Difference between revisions of "Voice FAQ"

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{{Postit|'''The below is somewhat out-of-date. Be sure to [http://tr.im/kb4536 see the updated Voice FAQ in the Knowledge Base].'''}}
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{{Help|Multimedia=*|Communication=*}}


==SL Voice FAQ==


===Setting Up Voice===
=Setting up voice=


====<b>Where do I get the Voice viewer?</b>====
As of August 2, 2007 and viewer version 1.18.1.2, Voice is part of the main SL viewer.  It can be downloaded at:
http://secondlife.com/community/downloads.php


====What do I need to use Voice?====
==What do I need to use voice?==
To use Voice you will need:
* A computer that fulfills the system requirements
* A broadband (DSL or cable) connection to the Internet.
* A headset for your computer (strongly recommended), or a microphone and speakers on your computer. A headset gives the best sound quality and avoids annoying echoes of your own voice on a call.


====<b>I don't want voice.  Is it optional?</b>====
Yes. Voice is an optional feature.  Though Voice is part of the main viewer now, it is turned off by default. You must explicitly choose to enable voice in order to use it, and can turn it on and off as you wish. 


Voice can be enabled and disabled in <b>Edit > Preferences > Voice Chat</b>. A voice set-up wizard will also appear once, during "first use" or "first Resident login to a voice viewer."  You can use it to set-up voice if you wish.
To use voice chat you will need:


====<b>I don't seem to have voice when I go through the Voice Set-Up Wizard.  Is something wrong?</b>====
Others will not be able to hear you, and you will not be able to hear them, when you go through the voice set-up wizard.  This is expected behavior, and it allows you to hear how you sound without hearing other voices. 


You will see the voice set-up wizard once, during "first use" or "first Resident login to a voice viewer."  You can also open it on an as-needed basis in Edit > Preferences > Voice Chat.
# A computer that fulfills the System Requirements.
# A broadband (e.g., DSL or cable) connection to the Internet.
# A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) headset for your computer (strongly recommended), or a microphone and speakers on your computer. Using earphones encloses the sound to avoid annoying echoes of your own voice on a call.


====<b>How do I plug in my headset?</b>====
Voice over IP (VoIP) headsets come in two flavors: They either have two plugs (one for the microphone and one for the earphones), or they have a single USB (Universal Serial Bus) type connector. The connectors on the two-plug variety are usually color coded:
*Green for the speaker connector
*Pink or orange for the microphone connector


If your headset connectors are color coded, match them to the like colors of the receiving sockets on your computer.
==How do I plug in my headset?==
 
 
VoIP headsets come in two flavors: they either have two plugs (one for the microphone and one for the earphones), or they have a single USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector. The connectors on the two-plug variety are usually color-coded:
 
 
* Green for the speaker connector
* Pink or orange for the microphone connector
 
 
If your headset connectors are color-coded, match them to the like colors of the receiving sockets on your computer.
 
 
If your connectors aren't color-coded, look for the microphone and speaker symbols on the connectors themselves and match them to the like symbols on your computer.


If your connectors aren't color coded, look for the microphone and speaker symbols on the connectors themselves and match them to the like symbols on your computer.


If your headset has a USB connector, simply connect it to any available USB socket. On some Windows systems, you'll need to have the USB headset plugged in when you start the operating system.
If your headset has a USB connector, simply connect it to any available USB socket. On some Windows systems, you'll need to have the USB headset plugged in when you start the operating system.


====<b>How do I plug in an external microphone and speakers?</b>====
Audio connectors are usually color coded:


*Green for the speaker connector
==How do I plug in an external microphone and speakers?==
*Pink or orange for the microphone connector
 
 
If your connectors are color-coded as described above for a headset, match them to the like colors of the receiving sockets on your computer.


If your connectors are color coded, match them to the like colors of the receiving sockets on your computer.


If your connectors aren't color coded, look for the microphone and speaker symbols on the connectors themselves and match them to the like symbols on your computer.
If your connectors aren't color-coded, look for the microphone and speaker symbols on the connectors themselves and match them to the like symbols on your computer.
 
 
==How do I select which microphone and speakers to use for voice?==
 


====<b>How do I select which microphone and speakers to use for voice?</b>====
If your volume works initially, but some Residents complain they can't hear you, it may be that:
If your volume works initially, but some Residents complain they can't hear you, it may be that:
*You're too far from your microphone
*Your microphone isn't working properly
*Your microphone settings are incorrect or have changed for some reason.


On a computer running Windows:
You can also tune your microphone and speaker settings using the Sounds and Audio Devices function within your Windows Control Panel on Windows:
*Open the Windows Control Panel.
*Open the Sounds and Audio Devices function.
*Look in the Volume tab to make sure that the Mute box is not checked and device volume is set where you want it.
*In the Audio tab, select the primary input and output audio devices from the drop down list.


If you're using a USB audio device, make sure it's been recognized by Windows, and appears in the drop down list.  
* You're too far from your microphone
* Your microphone isn't working properly
* Your microphone settings are incorrect or have changed for some reason
 
 
You can change your device settings in Second Life:
 
 
# From the menus at the top of the Second Life Viewer, open '''Edit''' &gt; '''Preferences'''.
# Click the '''Voice Chat''' tab.
# Click the '''Device Settings''' button. You'll see '''Input device (microphone)''' and '''Output device (speakers)'''.
# Click each dropdown to change it from Default to another device.
 
 
You can see an illustration of this on page 4 of our Quickstart Guide.
 
 
In some cases, you may need to relog into Second Life.
 
 
If you prefer, you can change the default input and output devices on your operating system.
 
