TLVW10 SL sound setup, use and troubleshooting guidelines
(C) Wlodek Barbosa
Second Life is complex (as is First Life :-). Some of this complexity has to do with the user interface. Some of that complexity is related to liberally understood 'audio' issues, from general sound setup, through environmental sounds and sounds embedded in objects, to voice chat. Some of the obstacles SL 'newbies' experience as part of their first few hours in-world are: (i) proper microphone/headset setup, (ii) controlling the sound sliders on the SL screen, (iii) muting unwanted audio, (iv) participating in a voice discussion.
In this document some basic sound setup, use and troubleshooting guidelines are provided, based on my own SL experience. There is also an extensive (and searchable) knowledge database wiki where most such technical issues are explained in relatively simple language, for example at http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Voice_FAQ. But with details of the SL on-screen setup and control it is probably easier to refer to video help and explanation. Below you'll find some links to Torley Linden's video tutorials on these issues. His tutorials are available from various sites, but it seems that YouTube is the most universally known and has the fastest servers. You'll find hundreds of Torley's tutorials on YouTube; the ones here have been hand-picked to refer to audio issues in particular. Because audio is so inextricably intertwined with voice communication in-world, and that -- with text chat, some links to tutorials on the latter are also provided.
Please let me know of any gaps/flaws in this document -- Wlodek Barbosa (SL)
Barbosa's SL audio troubleshooting checklist:
1. You can hear no sound?
- check if your headset is connected to your computer
- check if you can play ordinary sound files (like mp3 fies) in your Windows/Mac OS
- check if the sound is not muted in the SL sound control panel (crossed loudspeaker icon, bottom of SL screen)
- check if there's anybody in the Active Speakers window (click baloons icon, next to voice button, bottom of SL screen)
- check if some avatars are not muted (you wil see them as grey cutout figures on your screen)
- check if voice chat is allowed on the sim/parcel (crossed loudspeaker icon, top of SL screen)
- do audio setup in SL (Ctrl-P --> Voice Chat --> Device Settings --> Default; and other options)
- see here if you're behind your office firewall
2. You can hear no music?
- check if your headset is connected to your computer
- check if you can play ordinary sound files (like mp3 fies) in your Windows/Mac OS
- check if the sound is not muted in the SL sound control panel (crossed loudspeaker icon, bottom of SL screen)
- check if [play streaming music] is allowed in audio/video tab in Preferences (Ctrl-P --> Audio & Video)
- check if [play streaming media] is allowed in audio/video tab in Preferences (Ctrl-P --> Audio & Video)
- check if music is not muted in the sound control slider panel (open it, bottom of SL screen)
- check if streaming music/media is allowed on the sim/parcel (are the icons active or muted at bottom of SL screen?)
- check if there's something entered in the [About Land --> Media tab] under Music/Media URL (top of SL screen)
3. You cannot speak?
- check if your headset is connected to your computer
- check if the sound controls on your headset (if any) are in the [on] position
- check if you can record voice in your system (sound recorder)
- check if voice chat is enabled in your Preferences (Ctrl-P --> Voice Chat)
- check if voice chat is allowed on the sim/parcel (crossed loudspeaker icon, top of SL screen)
- check if there's a white dot above your avatar head
- check if you've pressed the [speak] button (bottom right of SL screen)
- check if there're green sound waves around the white dot when you start speaking
- do audio setup in SL (Ctrl-P --> Voice Chat --> Device Settings --> Input Level, and other options)
- see here if you're behind your office firewall
4. There's echo/interference in voice communication in-world?
- use a headset, rather than mike+loudspeakers (they generate a sound loop)
- use a USB headset, rather than an analog one with a 3.5 mm jack plug (you bypass your sound card this way)
- mute your mike when you're not speaking (check if you've not locked it in the 'open' position - padlock icon)
- adjust you audio input level (in Ctrl-P --> Voice Chat setup) so that the sound level does not reach red
- ask other speakers to mute their mikes when they're not speaking
- mute the speaker who does not conform to the above (right-click the avatar --> mute from pie menu)
Torley's video tutorials on SL sound:
Torley's video tutorials on voice chat:
Torley's video tutorials on text chat:
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