This website is dedicated to the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus
v004 modified 2022 May 17 23:19 Prevailing Eastern Time (to use an old version, go to the version history)
Not sure what equipment makes sense for you? Use the questionnaire. Are you an experienced user looking for something less detailed and more general? Try the CHORALE handout.
For authoritative Soundjack references, see Dr. Ian Howell and Kayla Gautereaux's Soundjack bootcamp video archive, Dr. Howell's Soundjack guide, and Dr. Alex Carôt's 10 commandments. Getting started with Soundjack is good preparation for using other low-latency applications like SonoBus.
Connectivity | Computer and USB Audio Interface | Microphone, headphones, & audio cables |
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Broadband, low-jitter internet connectionYou have fiber-optic internet.You have cable internet. Note: DSL might also work, but will likely require contacting the phone company to disable interleaving; a technician might be dispatched to move copper wiring around to reduce line noise. Home networking(A) Main router that can be reached by Ethernet cable from computer without repeater/extenderIf you prefer to run a single cable for most of the length between the router and computer, use an Ethernet switch: Linksys SE3005 ($35) and an Ethernet cable that connects switch → router: 8' ($15) 14' ($20) 25' ($25) 50' ($38) 100' ($45) 150' ($55) |
(C) Computeron.COMPSoundjack and video will run on the computer. An additional fastmusic box will not be used. ≳ 4-core vintage 2017 laptop Core i7The processor need not carry the i7 moniker. For example a desktop quad-core Core i3-8100 @ 3.60 GHz and a laptop quad-core Core i7-8650U @ 1.90 GHz have comparable benchmarks. If a CPU has at least 4 cores and a benchmark at least in the 6200ish range, I think the CPU is fast enough for Soundjack (assuming some other process isn't hogging CPU). If your computer does not have an Ethernet port, use an Ethernet-to-USB adapter. Please pay attention to which type of connector, USB-C or USB-A, you'd like to use, and please check that you are happy with the number of USB expansion ports provided by the Ethernet-to-USB adapter you select. uni USB-C to Ethernet, 3 USB-A ($21) vilcome USB-C to ports including Ethernet, 3 USB-A ports, and a USB-C port with power delivery ($32) j5create JCA374 USB-C to Ethernet, 2 USB-A, HDMI ($50) j5create JUH470 USB-A to Ethernet, 3 USB-A ($35) (B) Ethernet cable to connect computer → router (or Ethernet switch): 8' ($15) 14' ($20) 25' ($25) 50' ($38) 100' ($45) 150' ($55) on.FMBSoundjack will run on a fastmusic box (FMB). The computer will be used for video. (D) Ethernet cable to connect FMB → router (or Ethernet switch):8' ($15) 14' ($20) 25' ($25) 50' ($38) 100' ($45) 150' ($55) (E) Fastmusic Box (FMB) Prebuilt ($268) Buy parts & assemble (~$190)
(F,G) USB cable & Audio interface
Latency data are found at the Symonics website. For a mic, and possibly a monaural connection to a digital piano:Behringer UM2 ($45, MSRP $74) Scarlett Solo ($120, MSRP $150) For a mic and a stereo connection to a digital piano: Yamaha AG03 Mk2 ($190, MSRP $216) For a mic, a stereo connection to a digital piano, and stereo connection to an iPhone's line-out: Yamaha AG06 Mk2 ($230, MSRP $265) For 2 condenser mics (e.g. accompanist with acoustic piano): Scarlett 2i2 ($170, MSRP $210) Other: |
(H) XLR Cable
3' ($18) 5' ($20) 15' ($30) 25' ($40) 50' ($65) See Dr. Ian Howell's microphone advice. MIC.1Use a headworn mic (suggested if your audio equipment will also be used for routine work-from-home) (I) In-line preamp & (J) Headworn condenser micShure PGA31 + BETA preamp ($139 combined) Shure SM35 ($159) (includes BETA preamp) Other: MIC.2Use a side-address condenser mic (K) Side-address condenser micAudio Technica AT2035 ($149) Lewit LCT 240 Pro ($159) Other: Mic stand: Desktop mic stand ($20) Floor mic stand without boom ($32) Røde PSA1 Desk-mounted boom arm ($99) MIC.3Use a dynamic microphone (nice if you're just singing and/or don't need to move around a lot while on calls) (L) Dynamic micBehringer XM8500 ($20) Shure SM48 ($50) Shure SM58 ($99, MSRP $129) Other: Mic stand: Desktop mic stand ($20) Floor mic stand without boom ($32) Røde PSA1 Desk-mounted boom arm ($99) MIC.4Use an omnidirectional condenser microphone (captures sound of room in addition to singer—useful for classical voice lessons) (M) Omnidirectional condenser micBehringer ECM8000 ($30, MSRP $104) Beyerdynamic MM-1 ($173, MSRP $199) Other: Mic stand: Desktop mic stand ($20) ⭐ Floor mic stand without boom ($32) Røde PSA1 Desk-mounted boom arm ($99) See Dr. Howell's Soundjack guide pp. 60-62. Grado SR80e ($94) Grado SR60x ($99) Yamaha HPH-150B ($100) Grado SR80x ($125) Roland RH-A7 ($150) Other: |
Some FMBs are configured to power on upon connecting to wall power. If your FMB does not automatically power on upon connecting to wall power, click your FMB 's Power Button to turn your FMB ON.
