theonlyratatoskr

You won't be able to send your headset's microphone to the PS4 if you do this.
 
I suggest you get a mixer to which all your audio goes to.
 
PC -> mixer channels 1&2
PS4 -> mixer channels 3&4
 
Yamaha MG series mixers are awesome quality and are very well priced.
 
Remember that you need TWO CHANNELS per device because you want stereo sound, not mono.

no issues. i was just over reacting. i had my volumed turned down from Windows volume mixer. all works fine. altough not sure about Direct monitor function works fine or no.

What is not right? Is something in the sound characteristics not right?
 
What microphone are you using?
 
More details please.

Generally searching the panel number + controller board will provide you with some results. Your mileage may vary and not every panel has a HDMI/DVI/VGA controller board available. Verify the monitor matches the resolution of the controller board as additional verification.
 
That board you linked to should work but if it doesn't they're always pretty cheap and you won't be out much.

maybe buying sub 100 dollar headphone is the reason they are breaking? idk i haven't break any of my heaphone yet

This is tricky.
 
If you want to control different applications' output independently using hardware, you'll have to:
1. Hardware route them to a mixer;
2. Software route using something like AudioHijack and then control AudioHijack with a MIDI controller (this would be your mixer);
3. Or, use a hardware volume mixer for the windows faders.
 
More info:
 
1. Prepare your cable budget; Cables are expensive. This involves having multiple audio outputs on your motherboard/soudcard which you'll then have to convert to a line level (signal type) signal to match a mixer's line level input. You'll need two channels per application (game, skype, etc.), because you definitely want a stereo signal.
 
So: game -> computer out Left and Right -> stereo re-amp box -> into mixer Left and mixer Right
Then the same for each individual application you need audio from. You can see that this gets overly complicated for very little benefit. 
 
2. This is the sleekest way as everything is controlled within the computer, routing, etc. and you can even apply compression, noise reduction, etc. on your micr
 
3. This might never work and is not stable:
 
Conclusion:
I suggest you just keep it simple buy a good microphone interface (Focusrite are always great) and use Alt+Tab and your mouse to do volume adjustments. How often do you really need to adjust an applications volume?
 
EDIT:
Apologies, the "GoXLR Mini" thing just showed up. That seems simple enough unless you can DIY something yourself. Yup, go with that one. hahaha

If you're recording yourself then get the interface, Option 3.  Behringer used to be known for low quality products, but their products as of 5 ish years ago seriously kick butt.
 
The mixer is just there to mix the channels together to two outputs to send to speakers. If you're playing live, then get the mixer.  
 
Out of curiosity, is it for streaming, gaming, calling friends, etc.? Are you playing live?

Haha that's great ^
Never heard of that iFi unit, looks badass.
And, I'm sure you'll enjoy the soundbar! Let us know how it is once you have it all set up, dude!! ? 
 
Interesting, never heard of these either! Though definitely biased and not a flat frequency response, it looks like someone converted a SM57 diaphragm into a headphone's diaphragm from the frequency response graph, edit below.  Can you compare them to anything else? I've always hated those kinds of over-ear earbuds but if you like 'em so much it'll be for good reason.
 

Soundproofing is much harder than sound treatment because you need mass, which means concrete, bricks, etc, most of which are not very viable unless you are willing to rebuild your room.
 
I have had limited success with rockwool and heavy rubber mats, both of which have their drawbacks, but its better than nothing. There are companies which sell relatively thin boards which are meant for soundproofing, do not confuse these with acoustic panels, cos they are heavy and meant for soundproofing. These can be a viable method but these boards tend to be pricey too. Heavy drapes and carpet will also help, but not to a huge extent too.

These are PASSIVE speakers. They require an AMPLIFIER to drive.

One DIN connector works in mono; The small connection as the positive and the big connection as the negative (ground) of the DIN connector.
 
What I suggest, buy a speaker amplifier (there's no way around this), cut the speaker cable and hook up the positive/negative (red/white) cables to the Left output of a speaker amplifier. Then do the same to the other speaker but to the positive/negative cables to the Right output of that same speaker amplifier.
 
