Hi Duck, You did the first test with the windows app and you said that the test confirms that your mic and headset is working, wich means that your PC is OK, and [glow=yellow,2,300]your good to go.[/glow] So here's what I learned about using voice thru the FSX multiplayer, most likely it's the other players that are not set up right, with that said here's what to do to make sure your multiplayer settings are working for you.
1st in your sound settings:
As you can see voice is at 100% and everything else I have set much lower. That's because it seems voice sets the standard for the
volume for the other sounds. The settings I have for engines for example is just enough for me to hear my engines at just the level I like cause I just can't fly with out listening to my motors. So set up the first 3 settings to your likeing, but going over 25% (especially for Environment) might be the limit, and engines depend on the aircraft for adjustment, for cockpit sounds I belive 10% is just right to stay that way.
I also have a logitech headset and mic, once you have the above the way you like, than you can control the main volume with the headset volume control. Now on to the most common problem(s) concerning multiplayer voice.
Lets go to Network Settings,
If your hosting a session, Voice compression depends on how much bandwidth you get from your ISP, the higher the #, the better the sound, but that's only on your end, if other players got a slower connection and low bandwidth [glow=yellow,2,300]than it's them [/glow]and not you, I have a really fast connection, and the default setting works just fine, I didn't see no difference at 128.000 Kbps, even with another player that we both set to that setting, so I just leave it on the default. Now if the host has it on a lower setting the sound is low volume and scratchy or broken-up, again not your problem, so let's move on to the next situation.
OK whether or not you are hosting or joining, these settings are the ones that have the most effect on the multiplayer voice.
#1: If I'm not hosting I usally stay away from sessions that have more than 20 players (25 at the max). Because if you don't have cooperation amongst players, everyone is stepping on each other, and like I mention at the begining, most players don't have (or don't know how) to get there settings right. That's why some come in really low or, to loud, or to broken-up. (Also, On a different note, I notice the sim gets laggy with to many players)
#2 Pretty obvious, Got to have Broadband and it seems alot of players don't know how there connected to the internet, and that drives me crazy when they keep checking in and out trying to use voice, cause that disrupts the connection and is the most cause of the sim crashing during multiplayer.
So to anyone else reading this,
please, if you don't have a broadband connection, your just going to have to deal with the chat window.
#3:As mentioned on #1, to many people on an open channel is chaos, enough said.
and #4: If you don't know how to use your radio, in real life , you wouldn't be aloud to fly an aircraft, (unless of course if you have a hearing disability). So I use,
Only activated using aircraft radios, because that's the way it is in real life, and if some one wants to be ATC they can use the tower frq or the Center frq, and not to get off subject but using the radio as real as it gets can get as sophisticated as having ATC from ground to take-off to departure,etc. Also you can have a privet conversation with another player on a different channel (that's the only flaw with FS radio, you don't have to worry about line of sight communication) Also It's easier to get rid of the rift raff, I have a code word for friends, to switch to, another channel when someone is being disruptive, love using that kick button!
So with all that said and done here's the last thing that causes the most problem for players using voice for the first time,
Using the default
CAPS LOCK on your keyboard as your mike button, just doesn't seem to work properly. So the cure for that is to assign a button on your joystick or yoke if you have one, which is much more realistic and works like using a real mike in a real aircraft. Here's how to do that:
STEP 1Open your controls setting
open buttons/keys
go to multiplayer
were it says, Transmit Voice
(START) delete all assignments
click new assignment
pick a button on your joystike/yoke
make sure the repeat slider is blank
STEP 2
...!