 
===On a computer running Windows:===
 
 
# Open the '''Windows Control Panel'''.
# Open '''Sounds and Audio Devices'''. In Windows Vista, this is called '''Audio Devices and Sound Themes''' and it's found under '''Hardware and Sound'''.
# Look in the '''Volume''' tab to make sure that the '''Mute''' checkbox is not selected and the device volume is set where you want it.
# In the '''Audio''' tab, select the primary input and output audio devices from the dropdown list.
 
 
If you're using a USB audio device, make sure it's been recognized by Windows and appears in the dropdown list.
 
 
===On a Mac:===
 
 
# Go to '''Apple''' menu &gt; '''System Preferences''' and click '''Sound'''.
# For '''Output''', select the desired device to hear the audio through and make any changes to volume.
# For '''Input''', select the desired device to speak into and adjust the volume.
 
 
After setting this correctly, you should see the speaking indicator and volume waves (white dot and green and red waves) move when you talk.
 


On a Mac:
It's always a good idea to test playing and recording sounds in other programs to verify if it's a problem with your computer system, rather than being isolated to Second Life.
*Go to System Preferences and select Sound.
*For Output, select the desired device to hear the audio on and make any changes to volume.
*For Input, select the desired device to speak into and adjust the volume.


You should see the speaking indicator and volume waves (white dot and green and red waves) move when you talk.


===I Don't Have Voice===
==How do I test my voice?==
====<b>I don't have voice. What should I do?</b>====
 
 
We have a place called Voice Echo Canyon. Simply teleport there and start talking. If your voice is working, whatever you say there will be repeated back to you, and you can hear the quality of what you sound like. Learn more about Voice Echo Canyon and watch a video demo.
 
 
=I don't have voice=
 
 
==I don't have voice. What should I do?==
 


There are a few key things you should check:
There are a few key things you should check:


*Make sure you've downloaded and are using a Second Life Viewer that has voice.  Many people have multiple viewers and not all of them include voice.  Right now, the Voice First Look is available for download at: secondlife.com/community/firstlook.php.  In early August, voice will be part of the standard Second Life Viewer.
*Make sure Skype is not running. Even if you are not engaged in a Skype call, Skype being open can affect your audio settings.
*If you are using the Voice First Look viewer, make sure voice is actually enabled.  Voice is not enabled by default; you need to explicitly choose whether or not to turn voice on.  You can turn voice on by going to Edit > Preferences > Voice Chat and ensuring the "Enable Voice" box is checked.
*If the "Enable Voice" box is checked and voice is turned on, make sure the land you're standing on is also voice-enabled.  The voice map (out world at www.secondlife.com/voicemap) and icons (in world) will tell you whether or not you are currently standing on voice-enabled land.  Not all regions of the grid will have voice enabled right away - to see which ones do, please visit www.secondlife.com/voicemap.  This map is updated daily.  We have also added voice-enabled land icons to the viewer, in the top bar near the "About Land" dialog.  The headphone icon indicates that land is voice enabled, and the headphone icon with a red circle over it indicates that land is not voice enabled. 


If you've taken all of these steps and voice is still not enabled, make sure your headset and/or microphone are set up properly (see the first question, above).
* Make sure you've downloaded and are using a Second Life Viewer that has voice chat. Voice is part of the standard Second Life Viewer, but some unsupported alternate viewers exclude it.
* Make sure Skype isn't running. Even if you're not engaged in a Skype call, having Skype open can affect your audio settings.
* Check your Second Life volume settings:
*# From the menus at the top of the Second Life Viewer, select '''Edit''' &gt; '''Preferences'''.
*# Click the '''Audio &amp; Video''' tab.
*# Check that the '''Voice''' slider is at a good level (it's halfway full by default) and ''not'' muted.
* Make sure voice chat, which is enabled by default, is actually turned on:
*# Go to '''Edit''' &gt; '''Preferences'''.
*# Click the '''Voice Chat''' tab.
*# Click '''Enable voice chat'''.
* If voice is turned on, make sure the land you're standing on is also voice-enabled. An icon on the menu bar at the top of the Viewer window will show you if voice is ''not'' enabled. It looks like this:
 
 
<blockquote>[[Image:kbext_3739131923_60c19e5e11_o.png]]</blockquote>


====<b>I know voice is enabled (because I went through all of the steps above) and I still can't hear anything at all and/or no one can hear me.  What should I do?</b>====


There are a few things you should check if you're sure voice is already enabled in your Viewer (in Edit > Preferences > Voice Chat):
* To check voice status on a parcel, you can also:
*# From the menus at the top of the Second Life Viewer, select '''World''' &gt; '''About Land'''.
*# Click the '''Media''' tab.


*Ensure that you're holding the "Push To Talk" key if this mode is enabled.  You can find out if Push to Talk is enabled in Edit > Preferences > Voice Chat.  Push to Talk is enabled by default, which means your mic is closed by default (to prevent others from hearing things you may not have intended).
*Verify that Second Life is using the correct microphone and speakers for voice.
**Under Windows use Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Voice.
**Under Mac use System Preferences and select Sound.
*Check that your headset is properly plugged in. On most analog headsets the speaker connector is green and the microphone connector is orange or pink.
*Make sure that the external volume control on the headset is turned up and is not muted.
*Make sure Skype is not running, even if you're not currently engaged in a Skype call.  Just having Skype open can "pull" your audio preferences/headset to that application.


If this doesn't fix the problem, check the audio controls on your computer.
If you've followed all these steps and voice still doesn't work, make sure your headset and/or microphone are set up properly as detailed above. Also check if your headset or mic have a mute switch â€" if so, it obviously needs to be turned off. The same goes for mute settings on your computer.
*In Windows XP, go to the Start menu and select Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices to ensure that the audio is not muted and the audio level is turned up.
*On a Mac, go to Apple > System Preferences > Sound and check both Output and Input settings.


