Sound effects cannot be repeated?

[paulross80]

Hello, I'm making a C++ game under Linux, kernel 5.15 LTS
Everything is initialized correctly. I've noticed that when the player fires the gun, the sound plays, but if the enemy is also shooting, the sound of their gun is not heard (it is the same ma_sound object). The sound is played by both entities, but the new sound starts only when the previous finished playing. I'm reading the documentation again, and the reddit, but I cannot find an example of repeating sounds. Here is my initialization code:

` // Initialize the audio context
// Use default backend priorities
audioContextInitResult = ma_context_init(nullptr, 0U, nullptr, &audioContext);

if (audioContextInitResult != MA_SUCCESS)
    // "Cannot create audio context!"

// Enumerate playback devices
ma_device_info* playbackDevicesInfo;
ma_uint32 playbackDevicesCount;

if (ma_context_get_devices(&audioContext, &playbackDevicesInfo, &playbackDevicesCount, nullptr, nullptr) != MA_SUCCESS)
{
    ma_context_uninit(&audioContext);
    // "Cannot enumerate audio playback devices!"
}

// for (ma_uint32 device = 0U; device < playbackDevicesCount; device++)
// fmt::print(" - audio device: {}, name: ${}$, default? {}\n", device, playbackDevicesInfo[device].name, playbackDevicesInfo[device].isDefault);

// Playback device configuration
ma_device_config audioDeviceConfig = ma_device_config_init(ma_device_type_playback);

// Choose specific device (optional)
// ma_device_id depends on the selected backend
// (may be a number, or a string, or whatever)
audioDeviceConfig.playback.pDeviceID = &playbackDevicesInfo[deviceIndex].id;
// Set to ma_format_unknown to use the device's native format
audioDeviceConfig.playback.format = ma_format_f32;
// Set to 0 to use the device's native channel count
audioDeviceConfig.playback.channels = channels;
// Set to 0 to use the device's native sample rate
audioDeviceConfig.sampleRate = sampleRate;
// This function will be called when miniaudio needs more data
audioDeviceConfig.dataCallback = audioCallback;
// User data can be accessed from the device object
audioDeviceConfig.pUserData = &audioEngine;

// Initialize the audio device (using context)
if (ma_device_init(&audioContext, &audioDeviceConfig, &audioDevice) != MA_SUCCESS)
{
    // "Cannot initialize audio device #{} ({})", deviceIndex, playbackDevicesInfo[deviceIndex].name
}

// Audio engine configuration
auto audioEngineConfig = ma_engine_config_init();
// Use the selected playback device
// NOTE: if you specify a device, you must manually call ma_engine_read_pcm_frames from the callback!
audioEngineConfig.pDevice = &audioDevice;
// You can specify a custom resource manager here!
// audioEngineConfig.pResourceManager = &myCustomResourceManager;


// This creates an engine instance which will initialize a device and
// a resource manager (unless you specified your own)
// The engine itself is also a node graph
// First parameter can be a pointer to a ma_engine_config struct or nullptr
if (ma_engine_init(&audioEngineConfig, &audioEngine) != MA_SUCCESS)
    // "Cannot initialize audio engine for the selected playback device!"


// Audio Engine:
// - The master volume of the engine can be controlled with ma_engine_set_volume(engine, float) which
//   takes a linear scale, with 0 resulting in silence and anything above 1 resulting in amplification
ma_engine_set_volume(&audioEngine, m_masterVolume);
// - Configure listeners, up to MA_ENGINE_MAX_LISTENERS
//   audioEngineConfig.listenerCount = 2U;
// - Position listener in 3D space:
//   ma_engine_listener_set_position(&engine, listenerIndex, worldPosX, worldPosY, worldPosZ);
//   ma_engine_listener_set_direction(&engine, listenerIndex, forwardX, forwardY, forwardZ);
//   ma_engine_listener_set_world_up(&engine, listenerIndex, 0, 1, 0);
//   ma_engine_listener_set_cone(&engine, listenerIndex, innerAngleInRadians, outerAngleInRadians, outerGain);

// To get the resource manager instance that the engine created for us:
// auto resManager = ma_engine_get_resource_manager(&m_audioEngine);


// A sound group is just a sound without a data source
if (ma_sound_group_init(&audioEngine, 0U, nullptr, &soundGroup) != MA_SUCCESS)
    // "Cannot create sound group!"

