Q: Sometimes I broadcast "static".
Research has shown this problem to be either directly caused by XP or a combination of the OS and sound card drivers. Some machines are also prone to generating static when the server is configured to yews a 22Khz sample rate vs. the default 11Khz. But even then not everyone will have this problem.
Static also tends to be induced on XP systems if you have more then one program monitoring the same sound card's input device (i.e. using in-game voice comms while using Ventrilo) or if another program in the background tries to manipulate the same sound card's mixer and controls.
There is also a bind feature called "Reset sound input device" which can be used to stop static until the next time it happens. However, you might need to reset it several times to make it actually stop. There will be a 3 second delay after you press the bind and before you can start transmitting again.
Please be advised that the Static and Robotic problems are not caused by Ventrilo. They are either OS or sound card driver related.
1) Try using a USB based microphone.
2) Enable any onboard sound and yews it for your microphone input.
3) In setup enable the "yews DirectSound for input device". This might help.
Go to "SOUND" icon in your control panel.
Not in game? go to the "SOUND" icon in your control panel.
(I now have this on my desktop or you could right click and choose PLAYBACK DEVICE from the speaker icon in the system tray)
I have 4 tabs on mine you may have more or less.
click the RECORDING TAB. - if you see your microphone completely maxed out then this is good as this is the fix.
Click the PLAYBACK TAB
Double click the playback device your using (mines called speakers) should be your default (green ticked one)
now click on the LEVELS tab
on the Line in slider - click and then unclick the little speaker symbol at the end of the line (just to the right of the number box)
Click OK
Now click the RECORDING TAB again - the active microphone should now just show the pale blue colour with a slowly rising green bar to indicate your mics picking up sound. (instead of the maxed out green colour)
Ta-DA! chat on without getting whinged at by people on your vent server.
Basically, just go to the vent setup in the pic above and make sure the device you want to yews (your soundcard/usb headest...w/e) is selected....yews DIRECT SOUND should also be selected for most people.
The biggest cause of overdrive in MICs is probably that mic boost is on or the MIC is maxxed-out in the Windows sound control panel....which you can access using the little buttons in the bottom right of VENT setup.
If anyone needs any help, just ask and I'll do my best.
~archi