After completing step 4 of the audio setup wizard to optionally set up a chat mic for use in JamKazam sessions, the last thing you need to do to complete the audio setup wizard is this step 5, in which you will make sure any "direct monitoring" feature on your audio interface is completely turned off, and check your audio output quality one last time. You should now be viewing the step 5 screen of the audio setup wizard in the JamKazam app (pictured below).
In this step of the wizard, you are instructed to "turn off direct monitoring" on your audio interface. Let's talk just a minute about what this feature is. Direct monitoring is a feature that takes the audio input that is coming into the audio input ports on the audio interface from an instrument or microphone and very simply takes that audio signal and bounces it straight back out of the interface into your headphones without processing it at all, and without transferring it through to your computer - and the JamKazam app - to be processed at all. So you get your own audio back into your headphones with zero latency, but using this feature will seriously mess up your JamKazam sessions.
It's very important to always keep any direct monitoring feature included with your audio interface turned off - in particular while using JamKazam. Different audio interfaces implement direct monitoring in different ways. We'll show a few examples below. If you own a different audio interface, you should be able to get the idea from these specific examples, and then apply it to your interface.
Behringer UMC202HD - This audio interface implements direct monitoring as a button (pictured below with arrow). If the button is pushed in, direct monitoring is enabled on the interface. So if you use this interface, be sure that this button is out, not in.
Behringer UMC204HD - This audio interface implements direct monitoring as a knob (pictured below with arrow). If the button is turned to the left (toward the "IN" label), direct monitoring is enabled (i.e. you are listening completely to your own inputs). If the button is turned to the right (toward the "PB" label), direct monitoring is disabled (i.e. you are listening to audio generated by the JamKazam app running on your computer, which includes your own audio, plus the audio of other musicians in your session). So if you use this interface, be sure that you turn this button all the way to the right, as far as it will go.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo - This audio interface implements direct monitoring as a button (pictured below with arrow). If you push the button and the "Direct Monitor" text above the button lights up in green, then direct monitoring is enabled on the interface. If you push the button again, the "Direct Monitor" label's green light turns off, and direct monitoring is disabled on the interface. So if you use this interface, be sure that the green light on the Direct Monitoring text label is turned off.
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 - This audio interface implements direct monitoring as a button (pictured below with arrow). If you push the button and the single circle under the "Direct Monitor" label lights up in green, then direct monitoring is enabled on the interface. If you push the button again, the double circle under the "Direct Monitor" label lights up in green, and this means that direct monitoring is enabled on the interface, but your audio interface is mixing direct monitoring with audio from the computer. To be clear, you still don't want this option. If you push the button again, both the single and double circle green lights turn off, and direct monitoring is disabled on the interface. So if you use this interface, be sure that both circle lights are turned off.
MOTU M2 - This audio interface implements direct monitoring as a button on each audio input port (pictured below with arrows). If you push either "MON" button, the MON text will light up, and then direct monitoring is enabled on that audio input port on the interface. If you push the button again, the MON light turns off, and direct monitoring is disabled on that audio input port on the interface. So if you use this interface, be sure that the MON lights on both audio input ports are turned off.
Steinberg UR22C - This audio interface implements direct monitoring as a knob (pictured below with arrow). If the button is turned to the left (toward the "INPUT" label), direct monitoring is enabled (i.e. you are listening completely to your own inputs). If the button is turned to the right (toward the "DAW" label), direct monitoring is disabled (i.e. you are listening to audio generated by the digital audio workstation - i.e. the JamKazam app running on your computer, which includes your own audio, plus the audio of other musicians in your session). So if you use this interface, be sure that you turn this button all the way to the right toward DAW, as far as it will go.
Presonus Audiobox USB 96 - This audio interface implements direct monitoring as a knob (pictured below with arrow). If the button is turned to the left (toward the "Inputs" label), direct monitoring is enabled (i.e. you are listening completely to your own inputs). If the button is turned to the right (toward the "Playback" label), direct monitoring is disabled (i.e. you are listening to audio generated by the JamKazam app running on your computer, which includes your own audio, plus the audio of other musicians in your session). So if you use this interface, be sure that you turn this button all the way to the right toward Playback, as far as it will go.
Again, if you own a different audio interface, hopefully by studying the direct monitoring feature as implemented on a handful of audio interfaces above, you can figure out how to turn off direct monitoring on your own audio interface.
One Last Quick Audio Output Test
The last thing to do in the audio setup wizard is to check your audio output briefly. To do this, click the "Play" button on the wizard screen (pictured below with arrow).
Put your headphones on. They should still be plugged into the headphone port on your audio interface with the headphone volume knob on your audio interface turned up) You should hear a "ding" sound effect playing in a loop. This audio loop should sound clear and clean in your headphones, without any crackling, popping, drop-outs, or other audio artifacts.
If your audio sounds good, then click the orange Next button (pictured above with arrow). You now see a Success screen as the last stop in the audio setup wizard. Click the orange Close button (pictured below with arrow).
You now see the Audio Profiles page of the JamKazam app, with a new audio profile set up in the app for the audio interface you just configured through the audio setup wizard (pictured below with arrow). This audio profile will be used automatically in your JamKazam sessions as long as your audio interface is plugged into your computer.
Click the white JamKazam logo in the upper left corner of the screen (pictured above). You now see the home page of the JamKazam app (pictured below).
Congratulations! You're now ready to start playing in JamKazam sessions!
To learn more about how to create, find, join, and play in JamKazam sessions, click here for help articles that can teach you about how to do these things.