W3C

- DRAFT -

Audio Working Group Teleconference

16 Oct 2014

See also: IRC log

Attendees

Present
jdsmith, +1.650.253.aaaa, mdjp, +1.415.645.aabb, +1.617.455.aacc, joe, BillHofmann, rtoyg, Doug_Schepers, gmandyam
Regrets
Chair
mdjp
Scribe
joe

Contents


<trackbot> Date: 16 October 2014

<mdjp> Scribe joe

<mdjp> ScribeNick: joe

<mdjp> Previous meeting minutes -> http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-audio/2014OctDec/0006.html

matt: most agenda today relate to TPAC
... TPAC bug review will look through our current list of issues and try to identify some specific cases...
... some can be closed quickly, others can be tagged as essential for V1

<mdjp> https://github.com/WebAudio/web-audio-api/issues

matt: let's look in advance and flag bugs with the tag "TPAC 2014" so that we avoid looking through entire database

Preview of TPAC bug review.

shepazu: probably a good thing to approach bugs in this way. also a newbie mistake to concentrate on just "your issues" at TPAC
... also important to establish liaisons with other groups at TPAC
... want to make sure we don't lose the opportunity to have contact with other groups
... I'm double booked on Tuesday with the Web Annotations group
... but will be able to be pinged via IRC all all day

<cwilso_> I'd note (as previously noted) I'll be MIA Tuesday morning, but back with audio on Tuesday afternoon

shepazu: Chris Lilley will also be able to help with connections to other groups and to help the WG

Survey any existing tests for Web Audio and understand general testing practice by and for browser vendors

matt: We want to get a grasp on the current state of testing and udnerstand where we are and where we might be going
... we want to understand how this work can be fanned out between the WG and browser implementors if possible
... who in the WG has a grasp on the testing process so far?

cwilso: Chris Lowis had some understanding

matt: have reached out to him

<cwilso_> He wrote a post about writing web audio tests, too: http://blog.chrislowis.co.uk/2014/04/30/testing-web-audio.html

shepazu: we should identify every testable assertion in the spec, identify interactions, identify tests that exercise assertions and their interactions
... typically tests are written as part of the process of implementing a spec and those are submitted to the WG
... often there is a "test lead" role for each spec
... they organize the testing specs and cajole others into writing tests
... the function of the Annotation functionality is intended to help in identifying and notating testable assertions. I'll demo that at TPAC

matt: I don't think we have a history in this WG of implementors submitting tests to the group.
... Is this something we can change in the future, i.e. can we take advantage of browser implementor tests

cwilso: Chris Rogers submitted all the tests at the time of the original spec creation

shepazu: Would be sensible to talk to all the implementors: Mozilla, Google, Apple, MS
... get them to review their internal tests and see which are suitable for submission to W3C

matt: let's take stock of this at TPAC and find a way forwards

Discuss the need for spec-clarification issues to be handled by spec editors.

<Zakim> cwilso_, you wanted to 1) suggest "ready to spec" flag and 2) taking ownership of tpac2014 issues.

cwilso: it would be good for someone to take the lead for each tagged bug to be prepared to summarize the bug
... I have to admit that I'm losing track of the set of issues that are cued up for me to find the time to update the spec, and ones that I want others to look at

joe: let's have a tag that pre-identifies bugs as "in the spec editors inbox" i.e. there's a clear resolution just waiting for application

AudioPanner

<mdjp> https://github.com/WebAudio/web-audio-api/issues/368

<cwilso> https://github.com/WebAudio/web-audio-api/issues/368

cwilso: this stated with an issue on mobile devices. Default mode is HRTF, which requires loading in a database that has a significant memory and bandwidth footprint
... so this isn't a very friendly default. Finally HRTF is really only useful for headphones
... I looked at the PannerNode and most people simply use this for equal-power L/R panning
... even that is a confusing interface because one has to work with X/Y parameters and it's not easy
... We see a case for two simpler nodes: a spatialization node and a "simple pan" node that just does L/R panning
... obviously this is a highly incompatible change

matt: I agree that this is rather confusing; panner does not equal what this node does at the moment

cwilso: suggest that we break this into two issues: 1) changing the default, 2) a backwards-compatible proposal to introduce new nodes and deprecate the old

shepazu: newbie question ...[self-deprecating remarks]... I tried to add a panning function to move the sounds from L to R and couldn't do it
... would the design of a simple pan be made easier:

cwilso: yes, if there was a dedicated equal-power panner node.

<cwilso> Added issue for splitting the nodes: https://github.com/WebAudio/web-audio-api/issues/372

shepazu: I really like the idea of a simpler setup, with -1 to 1 left-to-right panning

matt: action is for Chris to propose how we will split the functionality of this node and how we'll deprecate

suspend/resume/close

<mdjp> https://github.com/WebAudio/web-audio-api/issues/361

cwilso: I had an action a while back to raise this with the TAG and see what they thought of the pattern
... they thought it was fine. also we resolved some question about layering architecture. Other feedback: close() a better name than release()

matt: then do any real issues remain?

cwilso: I don't think so
... the power consumption of nonstop audio engine operation has caused problems for some of our partners

What priority to attach to webplatform.org? Can generation of examples follow finalization of v1 spec?

shepazu: webplatform docs is meant to be an unusual resources in that it's aligned to standards as well as impls. While specifically aimed at devs the aim is to get them involved in the standardization process
... we're writing a script that watches for specs published at w3c and sends a notification to the webplatform docs pages
... this at least flags the fact that the page you're looking at is out of date
... we're trying to keep things up to date but... you're right that impls can vary. I think the best approach would be that if there's something that's different between specs and impl, just document that change.
... want to also have a caniuse feature based on W3C tests
... short answer: we can talk about this offline
... let's aim for a statement on webplatform docs that clarifies the situation and doesn't mislead devs and maybe deprioritize the goal of complete docs on webplatform right now

matt: we do need a place that can serve as a repository of "blessed" examples of Web Audio code
... let's discuss this too at TPAC
... AOB?
... guess not. Joe and I will send around a draft agenda at TPAC

<mdjp> rssagent, make minutes

<mdjp> trackbot, end meeting

Summary of Action Items

[End of minutes]

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Default Present: jdsmith, +1.650.253.aaaa, mdjp, +1.415.645.aabb, +1.617.455.aacc, joe, BillHofmann, rtoyg, Doug_Schepers, gmandyam
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Found Date: 16 Oct 2014
Guessing minutes URL: http://www.w3.org/2014/10/16-audio-minutes.html
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