Unacceptable sudden volume increase

[Jason Cochran]

At 0158Z on 2019-10-21, while controlling MIA_TWR and monitoring MIA_GND during an OTS exam, DAL1817 transmitted a read back of a clearance. The transmission began at a normal volume, consistent with the volume of all other aircraft on the frequency.

 

Over the course of the next three seconds, his transmission became ear-piercingly loud (accompanied by audio artifacts that were not speech), which cause both me and the other controller to need to remove our headphones to avoid hearing damage. This was not just loud, this was the equivalent of someone blowing a whistle about three inches from the ear. Other controllers listening to us via TeamSpeak could hear the noise re-transmitted through our microphones when we opened the TeamSpeak push-to-talk.

 

This is not the same as the known issue with the default Windows communication device that causes audio to get louder or softer due to Windows audio settings. This temporarily affected one aircraft and was resolved on his next transmission.

 

Other aircraft on frequency reported that they did not hear the sudden audio increase, leading me to believe it was something wrong with the standalone AFV client through which VRC was connected for both controllers.

 

In any case, this should be investigated to avoid such dangerous situations from recurring. If the problem lay in the client, perhaps the client can be adjusted to attenuate any audio that exceeds some volume?

Edited April 26, 2020 at 03:32 PM by Nestor Perez
Merged topics

[Jason Cochran]

Another relevant detail: when I asked the pilot what happened, he said he adjusted his microphone gain mid-transmission. I do not know whether that was the cause, nor am I certain of the mechanics of how he adjusted the gain. I'm quite certain that the pilot did not cause this to happen on purpose.

[Ivan Duris]

Hello,

 

in my opinion change gain is not correct procedure without disconnection from Net. I expect this change inside OS, within use Vatsim Net this can be problem. I see correct steps disconnect from AFV, change MIC settings in OS if needed, run AFV and change again MIC settings there and then Connect.

 

OM-ICO

[Andreas Fuchs]

Was it like this? WARNING: LOUD!!

 

[Jason Cochran]

Very similar. Although a bit longer in duration. Also, love flightdeck2sim.

[Gary Oliver]

Thanks for another report on this, we shall continue to try and find the cause and fix it!

 

Thanks

Gary

[Kyle Lee]

Hello

I also often have this situation.

My client: VP & ES+AFV.

Win10 system. Independent sound card

Communications: Select Do Nothing

Im not sure that turning off the real ATC simulation effects will help this situation.

--I will try more.

And hope to have a better and simpler solution.

RIP my ears

by the way. The situation in that youtu video is exactly the same as mine.

- Kyle

[Matt Mamuzich]

I believe I caught the issue again tonight and clipped it. Not sure if it helps without any logs but thought Id post.

 

https://clips.twitch.tv/SolidHilariousAntelopePicoMause

[Alexander Eichinger]

I experience the same issue, but on vPilot. Volume returns to normal as soon as there is a break in transmission (frequency goes quiet).

 

I've noticed that it will also sustain at the very high volume if transmissions happen in quick succession. Only once the frequency has two seconds without transition, the volume will return to normal.

 

I have not yet identified a cause for this, appears to be random ...

 

Win 10, profession, P3D V4 and latest vPilot.

[Don Desfosse]

Just checking -- had you seen and tried this: https://audio.vatsim.net/docs/2.0/faq/common-issues

[Christoph Schlegelmilch]

Gary,

 

Could Mark identify the cause for the sudden volume increase? I did some flights in the past couple of days after being occupied with real life for the past weeks and did still experience it on every single flight.

