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Spotify probably could if they could deliver an Atmos stream. But what would you gain from a WhatsApp call? It’s a mono source

by dagmx 4y ago

londons_explore 4y ago
It would be pretty nice for a group call to have each voice from a different direction... It would also be nice for a callers voice and other sounds in the call, like for example music or background sound, to be audibly separated - the fact they aren't separated is part of what makes background sounds on voice calls so annoying compared to say background sounds when talking to someone on the street..
- dagmx 4y ago
  Ah yeah FaceTime positions everyone in a spatial way in group calls. Would be nice if other group call setups did the same
  - lodovic 4y ago
    That is not so useful for in a car though
    - dagmx 4y ago
      Why not? In a group call audio setting it can still help you separate who’s talking easier
      - lodovic 4y ago
        In a car I assume all distractions are possible dangers and I don't want to confuse background noise in the call for actual dangers on the road. Also, I do not want to visualise the call, as that will be a major distraction from driving. To be fair, driving and having a group call is a bad idea in itself.
- joshspankit 4y ago
  I have an odd but carefully considered opposition to this: We process speech differently depending on where it comes from, and so someone could be given an “edge” by coming from a specific “spot” while others could be downplayed by being placed in a “lesser spot”. I know it sounds completely out there, but I got this awareness years ago from a scientific study (what to even look up to find it again I don’t know. Hopefully a fellow HN user knows what I’m talking about and can cite) and I have noticed the effect is actually quite drastic once you know what to look for. To a lesser extent: Clubhouse brought in spatial audio and it caused more chaos because of the way it was implemented: Some speakers were behind others which made their voices noticeably louder, and because multiple speakers could talk at once and be understood there was less respect for the person who’s turn it was. (Before that if someone talked over it just became an unintelligible clump of sound and moderators would bring things back to the single speaker)
  - londons_explore 4y ago
    For anyone who has ever worked in a conference center, you will know that by adjusting microphone volumes up and down just a little, you can have a big impact on the outcome of any on-stage debate. Specifically, if someone thinks they're being talked over and their voice drowned out, they'll normally stop speaking. By making one person's voice sound louder to the other, you determine which person will stop speaking when both start to say something at the same time.
    - joshspankit 4y ago
      Thank you for that insight. I‘ve never worked a conference center and had no idea that was something known

Spotify probably could if they could deliver an Atmos stream. But what would you gain from a WhatsApp call? It’s a mono source

by dagmx 4y ago

Spotify probably could if they could deliver an Atmos stream. But what would you gain from a WhatsApp call? It’s a mono source

londons_explore 4y ago

It would be pretty nice for a group call to have each voice from a different direction... It would also be nice for a callers voice and other sounds in the call, like for example music or background sound, to be audibly separated - the fact they aren't separated is part of what makes background sounds on voice calls so annoying compared to say background sounds when talking to someone on the street..

dagmx 4y ago
Ah yeah FaceTime positions everyone in a spatial way in group calls. Would be nice if other group call setups did the same
- lodovic 4y ago
  That is not so useful for in a car though
  - dagmx 4y ago
    Why not? In a group call audio setting it can still help you separate who’s talking easier
    - lodovic 4y ago
      In a car I assume all distractions are possible dangers and I don't want to confuse background noise in the call for actual dangers on the road. Also, I do not want to visualise the call, as that will be a major distraction from driving. To be fair, driving and having a group call is a bad idea in itself.
joshspankit 4y ago
I have an odd but carefully considered opposition to this: We process speech differently depending on where it comes from, and so someone could be given an “edge” by coming from a specific “spot” while others could be downplayed by being placed in a “lesser spot”. I know it sounds completely out there, but I got this awareness years ago from a scientific study (what to even look up to find it again I don’t know. Hopefully a fellow HN user knows what I’m talking about and can cite) and I have noticed the effect is actually quite drastic once you know what to look for. To a lesser extent: Clubhouse brought in spatial audio and it caused more chaos because of the way it was implemented: Some speakers were behind others which made their voices noticeably louder, and because multiple speakers could talk at once and be understood there was less respect for the person who’s turn it was. (Before that if someone talked over it just became an unintelligible clump of sound and moderators would bring things back to the single speaker)
- londons_explore 4y ago
  For anyone who has ever worked in a conference center, you will know that by adjusting microphone volumes up and down just a little, you can have a big impact on the outcome of any on-stage debate. Specifically, if someone thinks they're being talked over and their voice drowned out, they'll normally stop speaking. By making one person's voice sound louder to the other, you determine which person will stop speaking when both start to say something at the same time.
  - joshspankit 4y ago
    Thank you for that insight. I‘ve never worked a conference center and had no idea that was something known