We’re preparing an update around how we queue audio on the studio side. The goal is to get rid of a lot of the pesky clicks and pops that happen due to shaky internet.
We’ve done a lot of R&D on a new solution that we think is a lot better, but we need some live testing to know whether we should make it the new deafult.
That’s where we need some help!
If you’re feeling scientific, try setting your studio to “Loss Concealment” with Net Queue “Auto”. And of course, let us know how it goes! Hopefully those members of your group who get some static and clicking now and then will sound a lot more natural.
In Studio settings, you can enable “Loss Concealment” in order to try it out. Here’s where you can find that:
Loss concealment did not work with my setup. I heard myself and my voice sounded like I was a borg or other worldly life form. When I set it back to normal latency setting, it was fine.
Are you connecting with Bridge or App? If bridge, what quality setting are you on?
What were your network stats at the time?
Which Soundscape preset is active in the studio? If you can take a screenshot, that might be best…
Did the borg echo sound space-y and cool? Should we turn it into some sort of feature??
Thanks for doing some science on the frontier of virtual space live long and prosper
As I remember:
I am using the app
I keep it set to 128 buffer size for my lessons to NY. But after I changed it for this new setting, it went to 512. (It could have been my own fault. not sure.)
I am using the Music Room setting in Soundscape, as is, no adjustments on my part. (Why ruin a good thing?)
Yes…please keep the borg sound as a present, maybe with a slider that goes from Mickey Mouse voice to Darth Vader.
I will keep better notes when I go on once again.
Pat
Here’s the rest of my response from yesterday. Somehow only the first screenshot was uploaded instead of the screenshot along with my answers to your questions.
A couple of questions…
Are you connecting with Bridge or App? If bridge, what quality setting are you on?
I am connecting using the app on a Mac with a wired network connection.
What were your network stats at the time?
Hmmmm… I don’t know what they were at that moment. However, they are generally around 49 to 66ms with an average of about 55ms round-trip, with a quality of “poor,” sadly.
My ISP connection is almost 500Mbps up but only about 20 down. That might be less than ideal. Or, the issue I experienced may have more to do with where I am in proximity to the inter-web backbone.
Which Soundscape preset is active in the studio? If you can take a screenshot, that might be best…
(See above)
Did the borg echo sound space-y and cool? Should we turn it into some sort of feature??
Unfortunately not. It was buzzy and nasty like a digital carburetor with virtual nacho cheese stuck in it… and not the good kind.
@riccardo and @pbianculli would you please confirm that you are enabling the loss concealment setting on your studio (via the web interface, as per above screenshot) and NOT enabling it on your local JackTrip client? The client-side support is still very flaky and I get similar sounds when I enable it on my MacOS client, but not when it’s enabled only on the studio.
Also please confirm that you have the “Net Queue” setting on “Auto.”
If you still get strange audio sounds when the client is set to “Minimal Latency,” would you be able to send the “Buffer Size” setting you are using for your studio?
please confirm that you are enabling the loss concealment setting on your studio YES
please confirm that you have the “Net Queue” setting on “Auto.” YES
Not getting those strange sounds, but my Rode NT-USB is still a problem. I am going to switch to another mic and re-test.
After going through all the proper settings the mic was not recognized. I then re booted the computer, checked out which audio devices were selected on the computer/ went into settings (Audio back end) selected default/ It finally came back on.
Something seems to change when I switch from zoom to jacktrip though I have used the same mic for both.
I will keep you posted.
I"m not sure I understand the distinction you’re making. You wrote:
“…please confirm that you are enabling the loss concealment setting on your studio (via the web interface, as per above screenshot) and NOT enabling it on your local JackTrip client?”
I might be missing something, but I don’t believe I can set Loss Concealment from any place other than the web interface. My local JT client launches the web interface when I click on Manage from the client.
Just for grins, while I had everything working, I again verified:
Yes, Loss Concealment is selected in the web interface Queue Strategy pull-down
Yes, the Net Queue pulldown is set to Auto
This time, the buzzing sound with Loss Concealment selected was intermittent. I heard clear output audio for maybe 30-seconds…followed by silence while speaking into the mic…followed by buzzing/distortion…followed by clear audio. This sequence repeated a few times, until I disconnected. My latency was around 48-52/poor (as usual).
One other observation: If I change the Queue Strategy setting during a live studio session, I get a pop-up “The Studio has been stopped.” You may already be aware of this. I am able to re-join the studio from the client, tho. So it’s no big deal, but it was confusing at first…rejoining my own session.
One request…can you (or can I) lower the volume of the way-too-loud grandfather clock chime that occurs when a free session is about to end. It’s deafening thru headphones.
Let me know what else you might need in terms of testing Loss Concealment.
FWIW, I’ve experience similar mic/audio routing issues with a standard XRL mic to MOTU M2 USB interface. The mic input always shows on the MOTU, but not in the JT interface…(no green jelly beans on input OR output in JT even tho I’m in a session).
Sometimes restarting the MOTU will fix it. Other times, I have to end the session and reboot the mac, even after confirming the Mac sees the MOTU as the sound input/output choice. Only then (after a reboot) the JT session sees the input and output; lots of green jelly beans, albeit with that pesky latency, unfortunately)…and the MOTU shows the output at last.
!
live long and prosper
