Accessing the Settings

To open the Settings you will select the three menu bars on the left side of the swissHear title. This will open the menu window that will allow choosing the Settings Dialog.  

Tipp: if the volume can't by increased over a certain point your device tries to protect your ears. To force a higher volume  please use the hardware volume control buttons of your device. Acknowledge any warning messages shown by the system. Be aware that using a high volume can further damage your ears. Allways use the lowest volume that you are just comfortable with.

Device Settings Explained

In contrast to iOS System Android devices are very variable. Phone and tablet manufacturers are using different Audio hardware that needs purpose-built Audio drivers.

The result is, that it may be necessary to find the correct settings for your specific device. The following fields can be covered:

Audio Parameters: each device has factory defaults that swissHear will use by default. They are not necessarily the best settings for this type of audio application. Usually the sample rate will not have to be changed, because the given value is recommended for low latency. But the buffer size can often be reduced to decrease latency. 

Audio Configuration: the given recording presets of Android are implemented by the manufacturers in a very versatile way. These presets will define the microphones and audio pretreatments used. It is possible that certain presets are ideal for different situations. It is worthwhile playing with these values.

Finding the Best Buffer Size

The buffer size has impact on the latency of swissHear. A larger buffer will typically increase latency. Use the following rules to find the ideal buffer size. Please be aware that the result is very dependent on the hardware type and Android version. Older devices will have to live with a certain amount of latency:

 Buffer too small: the result will be increasing problems in the audio transformation process. You will hear clicks and gaps. While Basic Amplifier allows for very small buffers you will have to choose a bigger size for BioAid.

Buffer too big: will result in latency that makes it difficult to talk while swissHear is active.

Resume to default values: you can allways return to the Default values of your device by tapping the Default values menu.

Choosing the Correct Recording Preset

Choosing the correct Recording Preset is important. Generic will be the default value set by swissHear. Some devices may need you to change to another preset to hear anything at all.

Generic and Camcorder: one of these may deliver a Stereo signal. They differ in the amount of pretreatments that your device adds to the audio signal. There are no two phones on the market that will show the same behaviour.

Voice recognition: is used by the phone to understand spoken commands. This preset usually has the least amount of pretreatments but may have some noise and a very flat sound.

Voice communication: is used for phone calls and is optimized to reduce ambient and wind noise. It is usually the worst choice for swissHear. It could be helpful if an external USB microphone is placed near the mouth of your partner.