 

More information about my configuration:

https://forums.vatsim.net/viewtopic.php?p=538269#p538269

 

Thanks and best,

Christoph

[Samuel Rey]

Sorry for the necropost - is there any known solution? this also happens to me on AFV standalone, latest version while controlling. It's very, very loud and I have to take off my headset to not burst my eardrums (really - it's loud even with the headset off)

[Petter Storvik]

me too

[Nestor Perez]

Just to try: Can you guys try lowering the volume in the standalone settings to the minimum (and make it louder in Windows if needed)? I've had this happen to myself as well with both xPilot and the standalone client (they all use the same code for voice) but unfortunately have been unable to reproduce it. Whilst trying to debug this I realized that having my volume settings like that seemed to have solved the issue (at least for me).

Please let us know here if you try and what the outcome is 😁

Edited April 14, 2020 at 03:23 PM by Nestor Perez

[Samuel Rey]

I'll let you know, unfortunately, I can't control much this week, so it might take me a while to test it.

[Kyle Lee]

On 10/26/2019 at 1:01 AM, Kyle Lee said:

Hello

I also often have this situation.

My client: VP & ES+AFV.

Win10 system. Independent sound card

Communications: Select Do Nothing

Im not sure that turning off the real ATC simulation effects will help this situation.

--I will try more.

And hope to have a better and simpler solution.

RIP my ears

by the way. The situation in that youtu video is exactly the same as mine.

- Kyle

Turning off the ATC simulation effect can completely prevent this from happening. 

The question maybe is about the opus decoding used by the simulation effect.
If you are not willing to turn off this effect, please make sure that the main volume of Vpoilt & xpoilt or standalone client does not exceed  0. This can reduce the problem of sound "BOMB"

[Robert Shearman Jr]

13 minutes ago, Kyle Lee said:

please make sure that the main volume of Vpoilt & xpoilt or standalone client does not exceed  0. This can reduce the problem of sound "BOMB"

Interesting observation -- I have NEVER had this happen to me on either my flying or controlling computer, and I've often wondered what magic antibody has made me immune.  I do believe, however, that I have left the output volume within the audio settings at "0" and adjusted output volume externally (via Windows Sound Mixer and/or VoiceMeeter).

Hopefully it's a clue, finally, on how to stop it from happening for so many others.

[Nestor Perez]

It doesn't happen to many users with the volume over 0 (AFV Devs, for example), so unfortunately it's not too valid... nor is there any proof that it doesn't happen to users with it at 0 or below, unfortunately 🙄

[Kyle Lee]

However, I have already had this situation, and doing so has indeed reduced the possibility of this situation. From regular to occasional.

So, I still want to know the ultimate solution. Even if +18 is used normally. (When the ATC simulation effect is turned on

Edited April 14, 2020 at 04:34 PM by Kyle Lee

[Samuel Rey]

On 4/14/2020 at 6:21 PM, Nestor Perez said:

It doesn't happen to many users with the volume over 0 (AFV Devs, for example), so unfortunately it's not too valid... nor is there any proof that it doesn't happen to users with it at 0 or below, unfortunately 🙄

I've tested with the volume of 0, it does still happen but since it has a lower volume it doesn't get ear piercingly loud.

[Nestor Perez]

Have you tried with it at -72? I still experienced the issue at 0, but not at -72

[Robert Shearman Jr]

That makes me wonder whether it's a sort of recursive feedback loop, wherein any value above 0 continually amplifies it.  Would I be wrong in my impression that two aircraft keying up simultaneously seems to trigger it?

If any of this is useful, would someone connect these thoughts with the dev team?  I'm not on that Discord anymore. 

[Nestor Perez]

I am in that Discord, and I am one of their team, which is why I keep asking the question that nobody has yet answered 🙂

Edited April 20, 2020 at 10:31 PM by Nestor Perez

[Samuel Rey]

1 hour ago, Nestor Perez said:

Have you tried with it at -72? I still experienced the issue at 0, but not at -72

I'm currently online so I'll test it out, although the issue is a bit random as you may know so it might take a while to appear.

[Kyle Lee]

Actually, I also encountered this problem in teamspeak3.
In the game, the voice of teammates suddenly became infinitely louder.

:(

Edited April 24, 2020 at 05:54 PM by Kyle Lee