I'm using the Java sound API and Java 1.7. I am having difficulty reading from a TargetDataLine quickly enough to keep up with what is being recorded when I run my application on Linux (java version "1.7.0_51", Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_51-b13), Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 24.51-b03, mixed mode), Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5). I don't have this problem when running the same program on my Windows 7 laptop. I'm somewhat stumped.
To isolate the issue, I wrote a program that captures from a TargetDataLine for an interval of time (interactively determined) and records the amount of time spent in a blocking read of a fixed number of bytes each time, then prints these out along with mean read time, total time elapsed, and time worth of audio captured.
My test program is as follows:
import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.LinkedList;
import java.util.List;
import javax.sound.sampled.AudioFormat;
import javax.sound.sampled.AudioSystem;
import javax.sound.sampled.DataLine;
import javax.sound.sampled.LineUnavailableException;
import javax.sound.sampled.Mixer;
import javax.sound.sampled.TargetDataLine;
/**
* This is a test of mic capture delay for given buffer and fetch settings.
*/
public class MicCaptureDelayTest {
/**
* the audio format used for capturing and transmitting
*/
private static final AudioFormat format =
new AudioFormat(8000, 16, 1, true, true);
/**
* This is the target data line buffer size to request, in bytes.
*/
private static final int MIC_BUFFER_SIZE = 1000;
/**
* This is the number of bytes to try to fetch from the target data line at a
* time.
*/
private static final int MIC_FETCH_SIZE = 480;
/**
* Searches for available mixers on the system that have a microphone.
* @return a list of matching mixers
*/
private static List<Mixer.Info> findMicrophoneMixers() {
Mixer.Info[] mixerInfos = AudioSystem.getMixerInfo();
List<Mixer.Info> matches = new ArrayList<>();
for (Mixer.Info mixerInfo : mixerInfos) {
Mixer mixer = AudioSystem.getMixer(mixerInfo);
DataLine.Info lineInfo = new DataLine.Info(TargetDataLine.class,
format);
boolean isSupported = mixer.isLineSupported(lineInfo);
if (isSupported) {
matches.add(mixerInfo);
}
}
return matches;
}
/**
* This is the test recording thread.
*/
private static class MicFetcher extends Thread {
/**
* This is the requested recording state.
*/
private boolean shouldRecord = false;
/**
* This is the current processed recording state of the thread.
*/
private boolean isRecording = false;
/**
* This is the Java audio interface line microphone data is captured from.
*/
private TargetDataLine lineFromMic;
/**
* Runs the test mic capture thread body.
*/
@Override
public void run() {
List<Mixer.Info> matchingMixerInfo = findMicrophoneMixers();
// Use the first matching mixer.
Mixer mixerToUse = AudioSystem.getMixer(matchingMixerInfo.get(0));
DataLine.Info info = new DataLine.Info(TargetDataLine.class, format);
try {
lineFromMic = (TargetDataLine) mixerToUse.getLine(info);
lineFromMic.open(format, MIC_BUFFER_SIZE);
} catch (LineUnavailableException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
return;
}
byte[] transferBuffer = new byte[MIC_FETCH_SIZE];
List<Long> readTimesNanos = new LinkedList<>();
int numFramesCaptured = 0;
long startTimeNanos = 0;
while (true) {
boolean currentShouldRecord;
synchronized(this) {
currentShouldRecord = shouldRecord;
}
if (!isRecording && currentShouldRecord) {
// Start recording.
System.out.println("Starting.");
lineFromMic.start();
isRecording = true;
startTimeNanos = System.nanoTime();
} else if (isRecording && !currentShouldRecord) {
// Stop recording.
System.out.println("Stopping.");
lineFromMic.stop();
lineFromMic.flush();
System.out.print("read times (ms): ");
long sumReadTimesNanos = 0;
int i = 0;
for (Long sampleTimeNanos : readTimesNanos) {
if (i % 5 == 0) {
System.out.println();
}
System.out.printf("%.2f ", sampleTimeNanos / 1.0e6);
sumReadTimesNanos += sampleTimeNanos;
++i;
}
System.out.println();
System.out.println(
"Mean read time (ms): "
+ (sumReadTimesNanos / 1.0e6
/ readTimesNanos.size()));
long stopTimeNanos = System.nanoTime();
System.out.println("Time captured (s): "
+ (numFramesCaptured / format.getFrameRate()));
System.out.println("Time elapsed (s): "
+ (stopTimeNanos - startTimeNanos) / 1.0e9);
readTimesNanos.clear();
numFramesCaptured = 0;
isRecording = false;
} else if (isRecording) {
// Continue recording.
long beforeTimeNanos = System.nanoTime();
// Retrieve data from the line. This blocks.
int numBytesRead = lineFromMic.read(
transferBuffer, 0, MIC_FETCH_SIZE);
numFramesCaptured += numBytesRead / format.getFrameSize();
long afterTimeNanos = System.nanoTime();
long timeElapsedNanos = afterTimeNanos - beforeTimeNanos;
readTimesNanos.add(timeElapsedNanos);
}
}
}
/**
* Requests to toggle the recording state of the test recording thread.
