[BUG] APO Install on Any Capture Device Breaks Playback & Fails to Register...
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#328 [BUG] APO Install on Any Capture Device Breaks Playback & Fails to Register (v1.4.2)
Hardware:
- Capture Devices: Neat Bumblebee II USB Microphone, Voicemod Virtual Audio Device
- Playback Device: Turtle Beach Elite SuperAmp PC headphones
Software:
- Equalizer APO v1.4.2 (Latest version)
The Issue:
I have found a persistent and reproducible bug. The critical issue is that immediately after I use the Device Selector to install the APO on any capture device (tested with both my physical Neat Bumblebee II mic and the Voicemod Virtual Device), all application audio fails on my separate Turtle Beach headphones.
Crucially, the APO is not and has never been installed on the Turtle Beach headphones. The checkbox for this playback device is confirmed to be unticked in the Device Selector.
Specific Symptoms:
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The Trigger and Workaround: The problem is the real-time application of the APO installation to a capture device. When the audio fails on my headphones, I have found a temporary workaround: I can get the sound back by rewinding or seeking in the media I am listening to (like a YouTube video). If I uninstall the APO from all capture devices, my headphone audio works perfectly and reliably.
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The Failure Mode: When the audio fails, the Windows "Test" chime for the headphones still works, and the Volume Mixer shows a signal is being sent from applications, but no sound is produced until I use the rewind/seek workaround.
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Installation State Error: After installing the APO on a capture device and rebooting, the Configuration Editor always starts with the error message "APO not installed to device," even though the installation was applied in the Device Selector.
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DLL Not Loading: Throughout all tests, the
EqualizerAPO.dllnever appears in a System Informer (run as admin) search, even when the v1.4.2 internal test dialog reports "No problems were detected" during the installation.
Conclusion:
The real-time restarting of the audio service when applying an APO to any capture device on my system destabilizes the Windows Audio Engine, causing audio processing to fail for my primary playback device, even when that device is not selected for APO installation.
UI Suggestion:
It was very difficult to determine which troubleshooting installation mode (SFX/EFX or SFX/MFX) was currently active, as shown in this screenshot. The dropdown in the troubleshooting options shows the current state, but this is not obvious. It would be helpful if the 'Status' column was updated to explicitly show the active installation mode (e.g., "APO is already installed (SFX/MFX)").
That's a severe issue. The developer should respond to your post.
A note about point 4. EqualizerAPO.dll isn't a process. It's an Audio Processing Object (APO). As such it isn't running. The functions of this dll are called just like other functions in dll's.
When having Equalizer APO on the USB mic and not on VoiceMod have you tried other APO techniques on this USB mic (other than SFX/MFX)?