FAQ

SYNCROOM Basic Knowledge

How does SYNCROOM communication work?

SYNCROOM has separate processes for room management and audio communication.
A server is used for enter/exit room management.
Audio communication is not routed through the server. Instead, the user's PC terminals are directly connected to exchange voice, realizing a low latency connection. Because audio communication is done individually with each member other than yourself, the load on the communication connection and PC processing increases as the number of connected parties increases. Currently, we limit the number of simultaneous connections to 5, considering the performance of PCs that are in widespread use and the network environment.
See this page for the remote ensemble technology "NETDUETTO (R)" used in SYNCROOM.

What devices are compatible?

We recommend you have at least CPU of 2 GHz and memory of 8 GB. Check the recommended operating environment for your audio interface.
For Windows, we recommend using an audio interface that supports ASIO drivers.

What operating systems are compatible with SYNCROOM?

Windows 10 (64-bit), Windows 11, macOS Big Sur (11), macOS Monterey (12), macOS Ventura（13）.

I heard that the ASIO driver is recommended for Windows. What is the ASIO driver?

A driver is software that allows a PC to use a peripheral equipment. The peripheral equipment in this case refers to microphones and speakers. Audio interfaces that support ASIO can exchange voice with high quality and low latency by using the ASIO driver.
ASIO (Audio Stream Input Output) is an audio input/output standard advocated by Steinberg.

Use the ASIO driver provided by the manufacturer of your audio interface.

What kind of audio interface equipment do you recommend?

Yamaha audio interfaces that can be used with SYNCROOM include the examples in the following lineups.

• AG series：AG03, AG06, AG03MK2, AG06MK2
• UR series：UR12
• UR-C series：UR22C

*When using the AG series, we recommend setting the [TO PC] slide switch to "INPUT MIX".
*When using the UR, UR-C series, disable the LoopBack function.

How should I set the ASIO driver / WASAPI?

You can select it in "Audio Device" in "Settings".

• If you are using an ASIO-compatible device and the corresponding driver is installed correctly, you should be able to select "ASIO". If you cannot select ASIO, check the driver installation status.
• When using "ASIO", in order to reduce latency, open the "Control Panel" in "Settings" and set it as low (fast) as possible. If there is a numerical value, we recommend setting it to about 64 to 128 samples (2 to 4 msec).
• If you do not have an ASIO-compatible device, select "WASAPI Shared Mode" first to try. The dropdown menu on the right side of the lower part of "WASAPI Shared Mode" is the input device, and on the left side is the selection of the output device.
• In "WASAPI Shared Mode", latency is larger than in "ASIO". If you have an ASIO-compatible device, we recommend using it with "ASIO".
• In "WASAPI Exclusive Mode", depending on the device you are using, you may not be able to use the microphone or the performance may not be very good.

For details,see "3-1. Settings Related to Audio Input/Output" in the manual.

Which connection can I use?

We recommend using an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that provides a wired internet connection in a broadband connection such as an optic fiber and the following network.

• IPv6 connection service by IPv6 IPoE method
• IPv4 connection service by IPv4 PPPoE method

For details on the services provided, contact your ISP company.

What is the communication speed required to have a session with SYNCROOM?

For data communication used in SYNCROOM, about 15 Mbps is adequate even when connecting the maximum number of people with the highest sound quality as a communication speed. In addition to that, the stability of communication is also important.
Adequate communication bandwidth and stable, low latency communication are not necessarily the same thing.

You can also try this line connectivity checker to check the current connection status. However, you should note that the stability of communication varies depending on the Internet service provider and the time of day, so this should only be used as a guideline.

In addition, you can check the connection status during connection in SYNCROOM with "latency" and "loss rate" displayed when the screen is Detailed display.

What is IPv6/IPv6 IPoE?

"IPv6" is the next generation protocol of "IPv4", which is the main protocol (a term for communication) currently used on the Internet.
"IPv6 IPoE" refers to a method for connecting to an IPv6 network. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) now support IPv6 IPoE, and for SYNCROOM we recommend connecting via IPv6 IPoE.

Can SYNCROOM be used in an IPv6-only network?

At present, communication with the connection management server uses IPv4, so it cannot be used in a completely IPv6-only network (but this may change in the future).

