Trying to wrap my head around soundsets...

[Eddiesuxnutz]

I've watched three, 30 minute long YouTube videos about sounds in FGU. They seem to have left me more confused than when I started. As far as I've gotten is getting a Syrinscape auth key into FGU.

I just want to buy a pack and have it be associated with sounds, eg critical hits and such. Is this possible? I don't really want to use a Syrinscape web player, invite people, sync sessions and all that. I'd like it to just be done in FGU? From my understanding, purchasing the pack in FGU just gives me a link to use Syrinscape sounds?

Man, this is heinously confusing. I'm sorry!

I guess what I'm asking bluntly is - can I just buy a pack for sounds, load them in FGU (preferably like a module?) and then have it just.. work? Without having people hang out in a webroom, forcing them to open a browser window and that type of thing? I'm willing to spend money, I'd love to have sounds, but I wish this was all more intuitive.

[Griogre]

The FG sound modules are just triggers to Syrinscape sounds so you need both the modules and a paid Syrinscape account. Once you have both you can run the stuff from inside FG and there is a lot of automatic triggers.

I've found the simplest lag free way to get sounds to everyone is to use a browser to play sound through which is easy to do inside of FG. You can also use Kenku to play the sounds though a bot into a Discord channel but I found that laggy.

If you get the Smiteworks PH module and you have a Syrinscape account then it will do the crits, missing ect automatically triggering off of targeted hits and misses. My problem is I don't like monthly subscriptions but you really have to get one if you don't already have a bunch of sounds. Syrinscape does have free one month trial so you can try it. I did and it's worth it enough for my groups I'm keeping it.

[Trenloe]

I think the confusion is that some of the videos you've been looking at are from pervious, community solutions.

To keep things simple, this is what you'll need:

A supersyrin subscription, or if you're using D&D 5e sound packs, the D&D subscription.
If you're playing D&D 5e, the PHB sound links (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.php?id=SWKSP5EPHBWEAPONSSPELLS), if you're playing Pathfinder 2e: the Core Rules sound links (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.php?id=SWKSPPF2PZOSMWPZO2101FG) module.
Setup the authorization (sounds like you've done that), import the base Syrinscape soundslinks from the web.
Load your FG soundlinks module.
Once all the players have joined, share the invitation to chat. The players click on the invitation to open a simple web page - they click on the play button to begin. The GM click on their invitation in chat which opens the master browser to allow the GM to hear the sounds and control Syrinscape sounds not in FG - which you can just minimize if you're using FG based soundlinks.

[Trenloe]

Also, to get specific information on the built-in FG/Syrinscape sound support, refer to this Wiki page: https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/2078932993/Using+Sound+Links#Generating-a-Syrinscape-Session-for-your-Players

[BaneTBC]

Technically, you do not need any Syrinscape subscription, but do need to own the assets you're wanting to use from Syrinscape. The soundsets from SmiteWorks(SW) allows you to just use what they have already setup, but you could do that yourself (saving money at the expense of time) and use any sounds from Syrinscape that you already own (like if you buy the Curse of Strahd pack) by setting up the triggers for them after tying your Syrinscape authorization key in FGU.

But to make it the easiest for you as an end user, having a Supersyrin subscription and purchasing the sound packs from SW (and then following the import steps in FG) will get things setup and make them work, hopefully without breaking your brain. Now for the playing of the sounds, FGU does not have a natively (or good way) of playing sound sets out to each of the clients(players), and rather than spend a bunch of time to reinvent the wheel, this is where the Syrinscape Web Player comes into the mix. Either the players will need to open a browser window to be able to play the sounds on their end, or you will need to setup a means to pipe that audio from your computer into your Voice program of choice, i.e. Discord. Using Kenku.FM with Discord is how I personally have implemented it and works perfectly well for my groups (and I only have to be the person who needs to know how to make it work, the players get to be technologically stupid and enjoy the experience). Unfortunately, there is still levels of work you need to do in order to implement some of these things. Fortunately for most of us, SW and folks like Mattekure and Celestian have done a lot of work to actually make these things easier on us to setup. Once you do have it up and working, you really question why you didn't do it sooner (or at least I did).

[Laerun]

I've watched three, 30 minute long YouTube videos about sounds in FGU. They seem to have left me more confused than when I started. As far as I've gotten is getting a Syrinscape auth key into FGU.

