Using Mumble instead of Skype for a wifi microphone.

[Thordurin]

Greetings to all,
 
I've been experimenting with Vox on my home network and my HTPC/XBMC. Such an awesome program, I love it. My Android phone never leaves my side so I wanted to integrate that as my mic to control Vox, but I was uncomfortable using an outside communication resource as Skype to control my network voice commands. So I got to thinking of what I already had that's available to use.
 
I successfully integrated Mumble, VAC, and Vox using the exact same method described in the wiki article to configure Skype. There is an additional step required of installing a Mumble server (Murmur) locally since you aren't connecting to the Skype service elsewhere on the internet. My current setup is using an old POS Dell with XP as a temporary NAS to hold my media. I installed Murmur on it, installed the Mumble client and VAC onto my HTPC, and installed the free Mumble client on my Android phone. I configured Mumble the same way the wiki describes how to configure Skype. Launched both clients, connected to Murmur, and voila! I can now speak to XBMC from my phone using only internal network resources.
 
My long term goal is to have a Synology NAS to host my media in addition to Murmur (plus other services). Fortunately they have a Linux package called uMurmur that is a Mumble server for Synology. I'm excited to try it out too.
 
Now to convince the wife that the $35 is a good investment.

Thoughts on this?

[Kalle]

Greetings to all,
 
I've been experimenting with Vox on my home network and my HTPC/XBMC. Such an awesome program, I love it. My Android phone never leaves my side so I wanted to integrate that as my mic to control Vox, but I was uncomfortable using an outside communication resource as Skype to control my network voice commands. So I got to thinking of what I already had that's available to use.
 
I successfully integrated Mumble, VAC, and Vox using the exact same method described in the wiki article to configure Skype. There is an additional step required of installing a Mumble server (Murmur) locally since you aren't connecting to the Skype service elsewhere on the internet. My current setup is using an old POS Dell with XP as a temporary NAS to hold my media. I installed Murmur on it, installed the Mumble client and VAC onto my HTPC, and installed the free Mumble client on my Android phone. I configured Mumble the same way the wiki describes how to configure Skype. Launched both clients, connected to Murmur, and voila! I can now speak to XBMC from my phone using only internal network resources.
 
My long term goal is to have a Synology NAS to host my media in addition to Murmur (plus other services). Fortunately they have a Linux package called uMurmur that is a Mumble server for Synology. I'm excited to try it out too.
 
Now to convince the wife that the $35 is a good investment.

Thoughts on this?

Hi Thordurin, here my "official"  welcome
To convince your wife you're gonna make it 
Very interesting - is the software freeware? Can you post a link here?

Kalle

[Thordurin]

Certainly.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumble_(software)
Official Website: http://www.mumble.com/

Server and Client are both included in the install.
Mumble mobile client is also available for iOS, but I do not own any iOS devices so I cannot verify its usage or stability.

I can see additional benefits to this as well. Like if you have multiple systems in your house for which you want to send voice commands to, they can all have their own Mumble client in the same channel waiting for instructions from a user's (or multiple users') phone.

Example: My wife is notorious for leaving her system on for days at a time without using it. When she goes to bed, and I'm watching XBMC on the other side of the house, I can just whip out my phone and see that her system is in the Mumble channel and say "Peach shut down". Then watch her system leave the channel, thereby verifying that the computer is shutting down. This is assuming my HTPC will ignore the command because it started with "Peach". I'm still a noob learning this stuff heh. If it doesn't, each system can have its own channel in Mumble to receive commands.

Of course, my main reason for this is only to keep the resources being used internally.

[Kalle]

Wow, that sounds good, I'm sure some VC user search such software for android and iOS.
I need a bit assistence to create a  mumble sever on my Windows 7 how can I connct it 
I've installed mumble on my android and Windows.

Can you explain me a bit 

Kalle

[Thordurin]

1. Launch the executable (the same one that installed the Mumble client) on the machine you want the server on (in my case, my Windows NAS). You can also install it on the same machine as the Mumble client, but I prefer to keep them separate as to min/max resources.