The speakers are rated at 120W (200WRMS) each so have an amplifier that's NO MORE than 240Watt (I'd go 200w for safety) so you don't blow out the speakers.
 
This is just like hooking up any passive speaker to a speaker amplifier.
 
Also, those speakers are highly valued as they've a flat frequency response, especially for their 'vintage' status.
 
Enjoy them.

Already got amplification and speaker's setup, will look at the whathifi article.

No app yet; I suggest processing audio files from your computer.
 
In any case, you should know that you could upsample but quality does not magically increase.
 
Example: upsampling 128kbps to 256kbps will only duplicate values of the file. 1-0-1-1-etc. will turn into 1-1-0-0-1-1-1-1-etc. You'd just be increasing the file size unnecessarily.
 
One would only upsample for compatibility purposes if for example you're editing video and you need all the files to be at the same sample rate.

Must get one to connect my non existent music streamer to my ethernet switch, Meanwhile, check out this beast:

Ey, richer sounds buddies.
 
Haha, tell me about it.. Got so many weird looks when i walked out of richer sounds with my speaker cables, was staring at them all the way home on the bus... (QED supremus 2M)

This is all just my suggestion so take this as you will. Though, I honestly hope it helps you.
 
Vinyl / Turntable
I would just buy a decent turntable in that case and plug it into a system that can receive multiple inputs. So you'll, for example, have Channels 1&2 for Turntable, 3&4 for PC in, 5&6 for DVD.... whatever...
It's likely that you're buying lower quality converters if you're buying something to convert your vinyls to .WAV files, so I would just buy the music online and download it if you want your vinyls digitized, because some professional will have already done this with a million $$$ studio.
 
My suggestion, don't bother with vinyl digitization, buy a turntable you can play your vinyls in and it will also look freeakin' awesome next to your speaker amp/DAC/etc.
 
Audio-Technica make awesome turntables for an even awesome-er price.
This will serve you just fine, I think: https://eu.audio-technica.com/turntables/AT-LP60XUSB
 
Speakers
I always suggest getting two higher quality speakers instead of 8 (7.1) medium quality speakers. Also, routing, upscaling from 2.1 to surround, etc. is a hassle for most people and you probably don't want to be messing with settings when you JUST. WANT. TO. LISTEN. TO. A. DAMN. SONG. Sorry.... I think you know what I mean haha
 
Surround systems are awesome, I've been into many 16.4 studios all with Genelecs and you're looking at 50,000+ in speakers ALONE. It's cool, and that's all. For music enjoyment, I suggest 2.0. Good speakers don't need a sub. A sub in a small room will just muddy everything up, as i'm sure you've realized in your indoor stage set ups.
 
I suggest Tannoy for you like a vintage look and sound. They've been around for a long long time and know their stuff.
 
Any of these will make you extremely happy:
https://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/best-british-speakers-2019-great-british-speakers-for-every-system
 
DAC
Would you be happy with a PCIe converter? something built into your computer?
Would you prefer a rack mounted unit? Personally, this is more expandable and future proof (and looks way cooler) but comes at a cost.
 
Top 15 DACS = https://www.techsounded.com/best-dacs/
Best Dacs = https://www.themasterswitch.com/best-dacs
 
Amp
Whether or not you go for passive or active speakers, is your call. Passive have the benefit of turning ONE unit on/off (the amp) and passive have the benefit of not needing an amp. I would go into your local Richer Sounds and testing out a few speakers until you find ones you like that are at your price point. Really: Only listen to things you can afford because anything more expensive will just make you feel disappointed. 
 
Also, keep in mind how it will (without a doubt) sound different in your listening environment, compared to the shop. However, go anyway to test out HOW systems sound different.
 
---
Finally, I would suggest making a list of all components you need. Decide if passive/active speakers and then go from there. Spend about the same amount of money for everything. The last thing you want is to have a 1,000 pound DAC and 50 pound speakers. Keep in mind the weakest link in the chain. It's much better to have everything be well paired, than a poorly paired high end system, because that'll just ruin your sound.
 
