Chapter 3
The Audio Tool
Overview
The Audio Tool enables voice communication with other conference members. The Audio Tool functions similarly to a speaker phone, allowing you to participate in a conference call with other users.
This chapter covers
- the Audio Tool window
- Audio Tool Configuration
- starting an audio conference
- Audio Tool controls
The Audio Tool Window
Clicking the Audio Tool’s icon in the Conference Manager launches the Audio Tool.
The Audio Tool’s interface consists of the Menu Bar, the Toolbar, the audio meter, and the Status Bar.
The Menu Bar
The Menu Bar is located at the top of the Audio Tool window and consists of the Audio, Options, and Help menus.
There are three options in the Audio menu:
Input—used to select the audio driver which will be used to record the audio you send to other conference members. The selections available here will be determined by your hardware configuration.
Output—used to select the audio driver which will be used to play back audio received from other conference members. The selections available here will be determined by your hardware configuration.
Close—closes the Audio Tool window.
There are four items in the Options menu:
Silence Sensor—Toggles the silence sensor on and off.
Recipients—Select which users you wish to send audio to.
Mixer—Brings up the audio mixer (if available) supplied with your audio card.
Auto Start—Allows you to configure the Audio Tool’s start-of-conference behavior.
There are two options in the Help menu:
Contents—provides access to the online help for the audio tool.
About—provides information about the Audio Tool.
The Toolbar
Below the Menu Bar is the Toolbar, which contains five buttons that provide you with shortcuts to various menu functions. When you pause the mouse pointer over one of the buttons for a few seconds, a Tool Tip will appear, identifying its function.
The Audio Meter
Located just below the Toolbar are two audio level meters. The top meter, Send Level, is identified by the microphone symbol and represents the level of audio coming into your microphone. The bottom meter is Receive Level and is identified by the Speaker symbol. The Receive Level shows the volume of the audio you are receiving from other conference members. As audio is sent and received by your PC the green bars will change to indicate the current volume level.
The Status Bar
The Status Bar provides hints on the usage of menu items and reports the status of the Audio Tool. When you move your mouse pointer over a menu item, a short note appears in the Status Bar to remind you of that item’s functions. The Status Bar will also be used to inform you of any changes you have made in the Audio Tool, such as starting or stopping audio functions.
Audio Tool Configuration
To send audio to other conference members you will need to verify that your audio equipment is set up properly and that the correct audio drivers have been selected.
Audio Equipment Setup
The Audio Tool can send audio to other conference members by capturing audio from a microphone, VCR, or other audio source. External speakers will normally be used for audio play back.
If you are using the Audio Tool for the first time, you will need to configure your equipment before sending audio or receiving any audio. Because the Audio Tool can use many different audio cards, the exact setup procedures will depend on your hardware. Please refer to your manufacturer’s documentation for details on configuring your audio card and audio drivers.
1. The Call Port, microphone or other audio source should be plugged into your sound card’s audio input jack. Refer to your audio card’s documentation for details on connecting your microphone.
2. If your microphone requires external power or batteries, make sure they are in place and the microphone is switched on. (MDL’s microphones are powered by one AA battery.)
3. External speakers should be connected to the appropriate audio output jack on the sound board. If your speakers require external power or batteries, make sure they are in place and the speakers are turned on.
4. Check for proper operation of the installed sound card or cards. Some sound cards come with their own diagnostic and test software. Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for information on how to verify that your sound board is installed correctly and functioning properly.
Audio Driver Selection
Once you have your hardware properly installed you need to tell Communique! which sound card driver to use for audio recording and which driver should be used for audio playback.
It is important to understand the meaning of full-duplex audio. Full duplex means that you can both record and play back audio simultaneously. Without full-duplex capability (half-duplex) you must switch back and forth between sending and receiving modes, like with a "push to talk" CB radio.
There are several configurations which will provide full-duplex capability.
- Two single half-duplex audio cards, each with its own half-duplex driver.
- A single full-duplex audio card with a full-duplex driver.
- A single audio card with two separate audio drivers.
If you must use a half-duplex configuration then you will need to manually switch between sending and receiving audio. Refer to your manufacturer’s documentation for information on which drivers are available for your sound card.
You should configure your audio devices before joining a conference. Select your audio input and output drivers as outlined below:
1. In the Audio Tool make sure that the Send and Receive buttons (the ones with the pictures of a microphone and a speaker respectively) on the Toolbar are not enabled. You cannot configure your input or output drivers while audio conferencing.
2. From the Audio menu’s Input option select the audio driver you wish to use for recording outgoing audio during the conference. You may select the same driver for both Output and Input only if the driver supports full duplex audio.
3. From the Audio menu’s Output option select the audio driver you wish to use for playing back incoming audio during the conference. You may select the same driver for both Output and Input only if the driver supports full duplex audio.
If you do not see any audio drivers listed in the Input and Output submenus, you may not have properly installed your audio drivers. Consult the documentation supplied with your sound card for proper Windows audio driver installation instructions.
Starting an Audio Conference
You can only send and receive audio when you are participating in a conference. Follow these steps to enable audio once you are in an active conference.
1. From the Conference Manager window, click on the Audio Tool button (the one with the picture of a microphone) to bring up the Audio Tool interface.
2. If you wish to activate your microphone and begin transmitting audio click on the Send button (the one with the picture of a microphone).
Communique! will now begin sending audio to other conference members. As you speak the audio meter will indicate your sending level. Whenever your sending volume exceeds the Silence Sensor limit (discussed below), audio will be transmitted to the conference. If the meter does not show a strong enough audio signal, try increasing your input volume with the audio Mixer (discussed under "Basic Audio Tool Controls") or lowering your Silence Sensor setting.
