vSpace 3D Voice Conferencing

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the system requirements?

vSpace runs on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, and Mac OS-X 10.5 and up (Intel based Macs only, we don't support PowerPC). You will need a broadband internet connection, i.e., cable or DSL. Dialup connections will not work. Plus you need headphones, described below.

Do I need headphones?

Yes, you need a pair of stereo headphones with a boom microphone. The best option is a stereo USB headset with microphone. We like the Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB Headphones and also the Gigaware USB Stereo Headset with Microphone, both sold at Radio Shack or available online. You can also use older analog headsets which have separate headset and microphone audio connectors. Or, you can use analog headphones along with a webcam microphone or laptop microphone.

Can I dial-in to a vSpace conference from a telephone?

Absolutely. Dial 781-819-0044 and follow the voice prompts to enter your conference ID. When connected from a phone you will hear the other participants mixed together monophonically, just like a standard telephone conference. Participants using vSpace will hear you localized.

Tollfree and international dial-in numbers are planned for a future offering.

Can I use vSpace with speaker phones?

If you are connected using a telephone that has speakerphone mode, that will work fine.

The Mac/Win vSpace client supports only headphone playback. If you use speakers, the other participants in the conference will hear an objectionable delayed echo. Don't try using speakers, it won't work.

We are actively developing speakerphone technology and plan to offer this feature soon.

Why is it a BETA version?

We are releasing vSpace as a free BETA service to let people try it out, gather feedback, and test the system under real conditions. Because it is free, we don't guarantee any level of support or service availability.

Are video and screen sharing planned in future releases?

We are focused on high quality audio and have no immediate plans to implement video or screen sharing. However, one can use vSpace in place of traditional telephone conferences when using other services.

How do I invite others to join my conference?

Login to your vSpace account and click the Schedule Conference link. Here you can send an invitation email to other participants. The invitation will contain telephone dial-in information and a link to automatically start the vSpace client. You will also receive a copy of the invitation.

How do I try vSpace with a single user?

Launch vSpace. Click Connect to connect to the vSpace test conference (ID = 123-456). You should see a green ball appear with your login name below it. If there are no other people in conference this will be the only green ball in the display. You can right-click (shift-click on Mac) the ball and select the checked Mute item from the popup menu; this will turn off muting. Now when you speak you will be able to hear yourself with a short delay. As you are talking move yourself around in the space and try different reverb settings.

What does the large ball wearing the headset represent?

That represents you, the listener. You can drag the other participants (the green balls) to position them to your left, center, or right. You can reposition yourself too, but normally you don't hear your own voice, so this affects where other participants hear you.

Can everyone change the arrangement of participants?

Yes. At the current time, all participants can drag the green balls, change the reverb, and change the names of participants using the Edit Name popup option. Future versions of vSpace may restrict these capabilities to the conference host.

Does everyone get the same display?

Yes, all participants see and hear the same arrangement. This means that if participant A is positioned on the left, all participants hear A on the left. When you drag a ball on the display it is moving on the other participants' displays too.

All participants share the same auditory viewpoint in the space. So it is not a true virtual world where every participant has a unique viewpoint. Doing that would require that each user control their own orientation as well as position, greatly complicating the user interface without much benefit.

Can I move close to someone and whisper?

It won't have the desired effect. Because vSpace uses a shared viewpoint, if you move close to another participant it just means that you are both heard from the same position. If you move close to the listener ball you can whisper from close up, but all participants will hear this equally.

What happens when I drag a ball into the listener's head?

vSpace simulates a distance effect, so when you drag a participant closer to the listener that participant will be louder and will sound closer. Dragging inside the graphical head on the display doesn't do anything to create an inside-the-head perception, it just sounds closer.

What does Login as Host do?

If you've signed up for a vSpace account, you can login from the client. The client will then display the conference ID for your private conference in the conference popup menu, making it easy to connect to your private conference. The client will remember your login and will automatically login every time it is launched.

What if I'm sharing the same physical room with another user?

If you're in the same room with another vSpace user you will hear their voice acoustically followed by a delayed echo through vSpace, which will be objectionable. You can mute them from your mix by right-clicking (shift-clicking on Mac) on their green ball and selecting Mute from the popup menu. Similarly they should mute you using the same procedure. Now both of you may talk and hear each other acoustically but not through vSpace.

How can I get help or report a bug?

If you are encountering problems using vSpace, please send a report to and include a description of the problem plus the operating system you are running (Mac or Windows and version). If you are having network or connection problems, include any details you know about your local network, and attach the log files, described below.

We are very interested in your comments and suggestions. Please send these to the above email or use the contact page.

Where can I find the log files?

vSpace creates two log files: 1) vSpace.log, which records application level events, and 2) pjlog.txt, which records network events. Attaching the log files to an error report will help us diagnose problems. The directory where the log files are found depends on the operating system, as listed below:

• Win XP: C:/Documents and Settings/<user>/Application Data/vSpace/
• Win Vista, Win 7: C:/Users/<user>/AppData/Roaming/vSpace/
• Mac OS-X: ~/Library/Logs/vSpace/

Where <user> on Windows systems is your login username, and ~ on Mac systems is your user home directory.