Presentation from the 2008 Audio Engineering Society 2008 Conference on the challenges and practicalities of running an internet radio station designed originally to serve listeners in the virtual world of Second Life. I've updated it from its original 2008 presentation to include equipment currently in use.

1. Music in the Metaverse
Sound engineering for a new world
Richard Elen, Brideswell Associates

2. Second Life:
An Introduction
• The biggest on-line
‘metaverse’ – 1.5m
active ‘residents’
• 65,000 residents
in-world at a time
• Behind each ‘avatar’ is
a real person

3. Second Life:
An Introduction
• SL is a ‘Web 2.0’ application, combining:
• Instant messaging
• Social networking
• On-line computer gaming
• But… it’s not a ‘game’
– no winners, levels, points, strategy…

4. Second Life:
An Introduction
• Environment created by residents
• Residents retain rights to IP
• Buy and sell virtual land
• Build houses, mansions & castles
• Local currency convertible to $US
• >US$1.5m changes hands daily

5. Second Life:
An Introduction
• Significant
presence from
libraries &
universities
• Non-profits,
Medical training,
many in-world
businesses

6. Second Life Viewer

7. A look outside

8. Music in Second Life
• Very popular
• Virtual clubs,
balls & parties

9. Music in Second Life
• Three main types of musical activity:
• Automated playlists (internet radio)
• DJ sessions for clubs, special events
• Live music – solo musicians & groups

10. RL radio meets SL:
Science Friday
• Real Life NPR
weekly radio show
• In-world presence
• Streamed live
in-world
• SL residents ask questions in real time
which can appear in the programme

11. Music in Second Life
• Internet radio model with some
unique considerations
• Icecast & Shoutcast streaming servers
• Servers rented by venues, music providers
• Often multiple originators per stream
• Listeners on ‘parcels’ and via stand-alone
players

12. ‘Parcel Media’
• URL set for the land parcel
• FMOD embedded player for audio
(QuickTime for video)
• Handles many stream types, notably mp3
and Ogg
• Largely independent of the Viewer
• Allows reception of internet radio

13. ‘Parcel Media’
• URL set in the
application by
right-clicking on
the land parcel
and choosing
‘media’ tab set parcel URL
• Activated with
media controls
media controls

14. SL music production &
distribution chain
• Different possible sources

15. An example:
• Originally provided DJs for special events in
Caledon (Victorian/steampunk region)
• Expanded to 24/7 service on 6 genre
streams for parcel & off-world listeners
• General internet listeners now well over
50% of audience
• 16 staff around the world

16. An example:
• Dances & parties
• Caledon Library
Book of the Month

17. An example:
• Programme
Guide
• Main stream
manually
programmed
playlists
• 5 other streams
including
Steampunk etc

18. Author’s setup
SM58
Music Music
TFPro Library Library
Voice channel/processor (2 x 2TB mirrored Backup
FW drives) FW drives
Headphone monitoring
Soundcraft Compact 4
Main output
Mixer Megaseg Web browser
(Playlists)
Preview
Main output Spectre Metering
Traktor (level, waveform etc)
Preview (Live DJing)
NiceCast
TC Electronic Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 Streaming
DBMax digital S/PDIF USB Audio Interface Client
broadcast processor
Intel Mac Mini
Remote Shoutcast server

19. Streaming client
• Macintosh example
• Sends audio to server
• Sends
metadata
to server
and to
TuneIn etc

20. Streaming client
• All staff use same settings
for seamless handovers
• 44.1 kHz sampling, 16-bit (CD spec)
• 128 kilobits/sec – compromise between
quality and bandwidth
• MP3 format for maximum off-world
listener compatibility (WinAmp, iTunes etc)

21. Music apps
• DJ application for live gigs

22. Music apps
• Playlist system for daily shows (Megaseg for
Macintosh, SAM for Windows)

23. Quality vs practicality
• MP3 is an elderly format
• Lossy compression with sub-optimal quality
• Need to maximise loudness without
clipping
• Need to overcome background noise
(in-world and otherwise)

24. Quality vs practicality
• Compression
to maximise
loudness – outboard and/or
within playout system
• Limiting to avoid overloading
interface or stream

25. Operational challenges
• Extreme latency: hard to monitor stream
Are you still on the air? Sound any good?
• SL Viewer takes a lot of CPU power:
use separate computer for music
• Difficulties of handing over between
presenters/artistes: settings & timing
• What is your avatar doing? Encourage
audience’s ‘immersion’ & suspension of
disbelief

26. In closing…
• Second Life is equivalent to the Web in the
early 1990s
• In five years, this will look like the Dark
Ages of Lynx and Mosaic
• Music has a central role to play in the
metaverse
• Challenges like any other medium

27. Useful links
• Second Life: http://secondlife.com
• Second Life Music Community Forums:
http://slmc.myfastforum.org/
• Radio Riel: http://radioriel.org
• Caledon Wiki: http://www.caledonwiki.com/

28. Music in the Metaverse
© 2008 Richard G Elen / Brideswell Associates