If you’ve ever flown on VATSIM, you may be familiar with the audio loudness disparities that can happen with each transmission. It’s part of the charm (or frustration) of flying online. But now, thanks to a clever little tool from real-world Airbus pilot and developer KatiePilot, there’s finally a fix.
The KatiePilot Audio Normaliser is a lightweight, real-time audio utility built specifically for vPilot and xPilot users. Its job is simple but effective, making sure every radio transmission you hear lands at the same loudness.
The app sits between your pilot client and your headset, constantly adjusting the volume of incoming transmissions to hit the target level you’ve chosen. It uses Windows WASAPI loopback technology, which means no fiddling with extra drivers, virtual audio cables, or complicated setups. You just pick:
- Input device → the same output device vPilot/xPilot is set to
- Output device → your actual headset or speakers
- Target loudness → the sweet spot you want everything to normalize to
Once running, it even remembers your settings, so you don’t have to reconfigure each flight.
To keep things under control, the Audio Normaliser also includes a brickwall limiter, which catches sudden spikes before they reach your ears. There’s also a configurable delay that gives the app a fraction of a second to apply the adjustment without cutting into the start of transmissions.
A personal solution turned community tool
KatiePilot explains that this project started as a personal fix:
“I created this just to fix my own issues with sporadic pilot/ATC volumes on VATSIM. If you have any suggestions or issues, please reach out. I’ll be more than happy to take a look.”
The tool is currently available in beta on FlightSim.to. It’s free to download, and KatiePilot is actively seeking user feedback to refine it further.
It’s a small app, but one that might quietly become essential for anyone flying long hours online. Check it out!
