JESTER Interface Volume Extremely LOUD!

[Steve Gee]

Happening since previous patch of today (8/19) for me.

 

Whenever I use the JESTER interface (key command A), the sounds from it are very, very loud. Loud enough to damage my speakers loud. In other words, really LOUD. And, I see no adjustment within DCS for this volume. I know ED's adjusting sound, and seems like everything else, levels so I'm guessing this will be rectified once they are done tweaking, as the lights were?

[draconus]

Very annoying, I agree and would like the fix, but you can control the general volume for the speakers both in software and hardware knobs so anything can be "Loud enough to damage my speakers loud".

[Steve Gee]

If you have to turn a certain volume down because of extreme loudness and it affects another sound's volume, that's not control. That's adaption.

 

And, it only happened once. :) Like the F-16's initial startup when ED left the Squelch turned off.

[HunterICX]

+1 I would really like to see this fixed, it's basically so annoying and unpleasant that I've grounded the bird for the time being.

 

 

 

Is HB aware of this issue? I can't find anyhting where this bug is confirmed and it actually saddens me that it didn't got resolved with the recent update so I'm looking at another month where I'm reluctant to use the Tomcat because of the very unpleasant loud ICS static and RWR sounds.

[draconus]

Reported many times. Both Jester menu and radar alt sound/knob... and ejection seat arm sound loop.

[IronMike]

We're looking in to it. Thanks guys. BTW when using Jester in headphones, the sound is ok. I think this bug got somehow introduced when we made Jester and cockpit sounds available through headset. You can select the output device in the sound menu, if you want to use that as a workaround until we can provide a fix.

 

Thank you for your kind patience.

[HunterICX]

Thanks!

 

I'll try that when I get home from work, that way I can enjoy the Cat at least without me jumping out of my chair each time I open the Jester Menu forgetting to lower my volume :D

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

BTW when using Jester in headphones, the sound is ok. I think this bug got somehow introduced when we made Jester and cockpit sounds available through headset

I was extremely happy when ED introduced the Headphone output :-) And Jester's volume is indeed perfect when going through my headset.

[draconus]

BTW when using Jester in headphones, the sound is ok. I think this bug got somehow introduced when we made Jester and cockpit sounds available through headset. You can select the output device in the sound menu, if you want to use that as a workaround until we can provide a fix.

That doesn't help my case as in output I have only:

1. default

2. Speakers

3. SPDIF

Both 1 & 2 are my heaphones connected to speaker output (green jack socket).

[IronMike]

That doesn't help my case as in output I have only:

1. default

2. Speakers

3. SPDIF

Both 1 & 2 are my heaphones connected to speaker output (green jack socket).

 

 

 

 

Of course, it was just meant for those who can (and might not have considered it yet). Either way we're working on a fix, we hoped to get it in with the hotfix, but it will have to wait till the next update unfortunately.

[Steve Gee]

I was actually able to equalize the depth I guess you could call it of the radio sidetone, so my Tomcat's flyable again. It's the only one of the sounds mentioned by some here that I had problems with.

 

I know ED's lighting changes, for the better I have to say, sets back your overall development schedule but it works out in the end. I know the sound ones will as well. :)

[HunterICX]

Either way we're working on a fix, we hoped to get it in with the hotfix, but it will have to wait till the next update unfortunately.

 

 

I was worried when I didn't red in the patch notes it hadn't been fixed and sadly this is now about 3? months an issue that hasn't been fixed.

 

So how long till this horrible issue gets fixed? It's not pleasant at all to fly the Tomcat with the Jester/RWR/Radar Altimeter trying to blow my eardrums out.

(and sadly as my headphones are plugged into the soundcard I can't use the temp. fix setting him to the headphones as mentioned above)

[RustBelt]

I was worried when I didn't red in the patch notes it hadn't been fixed and sadly this is now about 3? months an issue that hasn't been fixed.

 

Yea! August, Blubtember, Glump, and now September!!

[wowbagger]

I just modded the "HB_F14_RadioNoise.wav" - took it down to about 10% of its original gain - and now have no problems with Jester at all. It sounds very natural, believable, and non-ear-drum-destroying.

[draconus]

Now Jester's voice got louder too.

[Cobra847]

This is unlikely to be fixed in a satisfactory way.

 

The reason this happens is that the volume of JESTER is not tied to the Cockpit sound mixer slider after changing JESTER to come through the headphones source.

This means that if you've turned down any of the sliders in the Sound menu; JESTER will seemingly be much more loud than the rest of the game audio (relatively speaking).

 

If you want to avoid this; keep your sound sliders at 100% in the game's sound menu and then adjust your game volume based on this.

 

EDIT: one thing we're looking at is being able to read the value from one of those sliders directly to mix the sounds properly, this would of course solve this issue entirely. :)

Edited September 26, 2020 by Cobra847

[RustBelt]

So why did the ICS, RWR, Sidewinder, etc.. volume knobs in the cockpit used to work but now doesn't?

Edited September 27, 2020 by RustBelt

[IronMike]

So why did the ICS, RWR, Sidewinder, etc.. volume knobs in the cockpit used to work but now doesn't?

 

 

They do when running through a headset, but when not, they are for some reason not tied to the cockpit volume slider anymore, at least the squelch sound. Which means, if you turn everything else down, it will be louder than the rest. We're looking into it, but it isnt a straight forward solution of just adjusting the volume. Needs to be something more wholesome.

