Mumble

[likwidtek]

The best that I can describe:  Mumble is a open source and free voice chat system specifically designed to be awesome for gamers and despite my snap judgement, is frickin awesome.

This project has been going on for a while and to be quite honest, I've never paid it much mind.  It wasn't until the other day that a friend asked me to join mumble to talk about some game stuff while in game.  Irritatedly, I downloaded the free client, set up my key-bind, joined the server and started chatting.

It worked flawlessly.  The latency is nearly real time.  The voice quality is astounding.  It's FREE and comes with amazing features like a game overlay along with some other cool stuff.  It works on nearly every platform and seriously I know everyone like me is very picky about what they use and everything but I figure this is worth a look.  

Honestly had I not been forced to try it I wouldn't have cared but I'm impressed with that they have done.  Not to mention it's cool that this will basically run on every OS.  iPhone and Android versions are being made now too.  Did I mention free and open source?

Here are some really neat tests followed by some opinions.  

TESTS
Mumble vs. TS2, Ventrilo - Transmission Delay (Latency)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMfF36NvoJc
Mumble vs Ventrilo Latency Test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv5Pmab4K6E

OPINIONS
TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDHNdMzh488&feature=player_embedded#
CNET
http://download.cnet.com/Mumble/3000-2150_4-10779248.html
Dot Gamer Clan
http://www.dotgamerclan.com/announcementsblog/2010/08/17/mumble-murmur-voip-review/

Main site
http://mumble.sourceforge.net/

Try it
If you want to try it out you can use this server:  mumble://lcsrv.com:64738/

[Tbone]

I can't see any reason to switch. Teamspeak 3 seems FAR superior, especially in terms of user and admin management and permissions. If TS3 starts charging or forcing limitations, then maybe we should look at other options.

[Saint]

Teamspeak in general blows, I've never liked it compared to some of the other programs that have far superior sound quality and functions.  Its barely better than the old roger wilco in my book.

[Tbone]

Teamspeak in general blows, I've never liked it compared to some of the other programs that have far superior sound quality and functions.  Its barely better than the old roger wilco in my book.

We used Ventrilo before TS, and it was much worse. The codecs aren't as good (everyone sounded hollow). The sound effect were very annoying (the beeps and clicks for when anyone would talk). And the text to speech was just horrific (every singe text said out loud by an annoying robot). Way to much excess sound garbage going on for my taste.

Other than that, what is there? Skype? Certainly not better for gaming. And then there's Mumble, which suffers from the problem that it is so stripped down that you have to install a bunch of addons if you hope to achieve a high level of functionality.

[likwidtek]

I haven't done the admin stuff on mumble so I dunno what permissiony stuff you can't do.  I just figured since it's free and quicker with the same if not better voice quality it'd be appealing.  

But I guess it not having the security features that you like is kind of a hurdle.  heh.

[likwidtek]

For me, the best appeal about mumble is the sheer speed.  For example, in my house I can hear my gf over the headset quicker than with my ears.  Meaning, it takes less time for it to travel over the internet and into my headset that it takes for the soundwaves to travel through the air.

Seriously.

For PVP, that lag is so annoying.

[Ragnarok]

Well my friends guild recently switched from TS to this raidcall. I have no experience with it so I don't know if it is good or not, but from what I have read it seems pretty cool.

[Tbone]

I have seen something about Raidcall. What I like about it is that you don't need your own server to host - apparently they host for free on their server. But luckily we have a server!

[likwidtek]

Don't we have to pay for TS?

[Tbone]

No.

[Saint]

Actually, Ive used Vent alot before myself, you can choose higher codecs that sound better than TS ever has Imho and you can turn off the beeps when you talk, as for as text to speech? who ever uses that anyway? dunno, I never do.   Regardless, Im not trying to promote vent per say, just saying Ts has always been sub par in the sound department as far as Im concerned.

[Broin]

Seriously don't make me change to a new program... I'm good with TS.  If I have to adapt to some new type of computer program the user error problems that will come about from my use with it will be insane

[Paitryn]

I really dont care one way or the other much. my only objective with a voice chat system of any kind is that I can hear the other players well enough to understand what they are saying.

I do like teamspeak over vent in the fact we have an onboard chat system instead of having to make a few leaps and bounds to get what you want, its right there no fuss.

as for the newer systems if they work that well great, Ill go wherever we go in system choice.

[Keeloth]

In my experience... TS2 < Vent = TS3 ?? Mumble.  So, as long as we don't suddenly start using TS2, I'll be happy