*/
public synchronized void toggleState() {
shouldRecord = ! shouldRecord;
}
}
/**
* Runs the test program. Newline toggles state.
* @param args command line args-- none needed
* @throws IOException if thrown when trying to get console input
*/
public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
BufferedReader inputReader =
new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
MicFetcher fetcher = new MicFetcher();
fetcher.start();
while (true) {
// Toggle state for each line of input (ie, press enter to toggle).
inputReader.readLine();
fetcher.toggleState();
}
}
}
When I run this in my Linux environment, for a roughly 10-second recording, the output looks like:
Starting.
Stopping.
read times (ms):
54.00 18.10 36.62 36.32 35.99
18.10 18.25 54.26 18.30 35.56
18.12 35.51 36.74 17.22 36.70
35.29 18.33 35.60 18.23 54.72
19.00 37.99 18.14 18.37 53.91
18.37 35.34 36.00 18.00 36.00
18.00 54.71 17.22 18.12 36.18
36.64 36.08 18.00 54.34 18.26
18.27 35.44 18.30 54.77 18.33
18.24 36.51 35.47 36.52 18.35
17.14 54.96 18.13 36.73 17.21
54.95 18.28 18.37 36.54 36.72
35.56 18.37 17.23 54.46 18.36
35.53 18.08 36.00 36.00 17.99
54.30 18.06 35.22 18.00 18.00
53.93 18.32 35.63 36.64 18.16
35.21 18.30 55.65 18.23 18.35
35.55 36.32 35.60 18.30 36.33
36.21 17.22 36.54 18.32 54.96
17.19 18.36 35.62 36.67 35.25
18.29 18.37 54.63 18.37 36.54
18.35 53.91 18.37 17.23 36.70
36.09 36.01 17.19 18.33 53.91
18.37 36.56 18.36 35.53 36.58
18.16 53.84 18.26 36.03 18.08
18.12 54.24 18.08 36.14 36.19
18.12 36.08 18.11 53.80 18.28
18.37 36.55 18.13 53.99 18.00
36.12 35.54 18.28 36.56 17.20
53.96 18.00 18.01 36.67 36.53
36.71 17.19 18.37 54.37 18.02
35.97 18.00 54.00 18.00 18.00
36.00 35.99 36.34 18.37 18.35
53.93 18.13 36.63 18.33 36.33
36.34 18.33 36.55 35.51 36.66
18.29 18.06 54.00 17.99 36.08
18.25 36.64 36.38 18.37 35.55
36.66 18.21 36.73 17.19 54.27
18.13 35.55 18.18 36.31 35.56
18.34 53.90 18.36 18.09 36.15
18.22 53.90 18.32 18.37 53.89
18.19 36.04 17.20 53.94 18.31
18.37 36.55 36.70 36.61 18.35
17.18 53.97 18.32 36.55 19.01
18.99 57.00 18.99 38.01 18.98
38.00 18.99 36.99 36.35 18.37
36.55 36.70 18.04 38.00 19.00
38.00 37.99 18.99 37.99 19.00
37.06 36.43 36.03 18.00 18.00
54.47 18.25 36.70 18.22 18.37
53.55 18.33 35.59 36.59 18.29
35.36 18.37 54.89 18.24 36.44
18.33 18.36 53.52 18.13 36.36
35.57 18.20 35.52 18.20 53.78
18.18 18.16 35.49 36.67 36.54
18.37 36.53 36.67 17.19 36.65
18.29 54.87 17.14 18.24 36.68
35.49 35.61 18.27 18.36 53.77
18.24 35.43 18.35 53.90 18.37
18.24 38.00 38.00 37.99 18.99
19.01 37.98 19.00 57.00 18.99
19.00 38.00 18.99 55.01 18.98
35.99 18.00 18.01 54.98 18.00
37.00 17.99 36.00 36.00 17.99
54.01 18.98 18.00 36.02 18.98
53.16 18.34 35.59 36.20 17.98
36.00 18.00 54.00 17.99 18.00
36.00 35.99 36.01 17.99 18.00
54.00 17.98 35.99 18.00 54.28
Mean read time (ms): 30.210176811594206
Time captured (s): 10.35
Time elapsed (s): 10.466399
The output for a similar roughly 10 second recording in my Windows environment looks like:
Starting.
