If you do not have your operating system and JamKazam audio sample rates set to the same values, a lot of bad things are going to happen. Sometimes the JamKazam application won't even recognize or allow your audio gear to be set up through our audio setup wizard. In other cases, you may have crackling, audio dropouts, and other audio quality and stability problems. This help article explains how to make sure your audio sample rates are properly set to the same values.
A quick note before we jump into the details. Audio from your instrument or voice is typically produced in analog form and needs to be converted to digital form in order for your computer and the JamKazam application to process it. The audio sample rate defines how many times per second an analog sound is sampled to produce its digital equivalent form. Music CDs use a sample rate of 44.1 kHz (i.e. samples the audio 44,100 times per second) because it allows for a maximum audio frequency of 22.05 kHz. The human ear can detect sounds from roughly 20 hertz to 20 kHz, so there is little reason to use higher sample rates, especially in an application like JamKazam that is focused on ultra low latency just as much as audio quality (i.e. there will be trade-offs in audio quality to achieve low latency, unlike in a recording studio environment where the focus is solely on quality).
The Basic Steps
To get your audio sample rates set the same everywhere, here are the basic steps you should follow.
First, you need to start with the operating system settings for sample rates on your computer. This is independent of the JamKazam application. Please scroll down to either the Windows or Mac sections of this help article, and follow the instructions on how to set your operating system audio sample rates for your computer. Then return here to "The Basic Steps" section to continue with the steps required for the JamKazam application.
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Now that you have followed the instructions to set your audio sample rates for your audio interface and built-in mic and speakers using your operating system settings application, you are ready to configure your audio settings to match in the JamKazam app. Start by clicking the large orange "Account" tile on the home page of the JamKazam app (pictured below with arrow). Be sure to do this in the JamKazam app - not the website in your browser.
You now see the Account page. Next click the orange Update button on the Audio Gear option (pictured below with arrow).
You now see the Audio Profiles associated with your account. Please use the orange Delete button to delete all audio profiles other than the System Default profile (pictured below with arrow).
Now click the Add New Gear button to start the audio setup wizard, so that you can set up your audio gear for use with the JamKazam app from scratch (pictured below with arrow).
On the first step of the audio setup wizard, just click the Next button (pictured below with arrow) to move ahead to step 2.
On the second step of the audio setup wizard, select your audio interface in the Audio Input Device list box, and then (importantly) leave the Sample Rate value set to "Match" (pictured below with arrow). You can now adjust any other settings on this screen that you normally would to configure your audio interface to your preferences.
And after this screen, proceed through the rest of the audio setup wizard as you normally would to complete setting up the audio preferences for this audio profile.
Setting Your Windows Operating System Sample Rates
Before you update your sample rate settings on your Windows computer:
- Close the JamKazam application. It's important that the JamKazam application not be running while you do this.
- If you are using an audio interface with JamKazam, do make sure your audio interface is connected to your computer.
Once you have done these two things, proceed as explained below.
First, click your mouse cursor in the Windows search bar at the bottom of the screen and type "change system sounds" (pictured below with downward arrow). You will see search results displayed. Next click on the "Open" icon for the "Change System Sounds" application in the Windows control panel (pictured below with upward arrow).
You now see the Sound feature of the Windows control panel. Click the Playback tab (pictured below with arrow).
Now look for your audio interface in the list of audio devices. In this case, we have a Roland Rubix22 audio interface connected to our Windows computer. Click on your audio interface to select it (pictured below with leftward arrow). And then click the Properties button (pictured below with downward arrow).
If you don't see your audio interface, you likely don't have it connected to your computer. Please plug it in, and the window should update itself to display your interface in the list. If you are not using an audio interface, skip ahead to the part of this section that explains how to set the sample rate on your built-in audio gear.
Next click the Advanced tab (pictured below with arrow).
Click open the Default Format list box, and select the 24-bit, 48000Hz (48kHz) sample rate option (pictured below with leftward arrow). Then click the Apply button to save these settings (pictured below with downward arrow), and then click the OK button.
