Separate stream volume from system volume!

Last night, my performance at Clementina Park was severely disrupted by a griefer that deposited noisemaking objects at the event. This form of grief would not be effective if the embedded FMOD stream player volume were separated from the system volume: listeners could turn the system volume down to zero and continue listening to the stream. As it stands, with the FMOD stream volume chained in front of the system volume, any audio performance such as mine, or a DJ event, is vulnerable to audio disruption. The only solution currently is to turn off system volume and open the stream in an external player like Winamp - ie. to revert to the pre-1.4 SL audio capability. I think this is a significant oversight in the FMOD implementation, and can hopefully be remedied wihout too much trouble.

I pay a lot of money and put a lot of work into providing a high-quality MP3 stream to SL residents at my live performances, as does Flaming Moe, and the fact that the SL viewer allows a griefer to pollute our music with annoying sounds is quite diisheartening. I had great difficulty attracting listeners before 1.4, as playing a stream in an external player is simply an extra step that a lot of residents cannot deal with. However, with disruptions like last night's, I am once again compelled to try to explain to residents how to listen to me in an external player, as the SL stream implementation is so vulnerable.

An important added benefit of separating the stream volume from the system volume is that listeners can turn down normal in-world sounds, like key clicks, that can be very annoying at crowded performances. There is a limit to how much stream gain you can get with the stream volume slider, relative to system volume; being able to remove in-world sounds like key clicks and keep the stream up woul d be a huge benefit. Flaming Moe has already requested this, but it's the same technical solution: PLEASE SEPARATE THE STREAM VOLUME FROM THE SYSTEM VOLUME!

Why not add a "[x] Mute Resident and Script Generated Sounds" instead of separating the system volume from the stream volume? This would go a LONG WAY in the Welcome Area. I prefer to have the sound on (the new IM sound is important, as is the typing if you are looking away from the screen or have the Map open, for example). Adding a visual cue that a sound is playing (possibly a musical note in the upper right of the screen near the L$ and time display) would be helpful here as well, so as to indicate that a user or script generated sound is playing.

Note that I do not think this mute should affect streaming music, as there is already a preference item for that.

I would like SL's own "System Volume" to be able to save its setting independently, actually. It always resets to full after a relog -- what's the point?

My own Windows Control panels are not set anywhere near the maximum, so I'm wondering why SL's need to be... hrmmmmmm!

I'm sorry to hear you were griefed Astrin as your performance and engineering quality are exceptional. I see you calling for a technological solution when there is a much simpler approach, unfortunately it is damn near impossible to get.

When a performer like Astrin is capable of filling a sim for an hour or more with entertained, paying SL customers and one griefer comes and fucks it up there should be one immediate response. A Linden should come, note the owner of the griefing objects. Delete the noise machines and permanently ban the griefer.

But Linden Lab lacks the personnel, or concern, or more likely, the conviction to put the peaceable assembly of 40-50 people in front of the "rights" of a griefer. This policy hasn't changed in a year and a half and ain't bloody likely to. I've been told by Liaisons "yup, that's the third time tonight I've had to deal with griefer X". Why? Recently I witnessed a liaison try to "educate" a naked gun-toting griefer who shot a mentor off world during an event in a PG sim (I don't care about the naked, but them's the rules). It was only after the griefer started mouthing off to the liaison that the griefer went poof. So I guess the conclusion I derive is you can grief others with impunity, just don't piss off the man.

And, as recent threads have shown, an artistic prim sculpture with *gasp* a nipple is far more important than interfering with an admired live artist and his devoted fans.

Sorry to hijack this for my tirade. I now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

Greefing such a talented and nice person as Astrin saddens me -- you said it, Malachi. *sighs*

I was at Clementina Park last night when the griefer struck,the situation was dealt with fairly fast.Not sure if it was a Linden or the property owner that deleted the offending objects.I also noticed just now looking through the police blotter that two people were given 3 day suspensions in Clementina yesterday for "disruptive noises",YAY Lindens.

Even though the situation was dealt with quickly,I agree with Astrin,we need a way to mute unwanted noises.

BTW Astrin I loved your show last night,can't wait to hear you when your not fighting a cold,