Can SYNCROOM be used with IPv4-as-a-Service network service?

As a general rule, we do not recommend services that do IPv4 communication via an IPv6 network (IPv4-as-a-Service) because when connecting with IPv4 (when connecting with a user on a line that supports only IPv4) there are restrictions on the number of ports that can be used and port mapping by UPnP cannot be used (or there are restrictions).
There is no problem when connecting with IPv6 (if the connection partner also supports IPv6).

Can SYNCROOM be used overseas?

SYNCROOM is a service for Japan and South Korea (as of June 2023).
Please note that we are not currently responsible for use of the application outside Japan and South Korea or connection with countries and regions outside of Japan and South Korea.

Can I connect with users in other countries?

Users in Japan and South Korea can connect with each other.
However, there is sometimes high latency in connections between Japan and South Korea.

Also, if you select a display country in the room list display filter by country or region, the displayed rooms will be filtered based on the country where the room creator is using the application.

Can I change the display language used by the application?

The display language of the SYNCROOM application is set automatically according to the language setting of your OS. If you are using a language other than Japanese or Korean, everything in the application will be displayed in English.

What are the conditions under which SYNCROOM cannot be used?

We have confirmed that SYNCROOM does not work in some router and connection environments.
Depending on the environment, it may not be possible to connect from a network such as a corporate intranet.
In environments where connection is not possible, sometimes when connecting in a room, a message will be shown saying “Connected to the server”, then connection with other members will fail, and a message will be shown saying “Disconnected from server”. If this occurs every time, it is highly likely that SYNCROOM cannot be used in that environment.

Can I connect with NETDUETTOβ / NETDUETTOβ2 users?

No, you cannot.

Can I connect with SYNCROOM mobile version users?

Yes, you can connect with SYNCROOM mobile version users. However, the Connect to room function cannot be used with rooms created in the Mobile Version.

What is the difference between the desktop version and the mobile version?

Check the function comparison table here.

Can I test whether communication is working well?

There is a room for testing with the room name "Official Test Room". Use this room.
If your audio interface settings are correct, when you enter the Official Test Room, the input voice will be returned as it is after 3 seconds. Use it to check the settings in advance.

However, since the Official Test Room operates on a server and it is different from a general home network environment, even if you can connect in the Official Test Room, it may not always be possible to connect with all users.
Also, in the Official Test Room, the latency is slightly higher due to stable operation on the server. Understand that it is intended for voice checks only.

Note that the Official Test Room may be stopped without notice for maintenance.

How many people can connect to SYNCROOM?

Up to 5 people can be connected without using the Connect to room function, and up to 10 people can be connected with the Connect to room function. However, as the number of connected users increases, bandwidth used for communication increases, so the possibility of being failed to connect and noise due to insufficient bandwidth increases.
Also, latency when connecting through Connect to room is greater than latency within a single room. Latency time displayed for the Connect to room is the latency time between the representative users who are connecting rooms, so the actual latency will be calculated by adding the latency time to the participating members.

What is the maximum continuous time of a room?

6 hours from the time the room is created.

Is it necessary to create an account?

To use SYNCROOM, you must make an account or log in with a Yamaha Music ID.
Yamaha Music ID accounts differ for each country or region, so please select the correct country or region before using SYNCROOM.

How do I delete my account (withdraw)?

If you wish to withdraw from Yamaha Music ID, select "Proceed to withdrawal procedure" after deleting your SYNCROOM profile information and follow the procedure.
For details, check "1-7. Manage / Delete Account" in the manual.

What user information is made public on SYNCROOM?

When your My Profile is "Public", all information saved in "Profile Settings (Edit)" will be public to other users. If you set My Profile to "Private", only your icon and nickname will be shown to other users, and other information will not be made public. For details, refer to "1-3. Check My Profile" in the manual.

Can I set my own icon instead of the default icon?

By linking to Twitter, you can set the Twitter icon. For details on how to set up, check "1-1. (2) Link to Twitter settings" in the manual.

How can I link to Twitter?

