VATSIM Voice Codec Test Videos!

[Rob Nabieszko]

Howdy all!

 

First, I know there is a forum dedicated to picture/video posting, but I thought these are of great interest to the entire community. Hopefully these can lead to a lively discussion.

 

On November 15 2018, the VATSIM Technical Team hosted a live test of the NEW VATSIM VOICE CODEC on the network with a few select invitees. I am grateful to have been one of them.

 

I recorded a video of my flight that evening, and have split it into 3 parts. (Yes, the videos are long - some people enjoy my narration - see the video comments if you want to skip to specific video highlights.)

 

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

 

Thanks again to the team for the invitation. It was a privilege to participate, and sharing these videos with the community is also a privilege. I can't wait for this level of quality to be our every day experience.

 

Enjoy guys!

Rob

[Nick Warren]

Thank you for sharing these. I am looking forward to this. I'm particularly excited about the open frequency range. It may be a small learning curve for all to start using the published CTAF's, but it brings forth a new era in realism and accuracy.

[Dominic Russell 866138]

Hi

 

This all seems fantastic and something that a lot of people including myself are looking forward to. One question though is in regard to us FS9'ers . As swift development for fs2004 is not being worked on as per one of the other threads running in the forum we will not have a newer client to use for fs9 so will it there be any issue with using our wonderful older clients like FSinn with this new codec?

[Magnus Meese]

I believe voice will be treated through a separate client initially. Which is just as well, waiting for cross compatibility would be a major pain.

[Dominic Russell 866138]

I believe voice will be treated through a separate client initially. Which is just as well, waiting for cross compatibility would be a major pain.

 

Aaaaah. Well that would make sense. thanks

[Rob Nabieszko]

I believe voice will be treated through a separate client initially. Which is just as well, waiting for cross compatibility would be a major pain.

 

I believe this information is incorrect. While a special simple client has been deployed for beta testing, the plan AFAIK is to have the new voice system supported by existing clients. Unfortunately, the new system will render abandoned software unusable. If no one updates the FS9 client, it will be rendered text-only.

 

This is not my decision, btw. This is the way forward. The new system will be incompatible with the old system. I would suggest putting FSX on your Steam wishlist if you are still an FS9 user and want to continue using voice. FSX often comes on sale for under $10.

[Dominic Russell 866138]

Oh dear so that would spell the end of using fs9 on vatsim in that case.

 

Cheap on Steam for fsx maybe, however to get the same amount of add-ons to get it to the level I have now is many hundreds more... X plane will be the next sim for me but need to get the mega pc built first

[Randy Tyndall 1087023]

Really curious about this and it would seem either the left hand is not talking to the right hand...or one of them was severed and can't talk to the other because it no longer exists...

 

How did we go from this in the Blog spot from Tech Development...

 

My name is Zach Biesse-Fitton and I head up Technical Development on VATSIM...The new voice setup will be compatible with all the flight simulator platforms we currently support as well as all our ATC clients.

 

To this from a member of VATCAN with no indication that he is even involved in the development process...

 

...the plan AFAIK is to have the new voice system supported by existing clients. Unfortunately, the new system will render abandoned software unusable. If no one updates the FS9 client, it will be rendered text-only.

 

This is not my decision, btw. This is the way forward. The new system will be incompatible with the old system. I would suggest putting FSX on your Steam wishlist if you are still an FS9 user and want to continue using voice. FSX often comes on sale for under $10.

 

Just curious as the blog spot was only 4 months ago after a limited on-line test...Guess a lot can happen in 4 months... Probably a misunderstanding by me as I read the blog, especially when it specifically mentioned ATC clients to mean pilot clients too, but platform is not the same as client I guess.

 

Randy

[Mike Lehkamp]

This could be the absolute dumbest decision to exclude FS9 users which countless cockpit builders rely on since FSX/P3d architecture is horribly restrictive. We have entertained well over a hundred high school students in our motion simulator (FS9) which we connect to VATSIM. Fourteen of these students have advanced into aviation careers (to date) as a result of their interaction with the simulator. Three were awarded full scholarships to Embry.

