OnAirVoice and audio codecs
OnAir never ships a patented codec. You install the ones you may use yourself, and OnAir loads them.
Your responsibility. Whether you may install or use these codecs is up to you: follow the patent and radio-listening law where you live.
Which mode needs which codec
| Mode | Codec | Library you provide |
|---|---|---|
| DMR, P25 Phase 1, NXDN, dPMR | AMBE+2 / IMBE (patented) | mbelib |
| D-STAR | AMBE (patented) | mbelib |
| FreeDV, M17 | codec2 (open) | codec2 |
| TETRA | its own speech codec | nothing |
| DAB, DRM, TV, FM | MP2, AAC, H.264 … | nothing (FFmpeg is inside OnAir) |
codec2 does not help DMR, P25, NXDN or dPMR. If a digital-voice mode says "mbelib not found", you need mbelib, a different library.
Where OnAir looks
Every mode that needs a codec has a small ? button. It shows whether the library was found and where, the exact file names OnAir looks for, the folders it searches, an Open codecs folder button and Look again (no restart needed). Search order:
- The
DECT2_MBELIB_PATHorDECT2_CODEC2_PATHenvironment variable (a full path). - The OnAir codecs folders.
- The program's own folder.
- The system library folders.
| Library | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| mbelib | mbelib.dll, libmbe.dll | libmbe.dylib | libmbe.so |
| codec2 | codec2.dll, libcodec2.dll | libcodec2.dylib | libcodec2.so |
Without the library, these modes still show calls, IDs, talkgroups and messages, only without sound. The full file name lists and folders are in docs/CODECS.md in the repository.