You can set it from "Profile Settings (Edit)". For details on how to set up, check " 1-1. (2) Link to Twitter settings" in the manual.
*When you upgrade from a version prior to 1.5 to version 1.5 or later, you must link to Twitter again. *If you have registered a Twitter account with an Apple account or Google account, check "I cannot link to Twitter." in the FAQ.

Can I have separate nicknames for the Desktop and Mobile Versions?

Only one nickname can be set per account.
You cannot assign separate nicknames to each device you use.

What happens when I add a user to my favorites?

You can check the favorite user's icon, nickname, self-introduction, room creation status, and latest activity on the favorite user screen. Also check the manual "1-5. Add users to Favorites".

What happens when I block another user?

If you block a user, the blocked person will not be able to view your My Profile and enter the room you created. For details, check "1-6. Block users" in the manual.

What can I do with MIDI control function?

In SYNCROOM, you can control operations such as volume on the screen from an external MIDI equipment.
For details, check the manual "MIDI Control Settings".

*SYNCROOM does not have a function to send MIDI signals to the connection destination.

How can I broadcast the sound played in SYNCROOM on a live streaming service?

On Windows, you can stream the voice exchanged in SYNCROOM by selecting the "Yamaha SYNCROOM Driver" as the voice input device (microphone input) on the live streaming service side. No special settings are required on the SYNCROOM side.
For details on how to change the voice input device used for streaming, see help offered by each streaming service. Also, check the terms of use for your streaming service before use.

Can I use copyrighted music scores or sound sources on SYNCROOM?

When using copyrighted works owned by others, be sure to obtain permission from the holder of the relevant rights before using them. Please refer to the software license agreement for details.
*When your use of this software is deemed to have violated the terms of the license agreement, Yamaha Corporation may require you to cease said use and delete the information entered, or may act without prior notice to terminate your use of this software.

Tips & tricks to use SYNCROOM enjoyably

Is there a trick to using SYNCROOM enjoyably?

Here are some tricks for using SYNCROOM more enjoyably. However, the following assumes that the latency is already small. See " How can I reduce latency time?" in the FAQ.

1. Monitor with headphones if possible.
   Since the speed of sound is about 340 m/second, it travels 0.34 m in 1 msec. In other words, being 34 cm away from the monitor speaker is the same as a 1 msec latency. Therefore, being 1 m away from the monitor speaker is the same as having latency of 3 msec. Using headphones can reduce unnecessary latency.
2. Try using the built-in metronome / audio player.
   SYNCROOM has a metronome / audio player function in the main body function.
   This metronome / audio player has a function that "measures the latency time with other users and sends the sound to other users earlier for that amount of time". As a result, voice data being played back by the metronome / audio player will be played back at the same time at each place, and only one-way latency will make an impact.
3. Try adding latency to the input sound monitor.
   By adding latency to the monitor sound of the input sound, you can easily match performance with other users.
   If you add a 20 msec latency to monitor sound of your performance, you will hear the sound 20 msec after you play. In that case, you must play 20 msec earlier in order to match the performance with the sound you hear. If you play 20 msec earlier, the sound played 20 msec earlier will be sent to other users over the network. By doing this, for example, if the latency time was originally 30 msec, it can be reduced to 10 msec.
   
   *The latency time of this monitor sound is set to an appropriate value by automatic measurement. The maximum value is 20 msec.
   
   Of course, this method is a way of forcing a special performance of "playing 20 msec faster". This may seem difficult, but it has been found to be fairly adaptable, except for some instruments (such as acoustic drums). Another trick is to monitor sound with headphones so that you can't hear the live sound.
   When using this method, turn off the audio interface's direct monitoring function (a mechanism for directly listening to the performance sound without latency). For the setting method, check the manual of the audio interface.
   When using the ASIO driver on Windows, the initial settings of SYNCROOM is "Monitor (with latency)".v (This function cannot be used when using WASAPI or DirectSound on Windows.)
   However, in the case of singing, adding latency to this monitor sound may make it difficult to sing. In that case, select "Do not monitor" or "Monitor (without latency)" for "Input monitoring" in "Settings".
4. Be aware of rhythm keeping.
   It is impossible to completely eliminate the latency, the entire song will inevitably be delayed when each other matches the sound of the other. When holding a session over the network, it is necessary to be more aware of keeping rhythm than usual. Especially in the rhythm part, it will be necessary to consciously keep the rhythm. Also, the faster the tempo of the song, the more noticeable the latency will be. Be careful with your song selection.