====<b>I've never been able to join in a conversation, what should I do?</b>====
If you have never been able to join a conversation, please check the following:
*Is Voice Chat enabled in the Preferences window?
*Are your microphone and speakers set up properly, and is everything plugged in?
*Is Push to Talk on (meaning your mic is closed by default)?  You can check in Edit > Preferences > Voice Chat.  In addition, when the "Talk" button in the lower right corner of the viewer is orange, it means your mic is open.  If the button looks "normal", your mic is closed.
*Make sure you are not using (i.e., are not logged into) Skype.  Even if you're not currently in a Skype call, just being logged in can pull your settings to that app.


If you do not see any speaking indicators for yourself or anyone else that you know is speaking (i.e. you can see speaking gestures) then you are not correctly connected.
==I know voice is enabled (because I went through all of the above steps) and/or no one can hear me. What should I do?==


====<b>I have voice and don't want it right now. What should I do?</b>====
You can turn voice off by going to Edit > Preferences > Voice Chat and unchecking the box next to "Enable Voice".  Voice should be turned off (disabled) immediately.


===Voice and Land===
If you have "Push to Talk" mode enabled, ensure you're holding the "trigger" key when speaking. This only transmits your voice when the key is held. To check if Push to Talk is on:
====<b>I own land. When will my region/estate/parcel be voice enabled?</b>====
The entire grid has voice available since voice was released as part of the main viewer (beginning with the optional viewer 1.18.1.2 released on August 2, 2007).  All regions are voice enabled, and region owners may disable voice if they choose.


====<b>Is voice available on the Teen Grid?</b>====
Yes. The entire Teen Grid is currently voice enabled.


====<b>I own land and it is voice enabled. How do I control the voice settings for my region/estate/parcel?</b>====
# Go to '''Edit''' &gt; '''Preferences'''.
# Click the '''Voice Chat''' tab.
# See whether the '''Use Push-to-Talk in toggle mode''' is checked, and if so, which key is used to trigger it.


Parcel settings for voice are available in the About Land > Media tab > Voice Settings section.


Estate settings are available in World > Region/Estate > Estate tab > Allow Voice Chat.
When Push to Talk is on and voice is enabled, you'll see a white dot above your head on voice-enabled land, but only see green waves when your trigger key is held and you're speaking.


Region-level settings will be available in the future.


===How to Use Voice===
==I have voice and don't want it right now. What should I do?==
====<b>Can all SL Residents use voice?</b>====


Yes.  Any SL Resident who wants to use voice can use voice simply by enabling it in Edit > Preferences > Voice Chat. 


Voice is an optional feature that is part of the standard viewer.  
You can turn voice off by going to the '''Voice Chat''' tab of the Preferences window and unchecking '''Enable voice chat'''. Voice should be turned off (disabled) immediately and all the settings below will be grayed out.


====<b>Can I use voice from behind a firewall?</b>====
The Voice implementation, like Second Life itself, is designed to work with "zero configuration" and should work with most firewalls.  A few other things may be helpful to know:
* Your firewall sofware may request permission to let "SLVoice.exe" and "SLVoiceAgent.exe" access the internet on their first execution, and that access should be allowed.  This is a legitimate request.


* The following ports need to be reachable through any firewall infrastructure.
=Voice and land=
** Port 21002 - TCP - for voice control signals
** Ports 12000-13000 - UDP - for voice media
** Port 80/443 - TCP - for Web server
** Ports 5060 or 5062 - UDP - for voice control signals


* SL also has voice servers at the following IPs.  This list will grow over time.
** 64.127.123.194 to 64.127.123.254
** 64.147.180.130 to 64.147.180.142
** 69.80.215.226
** 64.127.112.106
** 70.42.62.21-25


It's also true that if the SIP connection on the default port 5062 fails (as it might if the router is designed to provide VoIP services of its own) our software will automatically retry and fall back on port 5060.  This means that port 5060 may need to be opened on some restrictive firewalls in rare instances.
==Is voice available on my land?==


You can verify if your firewall is configured for voice by visiting the website http://www.testyourvoip.com/ to identify common problems.


====<b>Does it cost anything to use voice?</b>====
Voice is available across all of Second Life, including Teen Second Life. Voice is turned on by default.


Voice does not cost anything for individual residents.  It is included as an optional feature in the main viewer.


Island Owners will have voice for their land at no cost until the end of the 2007 calendar year.  After this, Island Owners will be asked to pay a monthly fee for voice if they are not already at new pricing that includes voice
If you own a parcel of land or more, you can choose to enable or disable voice per-parcel:


Formal SL Groups will be asked to pay a L$10 annual group fee (non-refundable) for Groups.  This L$10 fee will be waived for the first 60 days after the main voice launch, which will take place in the first week of August 2007.


Personal, one-to-one chat will *always* (or at least until the end of the century) be free between Residents when they're both in-world. This is also the case for in world, ad hoc group chats between one or more SL Friends.
# Stand on the parcel you want to enable/disable voice for.
# Go to '''World''' &gt; '''About Land'''.
# Click the '''Media''' tab.
# Check or uncheck '''Enable Voice'''.


We will also waive fees for non-profit and educational use of voice.


====<b>What exactly is that thing above everybody's heads?</b>====
If you own a Private Region or more, you can disable voice per-Estate, which includes all Regions in that Estate.
It is the voice intensity indicator, and it'll let you know when someone is talking and how loud they are.When you're looking at a voice-enabled Resident, you'll see a white dot floating above their head.  This white dot tells you that another avatar has voice enabled and that you can talk to them, and they can hear you.


You will also see green and red waves radiating out from the white dot.  These indicate that someone is actively speaking.  Green waves let you know the speaker is within normal volume range, and red waves indicate the person is speaking too loudly.
====<b>How do I start a group voice chat for an SL group I belong to?</b>====
Click on the Communicate button to open the Communicate window.  On the Contacts tab, select the Groups tab, click on one of the groups in your list, and click the IM/Call button.


