Tick Audio - User Manual

Tick Audio provides real-time audio and visual feedback for market activity. It plays different sounds based on trade size and displays market velocity through visual gauges and trade flow displays.

Prerequisites

  • Subscription: Tick Audio is a premium feature available in Edge plan and higher

Getting Started

Selecting a Contract

  1. Use the Contract dropdown to select which futures contract you want to monitor
  2. Available contracts include ES (E-mini S&P 500), NQ (E-mini Nasdaq), and other supported instruments
  3. Your contract selection is automatically saved and restored on your next visit

Starting the Stream

  1. Select a contract from the dropdown
  2. Click the green Start Stream button
  3. The button will turn red and change to "Stop Stream" when active
  4. The connection status indicator in the top-right will show "Connected" (green)

Note: You cannot change the contract while the stream is active. Stop the stream first to select a different contract.

Stopping the Stream

  • Click the red Stop Stream button
  • The tick counter will reset to zero
  • The connection status will change to "Disconnected"

Connection Status

The connection status indicator appears in the top-right corner of the stream controls:

  • Connected (green, pulsing) - Stream is active and receiving data
  • Connecting... (yellow, pulsing) - Establishing connection to the server
  • Disconnected (gray) - Stream is not active
  • Error (red) - Connection failed; try stopping and restarting the stream

Audio Settings

Configure up to four different sounds that play based on the size (number of contracts) of each trade.

How Audio Tiers Work

Each tier triggers a different sound when a trade's size meets or exceeds the threshold:

  • Sound 1 - Always enabled, plays for all trades meeting the threshold
  • Sound 2 - Optional, plays for larger trades
  • Sound 3 - Optional, plays for even larger trades (requires Sound 2 enabled)
  • Sound 4 - Optional, plays for the largest trades (requires Sound 3 enabled)

Configuring Sound Thresholds

  1. For each sound tier, enter the minimum number of contracts that triggers that sound
  2. Higher tiers must have higher thresholds than lower tiers
  3. Enable additional tiers by checking the checkbox next to Sound 2, 3, or 4

Example Configuration:

  • Sound 1: 1 contract (plays for all trades)
  • Sound 2: 10 contracts (plays for trades of 10+ contracts)
  • Sound 3: 50 contracts (plays for trades of 50+ contracts)
  • Sound 4: 100 contracts (plays for trades of 100+ contracts)

Previewing Sounds

  • Click the play button next to any sound tier to hear a preview
  • This works even when the stream is not active

Muting Audio

  • When the stream is active, a Muted/Active button appears in the Audio Settings header
  • Click to toggle audio on/off without stopping the stream
  • Visual displays continue to update even when audio is muted

Reset to Defaults

  • Click Reset to Defaults to restore the original threshold settings
  • This affects only the audio thresholds for the currently selected contract

Trade Flow Visualization

When the stream is active, a scrolling trade flow canvas appears showing recent trades in real-time.

Trade Scroll Display

  • Trades scroll from right to left across the display
  • Each trade is represented as a visual element
  • Larger trades appear more prominently
  • The display updates in real-time as trades occur

Sales Column

  • Located on the left side of the Trade Flow section
  • Shows the most recent individual trades (prints)
  • Displays price, size, and direction for each trade
  • Updates continuously as new trades come in

Gauges (Speedometers)

Two speedometer gauges display market velocity as ticks per second - a measure of how active the market is.

Understanding the Gauges

  • Gauge 1 - Typically configured for short-term activity (default: 10-second window)
  • Gauge 2 - Typically configured for longer-term activity (default: 60-second window)
  • Higher readings indicate more market activity
  • The needle moves smoothly to reflect changing activity levels

Gauge Settings

Click the gear icon on any gauge to open its settings:

Averaging Period (seconds):

  • Controls how many seconds of data are used to calculate the average
  • Range: 1 to 360 seconds
  • Shorter periods = more responsive to changes
  • Longer periods = smoother, more stable readings

Max Scale (ticks/sec):

  • Auto - Scale adjusts automatically based on market activity
  • Fixed value - Set a specific maximum (1-1000 ticks/sec)
  • Use fixed scale when you want consistent reference points

Reset to Defaults:

  • Gauge 1 defaults: 10 seconds, max 50 ticks/sec
  • Gauge 2 defaults: 60 seconds, max 50 ticks/sec

Audio Gate

The Audio Gate feature lets you mute audio during quiet market periods and only play sounds when market activity reaches a certain level.

How the Audio Gate Works

  • When enabled, audio only plays if the selected gauge's reading exceeds the threshold
  • This filters out trade sounds during slow market periods
  • Useful for avoiding constant sounds during low-activity times

Configuring the Audio Gate

  1. Check the box next to "Only play audio when"
  2. Select which gauge to monitor (Gauge 1 or Gauge 2)
  3. Enter the minimum ticks/sec threshold

Example: "Only play audio when Gauge 1 is above 25 ticks/sec"

  • Audio will be silent when Gauge 1 shows less than 25
  • Audio will play normally when Gauge 1 shows 25 or higher

Statistics

When the stream is active:

  • Ticks - Shows the total number of trade prints received since starting the stream
  • This counter resets to zero when you stop the stream

Settings Persistence

Your settings are automatically saved:

  • Contract selection - Remembered in your browser
  • Audio thresholds - Saved per contract to your account
  • Gauge settings - Saved per contract to your account
  • Audio gate settings - Saved per contract to your account

Settings are saved automatically after you make changes (with a brief delay to batch rapid changes).

Tips for Best Results

Audio Setup

  • Adjust your system volume to a comfortable level before starting
  • Preview all sounds first to understand the different tiers

Threshold Configuration

  • Start with default values and adjust based on the contract's typical volume
  • ES and NQ have different typical trade sizes - configure each separately
  • Higher thresholds = fewer sounds (only big trades)
  • Lower thresholds = more sounds (even small trades)

Using the Audio Gate

  • Enable the audio gate during extended monitoring sessions
  • Use Gauge 2 (longer period) for more stable gate behavior
  • Set threshold based on what you consider "active" market conditions

Troubleshooting

No sound playing

  • Check that your browser allows audio (some browsers require user interaction first)
  • Verify the Audio Mute button shows "Active" not "Muted"
  • Check that the Audio Gate is not blocking sounds (disable it to test)
  • Ensure your system volume is turned up

Stream won't connect

  • Verify you have an active subscription with Tick Audio access
  • Try refreshing the page and starting again
  • If status shows "Error", wait a moment and try again

Gauges not moving

  • Ensure the stream is active (status shows "Connected")
  • Check that it's during market hours
  • Very slow markets may show minimal movement

Settings not saving

  • Wait a moment after making changes (settings save after a brief delay)
  • Check for any error messages displayed on the page

Premium Feature

Tick Audio is available in the Edge plan and higher. If you don't have access:

  • The page content will appear blurred
  • A message will prompt you to upgrade your subscription
  • Click Upgrade to navigate to the subscription page

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