Music on hold that sounds good on a cell phone..?

[tracy]

What is the secret to MOH sounding good on the cell phone? We have tried the built-in MOH file, tried uploading an MP3 via OfficeManager, and plugged in Muzack via the external port. All sounds good internally, all sound terrible on a cell phone. I have read some audio-techy articles on why this is true for hold music in general (not just Cisco), but what I really need to know is the tweak to CLI needed to make it sound right, if such a tweak exists..

thanks!

[paolo bevilacqua]

There is no CLI tweak. You will need an high quality, properly equalized audio file. That can be done with proper software or use a sound engineer.

[tracy]

So the audio file that comes with the system is not high quality or properly equalized? And I assume this is true for the music I downloaded from iTunes, put on my ipod and plugged into the MOH port on the phone system?

[paolo bevilacqua]

Default MoH is of high quality and properly equalized, and it is heard very good on all the cellphones (2G and 3G) that I've tried in 5 years or so.

If that is not your case, maybe something else is going on.

[tracy]

The default MOH is piano music. I have listened to it on 6 different UC540 and UC560 phone systems in the past two days, including one that has not been updated in any way since fall of 2010. Its crappy across the board. Perhaps we differ on our definition of crappy, but the piano music will fade to static and back out again during certain sections of the song on all these phone systems. Most clients don't use the hold music very long. Unfortunately, on my latest UC560, people are left on hold for a much longer period of time, so they have been getting numerous complaints. I had to turn it off.

So if the internal MOH is "high quality", where do I go from here? Anyone using external MOH with success? if so, what hardware did you use?

[paolo bevilacqua]

Do you use SIP trunks? G.729 and or VAD perhaps ?

[tracy]

None use SIP trunks. Mix of PRI and copper.

I used the default settings, so if G.729 is the default then it is in use.

[paolo bevilacqua]

Codec does not apply to PSTN trunks, so it's not that.

Still strange, because I have no static on MoH, on any of my systems.

[padraic.murphy]

HI

There is a program called

Audacity: Free Audio Editor and Recorder

This will create a .au files that can be uploaded through CCA

it needs to be converted to Mono

The project rate is 8000 Hz

export the file in the options menu select Headed au(sun/next) Encoding U-Law

[tracy]

I have resolved this issue and I am posting the resolution to the forum to help others.

I confirmed the UC560 preferred codec was G.711, secondary was G.729. I checked it in CLI.

I contacted AT&T. By far the worst part of this ordeal was AT&T. Basically, you have to call VOIP support and ask for tier-2. No one at tier-1 (or AT&T support-by-email!) knows what a CODEC is or even how its spelled. Tier-2 knows how its spelled, but will send you to tier-3. Shockingly, my tier-3 support person knew all about poor quality MOH with G729. She logged into the router at my client (which was Cisco) and changed the preferred CODEC to G.711 and secondary to G.729. But that didn't fix it. I had to go back to tech support tier-1 and ask for a call-back. Shockingly, tier-3 called back within 30 minutes. This time she forced all incoming calls to G.711 and outgoing calls were left at G.711/729. And now the MOH is much better!

Something else that was very handy was the fact the tier-3 person could track my test call from my cell phone through their system and confirm which CODEC was being used.

BTW, if you plan to switch CODECs, G.711 uses more bandwidth than G.729. Your provider should confirm you have enough bandwidth to make the switch.

[paolo bevilacqua]

Before you said

None use SIP trunks. Mix of PRI and copper.

Had you said instead that VoIP was used, it would be immediate to recommend G.711 for best results.

[tracy]

AT&T sells it as a PRI line, not a SIP trunk. It looks like a T-1, it even has a box with a smart card in it. However, there is an AT&T Cisco ASR device that has a T-1 WIC. So apparently that device is using VOIP to between its internal interfaces.

With VOIP as prevalent as it is, I would assume its used somewhere on the backside of most voice providers. I know the Time Warner voice service is not really copper, you can't use modems with the service around here. So far the MOH has been ok with TW.

[paolo bevilacqua]

tracy@ky-consultant.com wrote:
AT&T sells it as a PRI line, not a SIP trunk. It looks like a T-1, it even has a box with a smart card in it. However, there is an AT&T Cisco ASR device that has a T-1 WIC. So apparently that device is using VOIP to between its internal interfaces.
With VOIP as prevalent as it is, I would assume its used somewhere on the backside of most voice providers. I know the Time Warner voice service is not really copper, you can't use modems with the service around here. So far the MOH has been ok with TW. 

I understand that, however when Telcos sell POTS services, they are obliged to deliver 'token quality', unless it disclosed to the customer. However it easy to see how they deliver it when there is a router at premises instead of a true Smartjack.

[tracy]

There is a true smartjack tied to AT&T's router. The kicker is that AT&T offers VOIP services, which of course I did not get, but its part of the "package" whether I liked it or not. Thus I get an AT&T router whether I like it or not. The package is called "IP Flex", and it was the only way I could get the client a PRI.