====<b>How do I use the Communicate window?</b>====
# Teleport to a Region within the Estate you want to enable/disable voice for.
Resident Benja Kepler has created a helpful video on using the Communicate window. It is available at:
# Go to '''World''' &gt; '''Region/Estate'''.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2sEkDuGIMQc
# Click the '''Estate''' tab.
# Check or uncheck '''Allow Voice Chat'''.


No, we didn't pay Benja, but we are grateful.  Thank you, Benja!


====<b>How do I start a conversation with a group of avatars near me?</b>====
Disabling voice per-Estate overrides parcel settings. For example, if someone has voice turned on at their parcel but you have it set off for the Estate, they won't be able to use voice. However, if you allow voice on the Estate, individual parcel owners can disable it per-parcel.
If your avatar is standing on voice-enabled land (in world, voice-enabled land is identified in the tool bar by a blue icon with white headphones) and other avatars also have voice enabled in their viewers, you should be able to strike up conversation with them.


Other avatars must have voice enabled in their viewers in order to hear you.  If they do have voice enabled, you should see white dots and, if they're speaking, volume waves (the speaking indicator) above their heads.


====<b>How do I start a group voice chat with a few friends (from my SL Friends list)?</b>====
==How do Region maturity settings affect voice?==
 
 
First, familiarize yourself with "Maturity ratings: an overview" to understand what maturity settings mean. You may also find the compiled "Adult content" information useful.
 
 
Maturity settings apply per-Region, and include the entire Adult continent (Zindra by name) introduced by Linden Lab, as well as Private Regions owned by Residents who appropriately set an Adult rating via the '''Region''' tab of the Region/Estate window. This includes the possibility of an Adult Private Region being adjacent to a Mature or PG Private Region. [[Linden Lab Official:Maturity ratings and media access|See "Maturity ratings and media access"]] for how this affects voice for adjacent and neighboring Regions.
 
 
=Using voice=
 
 
==Can all Second Life Residents use voice?==
 
 
Yes. If you have the hardware described above and have correctly setup voice, you can use it.
 
 
==Can I use voice from behind a firewall?==
 
 
See this article for information on using voice from behind a firewall.
 
 
==Does it cost anything to use voice?==
 
 
Basic voice chat is available at no cost to all Residents.
 
 
As explained in "Over 15 Billion Voice Minutes Served", we're exploring new products and exciting ways to connect into Second Life with your voice. Details and pricing will be announced accordingly, watch our blog for updates.
 
 
==What exactly is that thing above everybody's heads?==
 
 
It's the voice status and intensity indicator:
 
 
* The white dot tells you that another avatar has voice enabled and that you can talk to them, and they can hear you.
* Green, and sometimes, red waves radiate from the white dot. These indicate that someone is actively speaking. Green waves let you know the speaker is within normal volume range, and red waves indicate the person is speaking too loudly (this distortion is called "clipping").
 
 
<videoflash type="vimeo">4168838</videoflash>
 
 
==How do I start a conversation with a group of avatars near me?==
 
 
If your avatar is standing on voice-enabled land and other avatars also have voice enabled in their Viewers, you should be able to strike up conversation with them. Just walk up and start talking.
 
 
Why you might be unable to hear avatars near you:
 
 
* They don't have voice enabled.
* They're currently in a private or group voice call, which disconnects them from the public channel.
* They may be standing on a different parcel or Region that does not share the same voice channel as the land you're standing on. Parcels can choose to use their own private voice channels and Regions of differing maturities may not share the same voice channel. For more information, [[Linden Lab Official:Maturity ratings and media access|see "Maturity settings and media access"]].
 
 
==How do I start a group voice chat for a group I belong to?==
 
 
# Click the '''Communicate''' button at the bottom-left of the Viewer window to open the Communicate window.
# In the '''Contacts''' tab, click '''Groups''' tab.
# Click one of the groups in your list, then click the '''IM/Call''' button.
 
 
==How do I start a group voice chat with a few friends (from my Friends list)?==
 
 
To start a voice conversation with an ad-hoc group on your Friends list:
 
 
# Click the '''Communicate''' button.
# If it isn't already selected, click the '''Friends''' tab.
# Select the friends you'd like to call by holding Ctrl key and clicking each person's name.
# When you've selected everyone you want to call, click the '''IM/Call''' button.
# A new tab, '''Friends Conference''', opens.
# Click the '''Call''' button at the top of the window to begin the conference call with your friends.
 
 
==How do I start a direct call with just one other person?==


To start a voice conversation with people on your Friends list:
*Click on the "Communicate" button in the bottom left corner of the viewer window. 
*The "Communicate" box opens and the Friends tab is open. 
*Multi-select the friends you'd like to call by holding "Ctrl" and clicking on each person's name. 
*When you've selected everyone you wish to call, click the IM/Call button. 
*A "Friends Conference" tab will open. 
*Click the "Call" button at the top of the "Friends Conference" window to begin the conference with your group of friends.


====<b>How do I start a direct call with just one other person?</b>====
To start a voice conversation with one other person:
To start a voice conversation with one other person:
*Click on the "Communicate" button in the bottom left corner of the viewer window.
* A "Communicate" box opens and the Friends tab is open.
* Click on the person's name in Friends list.
*Click IM/Call > Call. 


When your conversation is finished, click End Call to... well, end the call.


====<b>Can other Residents hear my one-to-one voice calls?</b>====
# Click the '''Communicate''' button at the bottom of the viewer window.
No. One-to-one voice calls are created via peer-to-peer channels and other Residents cannot be party to them, and cannot hear your one-to-one voice calls.
# The Communicate window opens with the '''Friends''' tab open.
# Click on the person's name in your Friends list and click the '''IM/Call''' button.
# A new tab opens.
# Click the '''Call''' button at the top of the window to begin the call with your friend.
 