// Set sound group volume
ma_sound_group_set_volume(&soundGroup, volume);

`
Is it possible to repeat sounds?

[wini3d]

had the same or related issue earlier and this is quite common, you should use ma_sound_seek_to_pcm_frame and set it to 0 to repeat the same sound resource without creating new ones. #516

[mackron]

Moving this to the discussion section.

You need a separate ma_sound object for every instance of the sound you want to play simultaneously. The resource manager will ensure the sound data is only loaded once, but keep in mind the reference counting system that automatically unloads sounds (section 6.2.2 in the documentation): https://miniaud.io/docs/manual/#ResourceManagement

A common technique is to load all of your sounds initially at load time and store a cache of ma_sound objects. Then whenever you need to play a sound, use ma_sound_init_copy().

[mackron]

It's declared like this:

ma_result ma_sound_init_copy(ma_engine* pEngine, const ma_sound* pExistingSound, ma_uint32 flags, ma_sound_group* pGroup, ma_sound* pSound);

That function is used to initialize a new ma_sound object which is just a copy of the original sound. You still need to call ma_sound_start() for every instance of the sound that you need to play. You don't need to use ma_sound_init_copy() - it's just one option I thought I'd mention in case it might be useful. The main thing is that for every instance of a sound you want to play, you need a separate ma_sound object. How you want to manage that is up to you and whatever suits your own requirements.

You're right about it not being in the documentation. I'll add a small section about it when I get a chance.

(Side note about your IDE. If your IDE freezes and takes up all your memory when you open miniaudio.h, it might be related to this issue: clangd/clangd#719)

[paulross80]

The main thing is that for every instance of a sound you want to play, you need a separate ma_sound object

I see. The enemy entities should own a ma_sound object. So if the new ma_sound is a copy, should I pass 0 to the flags? (the sound is already loaded and decoded for the player entity)

You're right about it not being in the documentation. I'll add a small section about it when I get a chance

Thanks! Maybe a new example too?

If your IDE freezes and takes up all your memory when you open miniaudio.h, it might be related to this issue: clangd/clangd#719

Yes! I use QtCreator 7, and it is crashing a lot recently!
My clangd version is 14.0.6

[mackron]

You'll want to pass in flags if you use MA_SOUND_FLAG_NO_DEFAULT_ATTACHMENT, MA_SOUND_FLAG_NO_PITCH, etc. on the new sound. Otherwise yes, you can pass in 0 and it should work fine. Keep in mind that ma_sound_init_copy() will not work for streaming sounds (sounds that were loaded with MA_SOUND_FLAG_STREAM), and will only work for sounds that were loaded via the resource manager (if you're using ma_sound_init_from_file() you're good).

I tried nudging them to fix the clangd thing, but they seem exceptionally uninterested in fixing it so I've given up hope unfortunately.

[paulross80]

My flags are MA_SOUND_FLAG_DECODE | MA_SOUND_FLAG_NO_PITCH
and yes, I'm using ma_sound_init_from_file(), I'll try these exact flags, thanks!

Are ma_sound objects lightweight? I mean, cheap to copy

but they seem exceptionally uninterested in fixing it

That's a shame, really

[mackron]

I wouldn't exactly call it lightweight, but it's not crazy heavy either. Copying will involve incrementing a counter, but it also needs to initialise a resampler for pitch shifting and also needs to be added to the internal node graph.

[wini3d]

@mackron it would be nice to add this to the documentation as this seems to be used commonly, particularly in games.

[mackron]

It's already there in section 5:

Each ma_sound object represents a single instance of the sound. If you want to play the same sound multiple times at the same time, you need to initialize a separate ma_sound object.