 

Please rethink your logic on excluding FS9.

 

757simulator.com

[Nestor Perez]

It was somewhere mentiomed that ALL current clients will still be compatible. The only difference being that the newest ones will have it directly integrated while the 'oldest' will have to run it as a separate thing, but every single person on the network should be able to use voice.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Cheers,

[Ross Carlson]

I would caution people against reacting to statements from non-official sources. People in this thread are insinuating that FS9 support will be dropped, and as far as I can tell, no such decision has been made. Wait for the official word.

[Randy Tyndall 1087023]

Thanks Ross,

 

Apologies for the knee-jerk response. I can go either way...FSX with vPilot (although I currently use FSInn with FSX) or FS2004 with FSInn. I enjoy both platforms and both clients, although for me the additional abilities of FSInn are more attractive.

 

Quietly p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ed my 10-year anniversary as a member of VATSIM last month. I began with FSInn and FS2004 back then. Not being one with bottomless pockets I have painstakingly over time built up FS2004 with payware aircraft and sceneries which I have made sure I have updated to the current chart layout and location. Big event? FS2004 is my "go to" platform as I know I'm not going to stutter, lag, freeze.

 

Although I use it as well, the same cannot be said, for me at least, about FSX. I just don't have the funds...or being 65 years old perhaps the time...to "begin anew". I do add to FSX and I am slowly getting it "ready" should the powers that be decide to euthanize my trusted FS2004/FSInn "warhorse". Still, it will be sad to see them "put down".

 

Keeping FS2004 and FSInn in consideration means a lot to me. Losing them would not be the end of the world. The "world" would just not be as interesting, though, without them. I understand time and hardware marches on...I truly do.

 

Randy

[Ross Carlson]

As a developer, I hope we will drop support for FSInn and Squawkbox because they quite literally hold us back from technological progress. The same cannot be said about FS9, (at least not anywhere near the same degree,) and the decision to continue to support FS9 should be based on the effort required to do so compared against the size of the user base. I don't know how many active FS9 users there are, but my suspicion is that it is enough to continue support. Of course, that's easy for me to say because I don't have to support it with vPilot. It'll be up to the swift developers to provide FS9 support once we retire FSInn.

[Randy Tyndall 1087023]

...It'll be up to the swift developers to provide FS9 support once we retire FSInn.

 

Understood...completely. And, what I hope you meant to say here was...

 

"It'll be up to the swift developers to provide FS9 support [before] we retire FSInn".

 

Randy

[Ross Carlson]

what I hope you meant to say here was...

 

"It'll be up to the swift developers to provide FS9 support [before] we retire FSInn".

 

Nah, I'm fine with those two things happening at the same time.

[Dominic Russell 866138]

Thanks all. I think my original question is answered as best as it can be for now. I'll keep an eye out for any official communication.

[Andreas Fuchs]

At the moment the team of swift is focussing on modules for FSX/P3D and X-Plane. If there's anyone capable and willing to create a module to connect swift Core to FS9, please speak up!

[Daniel Morris 1132365]

short and sweet:

Supporting legacy tech holds back new tech

 

What we're seeing is a fantastic update in communications, if it means sidelining a sim that is -15- years old then do it.

Isn't it harsh to bring down the rest of us using newer sims because we're being held back by those refusing to move on? I say so...

 

Also is it sad I check almost daily to see any progress on this?

Can't wait!

[Dominic Russell 866138]

I think if there is a user base then that is probably what is being considered and those of us on fs9 are fewer and fewer each year for sure. Fsx is 13 years old! Fs9 is only two behind that.

I don't think anyone suggests halting development just because of us fs9ers but we'd like to be taken into consideration as the cost to get a new PC and all the same scenery coverage, aircraft etc adds up to a very large amount so it's not always a flat out refusal to move on, I wish I could sometimes . After being a vatsim member for around 14 years it's something I would like to still be able to enjoy.

 

I see we are being considered and appreciate that a lot so hopefully I can and look forward to testing the new voice too if not then that is life.

[Ross Carlson]

At the moment the team of swift is focussing on modules for FSX/P3D and X-Plane. If there's anyone capable and willing to create a module to connect swift Core to FS9, please speak up!