 
When your conversation is finished, click '''End Call''' to... well, end the call.
 
 
==Can other Residents hear my one-to-one voice calls?==
 
 
No. One-to-one voice calls are private and created via peer-to-peer channels. Since other Residents can't be part of them, they can't hear your one-to-one voice calls.
 
 
==How do I mute someone I don't want to hear?==
 
 
There are several ways to mute someone you don't wish to hear. One way is to right-click the avatar you want to mute and select '''Mute'''.
 
 
If you have a hard time finding them but they're nearby, use the Active Speakers window:
 
 
# Click the '''Active Speakers''' button in the lower-right of your Viewer window. (It's to the left of '''Talk''', and has an icon that looks like two dialog bubbles with voice waves.)
# Click the name of an avatar you wish to mute, then click the speaker icon next to the slider below.
# You'll see a red slashed "no" circle next to their name, indicating they've been muted.
 
 
Finally, you can use the Communicate window:
 
 
# Click the '''Communicate''' button.
# Click '''Local Chat''' tab.
# Click the '''&lt; &lt;''' button to expand a list of nearby chatters, including text-only chatters.
# Click the name of an avatar you wish to mute, then click the speaker icon next to the slider below.
# You'll see a red slashed "no" circle next to their name, indicating they've been muted.
 
 
==How do I control the volume of another avatar?==
 
 
This is useful if someone is too soft or too loud. This is similar to the muting steps above, except you'll be adjusting their volume slider instead of muting them entirely.
 
 
# Click the '''Active Speakers''' button in the lower-right of your Viewer window. (It's to the left of Talk and has an icon that looks like two dialog bubbles with voice waves.)
# Click the name of an avatar you wish to adjust volume for, then drag the slider to an optimum level.
 
 
Once more, you can alternatively use the Communicate window:
 
 
# Click the '''Communicate''' button.
# Click the '''Local Chat''' tab.
# Click the '''&lt; &lt;''' button to expand a list of nearby chatters, including text-only chatters.
# Click the name of an avatar you wish to adjust volume for, then drag the slider to an optimum level.
 
 
{{KBnote| '''Note:''' If someone sounds soft on their side and they have a terrible signal-to-noise ratio, they may sound very hissy when you turn them up. Whenever possible, voice input should be optimized at the source, meaning they should test their mic input volume â€" or failing that, get a better one altogether.
}}
 
 
==There are a lot of people talking at the same time. How do I know who's talking?==
 
 
Voice is spatialized, similar to the real world. When others speak, you see their speaking indicators and hear their voices as they hear yours. Walk around someone who's speaking to hear their voice move around in 3D based on where you are relative to their avatar. If someone talks while moving closer to you, their voice gets louder. And if you speak while walking around someone else, they'll hear your voice go around them from your avatar's position.
 
 
Open the Active Speakers window by clicking the button to the left of the '''Talk''' button near the bottom-right of your Viewer window. The Active Speakers window shows a list of the Residents with voice enabled on the same channel. Usually, this is a public, open channel, but if you enter a private one-to-one or group voice chat, you'll see those participants in Active Speakers instead.
 
 
The participants list in the Communicate window â€"- expanded by clicking '''&lt; &lt;''' â€"- functions in the same way (for your active voice conversation, in an active tab). A dot appears beside each speaker's name in the Participants list, indicating who's speaking. The dot mimics the speaker's voice intensity indicator:
 
 
* A green dot shows active speakers within normal volume range
* A red dot shows an active speaker who's spoken too loudly.
 
 
In addition, the name of the Resident who spoke most recently appears at the top of the Active Speakers and participant lists. As the time since a speaker's last utterance passes, the speaker's name moves down the list and the dot next to the speaker's name fades to increasingly lighter shades of gray.
 
 
Resident names can also be sorted alphabetically in the Active Speakers and participants lists. Remember, to control the volume and mute settings for a particular speaker, just click the speaker's name in the list, then use the volume slider or speaker icon to make adjustments.
 
 
<videoflash type="vimeo">4243075</videoflash>


====<b>How do I mute someone I don't want to hear?</b>====
There are a few different ways to mute someone you don't wish to hear.
*You can right-click on the avatar you wish to mute and click "Mute" in the pie menu.
*You can also click on a speaker's name in the Participants List in the Communicate window (the Participants List shows the speakers in your current conversation) or in the Active Speakers window, which is opened by clicking on the button with speech bubbles on the Voice tab (immediately to the left of the "Talk" button in the bottom right corner of the viewer window).


====<b>How do I control the volume of another avatar?</b>====
==Are there any gestures to use with voice, to make my speaking look more natural?==
To adjust the volume of another avatar or speaker, you can:
*Click on the speaker's name in the Participants List in the Communicate window (the Participants List shows the speakers in your current conversation)


or


*Click on the speaker's name in the Active Speakers window, which is opened by clicking on the button with speech bubbles on the Voice tab (immediately to the left of the "Talk" button in the bottom right corner of the viewer window).
In real life, people tend to use body language while they talk. In Second Life, you can wear an initial set of "speech gestures" which make your avatar emote.


====<b>There are a lot of people talking at the same time. How do I know who's talking?</b>====


When others speak, you'll see their speaking indicators and hear their voices as they hear yours. Walk around someone who's speaking to you to hear the voice move around in 3D based on where you are relative to their avatar. If you turn toward someone and move closer, for example, their voice will be louder. If you speak while walking around someone else, they'll hear your voice tracking your position.
These speech gestures are randomly selected from nine different animations based on the intensity of your voice. These gestures are located in your '''Library''''s '''Gestures''' &gt; '''Speech Gestures''' folder in your Inventory. There are three gesture sets containing three gestures each for low, medium, and high-intensity volumes.


