NVDA alpha 2025.1: NVDA does not speak on the Windows default output device.

[paulber19]

Steps to reproduce:

Actual behavior:

Environment:
it is necessary to have two audio output device:

• the one integrated into the motherboard.
• another USB audio device for example.

Plug in the USB audio device and verify that it is the default device used by Windows.
Start NVDA with a completely blank configuration.
The NVDA startup sound plays on the default audio device.
But the speech that follows is heard through the speakers of the built-in audio device.
After initializing NVDA, we see in the "audio" category of the NVDA parameters that the audio output device is indeed "default output device". Which does not correspond with what we hear.
If we change the audio output device and choose the usb device, NVDA speaks fine on that device.
But if we choose the default device again, NVDA speaks on the built-in device again.

Expected behavior:

NVDA should speak into the default device.

NVDA logs, crash dumps and other attachments:

System configuration

NVDA installed/portable/running from source:

NVDA portable

NVDA version:

NVDA version alpha-34973,631156cb x86

Windows version:

Windows 10 22H2 (10.0.19045) workstation AMD64

Name and version of other software in use when reproducing the issue:

None

Other information about your system:

Other questions

Does the issue still occur after restarting your computer?

Yes

Have you tried any other versions of NVDA? If so, please report their behaviors.

No

If NVDA add-ons are disabled, is your problem still occurring?

Yes

Does the issue still occur after you run the COM Registration Fixing Tool in NVDA's tools menu?

No tested

[paulber19]

I don't know if this has anything to do with the problem, but under NVDA alpha I see that we don't get the default output device.
Open the NVDA python console and type the following lines:
from pycaw.utils import AudioUtilities
d = AudioUtilities.GetSpeakers()
d.GetId()

Under nvda alpha, I get the identifier:
'{0.0.0.00000000}.{e79a62fb-aae7-4aa6-ad83-aed402dad5bc}'
This is the identifier of the integrated sound card, but which is not the default device.

I stop NVDA alpha and run NVDA 2024.4.1
Under nvda 2024.4.1, I get:
'{0.0.0.00000000}.{6633ae31-373e-40cf-ae77-502fab7e6ce4}'
This is the identifier of the USB sound card which is the default device.

[Adriani90]

Cc: @SaschaCowley

[SaschaCowley]

@paulber19 I am not able to replicate this with NVDA installed or portable.
What speech synthesizer are you using?
What steps are you taking to change the Windows default output device?

[paulber19]

Thank you for considering the issue. What speech synthesizer are you using? Microsoft OneCore: This is the synthesizer that NVDA uses to initialize the configuration. What steps are you taking to change the Windows default output device I'm not doing anything to change it. Windows automatically positions it when I start the PC or plug in the USB sound card. I understand that you can hardly reproduce it because after some tests, I noticed something surprising: by changing the name of the NVDA installation folder, the problem disappears. by giving back the old name, it reappears. As I said, I have two autio output devices: the one from the integrated card, the one from the USB sound card. When I start the PC, Windows chooses the USB sound card as the default audio output device. My test NVDA is installed in the folder with the name: “nvda alpha Noémie” When I launch this NVDA without any configuration, I hear the startup sound in the headphones of the USB sound card, but NVDA speaks in the speakers connected to the motherboard. Once initialized, I check with the command "NVDA+control+u" which device NVDA is using. This one is: "default output device". To change the folder name, I run another NVDA. I change the folder name and delete the "userConfig" folder. Then I run the test NVDA. I can hear the startup sound in the headphones of the USB sound card as before, but also the voice of NVDA. The "nvda+control+u" command gives me the same autio output device used by NVDA: "default output device". I realized that the name of the installation folder was in question, by wanting to launch NVDA from a copy of this folder, that is to say from a folder named "nvda alpha Noémie - copy" and found that the problem was not occurring. Frankly, I don't know what to think about all this. Why would renaming the installation folder cause a change in NVDA behavior? As it is likely that I am the only one who knows about this malfunction and the only one who can reproduce it, I think it is better to close this issue. Le 13/01/2025 02:51, Sascha Cowley a écrit :

…

@paulber19 <https://github.com/paulber19> I am not able to replicate this with NVDA installed or portable. What speech synthesizer are you using? What steps are you taking to change the Windows default output device? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#17611 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ADZLFFAJIKTHGDJTKXN5T3D2KMLZ7AVCNFSM6AAAAABVAEG65KVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDKOBWGAZTSMJXGQ>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[tspivey]

Did you at some point change NVDA's audio device from Settings? Windows+I for Settings, System, Sound, App volume and device preferences, you should be able to find NVDA in that list. Once you do, make sure the output is set to Default.

[paulber19]

Well done, that's what caused the problem. By resetting with Windows recommended settings, the problem disappeared. Frankly, I don't remember changing these settings. Too afraid of making mistakes and losing the sound. I perhaps understand better why changing the name of the installation folder of my test NVDA made the problem disappear. Windows probably assigns an audio output device to an application by identifying it by name and path. This still raises a few questions: - under NVDA 2024.4, the "nvda+control+u" command lists the "Microsoft sound mapper" device first. Under NVDA alpha, it is "default output device". What is the relationship between the two? - when you choose it in the list of devices, to which device the "default output device" device corresponds: the Windows one, or the one configured for NVDA. Given my problem, it seems that it is primarily NVDA's problem, but the user does not know this. It might be helpful to emit a beep to the device selected in the list so that the user knows which device is affected and that it is working properly. Anyway, thank you, my problem is solved. Le 13/01/2025 19:41, Tyler Spivey a écrit :

…

Did you at some point change NVDA's audio device from Settings? Windows+I for Settings, System, Sound, App volume and device preferences, you should be able to find NVDA in that list. Once you do, make sure the output is set to Default. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#17611 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ADZLFFHB6VFGFM3WC22GT5T2KQCF3AVCNFSM6AAAAABVAEG65KVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDKOBXHEZDCMZSGE>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[SaschaCowley]

• under NVDA 2024.4, the "nvda+control+u" command lists the "Microsoft sound mapper" device first. Under NVDA alpha, it is "default output device". What is the relationship between the two?

Microsoft Sound Mapper is essentially just an output device that routes the audio to the most appropriate/preferred output device. It is not usable with Core Audio to the best of my knowledge. Core Audio APIs provide us a way to query for the default endpoint with certain capabilities, which theoretically should be the same as Sound Mapper. It seems that this default device selection is influenced by changing the output device on a per app basis, which presumably is not what happens with Sound Mapper. While confusing, this is probably desirable, though should possibly be documented.

• when you choose it in the list of devices, to which device the "default output device" device corresponds: the Windows one, or the one configured for NVDA. Given my problem, it seems that it is primarily NVDA's problem, but the user does not know this.

It is the output device the user has chosen for NVDA in Windows' settings. Unless the user changes this, it should be the system default output device.