 

I'm told by the swift devs that they actually already have it working with FS9.

[Randy Tyndall 1087023]

short and sweet: Supporting legacy tech holds back new tech...if it means sidelining a sim that is -15- years old then do it...Isn't it harsh to bring down the rest of us using newer sims because we're being held back by those refusing to move on? I say so...

 

Would that be the newer sim and system that breaks for 4 or 5 days after every windows update? Yeah, advancement is always a good thing. Same sim that countless PMDG users constantly complain about over at AVSIM because their system protections and settings block important data? I rarely go to AVSIM Forums these days because all I am going to see is someone asking how to make P3Dv4.3 work with Windows 10 and how to get their ultra gee whiz "study level" PMDG to work with both Windows and P3Dv4.3 "New Tech" is great, isn't it?

 

Daniel, I don't begrudge you a thing and if you have ever looked over any of my posts I have never suggested we let FS2004 "hold back" anyone, let alone someone waiting breathlessly for "New Tech" as they spend an average of 7.3 hours on the network per year since 2009. Yeah, see, the first thing I do is look at the size of the soapbox the most vocal people are standing on.

 

I myself, like Dominic...

if not then that is life

have always taken the same approach. If FS2004 has to go, then that is the way it has to be. But unlike many FSX, xPlane11, and P3Dv4 users, I have never, nor would I ever, suggest that those platforms not be allowed to use the network, nor have I seen any other FS2004 users suggest it. And yet the FS2004 users constantly get told to get their old ball off the court and go home. I completely understand that xPlane11 and P3Dv4 is simply amazing! Unfortunately, I never could find the clothing store where they sell the pants with bottomless pockets that always have the exact amount of cash we need to rebuild for FSX, xPlane11, or P3Dv4 what we spent hard earned money over years and years to build with FS2004.

 

We, the FS2004 users, understand full well that time and knowledge and tech levels march on. We just want to be allowed to continue our march and not be told to go sit down because we're too old. Developers are trying to do that for us and I know, like Dominic, I appreciate that we are still allowed in the arena. We all share the same p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ion, I just wasn't aware that sharing that p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ion was reserved only for the latest and greatest with pockets full.

 

Randy

[Roland Rossgotterer 104726]

If I may jump in - I’m one of the swift developers and the guy that implemented FS9 support. So as Ross said, swift is already fully supporting FS9. It was very difficult to get it working since the Microsoft Multiplayer SDK is simply wrong and a copy of FS2002. But many things were changed in FS2004, so it was a lot reverse engineering required. Compared to FSX, P3D or XP the API is very limited, hence we cannot guarantee the same good experience in FS9. For example in all other sims, the aircrafts are always rendered on ground. There is no scenery offset. However the required input for this algorithm is not available in FS9 so here you will see planes above/below ground. However it is my understanding that FSinn has the same problem. So swift should be at the same feature level as FSinn FS9 wise.

So far no one expressed interest in testing swift with FS9, so allow me ask here explicitly for testers. I would like to see how good we are and what is still missing. There might be bugs, since it’s almost only tested by 2-3 guys so far. So don’t give up to fast. If you are interested, ping me here.

 

Obviously this all means that FS9 users will have a maintained client that is actively supporting the new voice system once it’s ready. [Mod - Happy Thoughts]uming of course that you like swift as client and are willing to use it instead of FSinn. Something we still need to see

[Andreas Fuchs]

Oh, this is news to me! I do have FS9 with all bells and whistles installed, but since we were that swift was for FSX/P3D and XP only, due to to the difficulties described by you, I switched to XP.... Well, then...

[Roland Rossgotterer 104726]

Please give it a try with the 32 bit installer! I would be very happy to receive some feedback from a regular user.

[Randy Tyndall 1087023]

I use FS9 and FSInn with VATSIM and would be more than happy to be a Swift tester if current testers other than Andreas don't have FS9. I use Win7 64-bit, but I'm [Mod - Happy Thoughts]uming the 32-bit installer has to be used since the platform is 32-bit.

 

Randy