.
- Official update-guide links for supported manufacturers plus local Windows audio-driver inventory.
The included game-oriented profiles are editable starting points, not professionally measured headset or game optimizations. An EQ cannot isolate footsteps from every other sound that shares the same frequencies.
Read the published GitHub Wiki. Its source is versioned under docs/wiki.
| Page | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Home | Overview and documentation map |
| Requirements | Windows, audio devices, permissions and developer prerequisites |
| Debugging | Session debug logging, log locations and diagnostic ZIP export |
| Getting Started | Install, first launch and first audio test |
| Sound Studio | EQ, channels, controls and reference material |
| Mixer & Routing | Game/Media/Chat/Aux routing and virtual endpoints |
| Profiles | Saving, importing, exporting and provenance |
| Personal Audio | Per-ear tuning and guided listening |
| Reference Audio | Music/Spatial/Gaming/Movie synthetic clips |
| Build & Testing | Source build, CI and validation |
| Troubleshooting | Common setup and playback problems |
| FAQ | Current capabilities and limitations |
See CHANGELOG.md for version-by-version changes. Technical references remain available in docs/ARCHITECTURE.md, docs/GAME_PRESETS.md, docs/ROUTING.md, docs/LISTENING_TEST.md, docs/TEST_AUDIO.md and docs/ROADMAP.md.
Download VxSound-Setup-v0.2.17-win-x64.exe from the latest release. Setup installs the app and Windows audio service together; approve the administrator prompt, then launch VxSound normally.
Update with Setup to keep the app and service together. Replacing only the portable EXE or using the standalone-EXE updater leaves the installed service unchanged. The release also offers a full ZIP and compatibility portable EXE, with SHA-256 files; simply extracting a ZIP does not register the service.
- Windows 11 x64 and a working stereo headset/speaker output.
- No separate .NET runtime: release packages are self-contained.
- Administrator approval for Setup/service installation; normal app use does not require elevation.
- Compatible virtual playback devices only for live separated channels. Built-in reference sounds, file preview and listening tests need no virtual cable.
See full requirements and Getting Started. Development builds are available from successful Windows CI runs.
- Select your physical stereo headset or speakers.
- Choose Game, Chat or Music in Sound Studio.
- Pick a profile or start from Neutral.
- Use one of the built-in Music / Spatial / Gaming / Movie reference clips, or open your own WAV, MP3 or AIFF file.
- Press Play, then adjust EQ and output level at a comfortable listening volume.
- Save a custom profile when you are satisfied.
Graphic profiles open the 10-band editor. Parametric profiles open the parametric editor with explicit filter rows and combined/individual response curves.
Independent Game, Music, Chat and Aux routing requires a different compatible virtual playback endpoint for each source you want to separate. VxSound does not install or redistribute third-party virtual-audio drivers.
| VxSound channel | Example source | Select in the source app / Windows Volume mixer |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | Games | Virtual playback endpoint assigned to Gaming |
| Music | Music player or browser | Virtual playback endpoint assigned to Music |
| Chat | Voice-chat playback | Virtual playback endpoint assigned to Chat |
| Aux | An explicitly selected extra source | Virtual playback endpoint assigned to Aux |
Select your real headset as VxSound's physical output, then start the live mixer. Inputs must currently be mono or stereo.
Stopping VxSound silences applications that are still routed into its virtual inputs. Switch those applications back to the physical headset when you are not using the mixer.
VB-CABLE example: select CABLE Input as both the source app’s playback output and the VxSound channel input. VxSound captures the playback endpoint with WASAPI loopback; select your real headset as its output. One standard cable provides one independent path: assign it only to Game and leave the other channels unassigned.
App Routing / Routing Board: play audio in the source app, refresh sessions, and choose a channel and press Apply route, or drag it on Routing Board. Targets use the cables selected in Sound Studio. Explicit preferences are saved for your Windows user; suggestions never reroute audio automatically. Some apps need playback restarted or their own output setting changed. Windows Volume mixer remains available as a fallback.
See Mixer & Routing and technical routing documentation.
Bind a headset/connection on Devices, then configure My hearing. Personal EQ is output-bound and is applied once after live channels are mixed.
The guided listening test supports Quick, Standard, Detailed and Custom frequency selections, either ear order, steady or pulsed samples, pause/resume, review and retesting. Results stay local unless you explicitly export them.
Listening samples are fixed-level digital references, not a calibrated audiogram. VxSound does not infer hearing loss, automatically raise test volume or convert a missed tone into a large EQ boost.
See Personal Audio and listening-test behavior.
VxSound profile schema v4 stores EQ mode, profile preamp and semantic parametric filters in addition to existing graphic-EQ/provenance fields. Schemas 1–3 remain import-compatible and are copied into schema 4 without silently changing their graphic curve.
Built-in VxSound profiles identify VxSound as their source. External profiles can be marked local-only when redistribution permission is not established. Imported IDs are regenerated so an uploaded profile/filter cannot silently replace an existing local identity.
VxSound's MIT license covers VxSound material. It does not grant rights to third-party presets, recordings or other imported files. See the general asset and provenance policy.
Install the .NET 10 SDK, then run:
dotnet build VxSound.slnx -c Release -m:1
dotnet run --project tests/VxSound.Tests -c Release --no-build
dotnet run --project src/VxSound.App -c ReleaseCreate a self-contained Windows package:
dotnet publish src/VxSound.App -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true -o artifacts/VxSoundCore tests can run cross-platform; the full WPF build, WASAPI checks and service/installer validation require Windows. See Build & Testing for developer prerequisites and CI gates.
Releases are triggered by a versioned file under release-trigger/ pushed to main. The release workflow validates the version, builds and tests the app/service, smoke-tests WPF, validates a real install/uninstall, and uploads Setup, ZIP and portable EXE with SHA-256 files before publishing the release.
Enable Settings → Audio System → Enable detailed debug logging for this session, reproduce the issue, then choose Export Debug Bundle. For startup problems, fully exit VxSound and run VxSound.exe --debug.
Routing error views also provide Retry connection, Export Debug Bundle and Open Log Folder. Review the exported ZIP before sharing; it uses best-effort redaction and uploads nothing automatically. See debugging instructions for log locations and the service-access fix.