should I also get a line level adapter?
Not for this job. If you’re buying a “USB Mixer,” it already has provision to plug right into a USB socket in the computer. Creating a digital bitstream from your analog voice happens inside the mixer. No box in the middle needed.
Copy that.
Will check in next week and progress from there. Thank you.
Are you considering an 802USB? I can download the instructions and get used to where the knobs are.
Do you have good sealed-against-the-head headphones? You can’t use speakers during a live recording. Headphones can help you keep even volume while you read. They’re very valuable during troubleshooting. If you have headphones that can plug into an iPod or (older) iPhone, you will need an adapter to plug it into an 802USB (if that’s what you’re getting). It’s a shift between 1/8" headphones and 1/4" socket.
Koz
I have a small mixer which works that way.
Koz
I have some Audio Technica sealed studio headphones and yes I am Keen on the 802USB.
Audio Technica sealed studio headphones
Model number?
Koz
Audio Technica ATH-M50x
https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86
Works for me. You have to be happy with the sound and they have to feel good over a long time. There’s a difference between listening to a favorite brief podcast and presenting a script for four hours, day after day. I think I may know someone with a pair of these. They use them for production at a local restaurant. I think this is his “office.”
I never hit the unconditional sweet spot. I have cans that are accurate but weigh as much as a Land Rover, I have terrific comfort and terrible sound. I have avoided the Hollywood Standard Sony Headphones because I borrowed a pair and they hurt my ears. I settled on a pair of Sennheiser eh150 as covering most of the bases—but they’re no longer made. I snagged a second set while I could.
There is a headphone review posted.
https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/improving-an-old-recording/32745/76
Koz
Yes. Both of the Convenient Office With Coffee people have M50s. One has the earlier non-x and the other has the x version. We understand the x version has the ability to add a Blue-Tooth adapter and go wireless. It’s also understood they don’t sound that good if you do that.
Let’s say, marketing gimmick. Somehow you have to generate a watt or two of sound power to drive headphones. Hard to do that in something the size of a sugar cube.
There was one comfort comment. He said he couldn’t make it much past two hours before experiencing “Headphone Fatigue.” My impression (over Greek Salad), was the non-fatigue guy was the casual user and just took them off when he wanted to. The fatigue guy was actually using them for a job.
Koz
I would have to agree that having them on for more than an hour starts the fatigue, though I typically can power through it if necessary. I used to be an eSports announcer and would have them on from anywhere between 1-3 hours.
Like anything you build up endurance.
Mixer will be here tomorrow.
Blankets sometime between the 6th-10th.
Progress!
Also, I have some Bose Quiet Comfort 25 noise-cancelling headphones that I use at work specifically.
So I have another option if the ATH-M50s don’t work out well for longer sessions.
Headphones are good to get up close and personal with your presentation. Listen critically for any detail errors, way better than you can with speakers. However, good quality music speakers are recommended for final quality control before your work goes out the door.
My speaker joke is evaluation by weight. If you can pick up your speakers with one hand, they’re probably not going to work for you.
I do have acceptable speakers about double that size, but nobody will be picking them up with one hand.
Koz
Bose Quiet Comfort 25 noise-cancelling headphones … another option if the ATH-M50s don’t work out
It’s not a bad practice to try both. You can get used to a sound personality, but if you try them against each other you can experience shortcomings. That’s how I found my favorite, no longer available, headphones have a bass boost. I use them anyway and build that into my evaluation.
Koz
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…the Behringer Xenyx Q802USB does not monitor both audio going into the computer and also audio into the headphones.
From Behringer themselves:
This is a limitation of the smaller Xenyx mixers (the 502’s and 802’s), the higher mixers in the range have more monitoring and routing options. Having said that you can still use the USB/2-Track and specifically the Phones or CTRL RM outs to monitor USB returns whilst recording, but this won’t really help with skype, it is more for recording purposes and monitoring USB playback.
Here is a guide on an individual who found work arounds but I don’t really like them. The easiest option is to split the headphone jack between teh Main Out and headphones jack, but that means I will only hear in one ear what I record…LAME!
I need another option for a mixer, I’ll have to return this one.
Unless I do all my editing on my monitoring speakers and not my headphones…or I’ll have to switch my headphones to my speakers to listen while editing…which is a lot of back and forth switching. I guess it’s not all that bad, but kind of annoying that I can’t record and listen to my voice at the same time.
Here is a reading I did with just the mixer.
I was thinking maybe this could be a solution:
Y-Splitter to 3-pole 1/8" to 1/4" adapters so I could try this hack?