I just want to buy a pack and have it be associated with sounds, eg critical hits and such. Is this possible? I don't really want to use a Syrinscape web player, invite people, sync sessions and all that. I'd like it to just be done in FGU? From my understanding, purchasing the pack in FGU just gives me a link to use Syrinscape sounds?

Man, this is heinously confusing. I'm sorry!

I guess what I'm asking bluntly is - can I just buy a pack for sounds, load them in FGU (preferably like a module?) and then have it just.. work? Without having people hang out in a webroom, forcing them to open a browser window and that type of thing? I'm willing to spend money, I'd love to have sounds, but I wish this was all more intuitive.

Nope, the "easy-button, just works" options are the Super Syrinscape Subscription and sound link packs. The wrapping your head around the audio integration part is three options, it's either paying for the convenience and the sub, or going the other way and having to route your own audio with localized sounds routing. Or not bothering at all. What's more important or convenient to you and our time?
Example: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.php?id=SWKSP5ETWBTWADV

Quote: Important Note about Syrinscape Sound Link Packs
The Sound Link Packs sold in the store are link packs, and they do not contain the actual sounds, nor do they grant access to any sounds you do not already own or have the right to play. The requirements for each sound link pack are listed in the product description, and most of these will require a Super Syrin subscription with Syrinscape in order to access all the sounds.

Sound link packs are time-saving convenience packs that link content from FGU with content from Syrinscape. You can build these yourself directly in FGU.

In the case of NOT using Syrinscape as your audio solution, there is some work and setup ahead.
You will need to setup localized sounds. The packs only work with the Super Syrinscape sub, which means you will need to associate your own links and triggers.
The convenience of the link packs centers around the Syrinscape Super Sub.
If you do not wish to sub or use Syrinscape, you will likely need to setup your own localized links and route or pipe the audio to your players or stream.

Setup Resources:
https://www.fantasygroundsacademy.com/post/integrating-syrinscape-local-audio-files-with-fantasy-grounds-unity
https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/2078932993/Using+Sound+Links

If you do not want to use Syrinscape or cannot use it, you will need to put in the work with the following steps>
Step one: Organize your audio library.
Step Two: Add any sounds that you might have on your computer and files to the Fantasy Grounds folder in a sub folder called "sounds".
Step Three: Add your audio sounds from the sounds folder to the FG campaign that you wish to use the audio files in.
Step Four: Create your own sound associations to events and keywords in the FG campaign.
Step Five: Route the audio to your players with Discord or another service.

[Eddiesuxnutz]

Thank you all for your help. I appreciate it, I've learned from it. I think I'm going to pass on the sounds, for now. Basically, I just want to buy a sound pack and have them automatically associated with sounds in FGU. Example: Open store, buy "bombastic crits!" soundpack, load it in FGU, and every time someone in my game crits, it plays a big boom or whatever. I think my confusion stems from how many extra steps there are regarding all of this.

This kind of seems as if I bought a dice pack (I own several!) from the store, but then had to load the skins onto the dice myself, or something. I'm not sure that's a perfect metaphor. I have money, I want to spend but, but I think I'll wait for more convenience. Ideally I'd just buy a pack of sounds from the store and then load a module and those sounds would auto associate for all of my players.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful, especially for the incredibly in-depth explanation, as I do now understand the process and all the work that the FGU team has put into this feature. It's just not for me, and that's fine!

[ddavison]

Understood. The Syrinscape Soundlink Packs are currently a collaboration project that requires an active subscription from Syrinscape first and then you can buy sound link packs that add those into FGU at the appropriate places to automatically trigger or give you a context specific soundboard that changes as you navigate the adventure. Syrinscape is actually streaming the sounds instead of FGU. The Sound link packs just trigger this into a window that is minimized and running side-by-side with FGU.

We don't currently have any options that just have baked in sounds that play for you and all your players.

[Arnagus]

Thank you all for your help. I appreciate it, I've learned from it. I think I'm going to pass on the sounds, for now. Basically, I just want to buy a sound pack and have them automatically associated with sounds in FGU. Example: Open store, buy "bombastic crits!" soundpack, load it in FGU, and every time someone in my game crits, it plays a big boom or whatever. I think my confusion stems from how many extra steps there are regarding all of this.

Even with Syrinscape, it's close to what you desire/describe. It requires two tools as it is an integration, not native sound in FGU, but the process is straight forward and once you have subscribed, then setup and linked the second tool (Syrinscape), it is like you describe: buy package, and let there be sound. Buy next package and there is more sound (at least with the Super-Syrin subscription, fiddling with the individual packages is more effort).