Re: Mic not Active

[ChasingSol]

Wanted to jump in and say I have exactly the same issue. This has only occurred for me with the last Voiceattack update a few days ago. I'm using an HP Reverb G2, and the built-in microphone now becomes muted when starting Voiceattack. It's straightforward enough to unmute it through Windows settings, but it does have to be unmuted every time Voiceattack is started. Using HCS voice packs for Elite Dangerous.

VoiceAttack.settings attached.


EDIT by Pfeil: Topic split from https://forum.voiceattack.com/smf/index.php?topic=4284.0

[Pfeil]

The device is connected and working at the time you start VoiceAttack? I.E. you're not plugging it in (or starting other software that is required for the device to work), while or after starting VoiceAttack?

[ChasingSol]

Correct. VoiceAttack starts up and doesn't show the red mic icon, but it appears after about 10-15 seconds requiring manual unmuting.

[Pfeil]

Are there any entries in the log on VoiceAttack's main window about switching devices (E.G. beginning with "Speech device has been changed to ")?

[ChasingSol]

Yes, I get the below lines.

1:54:35.396 Speech device has been changed to Microphone (Realtek USB2.0 Audio)

This is new behavior, I hadn't previously seen that message in the past.

[Pfeil]

You attached a file that I assume was produced by the "Export Settings" button on the "System / Advanced" tab of the VoiceAttack options window, which is not the same as a settings summary (this file contains only settings information, in a binary format, rather than extended information in a human-readable format as in the summary)

Click the wrench icon on VoiceAttack's main window, and on the "General" tab of the VoiceAttack options window click "System info >", choose "Generate Settings Summary", then "Write to File"; Save the file and upload it here.

[ChasingSol]

Whoops, sorry about that.

See attached.

[Pfeil]

Does the "Speech device has been changed to Microphone (Realtek USB2.0 Audio)" message appear every time you start VoiceAttack?


The settings summary suggests your VR headset was not plugged in at the time the summary was generated, and that you have a single recording device (the "Realtek USB2.0 Audio" device) present. Is that correct?

Did you have your VR headset plugged in and/or in use before generating the summary?

[ChasingSol]

No, the message does not occur every time.

The headset was plugged in.

Did some further testing.

If I start VoiceAttack after Steam VR/Windows Mixed Reality has initialized and Elite Dangerous is running, no issue.

If I start VoiceAttack first, which is how I usually do it since I have a script that starts everything in sequence (EDMC + VoiceAttack > SteamVR/WMR > Elite Dangerous), initially VoiceAttack shows the headset microphone picking up noise (red bar at bottom left), then Voice Attack freezes (not responding) for about 10-15 seconds, and then shows the red microphone icon. After unmuting everything works as expected. This happens consistently with this load sequence.

Obviously I can change how I start up VoiceAttack and in what sequence so it's not a major issue by any means, just that this is a new occurrence since the last update and thought I'd mention it.

[Pfeil]

That a device is muted when switching to another device is in itself not unexpected; that is done to allow the speech recognition engine to cease recognition (otherwise, when there is background noise on the device being switched from, switching may not be possible)

However, the intended behavior is that both devices (the one being switched from, and the one being switched to) are only muted momentary, and then unmuted again.


As your VR device was plugged in, it appear to behave similarly to the original Oculus Rift (possibly others as well; that's just the device I'm familiar with), in that while the device is physically connected, the virtual devices it exposes for audio aren't initialized (and thus "connected" from a driver perspective) until the software for the device is running.

The issue may have something to do with how the devices are initialized, which events that generates, and how the devices respond (or don't) to the mute and unmute instructions, but without actually having such a device to test with that's not necessarily feasible to pin down.

[Pfeil]

Does the latest release (v1.10.3) exhibit the same behavior with your VR headset?

[ChasingSol]

The latest revision has resolved the issue, it no longer occurs and everything now works as expected. Thank you for taking a look, I really appreciate it!

[Lawheadrg]

I am having the same problem with my Reverb G2 headset. Prior to the latest  VA update, my microphone worked fine.
When I boot up, I start  VA and microphone works fine. I then start Steam VR, then MSFS 2020. The microphone gets muted, and has to be unmuted using Control Panel, Sound and unchecking mute box in recording advanced page. I rarely get the message about “Speech device  changed to microphone, etc” Have latest updates in VA, Windows and MSFS installed. Microphone works fine with MSFS sans VA. Have only one microphone (in headset.)

Just kind of annoying.

[Pfeil]

Does the microphone get muted when you start Steam VR without also starting Flight Simulator?

Which log messages are shown on VoiceAttack's main window when the muting occurs?