Skype for Business breaks audio

[cowst]

Hi, since I updated to 5.2, every time I try to have a call or even open the audio settings in Skype for Business, audio just dies.

Attaching logs and sample files. You can hear music and when I open the Skype settings all crackles and I cannot hear sound anymore. VLC keeps going and if I close and open it again it starts playing, immediately crackling and shows the same behavior. Any application does the same while Skype call or audio settings are open.

Host: Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon 64-bit Guest: Windows 7 VBox: 5.2.6 r120293 (Qt5.6.1)

[cowst]

Sorry, cannot attach audio, they are more than 512Kb.

[cowst]

After more testing, I could actually see that any time there is a concurrent interaction on audio devices, everything collapses. I tested with running music and opening any sound settings (Skype, Skype for Business, windows audio management). Even playing around with microphone affects output sound.

[Kejk]

Related to: ​https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=86298&p=412445#p412445

Host: Ubuntu 16.04
Guest: Windows 7
Version: 5.2.6

I'm also affected by audio issues in 5.2.x series. In 5.1.x series audio is working fine.

I think I found how to reproduce issue. It happens every time when application request for recording (microphone). It happens in both WebEx and Skype for Business, probably in other applications too.

I attached log file with audio debug enabled.

00:01:57 - Youtube video in Firefox, audio working fine
00:02:17 - WebEx application started. Youtube audio is heavily distorted. I can also hear my voice in the headphones (microphone is enabled). Probably due to hight CPU load Youtube video stutters. Few seconds later: Youtube audio disappears entirely. I can't hear any input from microphone.
00:02:18.685174 HDA: Warning: FIFO underflow for stream #0 (still 612 bytes needed)
00:02:18.720294 HDA: Warning: FIFO overflow for stream #4 (820 bytes outstanding)
00:02:36 - WebEx application shutdown. Youtube video started to work correctly but no sound.
00:02:56 - Paused and played again Youtube video - audio working fine.

In VirtualBox 5.2.x older than 5.2.6 (I don't remember which one, probably 5.2.4 and 5.2.2) I had different issue. In WebEx sound disappears after a while, 10 to 30 minutes. When it happened it affected whole guest system, not only WebEx. Reconnecting to the WebEx meeting fixes sound, but with each reconnect time without audio problem was shorter. After a while guest system restart is required.

[Kejk]

Audio issue in WebEx

[pentagonik]

I'll try to reproduce this with WebEx.

[Jope]

I have the same problem with Skype for business but no issues with youtube. Since 5.2 Audio is severely distorted and input is not working at all. I'm currently running the latest test build VirtualBox-5.2.7-120579 VBoxGuestAdditions_5.2.7-120528 . Host Unix 17.10 Guest Windows 8.1

Have the same HDA Warnings:

00:04:19.368846 HDA: Warning: FIFO underflow for stream #0 (still 1608 bytes needed)
00:04:19.435485 HDA: Warning: FIFO underflow for stream #0 (still 40 bytes needed)
00:04:19.520760 HDA: Warning: FIFO underflow for stream #0 (still 264 bytes needed)

And in addition a load of these messages:

00:04:20.984059 HDA: Warning: FIFO underflow for stream #0 (still 860 bytes needed)
00:04:20.989673 HDA: FIFO of stream #4 full, discarding audio data
00:04:20.992211 HDA: FIFO of stream #4 full, discarding audio data

[Jope]

VBoxLog-Jope

[pentagonik]

Please have a try with the latest 5.2 test build 120822, which is located here: Testbuilds. Thank you!

[gjndojag]

Replying to pentagonik:

Please have a try with the latest 5.2 test build 120822, which is located here: Testbuilds. Thank you!

That version fixes the problem for me. Thanks

[pentagonik]

@gjndojag Great, thanks for testing!

@cowst Can you also confirm this so that we can close this ticket?

[Roman Harmata]

@pentagonik I am also affected and I would love to test it if there were fedora26/27 RPM test builds available. Any feedback @cowst? Thanks for doing good job with VBox anyway! :)

[Kejk]

@atamrah you can install test version using .run package. I used it on Ubuntu (there are no deb test packages either) and it worked fine. Make you uninstalled older version before trying test one.

@pentagonik I can confirm that test version is also working fine for me, thanks.

[Socratis]

Should be fixed with VirtualBox 5.2.8.
No need for the ".run" package ;)

[Roman Harmata]

Hi, I can confirm, that version 5.2.8 now works fine :) Thanks!

[pentagonik]

Thanks for all the feedback! Closing this ticket then.