diff --git a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
index 1a436fc9bf..ce30a4b82c 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
@@ -98,15 +98,18 @@ void AudioMixer::addBufferToMixForListeningNodeWithBuffer(PositionalAudioRingBuf
     // if the frame to be mixed is silent, don't mix it
     if (bufferToAdd->getNextOutputTrailingLoudness() == 0.0f) {
         bufferToAdd->popFrames(1);
+        printf("trailing loudness too soft: not mixing!\n");
         return;
     }
 
     // get pointer to frame to be mixed.  If the stream cannot provide a frame (is starved), bail
     AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator nextOutputStart;
     if (!bufferToAdd->popFrames(&nextOutputStart, 1)) {
+        printf("stream is starved! not mixing!\n");
         return;
     }
 
+    printf("mixing stream\n");
 
     float bearingRelativeAngleToSource = 0.0f;
     float attenuationCoefficient = 1.0f;
@@ -312,7 +315,7 @@ void AudioMixer::prepareMixForListeningNode(Node* node) {
             QHash<QUuid, PositionalAudioRingBuffer*>::ConstIterator i, end = otherNodeRingBuffers.constEnd();
             for (i = otherNodeRingBuffers.begin(); i != end; i++) {
                 PositionalAudioRingBuffer* otherNodeBuffer = i.value();
-                
+
                 if (*otherNode != *node || otherNodeBuffer->shouldLoopbackForNode()) {
                     addBufferToMixForListeningNodeWithBuffer(otherNodeBuffer, nodeRingBuffer);
                 }
diff --git a/libraries/audio/src/InboundAudioStream.cpp b/libraries/audio/src/InboundAudioStream.cpp
index 727cb5c554..4923e3d5e7 100644
--- a/libraries/audio/src/InboundAudioStream.cpp
+++ b/libraries/audio/src/InboundAudioStream.cpp
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ int InboundAudioStream::parseData(const QByteArray& packet) {
     }
 
     if (_isStarved && _ringBuffer.samplesAvailable() >= _desiredJitterBufferFrames * _ringBuffer.getNumFrameSamples()) {
+        printf("\nstream refilled from starve!\n");
         _isStarved = false;
     }
 
@@ -95,79 +96,60 @@ int InboundAudioStream::parseData(const QByteArray& packet) {
 }
 
 bool InboundAudioStream::popFrames(int numFrames, bool starveOnFail) {
-    if (_isStarved) {
-        _consecutiveNotMixedCount++;
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    bool popped = false;
-
+    bool popped;
     int numSamplesRequested = numFrames * _ringBuffer.getNumFrameSamples();
-    if (_ringBuffer.samplesAvailable() >= numSamplesRequested) {
+    if (popped = shouldPop(numSamplesRequested, starveOnFail)) {
         _ringBuffer.shiftReadPosition(numSamplesRequested);
-        _hasStarted = true;
-        popped = true;
-    } else {
-        if (starveOnFail) {
-            setToStarved();
-            _consecutiveNotMixedCount++;
-        }
     }
-
     _framesAvailableStats.update(_ringBuffer.framesAvailable());
 
     return popped;
 }
 
 bool InboundAudioStream::popFrames(int16_t* dest, int numFrames, bool starveOnFail) {
-    if (_isStarved) {
-        _consecutiveNotMixedCount++;
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    bool popped = false;
-
+    bool popped;
     int numSamplesRequested = numFrames * _ringBuffer.getNumFrameSamples();
-    if (_ringBuffer.samplesAvailable() >= numSamplesRequested) {
+    if (popped = shouldPop(numSamplesRequested, starveOnFail)) {
         _ringBuffer.readSamples(dest, numSamplesRequested);
-        _hasStarted = true;
-        popped = true;
-    } else {
-        if (starveOnFail) {
-            setToStarved();
-            _consecutiveNotMixedCount++;
-        }
     }
-
     _framesAvailableStats.update(_ringBuffer.framesAvailable());
 