Finally, finally. haha..... don't forget the cost of cables. It's insane how much good quality cables cost.
 
I hope this helped. I hope you find a SICK system you can enjoy, dude! Send us pictures when you're all set up.

With mobility in mind, this is a good way to up your voice quality. To put it very simply: The closer the microphone is to your face, the more volume your voice will have and the less you have to turn up your voice; Meaning that all background noises will be reduced.
 
This is something you should know:
You will NOT be able to magically remove all background noise. Unless you invest into a microphone, interface and reflective shield and only book hotel rooms with thick walls. This obviously and definitely not portable.
 
Finally, are you on Mac or Windows? There's a software called AudioHijack on Mac. It's fantastic and lets you tweak your audio live to incredible standards. You can apply sound/noise gates (help only your voice get through), equalization (take out low frequency train rumble), and more processing to help you sound 'better' ... and possibly a noise reduction plug-in but you may have to buy that separately...
 
It's definitely worth looking into I think. This way you're doing as much as possible from a physical gear standpoint, as well as software processing.
 
This is not exactly your situation, but it gives you a good idea of how flexible this software is:
https://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/loopback-podcast-skype-theme-music

Hello everyone. Wanting to put audio in 4 rooms of my house. Already got a main stereo system in my bedroom/man cave. But after a sonos like system for the rest of the house. Already have speakers sorted (Dali spektor 1's) So just need amplification and a source setup. Sonos looks good but buying 4 sonos connects and 4 amp's seem steep. But the Emotiva A-800 seems to be a good option. So now i just need a source, like i said Sonos seems good, But i was wondering if there was a Wifi system for any cheaper, or if sonos was the best way to go. I'm not too good with multi-room audio, so any help is really appreciated.
 

This is an accompanying guide for our recent video trying out Pi-Hole.
 
