One indicator of delayed audio is seeing chat responses before hearing the audio that prompted the chat responses.

If you have delayed audio, or the audio sounds slow or fast, try the steps below to correct the problem.

1. The first thing to check is to make sure you are running the latest version of the GP4 software. To upgrade to the latest version, simply select Check for New Version from the Help menu in GP4.
   Note: Due to changes in the to update process, some early versions of GP4 (prior to version 4.2.0.27) will not upgrade using this method.
   If you have an earlier version, please download GP4 here.
   
   
   
2. Wireless connections can cause audio delay issues so plugging the computer into the router or modem directly with an Ethernet cable is a good way to test to see if that is causing the delay.
   Once you have plugged in the Ethernet cable, and made sure it's enabled, disable the wireless network to be sure that all network traffic goes only over the wired connection.
   See this article on how to disable your wireless network: KB 238742
   
   
   
3. Another thing that is a common cause for audio delay is out-of-date audio drivers on the computer.
   Try running Windows Update or the Macintosh System Update and install all of the available updates to see if that corrects the problem.
   The Windows update website is at: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
   Mac users can run Software Update by following the steps here: http://www.apple.com/softwareupdate/
   
   
   
4. In some cases the audio drivers will need to be installed from the manufacturer's website if they are not included in the Windows Update.
   To do this, you'll need to find the downloads area on the manufacturers website for your specific audio/sound card and get the drivers from there.
   
   
   
5. Parental controls, content filters, firewalls, and Internet security software can also delay the audio.
   Try temporarily disabling any of those as well to see if one of them is causing the delay/slow audio.
   You should Exit/Quit the GatherPlace application after you have disabled the security software and then re-open the GatherPlace software because many security programs continue to block things that were blocked before they are disabled.
   
   
   
6. Having many unnecessary processes or programs running on the computer can also cause delays or distortion in the audio.
   Try closing all other programs to see if the audio improves.
   
   
   
7. Excessive Internet/network activity can also cause poor audio.
   Make sure there are no computers in the house that are uploading/downloading files to/from the Internet and try shutting down all of the other computers in the house to see if that corrects the audio issue. Also make sure you are not streaming anything such as music or videos from streaming services like hulu.com, Netflix, iTunes, etc. and never have any torrents uploading or downloading while in a GatherPlace meeting.
   
   
   
   
8. In rare cases adjusting the Audio Jitter Buffer in GP4 may clear up the issue.
   The default setting for the jitter buffer is 300ms and increasing it slightly may correct the choppy audio. The larger the jitter buffer value, the more audio is buffered before playing it back in the meeting which increases the delay in hearing the audio so only increase to the point that clears up the poor audio. If adjusting the jitter buffer does not correct the choppy audio, be sure to set it back to the 300ms range.
   This article shows how to adjust the Audio Buffers in GP4: KB 896195
   
   
9. Window users can also try toggling the 'Use Direct Sound' option in the GP4 preferences.
   To change the Direct Sound option in GP4:
   
   
   1. Select Preferences from The Tools menu in GP4.
      
   2. Select the Audio Setup tab on the Preferences dialog.
      
   3. Change the Use Direct Sound (Requires Restart) option under the Advanced Features section (disable if it was enabled or enable if it was disabled).
      
   4. Click the OK button on the Preferences dialog.
      
   5. Select Exit from the File menu in GP4.
      
   6. Re-open GP4 and test the audio by using the Audio Tuning Wizard.
      Note: If the sound issue you were experiencing takes several minutes or more to manifest itself, try playing back a recording in order to give the problem time to appear when testing.