Option 2 – Splitting the Headphones
The next option is sort of a hack but I was very happy that it worked. If you still want to use the USB as your input and output for Skype, you can monitor both directions by using a Y-cable to split the 1/8″ connection of your headphones to 2 1/4″ leads that will pull audio from the phones (Skype) while at the same time send your own audio into your headphones via the Main Out.
The Main Out on the Q802USB always receives all analog inputs. Therefore, by plugging one lead of your headphones into the Main Out, you will be able to hear yourself. At first it may feel strange to have yourself in one ear and your guest in the other but with time you may actually come to prefer monitoring the audio this way. You can more easily pick out which side contains any audio issues.
To create this split headphones setup, you’ll need a female to female adapter that fits the size of your cabling. In my case, my headphones have a 1/8″ male lead and the Y-cable has the same. The adapter allows me to make the connection between the headphones and the Y-cable.
Once you’ve created your split headphone cabling, place one 1/4″ lead into the Phones output and one into the left side Main Out.
In the USB routing section, leave both buttons in the up position if you want to also use the USB to record into software.
Thoughts? Or should I just get another mixer that does what I need it to?
Before you send it back. The UCA-202 is one of the devices I checked for Overdubbing.
http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/peaveyUCA202Lenovo-650.jpg
It will monitor the sound going both directions at the same time.
You can put that between the computer and the analog connections of the mixer.
I need to drop soon.
You’re announcing for audiobooks and voice-over work, right? You don’t need to hear both directions at the same time. It’s not like you’re singing lead to a rhythm backing track.
Don’t do anything until I post back. There’s something wrong with this.
Koz
Let’s get the basic mixer working.
Plug the mic into channel 1.
Gain at around 3:00 o’clock
Compressor off
The next 5 knobs at zero or in the middle.
Bottom knob “Level” at around 3:00 o’clock.
All the rest of the Level knobs across the bottom at infinity—all the way down.
Aux Return at infinity or off.
Main Mix in the middle.
You don’t even have to listen yet. Speak and the bouncing light sound meter should flash all four green. I’m guessing this is different from the way you have it because your test track is low volume.
Now run Audacity. Click in the recording meters and they should start bouncing to your voice. You should be able to reach -10dB to -6dB like this.
If you press record, the blue wave tips should reach about half way or slightly less.
When you get it that far, plug the headphones in and advance the Phones/Control Room knob until you can hear yourself comfortably.
Now cut another voice test.
Let me know if any part of that doesn’t work.
Did you pick up the headphone order—way down at the bottom? It’s highly not recommended, but you could, if necessary, shoot a sound track without listening to it. Too many new users think if they can hear anything, it’s all going to be OK. It may not be. You must get your meters and volume indicators correct to make a good recording.
I need to go read through that again. There is a very serious problem with documentation. Nobody knows what to call that bi-directional headphone mix other than “Zero Latency Monitoring” which doesn’t quite cover it. So they leave it out.
And it’s not “just the higher-end mixers,” either. The lowly Behringer UM2 lets you listen to both directions at the same time as does that stereo interface UCA202.
Koz
I had to cut the gain to about 10 o’clock as the levels were hitting red.
Here is a reading of a news article.
Here are my levels now. I set all other the knobs as you requested.
How far from the microphone are you? You should be about a power fist away from a blast filter or a Hawaiian shaka away from the microphone grill.
You should be announcing into the little kidney bean. The MXL 770 is a side-fire microphone.
I can’t read the switches, but if there’s a 0/-10 switch, it should be at 0.
The last test had a lot of expression in it. Big differences between the loudest and softest words. That can cause problems making ACX. There is a restricted range of loudness you’re allowed.
Do you use Skype or other chat program? Restart the computer and don’t let Skype start by itself. Skype can mess up sound levels even when it’s napping
Make sure Windows isn’t trying to help you in the background. I know you don’t have this problem, but make sure all the Windows effects are turned off.
https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/faq_recording_troubleshooting.html#enhancements
I still need that two seconds of clean background or Room Tone. It messes up the ACX Check tool if it can’t find good quality Room Tone of long enough duration. The forum will allow 20 seconds of mono show.
If you start hitting red that’s a good sign. Most home users struggle to get any good volume at all. Which red? The clip red on the left or the red lights on the main meter?
Leave Gain alone at 3:00 o’clock. Reduce the Level control to 0 or maybe less.
The last test had the Audacity blue waves up higher than half-way and the bouncing sound meter went above -6dB. You have to make Audacity happy. If it’s still too high, reduce Main Mix a little.
Koz