[HunterICX]

They do when running through a headset, but when not, they are for some reason not tied to the cockpit volume slider anymore, at least the squelch sound. Which means, if you turn everything else down, it will be louder than the rest. We're looking into it, but it isnt a straight forward solution of just adjusting the volume. Needs to be something more wholesome.

 

 

Wouldn't it be able to make the ''Put Jester through headphones'' a Special Option you can turn on and off? Which would merge the volume sliders if turned off for those who can't use the headphone feature because it all goes through the same soundcard on the motherboard?

[RustBelt]

So I'm really confused here, I have the Main Audio Out going to the device my headset is plugged into. And I have the Headphones Also going out the same device. So that means I don't get working volume controls in the cockpit because why?

 

I have to go buy Another audio device, AND a Microphone Mixer, to take the two outputs and re mix them BACK into my headset, then the volume controls in the Cockpit will work?

 

Again to be clear, I AM running "a headset" through the same audio device as the Main Audio Out, and when doing that the in cockpit volume controls don't work?

 

And to also be clear the "Helmet" slider in the audio menu, is connected to the "Headset" part of the audio output only? Everything else comes out of "Main Audio Out"? Including the ICS side tone noise? or?

[IronMike]

So I'm really confused here, I have the Main Audio Out going to the device my headset is plugged into. And I have the Headphones Also going out the same device. So that means I don't get working volume controls in the cockpit because why?

 

I have to go buy Another audio device, AND a Microphone Mixer, to take the two outputs and re mix them BACK into my headset, then the volume controls in the Cockpit will work?

 

Again to be clear, I AM running "a headset" through the same audio device as the Main Audio Out, and when doing that the in cockpit volume controls don't work?

 

And to also be clear the "Helmet" slider in the audio menu, is connected to the "Headset" part of the audio output only? Everything else comes out of "Main Audio Out"? Including the ICS side tone noise? or?

 

 

Um, what, now you are confusing me, lol.

 

 

I have to correct myself, btw, the squelch sound does not change with ICS volume, that is the entire bug, and it doesnt whether you have headphones in your audio options set to "default" or to your actual headset. Everything else changes with both settings, whether you run the headphones audio via your default audio device or your headsets, you can change SW volume, Jester's voice, RWR, etc all via the in cockpit knobs and via the sliders in your audio options. I just checked.

 

The reason however why you hear the squelch louder than everything else, is likely because you use hear like in helmet. Which ok, we can't convince you that you shouldn't use it, that's fine. But hear like in helmet lowers your cockpit sounds, or cuts them off or both, which, now due to the bug, does not effect the squelch volume so it stands out for you, being louder than the rest.

 

The solution however will be to tie the squelch sound back to either the cockpit volume slider (and thus have it at the same volume like the other cockpit sounds) and/or to the ICS volume knob.

 

As for volume controls in the cockpit, you dont have to do anything extra. You simply select whether you want to have the cockpit headphone sounds via your default sound device, or via your headset, that is all. The sounds that are under headphones, are Jester, all the warning and advisory sounds, SW, RWR, etc... as it was irl. These sounds were played over the Pilot's and Rio's headsets.

 

Now, why the squelch sound is not connected to the cockpit sound slider anymore, is something we have to look in to. We did not do that on purpose.

 

A special option to answer the question above, is not really necessary and wouldnt change anything. For one, if we want to offer headphone sounds available via a headset, then we can only use how DCS has it layed out for us. Secondly, likely the bug that squelch is not tied to cockpit sounds anymore, would still persist.

 

Hope that makes sense.

Edited September 29, 2020 by IronMike

[Steve Gee]

...I have to correct myself, btw, the squelch sound does not change with ICS volume, that is the entire bug...

 

That is my exact problem. The squelch sound volume can't be changed and is extremely loud. I was able to reduce it through creative equalizing of sound frequencies, but it affects other sounds.

 

I don't use headphones, I have a 5.1 surround system.

[RustBelt]

OH ok, I see the Open ICS side tone is off in it's own crazy world and not part of either the ICS sounds controlled by the ICS volume Knob, OR correctly part of the "Cockpit Sounds" so it doesn't get muffled by "Hear in Helmet".

 

Seems like since it's an ICS noise, it should be tied to the ICS Volume knob in cockpit?

[draconus]

On 8/21/2020 at 12:31 PM, draconus said:

radar alt sound/knob... and ejection seat arm sound loop.

I'd like to make sure these two are still on the tracker.

1. Radar Altimeter knob sound is very loud.

2. Ejection seat arm/dearm has a very high (like 2/3) chance of starting a series of all switches sounds.

[Tom Kazansky]

On 9/29/2020 at 1:52 PM, IronMike said:

... the squelch sound does not change with ICS volume, that is the entire bug, ...

 

Now, why the squelch sound is not connected to the cockpit sound slider anymore, is something we have to look in to. We did not do that on purpose....

 

this problem still exists in newest stable DCS (=current OB).

is there no way to get the squelch sound connected to the volume knob? (or at least off by an option?)

it doesn't make sense to me that I can turn down jester's volume to zero but the squelch still blows my ears.

(almost needless to say: I love the Tomcat, but I hate to press the button for the jester-menu and hear squelch all the time till I found what I wanted in the menu.)