Note: Image links will be coloured like this: https://google.ca 
 
 
Parts List:
Raspberry Pi (any model) We will be using a Raspberry Pi Zero (https://lmg.gg/8KV3n) - $5 You can optionally install Pi-Hole in a docker container, or inside a VM, but we will be assuming you are using a Raspi for the rest of this tutorial. Micro SD Card (2gb+, but you should probably just buy a 16GB card because they're so cheap) We'd recommend a cheap SanDisk card (https://lmg.gg/8KV3k) 2.5A Micro USB AC Power Supply You can get these really cheap on eBay, but we aren't making any promises about quality. AdaFruit has a solid one: https://lmg.gg/8KVm8 *Optional*: Micro USB to RJ45 Ethernet Adapter This is in case the RasPi you are using doesn't have an ethernet port or WiFi (if you're using the Pi Zero, you will need one of these) *Optional*: Other stuff that you might need: SD/uSD Card Reader (Unless your laptop, or you already has one) Ethernet Cable (Unless you're using WiFi, you will need one of these) Case for your Raspberry Pi Model (Nice to have to keep it protected, but cardboard also works) Heat sinks for your Raspberry Pi (Nice to have to keep it cool, also helpful if you want to overclock your Pi) A display connection for your Pi (Pi Zero's use Mini HDMI) (We will be doing a headless install, so this is not necessary)  
Stage 1 - OS Install/Setup:
Before we can install Pi-Hole or anything else really, we have to setup our operating system of choice: Raspbian Buster Lite (stretch also works) Download and unzip the "Raspbian Buster Lite" image from the Raspbian website: https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/raspbian/ Download and install balenaEtcher, our uSD card writer/burner of choice: https://www.balena.io/etcher/ Plug in your uSD card Launch balenaEtcher, select the Raspbian Buster Lite image, your uSD card, and then click Flash. (https://i.imgur.com/GMSZj8Z.png) If you're doing a headless install like us (no monitor/keyboard required), you'll need to enable SSH before booting up the Raspberry Pi Replug your uSD card to allow Windows to recognize the new Raspbian partition layout You should have a lettered drive pop up marked as "boot" (https://i.imgur.com/4ar0ih3.png) If you don't, ensure your uSD is being detected in Disk Management (https://i.imgur.com/ZPmyyz6.png) Then assign the partition a drive letter: https://lmg.gg/8KVm6 Create a file inside the "boot" folder called "ssh" with no extension (https://i.imgur.com/KDyB4nc.png) If you don't know how to make an extension-less file you can download it here: https://lmg.gg/8KVmb Plug your uSD card into the Raspberry Pi followed by networking, and then power. Since we're doing a headless install, we'll need to search for our raspberrypi's IP address so we can access it over SSH. If you know what you're doing, log in to your router's admin page and check the DHCP client/reservation list for "raspberrypi" If you don't know how to do the above, download Angry IP scanner and run it: https://lmg.gg/8KVmS Look for the hostname "raspberrypi", on that line the IP and MAC address of our Raspberry Pi will also be listed: 10.20.0.77 in our case (https://i.imgur.com/lK2ce0R.png) Now that we've found our Raspberry Pi's IP address + MAC Address, we need to assign it an INTERNAL/LOCAL static IP address. This process is going to vary wildly based on which router/DHCP server you use, so we'd recommend Googling your router's model name/number (can be found on the back) + "how to set static IP" (ex: "Netgear R7000 how to set static ip"). If you're willing and somewhat tech savvy, you might also be able to figure it out on your own. Start by navigating to your router's admin page. The IP for this is typically located on a sticker on the back of your ISP's provided router (along with the admin page's default username and password), but you can also find it by running the command "ipconfig" in command prompt on a Windows PC. Your router's IP will be listed after "default gateway" (https://i.imgur.com/S2Ndc0w.png) Log in to the admin page either with the Iogin credentials listed on the back of the router, or by googling the model number of the router along with "default password". Some routers use a randomly generated default password, so googling will not work for those. Once logged in, look for a tab labeled "DHCP Reservation", "Static IP Assignment", or something along those lines. (https://i.imgur.com/FeMjd4V.png) You may have to go to the Advanced menu to access this. (https://i.imgur.com/6l4kIqH.png) Enter the MAC address we grabbed earlier with Angry IP scanner, and then enter/select your desired static IP address (make sure you're using something not taken by another device on your network). (https://i.imgur.com/znUTbKv.png) Hit Apply (or whatever the equivalent is for your router)  Re-plug the power connection for your Raspberry Pi, to allow it to restart and fetch it's newly assigned IP. To access the Raspberry Pi over SSH we will need to download and connect to it with an SSH client Download, install and then launch the SSH client of your choice. We will be using PuTTY because it's simple, but any SSH client will do: https://lmg.gg/8KVmQ (https://i.imgur.com/POLV3i4.png) Enter the newly assigned static IP address of your Raspberry Pi into PuTTY, and click "Open" (https://i.imgur.com/BegMcKC.png) After it prompts you with "login as:" enter "pi" (https://i.imgur.com/jfULCu5.png) Then for password, enter "raspberry". You should now be logged in over SSH.  (https://i.imgur.com/Q058Sbw.png) Now that we're logged in over SSH, start by changing the default password, and updating the Raspberry Pi. To change the user password enter the command "passwd" and press enter. You'll then be prompted to enter the current password (this is "raspberry" so enter that) Then enter your desired new password To update the Raspberry Pi, run the command "sudo apt update" - this is going to update the package list to tell us if anything needs to be update. (https://i.imgur.com/ECpLG93.png) Then, to actually upgrade the packages now that the package manager knows which ones need updating, run "sudo apt upgrade -y". (https://i.imgur.com/EYfDhkC.png) Our Raspberry Pi is now updated, set to a secure password and ready to install Pi-Hole onto!  
Stage 2 - Pi-Hole Install/Setup (this is where the tutorial portion in the video starts)
With our RasPi's OS, internet, and SSH ready to go, we can now install Pi-Hole.  Copy the Pi-Hole install command from their website, paste it into the SSH client, and click Enter to run it: https://lmg.gg/8KVm9 (https://i.imgur.com/P20CP2I.png) The installer will spit out some status updates until you're brought to the configuration screen (https://i.imgur.com/t0DHzHo.png) Press Enter until you get to the "Choose An Interface" page. The default "eth0" interface for Ethernet users should be selected by default. Press Enter to continue. ("wlan0" should be selected if you're using WiFI - keep in mind WiFi installation is not supported in this tutorial, but if you have some decent Google-Fu you should be able to figure it out) On the next screen, select your upstream DNS provider. This is where requests will be forwarded if they're not blocked by Pi-Hole (ie. if they're not found in it's block/black lists). We will be using Google DNS, and if you don't know what this means, stick with that. Press Enter to continue. The following screen allows you to select which of the default block list's you'd like to use. We will leave these all on, but you can use your arrow keys and space bar to (de)select any of them as you wish. Press Enter to continue. Next up, it will ask you if which IP protocols you want to block ads over, leave this at the default unless you know what you're doing. Press Enter to continue. The next screen will list the IP address of the Raspberry Pi and the IP of your router, assuming you've set a static IP, just click Enter to continue. If you get a screen about an IP conflict, just ignore it and click Enter to continue. You'll then be asked about the web interface, web server, and logging modes. Leave these all at default by clicking Enter. After all that, Pi-Hole is going to do a bunch of stuff, and it might take a couple minutes so sit back until you're greeted with an "Installation Complete!" page. This will list the IP and password for the Pi-Hole web interface. Copy the IP into your browser, and log with the listed password. Huzzah! You now have a functioning Pi-Hole installation    
Stage 3 - Setting Up Pi-Hole to Run on Your Devices / Whole Network
To enable Pi-Hole on a device-by-device basis, you'll need to manually set the DNS IP address in your device settings.  For each of these, substitute the IP in the tutorial for the IP of your Raspberry Pi How to set DNS on an iPhone: https://lmg.gg/8KVmw How to set DNS on Android phones (your phone manufacturers skin may slightly vary): https://lmg.gg/8KVmh To enable Pi-Hole on a Router level, meaning it will work on all your devices automatically, you'll need to configure your router's DHCP server's default DNS settings. This process is going to vary wildly based on which router/DHCP server you use, so we'd recommend Googling your router's model name/number (can be found on the back) + "how to set DNS servers" (ex: "Netgear R7000 how to set DNS servers").  
Stage 4 - Using Pi-Hole + Common Whitelisting
To enable some common whitelisted false-positives run the command listed here: https://github.com/anudeepND/whitelist For some great info on the Pi-Hole web interface read the lower portion of this tutorial: https://www.smarthomebeginner.com/pi-hole-tutorial-whole-home-ad-blocking/#Configuring_Your_Router_8211_Whole_Home_Ad_Blocking 