These instructions are for changing a Windows registry entry so that Soundjack can use Focusrite Scarlett USB audio interfaces with lower buffer settings (otherwise rhythmic interaction is not possible). The instructions are lightly adapted from Jörg Spix's post at Soundjack Support Form Post # 4780.
It's not always necessary to explore the router settings, but optimizing settings now can help us to avoid headaches that can potentially occur when trying to troubleshoot issues when attempting to connect with multiple people later. Video-walkthroughs of router settings for Soundjack are available at Dr. Ian Howell and Kayla Gautereaux's video bootcamp archive.
Dear Router, | Router settings | |
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➀ |
Permanently assign my
computer an only-within home network IP address of 192.168.1.12
FMB an only-within home network IP address of 192.168.1.23
. Don't let any other household device use that only-within home network IP address.
⚠ You don't have to carry out this step, but if you don't then you might have to repeat step ➁, possibly as frequently as, in principle, every single time your computer FMB reconnects to the router. |
Home network > Create DHCP reservation > Assign your computer FMB (possibly identified in router settings using a nickname or MAC address) a static private IP address of 192.168.1.12 192.168.1.23 . ⚠ Setting up a static private IP for your computer FMB is different from getting a static public IP for your router. |
➁ | Whenever you receive a packet via UDP for port 50050, send that packet onward to within-home network IP address 192.168.1.12 (my computer) 192.168.1.23 (my FMB) (even if the inbound packet is not preceded by an outbound packet to make it obvious that the inbound packet really is intended for 192.168.1.12 (my computer) 192.168.1.23 (my FMB) ). |
Home network > Set up a port-forwarding rule to forward all packets received via UDP at port 50050 to 192.168.1.12 (my computer) 192.168.1.23 (my FMB) port 50050. |
➂ | When any other device on the home network competes with my computer FMB to send/receive packets of information to/from the outside world, put an emergency-vehicle light on each packet to/from my computer FMB that lets packets to/from my computer FMB "cut the line" and be transmitted while packets to/from other devices on the home network wait. |
Home network > QoS (Quality of Service) > Assign your computer FMB (possibly identified according to Ethernet port number) Highest priority. |
Type of application | Example | Comment |
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File system indexer | macOS: Spotlight indexing (look for mds in Activity Monitor) Windows: Windows Search Indexer | macOS: You can wait until an index being built is built. Another option is to disable indexing. Windows: Kill search indexer (you can also permanently disable indexing). |
Cloud file storage synchronization | DropBox background synchronization and software updates | Quit DropBox |
Productivity/creativity suite maintenance | Adobe Creative Cloud background software updates | Quit Adobe Creative Cloud (might need to force quit) |
Malicious software scanner/remover | Malware Bytes | Quit Malware Bytes for duration of rehearsal |
Anti-virus package | Real-time scanning macOS 11 Big Sur: Bug related to camera/microphone monitoring in Sophos Anti-Virus package that causes excessive CPU usage |
Disable real-time scanning for duration of rehearsal macOS 11 Big Sur: (I think the Sophos bug is resolved now). |
Adapted from SJTG Preview image from Dr. Alex Carôt (permalink)
The rehearsal manager might request changes to this setting during rehearsal.
If Soundjack gives an "Audio not ready" error, you might try setting the sample buffer to "sample buffer: 256" and then back again to "sample buffer: 64".
The rehearsal manager might request changes to this setting during rehearsal.
Your microphone has a flat frequency response in the | Recommended orientation of microphone barrel |
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Free field (0°) | Aim microphone at mouth | .
Diffuse field (90°) | Orient microphone's barrel perpendicular to line segment connecting mouth | and aperture of microphone.
SERVER |
For each site to which you are connected, you can use any of the following strategies to choose an initial configuration for the jitter buffer. If you hear a lot of garbled audio, you can experiment further.
Remote user's network buffer (displayed in the "canister" in their row on the stage) | Suggested number of buffered packets for audio received from remote user |
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128 samples | 4 buffered packets |
256 samples | 2 buffered packets |
512 samples | 1 buffered packets |
This strategy is easy to use and prevents a runaway ratchet-like increase of the jitter buffer size, but this strategy will not automatically adjust the jitter buffer to accommodate mid-session variation in jitter.
Jitter buffer strategy B (also not necessarily optimal, but easy)
The automatic jitter buffer size will dynamically adjust based on network conditions.
As of 2022 January, the automatic jitter buffer adjustment can be tricked in certain situations into a runaway condition in which the jitter buffer size increases in a somewhat ratchet-like fashion leading to lower performance than achieved by the other options.
Remote user's network buffer (displayed in the "canister" in their row on the stage) | Suggested number of buffered packets for audio received from remote user |
---|---|
128 samples | 4 buffered packets |
256 samples | 2 buffered packets |
512 samples | 1 buffered packets |