MarcusUniverse
I understand that VRChat utilizes a spatial audio system to enhance immersion in VR. However, there are many talented musicians and DJs within VRChat who enjoy hosting virtual club events or live music sessions.
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⚡The Problems ⚡:
  • Currently, all stereo microphones are being compressed into a mono channel, which significantly degrades the audio experience for everyone.
  • It's not simply a case of only one channel being used (like just the left or right); instead, it seems to be a mix of both, compressed together into a single mono channel, where one side can sometimes dominate the other.
  • Furthermore, this makes audio mixing very challenging for musicians. Using a stereo microphone input (such as through an audio interface loopback) can sometimes result in the audio being amplified and becoming excessively loud for other users.
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🍀Potential Solutions🍀:
  • Perhaps a voting system or a feature within the VR safety settings could be implemented to allow users to enable stereo microphones for specific individuals.
  • If the distance audio circle is in use, it could primarily function as a loudness reduction for those who are further away, preventing their stereo microphone input from being picked up. This would be beneficial if multiple musicians are performing simultaneously in the same world.
  • Community event hosts could have the option to enable stereo audio by default for their events.
  • Feeding individual input audio channels to specific parts of an avatar could create a stereo effect. For example, speakers on a DJ avatar could output the left and right channels from distinct locations, enhancing immersion for listeners.
  • Alternatively, the development of a VST plugin that can directly feed audio channels into VRChat (Sonobus is a good example of this concept) could be explored.
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⁉️Conclusion⁉️:
Many musicians, including myself, would be incredibly happy if a feature like this were to be added to VRChat. In fact, many of us would gladly pay for the ability to have stereo audio in VRChat. For many musicians who might be hesitant to perform publicly in the real world or show their faces on platforms like Twitch, YouTube, or TikTok, VRChat offers a safe and engaging space to share their passion with an audience.
Thank you to all the VRChat developers for your amazing work ❤️ so far. I hope this explanation highlights why stereo audio input would be a fantastic and important feature for the continued growth of VRChat. ✌