Stopping.
read times (ms):
44.96 30.13 29.97 29.97 30.04
29.96 29.96 30.00 29.99 30.00
29.92 30.01 30.02 30.01 29.99
29.85 45.12 30.03 29.92 29.96
29.98 30.00 29.98 30.00 0.24
44.73 29.94 30.04 29.96 29.86
29.96 30.05 29.85 30.17 30.02
30.00 29.94 29.99 29.99 30.04
29.97 44.99 29.99 30.08 29.88
30.05 29.95 29.97 29.87 0.15
44.95 29.98 29.91 30.08 29.98
30.00 30.01 29.96 29.94 30.04
30.01 29.96 29.88 30.00 29.95
30.04 44.99 29.99 29.96 30.03
30.00 30.07 29.94 30.01 0.21
44.77 29.95 30.02 30.01 30.00
29.96 29.98 30.00 30.00 29.94
29.99 30.04 29.93 29.99 30.02
29.98 44.99 29.99 29.96 30.01
30.03 29.95 30.00 29.97 0.21
44.81 29.88 30.05 29.99 29.99
30.01 29.97 29.99 29.99 29.98
29.99 30.00 29.97 29.98 29.97
30.01 44.95 29.97 30.03 30.00
30.00 30.00 29.99 29.97 0.21
44.79 29.95 30.00 29.99 29.95
29.98 29.93 30.06 29.94 30.08
29.97 30.00 29.97 29.99 29.98
29.94 45.05 30.04 29.91 30.00
29.99 29.97 30.01 29.98 0.21
44.79 29.94 29.99 29.89 30.06
30.03 29.96 30.04 29.98 29.90
30.04 30.00 29.98 30.00 29.97
30.07 44.96 29.98 29.93 30.07
29.98 29.90 30.00 29.94 0.13
44.97 29.98 29.99 29.94 30.02
30.00 29.93 29.99 30.02 30.01
29.99 29.96 30.02 29.90 29.93
30.01 45.04 30.06 29.99 29.98
29.94 30.04 30.00 29.92 0.20
44.83 29.94 29.99 30.00 30.01
30.02 29.87 30.03 29.94 30.03
29.99 30.00 30.07 29.90 29.95
30.05 44.97 30.01 29.98 29.97
30.01 29.99 30.00 29.97 0.21
44.77 29.96 30.00 30.03 29.91
30.00 30.01 30.03 29.93 29.98
29.99 29.99 29.93 30.04 30.04
30.01 44.92 30.04 29.97 29.91
30.08 29.89 29.97 29.88 0.15
45.01 30.09 29.89 30.01 30.01
29.97 29.95 29.96 30.05 30.04
29.88 30.00 29.99 29.94 30.05
29.98 44.99 30.01 30.00 29.99
29.95 30.00 29.88 30.11 0.21
44.78 30.01 29.96 29.99 29.98
29.98 29.99 30.01 29.91 29.82
30.10 29.99 30.15 29.96 29.93
29.98 45.05 29.97 29.99 30.02
29.96 29.98 29.95 30.04 0.21
44.74 30.02 29.97 29.97 30.03
29.99 29.93 29.94 30.07 29.99
29.99 29.94 30.02 29.97 29.90
30.01 45.12 29.91 30.03 29.95
30.03 29.97 29.87 30.09 0.20
44.79 29.98 29.97 29.99 30.01
30.01 29.97 29.99 29.99 30.01
29.99 29.94 30.01 30.00 29.98
29.98 45.02 29.97 29.91 30.06
29.99 29.96 30.02 29.98
Mean read time (ms): 30.073811959885386
Time captured (s): 10.47
Time elapsed (s): 10.777957116
Summary stats on the Linux environment for a roughly 30-second recording:
Mean read time (ms): 30.152922254616133
Time captured (s): 30.87
Time elapsed (s): 31.135111
Summary stats on Windows environment for roughly 30-second recording:
Mean read time (ms): 30.020078674852652
Time captured (s): 30.54
Time elapsed (s): 30.901762071
I'm noticing that the difference between time elapsed and time captured increases with increasing recording time on the Linux side. It also looks like the individual fetch times are less regular on the Linux side.
I've tried adjusting the buffer and fetch sizes, but I haven't found a combination that allows for quick enough fetching from the line.
What could cause the slowness in fetching? How do I determine reasonable fetch and buffer sizes such that there is low latency but quick enough fetching to keep up with real time? Are there possible sound configuration issues on Linux that could affect this or that I should check?
Thanks!