The Active Speakers window shows you a list of the Residents around you with voice enabled who are speaking in a particular channel (the speakers near you is the default voice channel, or voice conversation).  You can open the Active Speakers window it by clicking button with speech bubbles on it, immediately to the left of the Talk button in the bottom right corner of the Second Life window.


The Participants list in the Communicate window also functions in the same way (for your active voice conversation, in an active tab).  A dot appears beside each speaker's name in the Participants list, indicating who's speaking. The dot mimics the speaker's voice intensity indicator: A green dot shows active speakers within normal volume range, while a red dot shows an active speaker who's spoken a little too loudly.
* To enable speech gestures, simply drag the '''Speech Gestures''' folder onto your avatar. This will copy them into a new location in your Inventory's '''My Inventory''' &gt; '''Gestures''' folder.
* To disable them, right-click the '''Speech Gestures''' folder in My Inventory (not Library) and select '''Take Off Items'''.


In addition, the name of the Resident who spoke most recently appears at the top of the Active Speakers and Participants lists. As the time since a speaker's last utterance increases, the speaker's name moves down the list and the dot next to the speaker's name fades to increasingly lighter shades of gray.


Resident names can also be sorted alphabetically in the Active Speakers and Participants lists.
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To control the volume and mute settings for a particular speaker, just click on the speaker's name in the list and then use the volume control in the window to make adjustments.


====<b>Are there any gestures to use with voice, to make my speaking look more natural?</b>====
==I think I found a voice bug or problem. How do I file a bug report?==
In real life, very few people stand still as statues while they talk. The Voice viewer gives you the ability to wear an initial set of "speech gestures".


These speech gestures are randomly selected from nine different animations based on the intensity of your voice. These gestures are located in your Library's Gesture folder (under "Speech Gestures"). There are three gesture sets containing three gestures each for low, medium, and high-intensity volumes.
*To enable speech gestures, simply drag the folder labeled "Speech Gestures" from your Library on to your avatar.
*To disable them, right-click the Speech Gestures folder and select Take Off Items.


===Additional Voice Questions===
Please file a bug report on our Issue Tracker under:


====<b>Does Voice affect grid performance and health?</b>====
No.  Voice is hosted on separate servers.  Many Residents have expressed concern and confusion as to why voice would be released when Second Life periodically has performance issues. Voice is intentionally designed to run on systems completely independent from Second Life as not to impair performance.


====<b>Is Voice open source></b>
* Project: '''1. Second Life Viewer - VWR'''
Yes.  The tarball for voice viewer code is available here:  
* Issue Type: '''Bug'''


====<b>I think I found a voice bug or problem.  How can I get help and/or file a bug report?</b>====
We have created a [https://jira.secondlife.com Public JIRA] task for the main viewer Voice release and ask all Residents to be sure to use the "1.18.1.2" Version and the “Voice” component in the Second Life Viewer Section (VWR) of the Issue Tracker.


Proceed to the next screen, then make sure '''Component''' is '''Voice'''. Further instructions are there.
[[Category:Avatar]]
[[Category:Voice]]
[[Category:Voice]]
[[Category:General Avatar Information]]
[[Category:Hardware Questions]]
[[Category:Menus and Controls]]
[[Category:FAQs]]
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[[Category:Knowledge Base]]

Revision as of 09:03, 5 October 2009

Kb-seal.png

This article is part of the Extended Second Life Knowledge Base that includes advanced and specialized information. This information was originally provided by Linden Lab, but is not actively maintained nor guaranteed to be accurate. Linden Lab does not certify nor assume any responsibility for this information.

See the official Second Life Knowledge Base for the most current information.


Setting up voice

What do I need to use voice?

To use voice chat you will need:


  1. A computer that fulfills the System Requirements.
  2. A broadband (e.g., DSL or cable) connection to the Internet.
  3. A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) headset for your computer (strongly recommended), or a microphone and speakers on your computer. Using earphones encloses the sound to avoid annoying echoes of your own voice on a call.


How do I plug in my headset?

VoIP headsets come in two flavors: they either have two plugs (one for the microphone and one for the earphones), or they have a single USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector. The connectors on the two-plug variety are usually color-coded:


  • Green for the speaker connector
  • Pink or orange for the microphone connector


If your headset connectors are color-coded, match them to the like colors of the receiving sockets on your computer.


If your connectors aren't color-coded, look for the microphone and speaker symbols on the connectors themselves and match them to the like symbols on your computer.


If your headset has a USB connector, simply connect it to any available USB socket. On some Windows systems, you'll need to have the USB headset plugged in when you start the operating system.


How do I plug in an external microphone and speakers?

If your connectors are color-coded as described above for a headset, match them to the like colors of the receiving sockets on your computer.


If your connectors aren't color-coded, look for the microphone and speaker symbols on the connectors themselves and match them to the like symbols on your computer.


How do I select which microphone and speakers to use for voice?

If your volume works initially, but some Residents complain they can't hear you, it may be that:


  • You're too far from your microphone
  • Your microphone isn't working properly
  • Your microphone settings are incorrect or have changed for some reason


You can change your device settings in Second Life:


  1. From the menus at the top of the Second Life Viewer, open Edit > Preferences.
  2. Click the Voice Chat tab.
  3. Click the Device Settings button. You'll see Input device (microphone) and Output device (speakers).
  4. Click each dropdown to change it from Default to another device.


You can see an illustration of this on page 4 of our Quickstart Guide.


In some cases, you may need to relog into Second Life.


If you prefer, you can change the default input and output devices on your operating system.


On a computer running Windows:

  1. Open the Windows Control Panel.
  2. Open Sounds and Audio Devices. In Windows Vista, this is called Audio Devices and Sound Themes and it's found under Hardware and Sound.
  3. Look in the Volume tab to make sure that the Mute checkbox is not selected and the device volume is set where you want it.
  4. In the Audio tab, select the primary input and output audio devices from the dropdown list.


