Normal•9mo ago

I'm getting horrible echoes

If I get too close to another player, I start hearing my own voice from their avatar and then it echos louder and louder until it's screeching in my ear. Is this a normcore problem or a unity problem?

kapa.ai•4/15/25, 9:09 PM

Hi @Alix Ollivier. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base.

kapa.ai•4/15/25, 9:09 PM

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This sounds like a feedback loop issue with Normcore's voice chat system. The problem occurs when your microphone picks up your voice coming from another player's avatar, creating an echo that amplifies over time.

Normcore includes an AudioPreprocessor in the RealtimeAvatarVoice component that should handle echo cancellation, but there might be some configuration issues. According to the documentation:

RealtimeAvatarVoice includes an AudioPreprocessor that automatically sets the gain for the microphone and filters out background noise, reverb, and echo cancellation.

It's worth noting that most platforms default to using hardware echo cancellation supplied by the operation system, so the AudioPreprocessor's echo cancellation functionality is not required.

Voice Chat Documentation

Here are a few things you can try:

Check if you have proper AudioSource settings on your RealtimeAvatarVoice components. You might need to adjust the spatialization settings.
Make sure you're using the latest version of Normcore, as older versions might have issues with echo cancellation.
Check your microphone settings in your operating system to ensure hardware echo cancellation is enabled.
If you created your own AudioSource component for the RealtimeAvatarVoice, try removing it to let Normcore create its default one, which might have better echo cancellation settings.
Consider adjusting the volume levels of the voice chat to prevent feedback loops.

If you continue experiencing issues, you might want to reach out to the Normcore community on their Discord for more specific assistance.

Unity: 2023-11-09T17:00:00Z
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kapa.ai•4/15/25, 9:09 PM

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Alix OllivierOP•4/15/25, 9:13 PM

if i realtime avatar voice on both my main camera and my normcore player prefab, does it mean I'm doubling the voice? @Normcore Assistant

kapa.ai•4/15/25, 9:13 PM

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kapa.ai•4/15/25, 9:13 PM

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Yes, if you have RealtimeAvatarVoice components on both your main camera and your Normcore player prefab, you would indeed be creating duplicate voice streams, which could contribute to the echo problem you're experiencing.

According to Normcore's documentation, the RealtimeAvatarVoice component should typically be placed on your avatar prefab:

RealtimeAvatarVoice works on any realtime prefab as long as the RealtimeView component has an owner.

Upon instantiation, RealtimeAvatarVoice uses the ownership of the RealtimeView to determine if it should be sending audio for this prefab or receiving audio to play back.

Voice Chat Documentation

In the standard avatar setup, the RealtimeAvatarVoice component is typically placed on the head game object of your avatar prefab, as shown in the custom avatar creation guide:

RealtimeAvatar will create the avatar prefab structure for us. There's a game object for the player, head, and hands. Each component has a RealtimeTransform component on it, and the head has a RealtimeAvatarVoice component on it for voice chat.

XR Avatars and Voice Chat Guide

Having multiple RealtimeAvatarVoice components active for the same user would cause multiple audio streams to be sent and received, which would definitely cause echoing and feedback loops. I recommend removing the RealtimeAvatarVoice component from your main camera and keeping it only on your player prefab's head object.
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kapa.ai•4/15/25, 9:13 PM

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Alix OllivierOP•4/15/25, 9:15 PM

how can i test this without uploading a new patch to the store? @Normcore Assistant

kapa.ai•4/15/25, 9:15 PM

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment!

kapa.ai•4/15/25, 9:15 PM

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To test your voice chat configuration changes without uploading a new patch to the store, you can use Normcore's local testing capabilities. Here are some approaches:

**Local Unity Editor Testing**: You can test your changes directly in the Unity Editor by running your scene and connecting to a Normcore room. This allows you to verify basic functionality.
**Build and Test Locally**: Create a development build that you can run locally on your device without going through the store submission process.
**Use Normcore's Test Environment**:When testing with multiple devices, you can connect to the same Normcore room by setting the same App Key in your Realtime component.
**Google Cloud Installation (if you have Normcore Private)**:If you're using Normcore Private, you can test against your own server by setting the Custom Matcher URL to your installation (format: `wss://<DOMAIN NAME>:3000/`).[Test it out](<https://docs.normcore.io/normcore-private/on-premises/google-cloud-installation#test-it-out>)

For the most effective testing of voice chat issues:

Run two instances of your app (one in editor, one in a build)
Connect both to the same room
Test the voice chat functionality to see if your changes fixed the echo issue
If you're using Meta Quest, you can use the development build functionality to install and test builds without going through the store

Remember that when testing voice chat specifically, you'll need at least two devices to properly verify that the echo issue is resolved, as the problem occurs when your voice is played back through another player's avatar.

Hope this helps with your testing process!
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kapa.ai•4/15/25, 9:15 PM

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maxweisel•4/15/25, 10:24 PM

What platform are you on?

maxweisel•4/15/25, 10:24 PM

Most platforms provide their own hardware echo cancellation which should be covering this. Normcore has a software echo cancellation unit, but you generally want to avoid it (and it's not needed because of the hardware implementaitons) because it uses a ton of CPU.

