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Mic and Headphone Setup

WellzY
By WellzY
in Audio
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Hi Forum,

 

I've been a subscriber for year but this is the first time I've checked out the forum, great info and I read some guides that I will get back to next week. I thought I'd sign up here as there is a large community and hopefully my question can be answered. I have been researching almost 2 week but have no confidence to buy what I need.

 

I'll start by saying I purchased the AT M50xBL this week so the headphones are hopefully sorted here.

 

What I want to do is buy a mic that I can use on PC and consoles (either gen, if not concentrate answers towards next gen). I have considered a few and I don't think the brand is important here but the setup itself. I was thinking USB mic to begin with, as I can plug and play, until I started reading more that XLR mics will give better audio and I can buy an audio interface to connect via USB. I also found a video of a USB mixer being used for an XLR mic to connect to the PS4. There is also a video on the Blue Yeti connected directly to the PS4 however the output of audio to me wasn't clear as to wear it was going. I think the headphones connect to the mic for in game audio to come through, which is another thing I need to have, game and chat into my headphones.

 

I have no idea when it comes to audio as this is a new thing for me, I was going to buy the steelseries H wireless and be done with it but wanted to add something that would look good to my setup, a mic on stand and decent audio headphones for music, and just switch to the console or PC depending on what I am using.

 

In the long run if I did a "Let's Play" I would have game audio coming through my headphones via the headphone jack? and the mic connected to the PC and my voice synced up to the gameplay (if this isn't correct let me know).

 

Before products are suggested is what I want to do possible? 

 

If you would like links and need more info let me know.

 

TLDR: I want to connect USB mic to console and have chat and audio to headphones.

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on PS3 you can choose where you want chat audio output. Either through your input device (if you are using a Headset) or defaultt device (AV, HDMi)

"We're all in this together, might as well be friends" Tom, Toonami.

 

mini eLiXiVy: my open source 65% mechanical PCB, a build log, PCB anatomy and discussing open source licenses: https://linustechtips.com/topic/1366493-elixivy-a-65-mechanical-keyboard-build-log-pcb-anatomy-and-how-i-open-sourced-this-project/

 

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Welcome aboard!

 

If you want to get serious I always recommend the Alesis MultiMix 4 paired with a mic for starters. However I'm not sure how it would fair with the consoles. So if you want to get a more simplistic solution then Samson Meteor mic is a nice all in one USB microphone.

 

 

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Thanks for the responses.

 

Lets assume any USB mic can work with a console like PS3/4. This will mean I could get an Audio Technica 2020USB and I am thinking the + version. Simple and connect to my PC also.

 

 

on PS3 you can choose where you want chat audio output. Either through your input device (if you are using a Headset) or defaultt device (AV, HDMi)

 

If this is the case I would need to connect my headphones to my mic as I believe it is seen as a Headset via USB. This will be possible with the AT 2020USB+ or Blue Yeti as they have mic connections. 

 

Just tried it on PS3. I connected my headphones to my monitor and output all audio to it. I could hear game chat and game sound. 

 

I turned on my current USB headset and talked into that and players could hear me. My headset is the sony pulse elite so it has virtual surround. It did sound a bit different listening through headphones, are they only going to give stereo sound like 2 channel?

 

 

Welcome aboard!

 

If you want to get serious I always recommend the Alesis MultiMix 4 paired with a mic for starters. However I'm not sure how it would fair with the consoles. So if you want to get a more simplistic solution then Samson Meteor mic is a nice all in one USB microphone.

 

Just had a look at the Alesis MultiMix 4. I think this will connect to PS4 as I saw a video of a mixer being connected and it working.

 

What is the Focusrite Scarlet 2i4 I was looking at it yesterday and thinking of getting an XLR mic for it and having a decent audio setup. Is this different to a mixer? One thing that wasn't obvious to me with the Focusrite is what is output from it. Is it just Mic guitar? I like that studio monitors can connect as well as headphones but was thinking of running my pc back through it for output, does that make sense?

 

Can that be done with a mixer, eg output the sound from iTunes or video back into it. Or is that what an AMP does?

 

Again no idea about audio just thought it would be great to get into as I can hear the difference in the headphones however I read that on board audio isn't the best. I have a z77 Sabertooth Motherboard and logitech z906 speakers.

 

Thinking about it if I want surround sound I will need a headset for that and not use AT M50x headphones? If that is the case we probably should just focus on a mic for the PC?

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I'm not too familiar with the Focusrite Scarlet 2i4, however if I'm understanding you correctly, you want to run your PC audio into the mixer (line), and the PS4 tied to USB. The Alesis should have you covered there, again not 100% sure of the PS4 compatibility but everything on the PC end should work.

 

As for the 3D sound, all headphones are able to produce 3D sound, pick a pair you'll be fine there.

 

 

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This video is exactly what I think I am talking about, the youtubes are so great. Been a long subscriber to barnaclues but must have missed this one.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bQj95VG05c

 

I can't quite understand the inputs but looks like he has a mixer which the mic is connected to (via amp) and then can also have the PC audio and Xbox audio connected to it as well. 

 

From what I gathered he can then control the volumes of the mic and game by the mixer.

 

he also has a 5.1 surround sound connected by optical switch. Is the switch then connected to the mixer? 

 

Really enjoyed that video

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I see what your saying now. Yes the Alesis should work fine, you'll have your consoles coming into the Line in and then you can use your Main out for speakers. The audio from your Mic input, etc. should be able to be recorded through your PC via USB as well.

 

 

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I see what your saying now. Yes the Alesis should work fine, you'll have your consoles coming into the Line in and then you can use your Main out for speakers. The audio from your Mic input, etc. should be able to be recorded through your PC via USB as well.

 

What cables would I need for the output to go into the mixer from the consoles?

 

If I understand a little it is:

 

XLR Mic into Mic 1 on the Alesis Mixer

PS4 into line in 3

PC into line in 4

If I want to use headphones I can plug into Phones

 

Reading as far back as I can on the video's comments I saw this one from Barnacules. "I have two separate audio paths, when I'm recording audio I switch to a stereo feed from the computers TRS jacks to the mixer board but when I'm gaming by myself I flip over to optical from the computer and Xbox directly in to the Z-5500's. It's a little bit of a cable mess behind the scenes but it gives me infinite flexibility." 

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That cable management sounds about right. As for the cables, the receiver looks like it uses quarter inch plugs.

 

 

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Great, now to think about how many inputs I will need.

 

I have done a bit more reading and to get quarter inch plugs I would need to have an adapter from RCA?

 

My thoughts were that this device http://amzn.to/1wySb4Q there are others that I think do the same, this one seems more expensive.

 

In the video Barnacules mentioned having his Elgato connected to split the audio off. Is it something like this:

 

xbox > HDMI splitter > TV + Elgato > Elgato > HDMI audio extractor > Computer (Video) + Mixer (sound)

 

From the above examples that would have game and chat audio to the mixer?

 

​To add a PC in, that goes directly to the mixer and then into the speakers. In my case Logitech z906.

 

When playing alone, use the optical switch to select (PC or xbox) and change the input on the speakers to optical?

 

I think I have missed how he has connected the mic to the xbox as it is connected to the mixer. He says that the mic will go back through the audio?

 

I have seen video that the xbox can output analogue audio and hdmi at the same time. so the HDMI audio extractor wont be needed?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urMqwjlMbcs

 

xbox > HDMI cable and component cable in at the same time > TV + Mixer (sound)

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Anyone able to shed some light on this?

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