If you're using a USB audio device, make sure it's been recognized by Windows and appears in the dropdown list.


On a Mac:

  1. Go to Apple menu > System Preferences and click Sound.
  2. For Output, select the desired device to hear the audio through and make any changes to volume.
  3. For Input, select the desired device to speak into and adjust the volume.


After setting this correctly, you should see the speaking indicator and volume waves (white dot and green and red waves) move when you talk.


It's always a good idea to test playing and recording sounds in other programs to verify if it's a problem with your computer system, rather than being isolated to Second Life.


How do I test my voice?

We have a place called Voice Echo Canyon. Simply teleport there and start talking. If your voice is working, whatever you say there will be repeated back to you, and you can hear the quality of what you sound like. Learn more about Voice Echo Canyon and watch a video demo.


I don't have voice

I don't have voice. What should I do?

There are a few key things you should check:


  • Make sure you've downloaded and are using a Second Life Viewer that has voice chat. Voice is part of the standard Second Life Viewer, but some unsupported alternate viewers exclude it.
  • Make sure Skype isn't running. Even if you're not engaged in a Skype call, having Skype open can affect your audio settings.
  • Check your Second Life volume settings:
    1. From the menus at the top of the Second Life Viewer, select Edit > Preferences.
    2. Click the Audio & Video tab.
    3. Check that the Voice slider is at a good level (it's halfway full by default) and not muted.
  • Make sure voice chat, which is enabled by default, is actually turned on:
    1. Go to Edit > Preferences.
    2. Click the Voice Chat tab.
    3. Click Enable voice chat.
  • If voice is turned on, make sure the land you're standing on is also voice-enabled. An icon on the menu bar at the top of the Viewer window will show you if voice is not enabled. It looks like this:


Kbext 3739131923 60c19e5e11 o.png


  • To check voice status on a parcel, you can also:
    1. From the menus at the top of the Second Life Viewer, select World > About Land.
    2. Click the Media tab.


If you've followed all these steps and voice still doesn't work, make sure your headset and/or microphone are set up properly as detailed above. Also check if your headset or mic have a mute switch â€" if so, it obviously needs to be turned off. The same goes for mute settings on your computer.


I know voice is enabled (because I went through all of the above steps) and/or no one can hear me. What should I do?

If you have "Push to Talk" mode enabled, ensure you're holding the "trigger" key when speaking. This only transmits your voice when the key is held. To check if Push to Talk is on:


  1. Go to Edit > Preferences.
  2. Click the Voice Chat tab.
  3. See whether the Use Push-to-Talk in toggle mode is checked, and if so, which key is used to trigger it.


When Push to Talk is on and voice is enabled, you'll see a white dot above your head on voice-enabled land, but only see green waves when your trigger key is held and you're speaking.


I have voice and don't want it right now. What should I do?

You can turn voice off by going to the Voice Chat tab of the Preferences window and unchecking Enable voice chat. Voice should be turned off (disabled) immediately and all the settings below will be grayed out.


Voice and land

Is voice available on my land?

Voice is available across all of Second Life, including Teen Second Life. Voice is turned on by default.


If you own a parcel of land or more, you can choose to enable or disable voice per-parcel:


  1. Stand on the parcel you want to enable/disable voice for.
  2. Go to World > About Land.
  3. Click the Media tab.
  4. Check or uncheck Enable Voice.


If you own a Private Region or more, you can disable voice per-Estate, which includes all Regions in that Estate.


  1. Teleport to a Region within the Estate you want to enable/disable voice for.
  2. Go to World > Region/Estate.
  3. Click the Estate tab.
  4. Check or uncheck Allow Voice Chat.


Disabling voice per-Estate overrides parcel settings. For example, if someone has voice turned on at their parcel but you have it set off for the Estate, they won't be able to use voice. However, if you allow voice on the Estate, individual parcel owners can disable it per-parcel.


How do Region maturity settings affect voice?

First, familiarize yourself with "Maturity ratings: an overview" to understand what maturity settings mean. You may also find the compiled "Adult content" information useful.


Maturity settings apply per-Region, and include the entire Adult continent (Zindra by name) introduced by Linden Lab, as well as Private Regions owned by Residents who appropriately set an Adult rating via the Region tab of the Region/Estate window. This includes the possibility of an Adult Private Region being adjacent to a Mature or PG Private Region. See "Maturity ratings and media access" for how this affects voice for adjacent and neighboring Regions.


Using voice

Can all Second Life Residents use voice?

Yes. If you have the hardware described above and have correctly setup voice, you can use it.


Can I use voice from behind a firewall?

See this article for information on using voice from behind a firewall.


Does it cost anything to use voice?

Basic voice chat is available at no cost to all Residents.


As explained in "Over 15 Billion Voice Minutes Served", we're exploring new products and exciting ways to connect into Second Life with your voice. Details and pricing will be announced accordingly, watch our blog for updates.


What exactly is that thing above everybody's heads?

It's the voice status and intensity indicator:


  • The white dot tells you that another avatar has voice enabled and that you can talk to them, and they can hear you.
  • Green, and sometimes, red waves radiate from the white dot. These indicate that someone is actively speaking. Green waves let you know the speaker is within normal volume range, and red waves indicate the person is speaking too loudly (this distortion is called "clipping").


<videoflash type="vimeo">4168838</videoflash>


How do I start a conversation with a group of avatars near me?

If your avatar is standing on voice-enabled land and other avatars also have voice enabled in their Viewers, you should be able to strike up conversation with them. Just walk up and start talking.


