SLMC

EvaMoon · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 748

For all the time I've been playing music in SL my sound has been fairly good - I've received no complaints and when I recorded and listened, it seemed fine. But suddenly just a couple weeks ago I started getting complaints that I was too hot and distorting. I've dropped and dropped and dropped levels - probably close to 50%. I can hardly hear my backing tracks when I sing. Some people say I sound fine, some say I'm distorting. I have NO idea what changed. One host told me I sounded fine on the stream outside SL while people in world were saying I was distorted.

This is driving me nuts and affecting my performance. I would love to have a good private sound session and either figure out what changed or find a new set up that will let me sound good and still be able to hear.

Is someone with good ears and a stream willing to help me out?

Thanks!

Eva
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EvaMoon · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 748

Oh, btw,

I'm on a Mac, using Nicecast. I have all my inputs going into a mixer. I run the left output channel into my computer and the right input channel into a monitor so I can in theory control the levels separately. I don't get stereo in world, but I don't imagine that's a huge issue for most users.
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EvaMoon Ember in SL

Eva Moon & the Lunatics
Musical mischief after dark
http://evamoon.net
Calendar: http://evamoon.net/sl
http://www.thesixtyone.com/evamoon

Lunatalk Blog: http://evamoon.net/blog

Nad · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Posts: 542 Location: at my puter.

Eva, have a look at this:

http://slmc.myfastforum.org/about1345.html

that plist file gets corrupted from time to time and causes all sorts a havok.

Save a copy of the file somewhere else, then delete it from where it lives and give it a try. If it fixes yer prob then there you go, if not just put the original file back into place.
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EvaMoon · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 748

Thanks! I'll try that too.
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EvaMoon Ember in SL

Eva Moon & the Lunatics
Musical mischief after dark
http://evamoon.net
Calendar: http://evamoon.net/sl
http://www.thesixtyone.com/evamoon

Lunatalk Blog: http://evamoon.net/blog

Norris Shepherd · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:47 pm Post subject:

hey Eva. Problem with asking a lot of people... is most people don't realise when something is peaking/distorting/sounding bad... so they might all hear, and half just don't know the difference. I've learned to only ask people whose ears i trust now.

I can give a listen if you want (if you trust my ears)... but i know nothing about Macs. Best way to test is to listen to the actual stream yourself, as opposed to listening to a recording of yourself on your computer.

Ummm.. you can send me an IM if you see me online, and I'll give a listen if you'd like.

EvaMoon · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 748

Hexx was SO kind and patient as to spend quite a lot of time working with me but it turns out I'll have to do it all over again. Not her fault, but mine.

When I ditched my prefs file I had to try to remember what my settings were and I had the wrong input set. I did a WHOLE SHOW with the sound going in through my built in mic instead of through the line in!

I was wondering why she kept asking me to turn up the backing tracks when they were so loud to me - and why the backing tracks disappeared when I tried headphones: the monitor is facing away from my computer and I'm standing closer to it, so my voice would come through louder.

I recorded part of the show and it's a miracle it sounded remotely listenable - I guess it's a testament to the quality of my iMac's onboard mic, but it wasn't good. Hexx even commented that it sounded "echoey" but we couldn't figure out why. Now I know.

So I'll need to do another soundcheck. Ugh and sorry, Hexx! I'm going to see if I can check locally first before I waste anyone else's time.

Eva
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EvaMoon Ember in SL

Eva Moon & the Lunatics
Musical mischief after dark
http://evamoon.net
Calendar: http://evamoon.net/sl
http://www.thesixtyone.com/evamoon

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Norris Shepherd · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 3:07 am Post subject:

Eva... i find the best way to test my sound is to listen to the stream's playback...

I set up to stream as I would normally, then i open the stream's url in internet explorer and click on 'listen'. In my case it opens Winamp to listen to the stream .. with a mac, it'll open up whatever.

The i stream for 30 seconds or so.... and listen to the playback.... adjust... re-stream.. adjust..

Only problem is if when listening to your stream, (depending on how you are configured, listening) you may re-send it back out onto the stream, creating a loop.

umm.. if you are more confused now than you were before, please just step away from this post, and pretend you never read it. Smile

EvaMoon · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 748

Not sure about the loop part, but I'm going to try something like that.

I don't have an actual stream of my own that I can use, but Nicecast lists a "Built in server" that I seems to work locally. I can at least record what goes through that and go back and forth listening and adjusting.

It's a start.
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EvaMoon Ember in SL

Eva Moon & the Lunatics
Musical mischief after dark
http://evamoon.net
Calendar: http://evamoon.net/sl
http://www.thesixtyone.com/evamoon

Lunatalk Blog: http://evamoon.net/blog

Norris Shepherd · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:12 pm Post subject:

Hey Eva.. i'll send you a note with my stream if you want to test it. Just be off by 1:30 SLT today, as i have a show.

The whole 'record' thing can be deceiving, because you may or may not be recording the signal before it gets shipped out to a server.

That last step of 'shipping it out' to the server may be where the distortion/problems are happening. I'll send you my stream, and see if you can play to the stream for 30 seconds or so... then listen when it gets back to your workstation via the stream.

EvaMoon · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 748

Thanks Norris. I got your notecard. I may not be able to do this today since I have an all day recording session. I will certainly check with you before I use your stream.

Eva
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EvaMoon Ember in SL

Eva Moon & the Lunatics
Musical mischief after dark
http://evamoon.net
Calendar: http://evamoon.net/sl
http://www.thesixtyone.com/evamoon

Lunatalk Blog: http://evamoon.net/blog