Setting up SKYPE audio correcty?

L

LoneLantern

HaveTricaster Will Travel
Hi all,

I am trying to set up my T/C to run skype video interviews...

Problem is getting the audio to my earpeice and my mic audio to the laptop and the SKYPE guest.

I keep creating an audio feedback loop with heavy static on the line...

HOST Audio --> T/C Line in --> [===T/C==] --> HEADPHONE OUT] HOST Ear

LAPTOP Audio --> T/C Line in -->[===T/C==] --> HEADPHONE OUT] LAPTOP MIC

I hope the above helps show the configuration... but this just won't work... anyone out there know the best way to run audio for a SKYPE interview?
 
rally1

rally1

digitalbuilt
Do you have a mixing board? If so google "mix minus".

If you are just using the TC, you will need to get fancy with the solo button. Brain is tired now, but send the headphone audio to your Skype guest and solo what you want them to hear (ie not themselves). Then you will need to get some audio for you to hear, use the TC line outs to an amplified speaker, or a little headphone box, or RCA to 1/8".
http://www.ramelectronics.net/audio-video/adapters/rca-to-1-8-3-5mm-adapters/35-558/prod35558.html

There are some shortcomings with this setup, but it should work.
 
Last edited:
PIZAZZ

PIZAZZ

NewTek System Integrator
A couple things to note:
The "mic" input on a laptop is for a microphone not a line level. You should look for a line level input since that is what the TriCaster will be giving you.
If your laptop does not have one then you could always use an external sound card. I would suggest doing that anyway. Sound cards in laptops generally sound pitiful as it is.

I suggest you read over this thread also:
http://www.newtek.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96419

Check out from my post 21 and on at the bottom. There are some links to specific models there that will greatly help your sound quality.


One other thing:
While not trying to sound condescending or anything, if you haven't read the manual then I suggest you do that. Things like SOLO can easily be found there. Also if you haven't looked through the FAQ here on the NewTek site then I highly suggest you do that too.

I just mention that because 90% of my clients never open the manual at first. Once they do, they are amazed at what great information is inside.
 
B

bob anderson

New member
I just did one of these, but the skype was on a mac laptop. I don't know if this is the same on a PC, but on the mac, the headphone out automatically does the mix minus for you. I can't imagine it's different on a PC, otherwise, the mic on the pc would be looped back out the pc speakers, thus causing feedback.

I just took a feed from the headphone out into a splitter, one jack to an ear-bud for the talent, the other feed to the TriCaster. The only trick was pre-setting the headphone out volume so it was good for the talent, then setting the input gain on the TriCaster so it wasn't distorting.

Bob Anderson
 
rally1

rally1

digitalbuilt
But what was the skype guest hearing? If you send the TC program out back to the guest like that they would hear themselves.
 
B

bob anderson

New member
The way it worked on the Macs, We opened a regular skype session, used IVGA for the caller video into the TriCaster, the person on the other ends experienced a regular skype call, heard the in studio talent through skype. I also had a camera on the in studio talent, as well as a lav mic. The headphone out went into a splitter, with the talent ear bud, and the TriCaster receiving this signal.

As I stated previously, I believe the Mac did an automatic mix minus of the mic input on the mac, as it probably MUST do, otherwise, the mic and the speakers ( which are inches apart from one another, ) would feed back.


I guess where I'm a bit confused is, how would you be:

Originally Posted by rally1 View Post
But what was the skype guest hearing? If you send the TC program out back to the guest like that they would hear themselves.
Not if you Solo the interviewers mike ....

How would you be feeding the TriCaster audio output to the skype caller in the first place? The way I did it, the skype between the guest and in-house talent are one separate thing, IVGA and the headphone out feeds the TriCaster.

Bob Anderson
 
SBowie

SBowie

'the write stuff'
Not to speak for someone else, Bob, but if - instead of supplying interviewer audio to the Skype Mac input directly - you use the TC to supply program audio to the Mac, the Skype interviewee would hear his own voice.

Some do it this way (so the interviewee can hear program audio) - but if you do it this way you need to use Solo and the Headphone output from TC to the Skype system input to avoid that problem.
 
B

bob anderson

New member
SBowie said:
Not to speak for someone else, Bob, but if - instead of supplying interviewer audio to the Skype Mac input directly - you use the TC to supply program audio to the Mac, the Skype interviewee would hear his own voice.
Click to expand...

The Interviewee was hearing the mic on the Mac. All I was doing was splitting the Mac Headphone out ( which was automatically doing the mix minus ) into an earphone for the in studio talent, and to the TriCaster. I also had a mic on the onset talent.

I guess my question would be: (and this is in no way a TriCaster question)

In a standard skype video conference, forget the TriCaster... I see you.. and hear you through the speakers on my computer. My Camera, and mic picks up my audio. You do the same on your end.

I don't want.. and because of feed back, can't have my audio going out my speakers on my computer right next my mic. Therefore... It seems to me the headphone jack on my computer should properly be outputting only your audio and automatically doing the mix minus. This is in fact the way it worked here, but am I missing something? I don't want this to bite me the next time I have to do this on a PC.

Bob Anderson
 
rally1

rally1

digitalbuilt
I use a mixer with 4 Aux outs and 4 Skype callers at once, I simply use mix minus to send all audio back to the caller except their own. Works fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom