# Problem with Stealing Virtualize

**URL:** <https://qa.fmod.com/t/problem-with-stealing-virtualize/18991>\
**Category:** FMOD Studio\
**Created:** [July 11, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/problem-with-stealing-virtualize/18991 "2022-07-11T19:48:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Terock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terock](https://qa.fmod.com/u/Terock)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/problem-with-stealing-virtualize/18991/1 "2022-07-11T19:48:36Z")

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I’m trying to implement the sound to a spell that genarates projectiles ramdomly during a period of time. My problem is with an event playing a loop during the travel time of the projectiles. The event is set to 1 Max Instance and Stealing: Virtualize.

The new instances seem not to be getting virtualized. The sound resets for every projectile created.

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**Author:** ![joseph](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/joseph/32/264_2.png) [@joseph](https://qa.fmod.com/u/joseph)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2022, 1:32am UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/problem-with-stealing-virtualize/18991/2 "2022-07-12T01:32:14Z")

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When creating a new event instance would exceed the event’s max instances, and the event is set to the Virtualize stealing mode, the **quietest** event instance is virtualized. This is because the purpose of this stealing mode is to conserve resources by only playing the most noticeable (i.e.: loudest) sounds, while allowing less noticeable sounds to resume playing as if they had always been playing when the louder sounds end or become less loud. The virtualize stealing mode is not designed to be used in conjunction with very low max instances properties, as lower max instance properties increase the chance of events popping in and out of audibility while loud enough to be audible.

I therefore recommend setting the event’s max instances to a number greater than 1, or switching to another stealing mode that better suits the behavior you want. The “None” stealing mode, for example,is close to what you want, as it prevents new instances of an event from starting if the number of playing instances of the event is already equal to the event’s max instances.

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**Author:** ![Terock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terock](https://qa.fmod.com/u/Terock)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2022, 3:17am UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/problem-with-stealing-virtualize/18991/3 "2022-07-12T03:17:31Z")

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Thank you @joseph ! I read on the forum somewhere that virtualize worked on the newest instance.

In this case I’m gonna change my loop to have a fixed start offset, it works fine with 1 max instance. The “None” wouldn’t work for me because the projectiles travel for a long time and the sound stops while some are still flying.

Thank you for your help!