     return popped;
 }
 
 bool InboundAudioStream::popFrames(AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator* nextOutput, int numFrames, bool starveOnFail) {
+    bool popped;
+    int numSamplesRequested = numFrames * _ringBuffer.getNumFrameSamples();
+    if (popped = shouldPop(numSamplesRequested, starveOnFail)) {
+        *nextOutput = _ringBuffer.nextOutput();
+        _ringBuffer.shiftReadPosition(numSamplesRequested);
+    }
+    _framesAvailableStats.update(_ringBuffer.framesAvailable());
+
+    return popped;
+}
+
+bool InboundAudioStream::shouldPop(int numSamples, bool starveOnFail) {
+    printf("\nshouldPop()\n");
+
     if (_isStarved) {
+        printf("\t we're starved, not popping\n");
         _consecutiveNotMixedCount++;
         return false;
     }
 
-    bool popped = false;
-
-    int numSamplesRequested = numFrames * _ringBuffer.getNumFrameSamples();
-    if (_ringBuffer.samplesAvailable() >= numSamplesRequested) {
-        *nextOutput = _ringBuffer.nextOutput();
-        _ringBuffer.shiftReadPosition(numSamplesRequested);
+    if (_ringBuffer.samplesAvailable() >= numSamples) {
+        printf("have requested samples and not starved, popping\n");
         _hasStarted = true;
-        popped = true;
+        return true;
     } else {
         if (starveOnFail) {
+            printf("don't have enough samples; starved!\n");
             setToStarved();
             _consecutiveNotMixedCount++;
         }
+        return false;
     }
-
-    _framesAvailableStats.update(_ringBuffer.framesAvailable());
-
-    return popped;
 }
 
 void InboundAudioStream::setToStarved() {
diff --git a/libraries/audio/src/InboundAudioStream.h b/libraries/audio/src/InboundAudioStream.h
index 65a4f07918..fc1ef07844 100644
--- a/libraries/audio/src/InboundAudioStream.h
+++ b/libraries/audio/src/InboundAudioStream.h
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ public:
     int getSilentFramesDropped() const { return _silentFramesDropped; }
     int getOverflowCount() const { return _ringBuffer.getOverflowCount(); }
 
+private:
+    bool shouldPop(int numSamples, bool starveOnFail);
+
 protected:
     // disallow copying of InboundAudioStream objects
     InboundAudioStream(const InboundAudioStream&);
diff --git a/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioRingBuffer.cpp b/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioRingBuffer.cpp
index 519190d70d..3d686beccc 100644
--- a/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioRingBuffer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioRingBuffer.cpp
@@ -22,15 +22,15 @@
 #include <UUID.h>
 
 PositionalAudioRingBuffer::PositionalAudioRingBuffer(PositionalAudioRingBuffer::Type type, bool isStereo, bool dynamicJitterBuffers) :
-InboundAudioStream(isStereo ? NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_SAMPLES_STEREO : NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_SAMPLES_PER_CHANNEL,
-AUDIOMIXER_INBOUND_RING_BUFFER_FRAME_CAPACITY, dynamicJitterBuffers),
-_type(type),
-_position(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f),
-_orientation(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f),
-_shouldLoopbackForNode(false),
-_isStereo(isStereo),
-_nextOutputTrailingLoudness(0.0f),
-_listenerUnattenuatedZone(NULL)
+    InboundAudioStream(isStereo ? NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_SAMPLES_STEREO : NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_SAMPLES_PER_CHANNEL,
+    AUDIOMIXER_INBOUND_RING_BUFFER_FRAME_CAPACITY, dynamicJitterBuffers),
+    _type(type),
+    _position(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f),
+    _orientation(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f),
+    _shouldLoopbackForNode(false),
+    _isStereo(isStereo),
+    _nextOutputTrailingLoudness(0.0f),
+    _listenerUnattenuatedZone(NULL)
 {
 }