One hundred percent on the nose.  Even with expensive consoles (eg: my Mackie DL32R), there's no magic that can be done to suddenly make you "sound better".  Things can be isolated, EQ can be added or subtracted, etc.  But if the starting point is a weak or tired or quiet voice, the product out of the mixer isn't going to be much better.  And the more you try to amplify it with hardware or software, the worse it's likely going to sound.
 
Start powerful.  Right from the belly.  Sit up straight and don't slouch.  Hell: stand if you can!  Don't yell at the mic, but tell it.  You're not having a phone conversation with your best friend.  You're barking orders at an audience.  Tell them what you want them to hear.
 
Once you get that technique down, and it can take a lot of practice, specially if you're a soft-spoken person like I am, then you start playing with hardware and software settings.  Start with more, and then use the tools to shape it down to what you need.  Not the reverse.

Number one way to better your sound quality =
 
Improve your technique.
 
I tell this to everyone actually, especially vocalists. Speak louder, clearly, at an 'as steady volume as possible'. Then the software has to work as little as possible, because software is only as good as the technician using it.

You won the day.

I guess that's decent.  Maybe I should provide a picture to demonstrate what I mean:

I'd consider this pretty ideal.  It's using most of the range but not spiking beyond it.  With that in mind, even if it's half this high, that's still fine too, the way Audacity scales means that is only about 3 dB down.
 
As for hearing noise in the flat line, it's not out of the question.  Again, the way it scales this waveform is pretty "steep".  In terms of how to remove it, as mentioned, it's going to be a factor of your mixer's preamps, and the microphone itself.  With that said though, even a very cheap mic can end up sounding quite quiet (in terms of hiss, not outright volume) on a good preamp, so it's most likely just that.
 
They're in the same price range roughly so it makes sense people would compare them.
 
Yeah I think a lot of times I see it used, it's on people that don't suit it then, and often would benefit from something else just because of the situation/setup anyway.
Personally I'd be curious to just try the Solo by itself (no pun intended) with the current mic.  If it's still bad, then upgrade the mic too, but you might be surprised by how much that helps.
 
I'd second all this, but also add that imo it needs an EQ, where as the same can really not be said for the majority of mics out there.  For a long time I always associated that stereotypical "PA" sound (boomy, etc.) with PA speakers, but a while back I realized no, the speakers are decently neutral, at least by the standards you'd expect, it's the mic that sounds like that.  It's not hard to fix but imo it is necessary.
 
As mentioned, technique is worth more than any combination of software, hardware, and skilled users for it all, but barring that, you can improve your situation quite a lot with just a compressor.  Setup your volume so things are not clipping, as usual, then set the "threshold" on the compressor to be above the loudest sound you ever make when talking normally, but (of course) well below the peaks of your yelling.  This will bring all those peaks down to nearly the same volume if you set your "ratio" high enough (10:1, etc.).  You can then use "make-up gain" to bring the whole signal up louder and fill the available space again.  There's more to it but it can get complicated so I'd just start with that if you want to try.

Number one way to better your sound quality =
 
Improve your technique.
 
I tell this to everyone actually, especially vocalists. Speak louder, clearly, at an 'as steady volume as possible'. Then the software has to work as little as possible, because software is only as good as the technician using it.

The Sm7b is a phenomenal mic for loud sources; Guitar amps, snare, and metal and other loud vocalists. You'd ideally want a clean (expensive!!) microphone pre-amp for this or a Cloudlifter CL-1 that boosts the mic's gain without coloration or pre-amp noise. And Quincy Jones actually used an SM7 on michael jackson, not sm7b if we want to be correct.
The Sm7b's low noise floor is what makes it so attractive for studio use,; Plus, it doesn't need a pop shield. It's very convenient and sounds great of you have the correct equipment to use it with and IF IT SUITS YOUR VOICE. That's something most don't account for, if it's unfit for you then you're just wasting time.
 
As for the hiss you mentioned, reducing the Hi knob will do that, but will also reduce the high frequencies of everything else, and you need high frequencies for your voice to be understandable. With low quality pre-amps (that of your mixer, unfortunately) comes lots of noise.
 
You're better off upgrading everything else a little, rather than keeping your set up the same and upgrading just the mic.
 
I'd recommend going into an audio store and having someone physically show you microphone and pre-amp combinations so you find what's right for you at your price range.
 
Otherwise, I'm going to suggest that you invest in:
- Focusrite 3rd gen Solo https://focusrite.com/usb-audio-interface/scarlett/scarlett-solo
- and, something like a Shure SM58 that you can put real close to your mouth.
 
SM58's are the most used microphone in live sound, and for good reason. It rejects adjacent sounds very well, doesn't take much gain to drive, sounds great, looks great, doesn't require phantom power or a pop filter...... It's a great mic.

The mic is very heavily clipping.
 
Turn the microphone gain on maximum on your interface and use a lot of breath when speaking.
 
It also sounds like there's a hole in the mic diaphragm.
 
Finally, don't do this.