You have now set the sample rate to 48kHz for the outputs of your audio interface. Next click the Recording tab (pictured below with arrow) to set the sample rate for your audio interface inputs.
Now look for your audio interface in the list of audio devices. In this case, we have a Roland Rubix22 audio interface connected to our Windows computer. Click on your audio interface to select it (pictured below with leftward arrow). And then click the Properties button (pictured below with downward arrow).
Next click the Advanced tab (pictured below with arrow).
Click open the Default Format list box, and select the 24-bit, 48000Hz (48kHz) sample rate option (pictured below with leftward arrow). Then click the Apply button to save these settings (pictured below with downward arrow), and then click the OK button.
You have now set the sample rate to 48kHz for both the inputs and outputs of your audio interface. If you are not using the built-in mic as a chat mic in the JamKazam app and are not using your built-in mic and headphone jack for session audio, you can skip the rest of this section and return to "The Basic Steps" above in this help article to finish configuring the JamKazam app sample rates to match these operating system sample rate values.
If you are using your built-in audio system, continue as below. First, click the Recording tab in the Sound window. Find and click to select the built-in microphone in the device list (pictured below with leftward arrow), and then click the Properties button (pictured below with downward arrow). Follow the same steps as documented above to set the Default Format to the 24-bit, 48000Hz (48kHz) sample rate option, and then click the Apply button to save these settings and click the OK button.
And finally, click the Playback tab in the Sound window. Find and click to select the built-in headphone in the device list (pictured below with leftward arrow) - or if there is no option for built-in headphones, then select the built-in speakers option. Then click the Properties button (pictured below with downward arrow), and follow the same steps as documented above to set the Default Format to the 24-bit, 48000Hz (48kHz) sample rate option, and then click the Apply button to save these settings and click the OK button.
Now return to "The Basic Steps" above in this help article to finish configuring the JamKazam app sample rates to match these operating system sample rate values.
Setting Your Mac OS X Operating System Sample Rates
Before you update your sample rate settings on your Mac:
- Close the JamKazam application. It's important that the JamKazam application not be running while you do this.
- If you are using an audio interface with JamKazam, do make sure your audio interface is connected to your computer.
Once you have done these two things, proceed as explained below.
First, hold down the Command key on your Mac keyboard, and then press the space bar. You will see the Spotlight Search window (pictured below).
Click your mouse cursor on "Spotlight Search" and then type "MIDI". You will see the window update to show search results for your Mac. Double click on the Audio MIDI Setup application (pictured below with arrow).
You now see the Audio Devices application. On the left side of the application, if you are using an audio interface with JamKazam, then click on your audio interface. For this example, we have a Steinberg UR22C audio interface connected to the Mac and have selected it (pictured below with arrow).
On the right side of the application window, you can see that the Input channel of the interface is selected (in blue) and that the sample rate is set to 44,100 Hz, which is the same as 44.1kHz (pictured above with arrow).
Click the Format list box to open it, and we recommend that you set this value to 48,000Hz, which is the same as 48kHz (pictured below with arrow). (Note: If there is a reason you want or need to leave your sample rate at 44.1kHz, then make sure you set all sample rate values to 44.1kHz.)
Next, click the Output button, and you will see it turn blue. Then click to open the Format list box, and set this value to 48,000Hz (pictured below with arrow).
At this point, you have set both the input and output channels of your audio interface to 48kHz. If you are not using the built-in mic or speakers/headphone jack with JamKazam, you can stop here and return to "The Basic Steps" above. But if you are using your built-in mic and/or speakers/headphone jack for JamKazam session audio or as a chat mic in JamKazam sessions, then please continue below to set the sample rates as follows.
In the Audio Devices window, click the Microphone on the left (pictured below). Then click to open the Format list box, and set this value to 48,000Hz (pictured below with arrow).
And finally, click the Mac Speakers on the left (pictured below). Then click to open the Format list box, and set this value to 48,000Hz (pictured below with arrow).
Now that you have set all the sample rate values to the same value, please return to "The Basic Steps" above in this help article to finish configuring the JamKazam app sample rates to match these operating system sample rate values.