Blackmoor Vituperative

Here is how I play music (MP3 files) into a Google Meet.

Hardware

• Windows 10 desktop
• Wireless headset with over-the-ear type headphones

Software

• Google Chrome
• Audio Repeater Pro
• VB Cable A+B
• VLC Media Player

Setup

1. Install “Audio Repeater Pro (64 bit)” and “VB Cable A+B”. Don’t mess with the settings. Just install them.
2. Run “Audio Repeater Pro (64 bit)”. Use these settings:
   • Input Device: Microphone (Logitech G935 Gaming Headset)
   • Output Device: CABLE Input (VB-Audio Cable B)
   • Stream Format: Processing Format (default)
   • Stream Buffer: 40 milliseconds (default)
   • Process Audio: (not checked)
   • Stream Gain: 100%
   • Stream FX: FX Chain (default)
   • Bypass FX Chain: (not checked)
   • Click “Start”.
3. In the task icon area of the taskbar, right-click the speaker, and select “Recording Devices”.
   1. Right-click Microphone (Logitech G935 Gaming Headset), and select “Set as Default Device”.
   2. Right-click Microphone (Logitech G935 Gaming Headset), and select “Properties”.
      • On the “Listen” tab, set to UN-check “Listen to this device”.
      • On the “Levels” tab, set to 90.
      • Click OK.
   3. Right-click CABLE-B Output, and select “Properties”.
      • On the “Listen” tab, CHECK “Listen to this device”.
      • On the “Listen” tab, set “Playback through this device” to “Speakers (Logitech G935 Gaming Headset)”.
      • On the “Levels” tab, set both to 100.
      • Click OK.
4. In the “Playback” tab of the Sound application.
   • Right-click the headset, and select “Set as Default Communication Device”.
5. Run Chrome.
6. In Chrome, go to Google Meet, and join the meeting.
7. When the Meet window opens, click the three dots in the bottom right corner and click “Settings”. On the Audio tab, use these settings:
   • Microphone: CABLE Output (VB-Audio Cable B).
   • Speakers: Speakers (Logitech G935 Gaming Headset).
8. Open VLC Media Player.
   1. Add songs to the playlist.
   2. In the Audio menu, select Audio >> Audio Device >> CABLE Input (VB-Audio Cable B)
9. Invite people to join the hangout.
10. Play songs in VLC. Other people in the Hangout will hear them. To avoid drowning myself out, I set the VLC output level to about 80%.

Recording

Here are the settings I used to record in Flashback Express.

1. In the Tools >> Options menu, look in the Sound section.
2. Under Sound Source, select “PC Speakers (what you hear)”.
3. In the drop-down under “PC Speakers (what you hear)”, select the headset.
4. Now, when recording in Flashback Express…
   1. Under “Record”, select “Window”.
   2. Check “Record Sound”.
5. Still in Flashback Express, in the sound section, check “Record Sound”, and for the source select “Speakers (Logitech G935 Headset)”.

When done with the hangout

1. Close the Hangout window.
2. Click “Stop” in “Audio Repeater Pro (64 bit)”, and close it.
3. Close VLC Media Player.

Nova Scotia has an average of 8-10 feet of snow annually, which is too much for me. So retiring to Cape Breton Island is out. Retiring to Cape Breton Island is still a possibility.

Looking at the countries on this list, Cuenca (Ecuador) is still high on my list, because of the climate, the cost, and the existing expatriate community. Boquete (Panama) is a strong second, and Panama (for the moment) makes it very easy to obtain permanent residency. Mexico (Guanajuato or San Miguel de Allende) would be a third choice: it’s easy to emigrate there, and like Panama and Ecuador, it rates pretty well for health care and medicine. And it’s a lot closer to the USA, in case we want to come back for visits.

A lot of the other places listed in the attached link sound great in most respects (like Malaysia), but are just too warm for me, while others sound great in most respects but are too expensive for me to consider retiring there (such as Ireland).

The first step will be visiting one of these places to see if we actually like it there. Anyone up for a group vacation in 2017?

I need to remember to check on the internet speed, cost, and reliability in these places.

Update: Internet in Cuenca seems decent. Netflix and Hulu are available, but require a VPN. In Boquete, there appear to be a number of high-speed internet providers, but Netflix and Hulu are only available through a VPN. Guanajuato also has high speed internet, and again, a VPN appears to be needed to access Netflix and Hulu.

Reading the “Gringos Abroad” blog (linked above), two things jumped out at me as possible deal-breakers for me: parasites, and cockroaches. So maybe ten feet of snow is not such a bad thing.

Time travel is stupid.

I enjoyed John Wick. It’s another Keanu Reeves movie: more or less a remake of Payback, but still a lot of fun. It built its own little world. I like that.

This reminded me of the good old days, with Lloyd Montgomery​ GMing and Dan Donovan​ playing the guy they won’t let retire in peace.

Sometimes a whole lot of people just need to die.