Alix OllivierOP•4/15/25, 10:43 PM

I'm on Quest 2

I'm hoping the issue is just that I had a avatar voice script on the main camera as well as the normcore rig

maxweisel•4/16/25, 1:43 AM

definitely let me know if you figure it out. I'm not sure how that could be happening tbh

Alix OllivierOP•4/24/25, 6:02 PM

I thought I had figured it out, but it turns out that echoes only happen for one player, I believe it may be the second player to join a room. They hear their own voice coming from another player because the other player's mic picks up the sound from their headset.

maxweisel•4/24/25, 9:15 PM

What platform are they on?

maxweisel•4/24/25, 9:16 PM

Also, are they testing an apk by installing it manually / via SideQuest? Or are they installing it from App Lab / the Meta Quest Store?

Alix OllivierOP•4/24/25, 9:33 PM

All players play the game through the Meta Quest store. I run my game on a Quest 2, others with Quest 3 have had the same issues. It's only been in the last month or so, which makes me think that when I came back from SF, I probably broke some audio settings while pulling the project from GitHub.

Alix OllivierOP•4/24/25, 9:33 PM

@maxweisel

maxweisel•4/25/25, 1:11 AM

what’s weird is it should be impossible to even make this happen on Quest

maxweisel•4/25/25, 1:11 AM

Meta filters out echo before we even get microphone samples from the OS

maxweisel•4/25/25, 1:11 AM

and as far as I know, it’s not even possible to disable it

maxweisel•4/25/25, 1:11 AM

I only ask because sometimes they break it for the default Unity microphone API but the oculus microphone API should always work

maxweisel•4/25/25, 1:12 AM

but if you’re on the store and doing entitlement checks Normcore will always use the microphone API

Alix OllivierOP•5/9/25, 4:11 PM

@Normcore Assistant I've noticed that in addition to the echoing, I hear every single time someone breathes, so is it possible that my microphone permissions are simply too sensitive, and the mic is picking up the audio from the headset's speakers?

kapa.ai•5/9/25, 4:11 PM

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment!

kapa.ai•5/9/25, 4:11 PM

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The knowledge sources confirm that Normcore’s voice chat system uses the microphone input and includes an AudioPreprocessor for automatic gain control, noise suppression, and echo cancellation. However, they do not provide specific details about adjusting microphone sensitivity or permissions directly within Normcore. The documentation does mention that if you are on a platform that requires microphone permissions (like Mac, iOS, or Android), you should ensure permissions are set correctly in Unity, and that hardware echo cancellation is often handled by the operating system. If the microphone is picking up breathing or audio from the headset’s speakers, it could be due to the microphone’s physical placement or the lack of effective echo/noise suppression at the OS or hardware level.

If you are hearing every breath and audio feedback, it is possible that the microphone is too sensitive or positioned too close to the speakers, but the knowledge sources do not provide a direct method to adjust this sensitivity within Normcore itself. You may want to check your device’s microphone settings and ensure that hardware echo cancellation and noise suppression are enabled at the OS level. Additionally, reviewing your Unity project’s microphone permissions and usage description is recommended, as improper settings can cause audio issues and Normcore will print errors to the console if something fails in this area Voice chat common questions, Voice chat XR.

kapa.ai•5/9/25, 4:11 PM

In summary, while your issue could be related to microphone sensitivity or placement, the knowledge sources do not provide a way to adjust this within Normcore itself. You may need to address this at the hardware or OS level.
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kapa.ai•5/9/25, 4:11 PM

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Alix OllivierOP•5/9/25, 4:14 PM

@Normcore Assistant where is the audio preprocessor usually stored in the scene?

kapa.ai•5/9/25, 4:14 PM

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment!

kapa.ai•5/9/25, 4:15 PM

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The knowledge sources indicate that the AudioPreprocessor is included as part of the RealtimeAvatarVoice component in Normcore. It is not a separate object that you place in the scene; instead, it is managed internally by the RealtimeAvatarVoice script. When you add a RealtimeAvatarVoice component to your avatar prefab (typically on the head object), the AudioPreprocessor is automatically used to process microphone input for that avatar. There is no need to manually add or configure the AudioPreprocessor in your Unity scene—it is handled by Normcore within the RealtimeAvatarVoice component itself Voice Chat XR.
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kapa.ai•5/9/25, 4:15 PM

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Alix OllivierOP•5/9/25, 4:20 PM

@Normcore Assistant this echoing only started when i started a new level in a new scene. Maybe I forgot to bring something over from the old scene that's causing the echoing? Or forgot to set something up.

kapa.ai•5/9/25, 4:20 PM

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment!

kapa.ai•5/9/25, 4:20 PM

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It’s possible that missing or misconfigured components in your new scene are causing the echoing issue. According to the Normcore documentation, proper setup of the RealtimeAvatarVoice component and correct ownership of the RealtimeView are essential for voice chat to function correctly and avoid issues like duplicate audio streams or feedback. The echo could occur if, for example, you accidentally have multiple RealtimeAvatarVoice components active for the same player, or if the scene is missing required components such as the Realtime instance or RealtimeAvatarManager Voice Chat XR, XR Avatars Reference.