3. If you wish to enable audio playback, click on the Receive button (the one with the picture of a microphone).
If other conference members are sending audio to you, the audio meter will indicate the level of the incoming audio. If the meter indicates that audio is being received but you do not hear anything, make sure that your equipment is properly connected and that you have not disabled the remote user’s audio in the Audio/Video Receiver. If the audio you hear is too quiet, try increasing your output volume with the audio Mixer (discussed under "Basic Audio Tool Controls").
You can enable both Send and Receive modes only if you have full-duplex audio capabilities. See the section on selecting audio drivers for more information on full-duplex audio.
Audio Tool Controls
The Audio Tool provides a simple set of controls for Communique! audio conferencing.
Choosing Audio Recipients
Unless otherwise specified, Communique! sends your audio to all conference members. You can use the Audio Recipients list to select who you wish to send audio to.
1. Select the Recipients option under the Audio menu. You can also access the Audio Recipients list by clicking on the Recipients button on the toolbar (the one with the picture of people on it).
The Audio Recipients dialog box will appear.
Everyone involved in the conference (other than yourself) will be listed with a corresponding check box. If a conference member’s check box is selected (marked with an "X") they will receive audio from you. To stop receiving audio from a specific member use the Audio/Video Receiver as discussed earlier in the Conference Manager chapter.
2. Select the conference members from whom you wish to receive audio. Click on Close when you are satisfied with your selections.
If you are currently sending audio your changes will take effect immediately. Otherwise, video will be sent only to the selected members the next time you start sending audio.
The Audio Recipients information is not saved from conference to conference. If you do not want to send audio to all conference members, you will need to update your Audio Recipients list each conference.
Adjusting Volume Levels
All audio level adjustments are made from within the Mixer software supplied with the audio card installed in your PC. The Mixer is used to control both the send and receive levels. To bring up your audio card’s Mixer controls select the Mixer option from the Audio menu.
Since each sound card comes with its own Mixer software, you will need to tell Communique! where the Mixer software is installed on your hard drive. The first time you select the Mixer option you will be asked to specify the path to the Mixer software.
Using the Windows file browser presented, select the Mixer software provided with your sound card. If you are unfamiliar with the Mixer’s location and file name, refer to the documentation supplied with your sound card for more information.
Once the Audio Tool has been configured with the correct Mixer file, it will automatically bring up the selected audio Mixer application when "Mixer" is selected from the Audio menu.
The exact Mixer options available to you will depend on the type of audio card installed in your PC and the software provided by your audio card manufacturer. Generally the Mixer will let you adjust the volume of both incoming and outgoing audio. For instructions on the proper use of your Mixer application, refer to your audio card manufacturer’s documentation.
If the sound coming from all conference participants is too soft or too loud, adjust your speaker or output volume. However, if only a single conference member is too loud or soft while everybody else is fine, ask that person to adjust their microphone’s gain or their audio sending level appropriately.
Adjusting the Silence Sensor
The Silence Sensor improves audio reception and reduces the amount of network traffic created by the audio signal by filtering out low-level background noise. When sound picked up by the microphone falls below the Silence Sensor level no audio is transmitted to conference members.
To enable the Silence Sensor select the "Silence Sensor" option from the Options menu or click on the Silence Sensor button on the toolbar. A check mark will indicate that it has been selected. When the Silence Sensor is enabled you will see a yellow bar in the Send level meter. The Silence Sensor usually needs to be adjusted during initial equipment setup because of the significant variations in hardware sensitivity and conferencing environments. A good setting allows for the clear broadcast of audio when you speak, but filters out background noise.
To adjust the Silence Sensor level, position the cursor over the bar and drag it to the left or right. When you are in a conference and you are not speaking, the green bar graph in the audio meter indicates the ambient noise level. The Silence Sensor should be positioned just to the right of this level.
If other conference members constantly hear a great deal of ambient noise coming from your location, including the sound of your own speakers (creating an echo), you need to raise the level of the Silence Sensor. Improper setting of the Silence Sensor can cause your audio to sound choppy and broken. If you are being cut off mid-sentence you should reduce the Silence Sensor level by dragging it to the left.
Properly setting the Silence Sensor is critical to obtaining high quality audio conferencing, especially if three or more members are in the conference. You should generally leave the Silence Sensor enabled for best results.
Configuring Startup Behavior
By default, when you join a conference, you have to start sending audio manually by launching the Audio Tool. You can also set the Audio Tool to automatically send or receive audio when you join a conference. You can also set the Audio Tool so that when you join a conference, the Audio tool is automatically launched.
To change these settings, select Auto Start... from the Audio Tool’s Options menu. There are three selectable options: Receive, Send and Popup Audio Tool.
When Receive is on, you will automatically listen to audio sent by others when a conference is started; if it is off you will have to start receiving audio manually. The Send option works the same way; when it is on, you transmit audio as soon as a conference begins.
If you are using a half-duplex audio configuration, you will be able to either send or receive audio automatically, but not both.
When Popup Audio Tool is on, the Audio Tool will appear when you join conferences. Otherwise, you will have to launch the Audio tool manually.
Minimizing the Audio Tool
Once the Audio Tool has been configured for the correct audio levels, there is no need to have the window open on the desktop. Closing the Audio Tool window will not interfere with your ability to send or receive conference audio.
To close the window, select Close from the window control area in the upper left hand corner of the Audio Tool window. If you would like to have quick access to the Audio Tool throughout the conference, it can be minimized into an icon at the bottom of the desktop by clicking on the window minimize button in the upper right hand corner of the window. Either option will allow you to continue to use Audio Tool, but will leave more of your desktop free for other Communique! tools.