Flexible audio setup for streaming

[devster31]

Hello,

I'm recently starting to stream a bit more, it's exclusively for fun, we like to keep a record of gaming sessions with friends so why not do it live.

I mostly game on my PS4 Pro, very rarely on a Windows PC nowadays, but since they're in different rooms I use a MacBook Pro 13 from a few years ago as streaming device.

I have an Elgato HD60 S+ which works very well for video capture (I stream in 1080p60) but is very cumbersome for audio.

I was recently looking at some way to improve the current setup which is detailed below.

                 ┌───────────┐
┌────┐           │           │               ┌──────────────┐
│PS4 │──────┬───▶│  HD60 S+  │────HDMI──────▶│  Samsung TV  │
└────┘      │    │           │               └──────────────┘
   ▲        │    └───────────┘
            │          │                ┌────────────────────────┐
   │   Chat Link       └─────USB-C─────▶│MacBook Pro 13 (soon 16)│
            │                           └────────────────────────┘
   │        │
            │                                 ┌─────────────┐
   │        │                                 │ Headphones  │
            ├───────────────────Chat Link────▶│  (3.5 TRS)  │
   │        │                                 └─────────────┘
      ┌───────────┐
   │  │    PS4    │
    ─▶│Controller │
      └───────────┘

The issues here are that volume getting into the HD60 S+ analog input is very very low, I have to crank up gain and the stream has a lot of white noise.

In addition I can't use an external mic for both PS4 chat and stream and it's not particularly easy to route music to both chat (occasionally or on cue) and stream for example. 

I looked at the GoXLR but it is incompatible with MacOS and I wanted to get something similar to the MixAmp Pro TR 4th Gen, but that doesn't have external mic input it seems.

Any other alternatives I could be looking at?

[ninbura]

I think the best way you can set this up is with the MG12XU.

The Macbook definitely limits options, if it were a desktop you could use the stereo input jack or an add in card to route analogue sends from various mixers, but there really aren't any good / reasonable cheap external stereo input devices. The reason you'd have to go for the MG12XU over other like or lower end mixers is because most mixers don't give you the option to isolate your mic over the USB connection. But with the MG12XU you can send everything to the Group 1-2 so you can monitor everything in your headphones, and then send just the mic to the main mix which is what the USB connection captures. Bottom line you'll want to route your mic to the Macbook via USB, then you can use a HDMI audio extractor to route your console audio to your mixer, and a line level to mic level adapter on a send from the mixer to your PS4 controller for your mic:

You could use the output on your PS4 controller instead of the HDMI audio extractor but I'm just not sure how great that is going to sound going into the mixer.

Relevant links:
MG12XU

HDMI Audio Extractor
Ground Loop Isolator
Male 3.5mm TRS to Female XLR
Line level to mic Level adapter

Male 3.5mm TRS to male XLR

3.5mm TRS to dual 1/4 TS

1/4 TRS to 3.5mm TRS

Male to Female XLR
Headphone mic splitter

[devster31]

I see, thanks for the input.

I tried to replica a bit the setup you proposed with some stuff I already have, below

                                                                                                     ┌──────────────────────┐   ┌────────────┐
          ┌────────────────┐    ┌ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─             ┌────────────────────────┐────▶│1/4" TRS to 3.5mm TRS │──▶│ Headphones │
   ┌─────▶│AmazonBasics DAC│───▶ Dual RCA to dual 1/4" TS│───────────▶│ Mixer (Yamaha MG12XU)  │     └──────────────────────┘   └────────────┘
   │      └────────────────┘    └ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─             └────────────────────────┘◀─┐
Optical                                                               │            ▲           │ G1  ┌──────────────────────┐     ┌────────┐
   │                       ┌───────────USB-C Video───────────┐   USB-C Audio       │           │  └──│  Male to female XLR  │◀────│ AT2020 │
   │                       │                                 │        │            │           │     └──────────────────────┘     └────────┘
   │                       │                                 ▼        ▼            │           │
┌────┐    ┌────────────────┐   ┌────────────────────────┐    ┌────────────────┐    │           │
│PS4 │───▶│ Elgato HD60 S+ │──▶│   Samsung TV/Monitor   │    │ MacBook Pro 16 │    │           │
└────┘    └────────────────┘   └────────────────────────┘    └────────────────┘    │           │
   ▲                                                                               │           │
                                                                                   │           └─G1 out──┐
   │                                                                               │                     │
                                                                                   │                     │
   │      ┌────────────────┐   ┌────────────────────────┐            ┌──────────────────────────┐        │
    ─ ─ ─▶│ PS4 Controller │──▶│ Headphone mic splitter │───Audio───▶│3.5mm TRS to dual 1/4" TS │        │
          └────────────────┘   └────────────────────────┘            └──────────────────────────┘        │
                                            ▲                                                            │
                                           Mic                                                           │
                                            │                                                            │
                            ┌──────────────────────────────┐  ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐  │
                            │ Male 3.5mm TRS to female XLR │◀─│ Shure line level to mic level adapter │◀─┘
                            └──────────────────────────────┘  └───────────────────────────────────────┘

This would be the AmazonBasics DAC > https://www.amazon.it/AmazonBasics-Digital-Optical-Converter-Adapter/dp/B07KSB1MLX/

However, I'd want to send everything mixed to the Mac (I want game audio, chat audio and my voice going to the stream but maybe not to the headphones) and only the mic to the controller (for the chat).