Here are some things to check in your new scene:

Ensure only one RealtimeAvatarVoice per player avatar. Having more than one can cause duplicate audio streams and echoing.
Verify the Realtime and RealtimeAvatarManager components are present and set up as in your previous scene.
Check ownership of RealtimeView. The RealtimeAvatarVoice component relies on correct ownership to determine whether to send or receive audio.
Confirm AudioSource settings. If you customized AudioSources, make sure they are set up the same way as in your working scene.

If you missed bringing over any of these components or settings, it could explain the new echoing behavior. The knowledge sources do not mention any other scene-specific requirements, so reviewing your scene setup for these components is a good next step.
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kapa.ai•5/9/25, 4:20 PM

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Alix OllivierOP•5/9/25, 6:48 PM

@Normcore Assistant This is my PC vs Quest build. On Quest, I seem to pass audio to a normcore audio stream and I get echoes. Is this normal?

kapa.ai•5/9/25, 6:48 PM

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kapa.ai•5/9/25, 6:48 PM

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It is not normal to experience echoing simply because you are passing audio to a Normcore audio stream between PC and Quest builds. Normcore is designed to handle cross-platform voice chat, including between PC and Quest, without introducing echoes under normal circumstances. The echoing you are experiencing likely indicates a configuration issue.

According to the documentation, echoing can occur if:

There are multiple RealtimeAvatarVoice components active for the same user, causing duplicate audio streams.
The microphone is picking up audio from the headset’s speakers due to hardware setup or sensitivity.
The scene is missing required components or is misconfigured, such as missing the Realtime or RealtimeAvatarManager components, or incorrect ownership settings on RealtimeView components.
Echo cancellation is not functioning as expected, either due to missing hardware echo cancellation on the device or issues with the AudioPreprocessor in Normcore Voice Chat XR.

Normcore’s voice chat system includes an AudioPreprocessor for echo cancellation, and most platforms (including Quest) rely on hardware echo cancellation provided by the operating system. If you are hearing echoes, it is likely due to a setup or configuration issue rather than a limitation of Normcore itself.

In summary:
No, it is not normal for Normcore to introduce echoes between PC and Quest builds. You should review your scene setup and component configuration to ensure everything matches the recommended setup in the documentation. If the issue persists, check your hardware echo cancellation settings on the Quest and ensure you do not have duplicate voice components active.
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kapa.ai•5/9/25, 6:48 PM

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Alix OllivierOP•5/9/25, 6:54 PM

@Normcore Assistant does the audio source on a player need to loop?

kapa.ai•5/9/25, 6:54 PM

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kapa.ai•5/9/25, 6:54 PM

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The knowledge sources do not mention that the AudioSource on a player needs to have the "Loop" property enabled for Normcore voice chat to work. The documentation states that RealtimeAvatarVoice will create and use an AudioSource for playback, but it does not specify any requirement for looping. Therefore, you should not need to enable looping on the AudioSource for voice chat functionality Voice Chat XR.
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kapa.ai•5/9/25, 6:54 PM

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Alix OllivierOP•5/9/25, 7:08 PM

@Normcore Assistant my PC version RealtimeView says that I'm on a local client (1), while all others are remote clients. No one seems to get echoes from my pc, but all quest clients hear each other echo. Might this be why?

kapa.ai•5/9/25, 7:08 PM

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kapa.ai•5/9/25, 7:08 PM

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Based on the knowledge sources, echoing in Normcore voice chat is typically related to issues with audio routing, microphone pickup, or component configuration, not directly to whether a client is local or remote. The RealtimeView ownership (local vs. remote) determines who can send or receive audio, but it should not by itself cause echoing.

However, the fact that Quest clients hear each other echo, while the PC does not, suggests a platform-specific configuration or hardware issue—possibly related to how the Quest handles microphone input and speaker output, or how echo cancellation is managed on that device. The documentation notes that echo cancellation is often handled by the operating system, and that Normcore’s AudioPreprocessor is included in RealtimeAvatarVoice, but does not provide platform-specific troubleshooting steps Voice Chat XR.

There is no explicit mention in the knowledge sources that the ownership status shown in RealtimeView would cause echoing. The issue is more likely related to Quest-specific audio hardware or settings, or possibly a misconfiguration in your scene setup on Quest (such as multiple RealtimeAvatarVoice components, or incorrect AudioSource routing).

In summary:
The knowledge sources do not indicate that the local/remote client status in RealtimeView would cause echoing. The problem is more likely due to Quest-specific audio configuration or scene setup issues. If your PC does not echo but Quest clients do, focus on reviewing your Quest scene setup and hardware echo cancellation settings.
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kapa.ai•5/9/25, 7:08 PM

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