I'm planning my first remote station setup using an IC-7610 at a remote site about 50 miles away. I understand the basic CAT control part, but I'm confused about the audio routing for both receive and transmit audio over the internet connection. The audio setup is a bit trickier than just the rig control. My goal is to be able to install software for FT8, PSK31, RTTY, and even digital voice. What's the most reliable method for getting clean audio paths set up? Should I be looking at IP-Sound which provides low quality audio with low latency for use with remote control software, or are there better solutions?

For the IC-7610, definitely go with wfview - if all you want to do is listen and talk, then wfview does fine all by itself. On rigs with built-in network interfaces like the IC-7610, live audio streaming is available for both receive and transmit. Much cleaner than trying to patch together separate VoIP solutions.

I started with exactly your setup last year. The IC-7610's native ethernet capability makes this much easier than older rigs. The wfview audio configuration page has details, and while they suggest VBAN for Windows, you can use it with Linux too. Start simple with just wfview, then add complexity once you have the basics working.

Don't forget about monitoring your own signal! If you are transmitting remotely, look for a remote receiver to monitor your output - plenty of HF SDRs are listed at kiwifruit.com/public/. Nothing worse than thinking you're working stations but actually off frequency or having audio issues.