System configuration
Setting up the microphone
TrueClays listens for the shooter's call and releases the target. This page covers the three settings that control it, how to set them for a room, and what to do when calls are missed or targets go without one.
Start with the microphone itself
No setting compensates for a microphone that is too far away. Moving it from across the room to roughly an arm's length from the shooter gains about 16 dB of separation between the call and the room — more than any adjustment on this page can give you.
Point the microphone at the shooting position and away from the speakers.
A paper cup over the microphone works remarkably well. It shields the sides and the rear and leaves the opening facing the shooter, which is the cheapest way to make a plain microphone directional.
The input level is set in PulseAudio, which is installed with Ubuntu. Open it from the Ubuntu start menu and select the Input tab. TrueClays systems are set to 147 % by default for this type of microphone, and you do not normally need to change it.
The three settings
All three are in System configuration, in the Calibration & timing card.
- Call detection Adaptive measures the room's background noise continuously and asks for a call that stands clearly above it. Legacy is the older method: it compares the raw level against a fixed number and nothing else. Adaptive is the default and is what you want in almost every room.
- Peak level that must be reached How loud the call has to be before it counts. The number beside the slider shows the same value in decibels. This is the main tuning control for the whole setup — lower is more sensitive.
- Microphone sensitivity How readily a call is accepted once it is loud enough. Balanced suits most rooms. Conservative asks for a longer, clearer call; Sensitive accepts a shorter, quieter one.
Setting it for a room
Open System configuration
The microphone settings are in the Calibration & timing card at the top left.
Set Call detection to Adaptive
The sensitivity control appears once you do. It stays hidden on Legacy, which has no such setting.
Leave the peak level where it is for now
If this system has been in use, the stored value already reflects the room and is a good starting point. On a new install, start at the middle of the slider.
Set sensitivity to Balanced
Move to Conservative or Sensitive only after testing, not before.
Press Apply, then test on the lane
Have someone call ten targets at the volume they would actually use — not a demonstration shout. Then let the room fill with normal talking and watch for targets releasing on their own.
Upgrading an older system? If the stored threshold used the previous scale, it is converted automatically when the page opens and a message says so. Press Apply once to keep the converted value.
Checking it on the lane
A live meter is available inside the products for setup work. Hold the right Alt Gr key together with:
- Alt Gr + F9Show or hide the meter
- Alt Gr + F8Switch between Legacy and Adaptive to compare them back to back
- Alt Gr + F7Step through the sensitivity settings
With the room quiet, note where the level sits. Then have someone call. A healthy setup shows the call reaching well past the marked trigger point with clear space between it and the resting level. If the two are close together, the microphone is too far from the shooter and no setting will separate them reliably.
Changes made with these keys are saved and will appear in System configuration next time you open it, so you can tune on the lane and leave it set.
If it is not behaving
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Targets release without anyone calling | Raise the peak level two or three steps and test again. If it continues, set sensitivity to Conservative. |
| Shooters have to raise their voice, or calls are missed | Lower the peak level two or three steps. If it continues, set sensitivity to Sensitive. |
| Reliable with one shooter, unreliable once a squad is talking | Check that Call detection is set to Adaptive. If it still struggles, the microphone is too far from the shooting position. |
| A shot, a slammed door or a dropped gun releases a target | Adaptive rejects short bangs by design. Confirm you are not on Legacy, then set sensitivity to Conservative. |
| Nothing is detected at all | The microphone may be muted — press M to toggle it. Then confirm the capture device is connected and check that the meter moves when you speak. |
Adjust one thing at a time. Change the peak level first, since it affects both methods, and only reach for sensitivity when the level alone will not settle it.