2a. If you're installing the server on the same machine that already has the mumble client: select Next > Change > Install (See attachment #1)

OR

2b. If you're installing the server on its own machine (like my NAS): select Next > Agree to EULA > Uncheck Mumble and check Murmur > Install (See attachment #2)

Once installs are complete...

3a. Client + server on the same machine: launch Mumble, click the {+} next to Public Internet (you won't use those), click "Add New" and enter your computer info.
For example:

Label: localhost
Address: 127.0.0.1
Port: 64738
Username: HTPC

OR

3b. Server only: Launch Murmur. You'll only see a system tray icon populate. Right-click on it for the "Show Log" to show status.
Then go back to the client machine, launch Mumble, click the {+} next to Public Internet (you won't use those), click "Add New" and enter the computer info of your server system.
For example, mine is:

Label: NAS
Address: 192.168.1.100
Port: 64738
Username: HTPC

Repeat 3b on your Android, but change your Username to reflect that it's your phone.

4. Connect both clients. By default they'll both be in the root channel together. Go to Configure > Settings > Check "Advanced" box at the bottom, and configure VAC in the settings using the Skype instructions from the wiki (see my first post attachments for reference). For my config, I also upped the Audio Output Volume to 200% because Vox kept telling me "too low" when talking to the phone. I also did Configure > Minimal View, but that's just a personal preference.

You should now be able to talk to Vox through your Android.

[Kalle]

Thank you for your good explanation. I will try it.

Kalle

[Kalle]

Thank you for your good explanation. I will try it.

Kalle

I've tested mumble a bit and can said: big thanks to member Thordurin to find this nice software. It works together with iOS (iPhone) and android (I've tested it with android 4). The audio quallity is better as Skype and has a very low latency.
To install it, see the post from Thordurin, but I will write a separate instruction (step by step).
Don't forget, you'll need the VirtualAudioCable software to use this solution.
http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm

Kalle

[Kalle]

I've tested it with my iPad and it works good too. I think this is a nice way to build a multiroom mic if you have more than one iOS or Android device 
A cool feature is, that you can use it also as a intercom device!

Kalle

[Christian]

Hi guys!

This looks interesting.
But I have a question, is there any way to set up mumble (or skype) in a way that I don't need the virtual line in ports that was used in the explenation of the skype install?

What I want is a solution that could work both by phone and by mic at the same time.
When I installed skype last time to work with VC, I had to swich manually between the mic and the viretual line in port. This was in a way a bit unpractical since I used both for different areas in my home.

But again this sounds like a interesting SW with a lot of different posibilities..


Christian

[jitterjames]

Kalle is the expert on VAC around here, but I think the answer is that yes, you need to use it, but you should also be able to set VAC up in a way that both sources are being combined and sent to VoxCommando, kind of like a mixer.

[Kalle]

Hi guys!

This looks interesting.
But I have a question, is there any way to set up mumble (or skype) in a way that I don't need the virtual line in ports that was used in the explenation of the skype install?

What I want is a solution that could work both by phone and by mic at the same time.
When I installed skype last time to work with VC, I had to swich manually between the mic and the viretual line in port. This was in a way a bit unpractical since I used both for different areas in my home.

But again this sounds like a interesting SW with a lot of different posibilities..


Christian

Hi Christian, yes you must use VAC
I will explain you how you can use different mic's with on instance of VoxCommando at the same time.

1) What you need is VoxCommando, VirtualAudioCable and Mumble installed (mumble client and Murmur server how it Thorodurin at first here describes).

2)open first the VAC "control panel" and use settings as "christian0.png"

3)start the "murmur" server and "mumble" client software and use following audio settings:

in mumble: audio-input = your standard mic for this local machine
in Windows7: set "your standard mic" in "windows recording settings" as "standard communication device"

in mumble: audio-output = Line1(VirtualAudioCable)
in Windows7: set "Line1(VirtualAudioCable)" in "windows recording settings" as "standard device"

4)start VAC-Audio Repeater-MME (you found it in the VAC-folder)
see "christian02.png" for the settings - the input is the standard mic on your local machine and press the start button.

5)start the mumble sofware on you mobile device "iPhone/Android/client pc

and test it.

If you have no success, I made a PDF with pictures to understand it better.

Kalle