Bug#558769: [mumble] Please add small noise when connected

[Peter Fritzsche]

Package: mumble
Version: 1.2.0~beta1-1
Severity: wishlist

For human it is normal to hear noise when they are talking over a telephone 
line. It was normal when analog transmission was used. When no one talks 
little white noise can be heard. This one is missing if no call is made. This 
small white noise comes from electric effects during the data transmission 
over analog channels.

When ISDN came to germany this little noise was gone since the whole data 
transmission to the user was digital. Digital endpoints are in most cases the 
telephones and so there is nearly no white noise generated anywhere. Most 
calls in that time by normal users were something like that "Hi, John here", 
"Hi here is your grandma. Have you heard that Bob has married. Are you eating 
enough.... are you still there?" "Yes, g'ma" "I thought you hang up. - the 
line was dead"

After a while the manufacturers of digital endpoints added a little white 
noise. Just use two ISDN telephones, call each other and then hear what sound 
they make - even if in both rooms is complete silence. This informed grandma 
that we are still connected and makes both feeling fine - even if grandma is 
only talking and John takes a nap.

The same problem happens now with voice over ip. It seems to be a good idea to 
add white noise (configurable volume) when we are connected. I heard that 
Skype does it to prevent the same problem.

--- System information. ---
Architecture: amd64
Kernel:       Linux 2.6.31-1-amd64

Debian Release: squeeze/sid
  500 unstable        ftp.debian.org 

--- Package information. ---
Depends                                (Version) | Installed
================================================-+-===================
libasound2                           (>> 1.0.18) | 1.0.21a-1
libavahi-compat-libdnssd1            (>= 0.6.16) | 0.6.25-2
libc6                                 (>= 2.3.4) | 2.10.2-2
libg15daemon-client1                             | 1.9.5.3-7
libgcc1                             (>= 1:4.1.1) | 1:4.4.2-3
libgl1-mesa-glx                                  | 7.6-1
 OR libgl1                                       | 
libglu1-mesa                                     | 7.6-1
 OR libglu1                                      | 
libprotobuf4                                     | 2.2.0-0.1
libpulse0                            (>= 0.9.16) | 0.9.21-1
libqt4-dbus                         (>= 4:4.5.3) | 4:4.5.3-4
libqt4-network                      (>= 4:4.5.3) | 4:4.5.3-4
libqt4-opengl                       (>= 4:4.5.3) | 4:4.5.3-4
libqt4-sql                          (>= 4:4.5.3) | 4:4.5.3-4
libqt4-svg                          (>= 4:4.5.3) | 4:4.5.3-4
libqt4-xml                          (>= 4:4.5.3) | 4:4.5.3-4
libqtcore4                          (>= 4:4.5.3) | 4:4.5.3-4
libqtgui4                           (>= 4:4.5.3) | 4:4.5.3-4
libsndfile1                                      | 1.0.20-3
libspeechd2                                      | 0.6.7-7
libspeex1                       (>= 1.2~beta3-1) | 1.2~rc1-1
libspeexdsp1                  (>= 1.2~beta3.2-1) | 1.2~rc1-1
libssl0.9.8                        (>= 0.9.8f-5) | 0.9.8k-7
libstdc++6                            (>= 4.1.1) | 4.4.2-3
libx11-6                                         | 2:1.3.2-1
libxi6                                           | 2:1.2.1-2
gconf2                             (>= 2.12.1-1) | 2.28.0-1
libqt4-sql-sqlite                                | 4:4.5.3-4
lsb-release                                      | 3.2-23


Recommends             (Version) | Installed
================================-+-===========
speech-dispatcher                | 
mumble-11x                       | 1.2.0~beta1-1


Suggests           (Version) | Installed
============================-+-===========
mumble-server                |