So I wouldn't really need an USB separate out, just a Group 1 out separately, right? This should lower the bar a little.

I was looking also at the AG06, it seems it does separate USB out, but not separate analog out.

Upgrade pick could maybe be a Signature 12 MTK? I've seen it around for 400, which seems a a bit high but a decent price.

[ninbura]

14 hours ago, devster31 said:

I see, thanks for the input.

I tried to replica a bit the setup you proposed with some stuff I already have, below

                                                                                                     ┌──────────────────────┐   ┌────────────┐
          ┌────────────────┐    ┌ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─             ┌────────────────────────┐────▶│1/4" TRS to 3.5mm TRS │──▶│ Headphones │
   ┌─────▶│AmazonBasics DAC│───▶ Dual RCA to dual 1/4" TS│───────────▶│ Mixer (Yamaha MG12XU)  │     └──────────────────────┘   └────────────┘
   │      └────────────────┘    └ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─             └────────────────────────┘◀─┐
Optical                                                               │            ▲           │ G1  ┌──────────────────────┐     ┌────────┐
   │                       ┌───────────USB-C Video───────────┐   USB-C Audio       │           │  └──│  Male to female XLR  │◀────│ AT2020 │
   │                       │                                 │        │            │           │     └──────────────────────┘     └────────┘
   │                       │                                 ▼        ▼            │           │
┌────┐    ┌────────────────┐   ┌────────────────────────┐    ┌────────────────┐    │           │
│PS4 │───▶│ Elgato HD60 S+ │──▶│   Samsung TV/Monitor   │    │ MacBook Pro 16 │    │           │
└────┘    └────────────────┘   └────────────────────────┘    └────────────────┘    │           │
   ▲                                                                               │           │
                                                                                   │           └─G1 out──┐
   │                                                                               │                     │
                                                                                   │                     │
   │      ┌────────────────┐   ┌────────────────────────┐            ┌──────────────────────────┐        │
    ─ ─ ─▶│ PS4 Controller │──▶│ Headphone mic splitter │───Audio───▶│3.5mm TRS to dual 1/4" TS │        │
          └────────────────┘   └────────────────────────┘            └──────────────────────────┘        │
                                            ▲                                                            │
                                           Mic                                                           │
                                            │                                                            │
                            ┌──────────────────────────────┐  ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐  │
                            │ Male 3.5mm TRS to female XLR │◀─│ Shure line level to mic level adapter │◀─┘
                            └──────────────────────────────┘  └───────────────────────────────────────┘

This would be the AmazonBasics DAC > https://www.amazon.it/AmazonBasics-Digital-Optical-Converter-Adapter/dp/B07KSB1MLX/

However, I'd want to send everything mixed to the Mac (I want game audio, chat audio and my voice going to the stream but maybe not to the headphones) and only the mic to the controller (for the chat).

So I wouldn't really need an USB separate out, just a Group 1 out separately, right? This should lower the bar a little.

I was looking also at the AG06, it seems it does separate USB out, but not separate analog out.

Upgrade pick could maybe be a Signature 12 MTK? I've seen it around for 400, which seems a a bit high but a decent price.

Yeah the Yamaha AG series has no way to isolate the mic other than the USB. If you have no reason to isolate the mic on your Mac then you could use the MG10XU, that'll give you an aux send to route your mic to your PS4 controller and the USB connection for the mac with everything mixed into one input.

However I will say that if you take this route you can't use the mixer for something like Discord on your Mac as the mic will not be isolated, it'll pick everything up. Additionally I find that you often want a separate volume level for yourself and for the stream depending on the source. For example when you play something like a Battle Royale you want the volume very loud so you can hear foot steps, but for the stream you want it level with your mic as to not overwhelm you voice.

If you set it up in a way that you can individually control the volume of each source in OBS you can set it once and forget about, giving perfect audio levels for the stream. And then you can use the mixer to adjust levels as you want to hear them.

Ultimately it depends on what you want obviously, but I've found that more often than not people prefer having a separate mix for their stream and for their headphones.

[devster31]

It would make sense to keep also the option of using Discord or other chat from the PC.

I see the price on the Yamaha (around 325-350€) and trying to find something similar I'm wondering which specs I should look for.

In short I want any kind of mixer which allows multiple out tracks from USB.

I see, for example 14-in / 4-out on the Zoom LiveTrak L-12 (even more expensive than the rest).

But only 2in / 2out in MG12/16/20XU spec sheet.

From Souncraft, in addition to their Signature 12 MTK (which has 14-in, 12-out but is also around 350€), I also see their Notepad-12FX which seems to have 2 distinct outputs via USB (with dedicated software) and is around 150€.

Or the ZEDi 10FX (should be 4 in / 4 out), which I can find for somewhere around 220€.

Finally, StudioLive AR8 USB seems to be the smallest, with 8-in / 4-out.

 

EDIT:

Rummaging around I also found the Audient iD14, which has optical input (would simplify PS4 audio). I don't understand whether I'd have separate Mic available with this option though.

Edited March 15, 2020 by devster31
Audient interface option