Tell me more about the features of the screen.

See this manual.

What is the sound quality performance of SYNCROOM?

The highest sound quality in SYNCROOM is 48 kHz, 16-bit stereo uncompressed communication.
The sampling frequencies supported are 44,100 Hz (44.1 kHz) and 48,000 Hz (48 kHz).
Note that the input signal for the sender and the output signal for the receiver may change due to interpolation processing, which is done to absorb communication disturbances on the network.

What is the expected latency time for a music session?

These are rough estimates, but you can use the following as guidelines.
　　30 msec or less: A certain degree of music session can be realized.
　　45 msec or less: You can do things like play along with a rhythm track.
　　70 msec or less: It is possible to sing along with an orchestra.
Since the speed of sound is about 340 m/s, 10 msec is equivalent to 3.4 m.
In other words, 30 msec is the same time difference as playing about 10 m away.
However, when we are actually 10 m apart, we usually make eye contact to enable a music session. You can't use eye contact for a session on the Internet, so the session will be more difficult.
SYNCROOM has some innovations in order to realize music sessions. See "Is there a trick to using SYNCROOM enjoyably? " in the FAQ.
(The unit msec is equivalent to 1/1,000th of a second.)

How can I reduce latency time?

To reduce latency (for Windows), it is essential that you have an audio interface that supports ASIO. ・The following explanation assumes that you are using an ASIO-compatible audio interface. (For Mac, convert "ASIO buffer size" below to "Buffer size" in "Settings".) (FAQ " I heard that the ASIO driver is recommended for Windows. What is the ASIO driver?")

The latency in SYNCROOM is determined by these 3 factors:

• ASIO buffer size
• Network latency
• SYNCROOM receiving buffer size

Decrease the ASIO buffer size to reduce latency.
Open the "Control Panel" in "Settings" and set it to the smallest (fastest) as possible.
If there is a numerical value, we recommend setting it to about 64 to 128 samples (2 to 4 msec).
Depending on the performance of the PC, if the setting is too small, audio dropouts may be caused.
In that case, adjust to an appropriate value.

Network latency varies depending on your line environment, connection route, and connection distance.
Due to the structure of the Internet, it is practically impossible to select which route to connect with the other party. Therefore, it is difficult to control network latency.

The receiving buffer size of SYNCROOM is prepared for the purpose of absorbing fluctuations in communication on the Internet. Immediately after starting the connection, the latency time due to the ASIO buffer size and the connection status are measured and automatically set to appropriate values.
As a general rule, it's fine to leave it as automatic. If you want to set it yourself, you can set it on the "Detailed display" screen in the "Member Settings Area".

What happens if the participants have different audio settings?

The setting is forcibly adjusted to the lower side between the people who are connected.
See the example below.
　User A: High quality - high (44/48 kHz) / uncompressed / 2 ch
　　User B: Standard - high (44/48 kHz) / standard compression / 1 ch
　　User C: Prioritize bandwidth - low (11/12 kHz) / high compression / 1 ch
In this case, User A and User B are connected with standard (high (44/48 kHz) / standard compression / 1 ch), User A and User C with Prioritize bandwidth (low (11/12 kHz) / high compression / 1 ch), and User B and User C with Prioritize bandwidth (low (11/12 kHz) / high compression / 1 ch).
Even if you use your own custom settings, they will be forcibly adjusted to the lower sound quality setting, the higher compression rate, and the smaller number of channels.

Even if the sampling frequency of User A's audio interface is 48 kHz and the sampling frequency of User B's audio interface is 44 kHz, the sampling frequency will be converted automatically. (Transmission is done according to your own sampling frequency, and reception is converted according to your own sampling frequency.)

Is it possible to know whether other users in the room are recording?

"REC" is displayed in the column of members who start recording, so all members in the room can check.

Where is the data recorded by SYNCROOM saved?

Recorded audio data is saved in "Music > SYNCROOM_REC" in the system folder.

What is the maximum recording time?

You can record up to about 3 hours in one recording (up to 2 GB). However, it may be shorter if your device's storage space is small.