Communication Device Output Selection not working after simulator restart

[Patric756]

Please only post bugs that are new in this build, and tag your post with #pc and/or #xbox.

Are you on Xbox, Steam or Microsoft Store version?
Steam

Are you using Developer Mode or made changes in it?
no

Brief description of the issue:
1.23.11.0, General Options → Sound → Communication Device Output Selection

1. Changing the ‘Communication Output Device Selection’ from Default to a Specific Audio Device and apply and saving this, is working fine and voice communication is routed to this Device as long as the simulator is not restarted.
2. After restarting the simulator the specific chosen Communication Device is still visual in the General Options Sound Menu but all voice communication, for example: ATIS, GROUND, … is coming again via the Main Device Output Selection.
3. Choosing the specific Audio Device again and apply and saving this, makes this working again as long as the simulator is not restarted.

Provide Screenshot(s)/video(s) of the issue encountered:

Detailed steps to reproduce the issue encountered:
See above step 1, 2 and 3.

PC specs and/or peripheral set up if relevant:

HW SW OS: Win 11 pro 22000.527, on Asus Rog Maximus XIII Extreme MB, Asus TUF RTX 3080Ti , 32Gb Memory , 2x Samsung SSDs 980 PRO 1TB .

Extra Audio software: Using already many years (W10/W11) ‘Voice meter Pro (Banana) software’ to mix sound and route the sound to hardware devices.

[N316TS]

You beat me to this bug! I was in the process of logging the same thing. I will add what I wrote in my bug report that I was about to file:

---

SU8 introduced a new sound option, “Communication device output selection” that lets you easily set your headphones as a communication device so you can hear ATC in your headphones instead of the speakers.

I setup my FSX SOLO using the new setting like this:

And just to let you know, my FSX SOLO worked fine in previous versions using the Windows default communications device. So there are no hardware problems.

In fact, it is already setup like this in Windows:

If I set this and use it, it would work fine. But if I close MSFS and restart it, the setting remains, but now all ATC is routed through my speakers.

If I then change it to my default device like this:

ATC is still routed through my speakers.

If I change it back to this:

it works again until I restart MSFS.

Detailed steps to reproduce the issue encountered:

1. In Windows, setup something as a default communications device. For me, it’s a Flight Sounds FSX SOLO. (I don’t know if this is a necessary step. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to un-set a default communications device to test it without this.)
   

2. Start Microsoft Flight Simulator.

3. Go to Options > Sound, and set the default communications device output as the same device as in step 1:
   

   

4. Start a flight at a towered airport (towered only so that you hear ATC communication as soon as you start the flight).

Expected outcome: You hear ATC through the device.
Observed outcome: You hear ATC through the device. (So far, so good. No bug here.)

5. End the flight and exit Microsoft Flight Simulator.
6. Start Microsoft Flight Simulator again.
7. Go to Options > Sound, and note the default communications device:

Expected outcome: The default communications device has persisted since you exited.
Observed outcome: The default communications device has persisted. (Again, no bug.)

8. Start a flight at a towered airport.

Expected outcome: You hear ATC through the device.
Observed outcome: You hear ATC through the main speakers. (Bug!)

9. End the flight.
10. Go back to Options > Sound, and set the communications device to the default Windows device (recall that in step 1, you already setup a default communications device in Windows):

11. Start a flight at a towered airport.

Expected outcome: You hear ATC through the device setup in step 1.
Observed outcome: You hear ATC through the main speakers. (Another bug!)

10. Go back to Options > Sound, and set the communications device as you had it in step 3:
    
    
11. Start a flight.

Expected outcome: You hear ATC through the device.
Observed outcome: You hear ATC through the device. (So, this fixes it.)