Article Updated to clarify: If you are using Source-Connect 3.9x or earlier Source-Stream is only available for MacOS Clients. It will only work Mac-to-Mac. So, if your client is on a Windows-based system, this will not fix things for you. This article originally posted in early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

I shared this information with to my email community this week, and am also posting it here for reference. As internet usage patterns change drastically with so many more quarantined/lockdown individuals now at home, we are all experiencing disruptions and delays with key services.

In other words, with everyone stuck at in their house all day (possibly binging Netfl… uhhh.. utilizing teleconferencing software), the internet has been getting angry. Load patterns change and stuff breaks.

I’ve been receiving a number of calls and emails from other voice actors who were having issues with Source-Connect. Source-Connect has been my “go-to” tool for connected sessions. (Note – I’m covering use of the Source-Connect application here – not Source-Connect Now. If you are not sure about the basic differences, this article should help.)

Source-Connect remains a solid, functional tool.

But a couple of days ago, I started getting lengthy delays when trying to connect with some clients via Source-Connect. Clients would show up in my Source-Connect contacts list as “ONLINE” but we could not actually connect. Certain clients experienced issues in their sessions as well. I wanted to share the fixes I’ve found so far.

Issue #1 – Contacts not showing up

When opening the Source-Connect application, there have been significant delays in the “Contacts” listings. I’ve seen the “echo tests” disappearing as well.

Note: as of mid-2020, this has completely resolved. Source-Elements has beefed up their servers so the load is not problematic. I’ve maintained this answer just for archive purposes.

Solution: Restart with a clean slate

Logging out of Source-Connect and then logging back in generally seems to fix this. Also waiting for the servers to catch up. Which means that if you have a session, the best plan is to have Source-Connect opened well in advance (15-20 minutes), so that server lags sort themselves out. Two of my clients found that a full reboot of their computer helped this. Restarting with your interface connected, or even turning your home router off and on again remains a good plan when things go wonky.

Issue #2 – Unable to Connect – despite seeing the other person in your contacts

This is the more troublesome issue. It also seems to affect VO’s in different ways. For example, actor “A” could connect to actor “B”, and “B” could connect to actor “C”. However, “A” and “C” could not connect directly. We all had reliable, high quality wired internet connections.

Most commonly, the connection would “Time Out”. In some cases, I would receive a Source-Connect “…wants to connect” message 5 or 10 minutes after the other person tried to do so. There was clearly some delay through servers or networks. But it was very inconsistent. I would connect four different times and get four different error messages.

Finally, some helpful users in the Source-Elements community chat helped me find what seems to be a solid solution.

Solution: Activate “Source-Stream” in your Source-Elements dashboard

This is a MacOS-only tool which dynamically relays the service through the best possible network path. When you log into your Source-Elements account, you should find a page which looks something like the image below:

Using Source-Stream seems to bypass any network overload issues – likely caused by pretty much everyone now at home using the internet. This recent increase of use is causing very weird load patterns on internet infrastructure.

Follow these steps:

• Log out of your Source-Connect application.
• Go to the Source-Elements site and log into your account.
• Go to your Dashboard and select the Source-Stream activation page.
• Enable Source-Stream.

NOTE: This appears to only be available to Source-Connect users on the MacOS platform using Source-Connect 3.9x

Now, go back to your Source-Connect application on your computer and log in as you normally would.

When Source-Connect is running, you will see there is an “Advanced” menu (note – this is the MacOS version 3.9). Under the Advanced menu, you can select “Use Source-Stream”. (UPDATE – see note at the end of this article regarding this step)

Now, when you connect, Source-Connect will use this optimized routing if possible. Both you and your connection partner must have Source-Stream enabled to use this optimized routing service.

If it is not enabled on your partner’s end, then Source-Connect will try to use standard routing schemes. There appears to be no “downside” in activating this option.

If you do see additional errors, one more cycle of Log out/Log in to your Source-Connect application may fix things.

UPDATE – 10/21 – Source-Stream Update

After trading some emails with the technical support team at Source-Elements, I’ve learned there have been some refinements and discoveries concerning Source-Stream:

• Keep Source-Stream OFF unless you need it. Confirm that it is UNCHECKED in the ADVANCED menu.
• Mapping your Port is a better practice. If you have a valid Source-Connect subscription or full license, Source-Elements will do this for you. I do offer port-mapping for some systems – we can usually cover that in under an hour.
• Although Source-Stream is supposed to be available for both MacOS and Windows users in version 4.0, we have not yet seen it in the wild.

Source-Connect Best Practice: Map Your Ports

Set up a session with Source-Elements and have them map your router ports. This is a free service when you purchase a Source-Connect license.

Once you do that, here’s the word from Source-Elements regarding Source-Stream:

“…’uncheck’ it in the advanced menu (so) the software is not forced to use Source Stream. Then the software just uses Source Stream if it is needed, rather than forcing the software to always use it.
If someone has Source Stream ‘forced’, then they can sometimes run into difficulties when connecting to a Windows user.

If ports are showing as Not Mapped, then the connection can still work… Source Stream can usually be used effectively when ports are not mapped…”

If you are still having problems, then I would fall back to an ipDTL day pass.

Or simply set up a directed session where you are recording on your end and supplying the files after the session.

Last Thoughts – Connect directly for best results

This is more of a “last mile” issue than a “server side” issue. In most audio connection systems, it is the connections nearby which are likely to cause problems. You should minimize your exposure by always using a wired (rather than wi-fi) connection to your router, and by minimizing load on your in-home/in-studio network.

Resources –

Source-Stream Activation in the Source-Elements dashboard (requires login).
Source-Elements Community Chat – The fine folks at Source-Elements have popped up this resource while their team sorts out issues and while remaining at home. There have been good, knowledgeable individuals each time I’ve used this, and solid info is being shared.
ipDTL – Chrome-based connection (scroll down for $20 “day pass”)
Speedtest.net – slightly link-heavy test to confirm your internet speed (just click the “Go” button in the middle)

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