First streaming attempt

[Chipotle]

I found this in another forum. I don't know anything about it, or how helpful it might be, but worth trying:

"make sure you go into your Zoom settings (click your photo in the top right corner of the main app screen, click settings), select Audio and hit the Advanced button at the bottom. Make sure the Enable Original Sound During Calls box is checked, then during your call at the top left of your video screen make sure the Original Sound box is blue (active). This will ensure you’re sending your raw, high quality audio into the meeting and bypassing all of Zoom’s audio compression and stuff."

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

I found this in another forum. I don't know anything about it, or how helpful it might be, but worth trying:

"make sure you go into your Zoom settings (click your photo in the top right corner of the main app screen, click settings), select Audio and hit the Advanced button at the bottom. Make sure the Enable Original Sound During Calls box is checked, then during your call at the top left of your video screen make sure the Original Sound box is blue (active). This will ensure you’re sending your raw, high quality audio into the meeting and bypassing all of Zoom’s audio compression and stuff."

This is good to know. Thanks.

[gfsark]

It’s not Zoom, I don’t think. Today I just did a morning gig and got great reviews for excellent sound. I do what CASD57 does: Condenser mic & acoustic guitar into 2 channel pre (Focusrite 2i2), usb to pc and zoom away.

But wait a second, my guitar has a K&K mini pickup and is plugged directly into the the 2i2. If your guitar has onboard pickup, that’s what I would suggest trying. My guess is that you are introducing noise into the system by trying to mic the guitar.

Next thought, when you say “I played directly into zoom” what does that mean? Are you going through a preamp? Or do you have a usb microphone? My first zoom concert was with a USB microphone and it sounded really bad. So I dropped that and went with a little preamp, and what a difference.

[buzzardwhiskey]

Woo hoo! Thank you Chipotle!

Here's a very quick video with the audio set as Chipotle had suggested. I'm using my Tonedexter and my condenser mic into my Audient iD14 and not using a DAW at all, just straight into the Zoom streaming service.

https://youtu.be/iuFwhr-mGH8

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by buzzardwhiskey

Here's a very quick video with the audio set as Chipotle had suggested. I'm using my Tonedexter and my condenser mic into my Audient iD14 and not using a DAW at all, just straight into the Zoom streaming service.

Fantastic, sounds great. It's not surprising that their voice-oriented processing and compression would really mangle music and especially the details of acoustic guitar. Nice that they give you an option to turn it off.

[El Conquistador]

Originally Posted by buzzardwhiskey

Woo hoo! Thank you Chipotle!

Here's a very quick video with the audio set as Chipotle had suggested. I'm using my Tonedexter and my condenser mic into my Audient iD14 and not using a DAW at all, just straight into the Zoom streaming service.

https://youtu.be/iuFwhr-mGH8

I will be attempting to do a virtual guitar circle soon using Zoom and am worried about the quality of the sound. While I gig frequently ( well, at least I did) and am familiar with sound reinforcement for acoustic guitar and voice, I am not at all versed in streaming into a computer.

So, this last example sounds very good using the settings we now are aware of, but, would it be possible to adjust the settings and then just plug a good mic straight into my computer and get decent results? And, if so, how would I go about getting my mic plugged into that tiny mic input on my computer? Inquiring morons want to know.

Steve

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

So, this last example sounds very good using the settings we now are aware of, but, would it be possible to adjust the settings and then just plug a good mic straight into my computer and get decent results? And, if so, how would I go about getting my mic plugged into that tiny mic input on my computer? Inquiring morons want to know.

Zoom (and other videoconferencing apps) will let you choose your audio source. So any audio input connected to your computer, including a USB interface you'd use for recording, can be used for the sound.

If you're talking about a regular dynamic/condenser mic you'd use for performing or recording, no, you can't plug it directly into the computer. It needs a preamp first, like found in a mixer or audio interface.

If you record with an audio interface, just turn it on and plug in a mic. You should be able to select it for audio input with Zoom.

If you have a mixer, you can plug your mic into that, and then the mixer output into the computer soundcard's mic input, if you have the right adapters but those would not be common (2 1/4" to 1/8" stereo or 2 XLR to 1/8" stereo).

[buzzardwhiskey]

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

I will be attempting to do a virtual guitar circle soon using Zoom and am worried about the quality of the sound. While I gig frequently ( well, at least I did) and am familiar with sound reinforcement for acoustic guitar and voice, I am not at all versed in streaming into a computer.



So, this last example sounds very good using the settings we now are aware of, but, would it be possible to adjust the settings and then just plug a good mic straight into my computer and get decent results? And, if so, how would I go about getting my mic plugged into that tiny mic input on my computer? Inquiring morons want to know.



Steve

My suggestion is to spend a little money on a one or two channel USB audio interface, and then run your mixer into the audio interface.

For streaming, you needn't spend more than $50 or $60 for the interface.

[El Conquistador]

For streaming, you needn't spend more than $50 or $60 for the interface.[/QUOTE]

Would you mind providing me with a link to one?

Thanks,
Steve

[shufflebeat]

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

Would you mind providing me with a link to one?

Thanks,
Steve

Are you planning:

Vox/Gtr?
Gtr only?
Vox/Gtr + some more?

What mic are you planning to use?
Does your gtr have a useable pickup sound?

Is your performance space (room) dead-sounding or reverberant (nice/nasty?)

[El Conquistador]

Vox/ acoustic guitar.

[El Conquistador]

How would something like this work with the correct Zoom settings?
https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-Co...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Steve

[shufflebeat]

The original M-Audio Fastrack can be found on eBay for very little £ and is pretty rock solid and sounds fine.

Upside - 1 mic input (XLR), one gtr input (Jack) show up as separate inputs on software, preamp is fine. Simple to use, good drivers (eventually). Zero latency monitoring (fairly standard these days).

Downside - mic preamp doesn't provide phantom power so you can only use dynamic mics or condensers with internal batteries.

Plenty of other options are available but the FT is at the stage where there are plenty available and they're hard to break so a decent bet to buy used.

[buzzardwhiskey]

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

How would something like this work with the correct Zoom settings?

https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-Co...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==



Steve

That would work fine for your vocals. But might not pick up your guitar very well.

If you already have mics and guitars with pickups and a mixer, something like this would be better...

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...udio-interface

Mics and pickups would go into the mixer, the mixer output would go into the interface, and the interface would go into the computer.

[El Conquistador]

Originally Posted by buzzardwhiskey

That would work fine for your vocals. But might not pick up your guitar very well.

If you already have mics and guitars with pickups and a mixer, something like this would be better...

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...udio-interface

Mics and pickups would go into the mixer, the mixer output would go into the interface, and the interface would go into the computer.

Thanx. I will look into this.

Steve