Listening to Xbox One and PC sounds on the same headset plugged into an audio interface
On 12/1/2019 at 12:47 PM, GR412 said:So if I were to buy a mixer, i would need to take my Xbox line input cable and split that into the left and right channels on the Yamaha mixer? Or are you talking about my headphone out cable? Or both?
Yes, the XBox cable carries two signals (left and right). To get them into the mixer, they need to split to two separate plugs.
Your XBox audio chain would look like this:
- XBox (with S/PDIF output through a TOSLINK port)
- TOSLINK cable
- S/PDIF to 1/8" adapter
- 1/8" TRS cable (a common "headphone plug on both ends" cable)
- 1/8" TRS to 1/4" TS cable (splits one 1/8" jack into two 1/4" plugs)
- Mixer
Your PC audio chain would look like this:
- PC
- USB cable
- Mixer
Your output chain would look like this:
- Mixer (which conveniently has a stereo "phones" jack on it)
- 1/4" to 1/8" adapter (probably, unless your headphones have a 1/4" plug on them)
- Headphones
Now, you mentioned an XLR microphone... that gets a bit more tricky. The problem is that most mixers (including the MG10XU) are really meant for creating a single stereo mix. Add a microphone to that mix, and you'll be hearing yourself speak, and recording the XBox (and probably the PC, as well). Because you can only set one mix, you have to be hearing exactly what you record. If you're trying to record commentary on gameplay, for example, you'll want your voice to be louder than the game, and that's how you'll have to play, as well. For voice chat during multiplayer, you'd be sending your game sound to your teammates whenever you speak.
A more straightforward setup would still be to put everything into your PC. The microphone's chain would look like this:
- Microphone
- Phantom power injector (only if the mic requires phantom power)
- XLR to 1/8" cable
- PC (into the "mic" jack)
You don't need separate audio interface hardware for a single microphone, even if it has an XLR connector.
There should be an option in your PC sound configuration to control whether you hear your own voice, and at what level. The PC usually produces at least two separate mixes:
- What's sent to the output device
- What's sent to software listening for recording
That means that what you hear is separately configurable from what's recorded or used by software. Unfortunately, the details on how to configure the mix depends on your audio hardware and drivers, but it usually hidden in the Sound Control Panel dialog window.
If it were my system, I wouldn't buy anything but adapters. I'd just plug everything into the PC, and spend some time getting familiar with the configuration options available there.
As for delay through your PC audio hardware, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Unless you have some exceptionally buggy drivers, the lag from digital mixing tops out at about a millisecond. There's more delay than that just waiting for the nerves in your ear to perceive the sound.
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