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## Summary
With **gemini-3.8-live** on the Live API (raw WebSocket, `v1beta` `BidiGenerateContent`), many model turns arrive
with **no audible audio**: every `serverContent.modelTurn.parts[].inlineData.data` chunk of the turn is exactly **4base64 characters**, at the normal streaming cadence. For the same turn:
- `outputTranscription` contains the complete sentence;
- `usageMetadata` reports normal AUDIO response tokens (e.g. 207), so the turn is billed;
- `turnComplete` is not sent until the turn is interrupted;
- no error is returned and the socket stays open.
The same client code against **gemini-3.1-flash-live-preview** has never shown this. The standalone script below (raw WebSocket, `websockets` only) reproduces it in **23 of 29 runs**. In our production calls on 2026-09-30, 12 of 26 model turns were affected.
## Impact
We run a telephone receptionist on the Live API. An affected turn is complete silence for the caller, who then speaks again and interrupts. The model’s context treats the unheard question as already asked. This blocks us from moving production traffic from `gemini-3.1-flash-live-preview` to `gemini-3.8-live`.
## Questions
1. Is this a known issue with gemini-3.8-live? Is there a setting or API version that avoids it?
2. Is withholding `turnComplete` on these turns expected?
Full details, per-run results and the raw log: http/drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Pr1pmdOFQ8RA0yvmqGlm02Tc_KNFfcoW