Why you might be unable to hear avatars near you:


  • They don't have voice enabled.
  • They're currently in a private or group voice call, which disconnects them from the public channel.
  • They may be standing on a different parcel or Region that does not share the same voice channel as the land you're standing on. Parcels can choose to use their own private voice channels and Regions of differing maturities may not share the same voice channel. For more information, see "Maturity settings and media access".


How do I start a group voice chat for a group I belong to?

  1. Click the Communicate button at the bottom-left of the Viewer window to open the Communicate window.
  2. In the Contacts tab, click Groups tab.
  3. Click one of the groups in your list, then click the IM/Call button.


How do I start a group voice chat with a few friends (from my Friends list)?

To start a voice conversation with an ad-hoc group on your Friends list:


  1. Click the Communicate button.
  2. If it isn't already selected, click the Friends tab.
  3. Select the friends you'd like to call by holding Ctrl key and clicking each person's name.
  4. When you've selected everyone you want to call, click the IM/Call button.
  5. A new tab, Friends Conference, opens.
  6. Click the Call button at the top of the window to begin the conference call with your friends.


How do I start a direct call with just one other person?

To start a voice conversation with one other person:


  1. Click the Communicate button at the bottom of the viewer window.
  2. The Communicate window opens with the Friends tab open.
  3. Click on the person's name in your Friends list and click the IM/Call button.
  4. A new tab opens.
  5. Click the Call button at the top of the window to begin the call with your friend.


When your conversation is finished, click End Call to... well, end the call.


Can other Residents hear my one-to-one voice calls?

No. One-to-one voice calls are private and created via peer-to-peer channels. Since other Residents can't be part of them, they can't hear your one-to-one voice calls.


How do I mute someone I don't want to hear?

There are several ways to mute someone you don't wish to hear. One way is to right-click the avatar you want to mute and select Mute.


If you have a hard time finding them but they're nearby, use the Active Speakers window:


  1. Click the Active Speakers button in the lower-right of your Viewer window. (It's to the left of Talk, and has an icon that looks like two dialog bubbles with voice waves.)
  2. Click the name of an avatar you wish to mute, then click the speaker icon next to the slider below.
  3. You'll see a red slashed "no" circle next to their name, indicating they've been muted.


Finally, you can use the Communicate window:


  1. Click the Communicate button.
  2. Click Local Chat tab.
  3. Click the < < button to expand a list of nearby chatters, including text-only chatters.
  4. Click the name of an avatar you wish to mute, then click the speaker icon next to the slider below.
  5. You'll see a red slashed "no" circle next to their name, indicating they've been muted.


How do I control the volume of another avatar?

This is useful if someone is too soft or too loud. This is similar to the muting steps above, except you'll be adjusting their volume slider instead of muting them entirely.


  1. Click the Active Speakers button in the lower-right of your Viewer window. (It's to the left of Talk and has an icon that looks like two dialog bubbles with voice waves.)
  2. Click the name of an avatar you wish to adjust volume for, then drag the slider to an optimum level.


Once more, you can alternatively use the Communicate window:


  1. Click the Communicate button.
  2. Click the Local Chat tab.
  3. Click the < < button to expand a list of nearby chatters, including text-only chatters.
  4. Click the name of an avatar you wish to adjust volume for, then drag the slider to an optimum level.


KBnote.png Note: Note: If someone sounds soft on their side and they have a terrible signal-to-noise ratio, they may sound very hissy when you turn them up. Whenever possible, voice input should be optimized at the source, meaning they should test their mic input volume â€" or failing that, get a better one altogether.


There are a lot of people talking at the same time. How do I know who's talking?

Voice is spatialized, similar to the real world. When others speak, you see their speaking indicators and hear their voices as they hear yours. Walk around someone who's speaking to hear their voice move around in 3D based on where you are relative to their avatar. If someone talks while moving closer to you, their voice gets louder. And if you speak while walking around someone else, they'll hear your voice go around them from your avatar's position.


Open the Active Speakers window by clicking the button to the left of the Talk button near the bottom-right of your Viewer window. The Active Speakers window shows a list of the Residents with voice enabled on the same channel. Usually, this is a public, open channel, but if you enter a private one-to-one or group voice chat, you'll see those participants in Active Speakers instead.


The participants list in the Communicate window â€"- expanded by clicking < < â€"- functions in the same way (for your active voice conversation, in an active tab). A dot appears beside each speaker's name in the Participants list, indicating who's speaking. The dot mimics the speaker's voice intensity indicator:


  • A green dot shows active speakers within normal volume range
  • A red dot shows an active speaker who's spoken too loudly.


In addition, the name of the Resident who spoke most recently appears at the top of the Active Speakers and participant lists. As the time since a speaker's last utterance passes, the speaker's name moves down the list and the dot next to the speaker's name fades to increasingly lighter shades of gray.


Resident names can also be sorted alphabetically in the Active Speakers and participants lists. Remember, to control the volume and mute settings for a particular speaker, just click the speaker's name in the list, then use the volume slider or speaker icon to make adjustments.


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Are there any gestures to use with voice, to make my speaking look more natural?

In real life, people tend to use body language while they talk. In Second Life, you can wear an initial set of "speech gestures" which make your avatar emote.


These speech gestures are randomly selected from nine different animations based on the intensity of your voice. These gestures are located in your Library's Gestures > Speech Gestures folder in your Inventory. There are three gesture sets containing three gestures each for low, medium, and high-intensity volumes.


  • To enable speech gestures, simply drag the Speech Gestures folder onto your avatar. This will copy them into a new location in your Inventory's My Inventory > Gestures folder.
  • To disable them, right-click the Speech Gestures folder in My Inventory (not Library) and select Take Off Items.


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I think I found a voice bug or problem. How do I file a bug report?

Please file a bug report on our Issue Tracker under:


  • Project: 1. Second Life Viewer - VWR
  • Issue Type: Bug


Proceed to the next screen, then make sure Component is Voice. Further instructions are there.