How Do I Live Stream?

[JRocker]

I like to know how I can do a live stream of just playing guitar (electric and acoustic) and vocals but with good quality sound. What gear do I need and how do I set it up my gear? I am using Skype.

[Eddy Deegan]

Skype is a 'make a call' type thing where you connect to one or more other parties and conduct a shared conversation with audio and optional video.

As far as I know there is no facility for sharing the event after the fact unless you were to capture the call with some form of screencast software for subsequent transmission on another medium.

I'm not at the cutting edge of social media live streaming but in essence I think what you are asking is how to transmit a stream in realtime that can be viewed by any number of people who you may or may not know.

In terms of hardware, any camera that you can capture in realtime (ie: "a webcam") should be suitable, though you'll get better quality by getting better hardware, plus good lighting really helps so you may decide to invest in that too unless you happen to have a house or other venue with very bright lights already. To be fair, for your first stream or two bright house lights should be enough.

Audio is a consideration, so a half decent microphone is essential unless you are connecting the output of your mixer direct to an audio input on your camera or computer. If the latter, you'll need to configure the stream to use that audio input but that means you'll need to rig up a mic to the mixer for any voiceovers in terms of introductions, vocal performances, voiceovers etc.

For most people this involves using their youtube account. There is a help article about how to do it here: https://support.google.com/youtube/answ ... ktop&hl=en

If you have something else in mind or I have misunderstood your intentions, then please let us know as someone else may be able to assist further.

[Agharta]

What gear do you currently have in terms of computers, software, audio interfaces, microphones etc?

[Guest]

OBS studio is the best software for streaming. There are tons of instructions on how to use it.

[monospace]

Audio quality is key. The rig described in this video is what I use. It requires an iPhone, a Zoom H1, an Apple Camera Connection Kit, and a power source (battery or mains).
It allows you to create videos , or live stream video, with stereo audio, with the added bonus that the Zoom has a stereo line in, so you can use the audio from your DAW/audio interface/soundboard.

[JRocker]

The OBS studio is in Russian! No English instructions whatsoever

As for what gear I have, this is it:

ESU1808
Cubase
SM58 etc

So how would I configure this for a live stream/broadcast?

[Guest]

You can use Procaster(http://www.livestream.com/procaster) to achieve this. Please follow the instructions:

1)Open Skype and engage the video conversation.

2)Open Procaster, Click Preferences, then Audio.
Deselect AutoMix, and then slide Speakers' Audio to what would be around 80%.
Click Save

3)Now select Go Live.

4)Utilize screen capture mode of Procaster by clicking the SCREEN input option. Use the Zoom

Features (+, - buttons) to isolate the Skype window. You can also click the green corners to drag it

around your screen to fit the Skype window in properly.

5)I don't recommend expanding the entire Skype window to fill your screen, and then streaming your

entire desktop. Isolate the smaller Skype window using the Zoom and Green Corner features.

[Rob Kirkwood]

The OBS studio is in Russian! No English instructions whatsoever

https://obsproject.com/ ...is the main page, and is in English

Rob

[CS70]

I like to know how I can do a live stream of just playing guitar (electric and acoustic) and vocals but with good quality sound. What gear do I need and how do I set it up my gear? I am using Skype.

You need a decent sounding room, an audio interface and a microphone connected to it.
Select the audio interface input ("input" into the computer) as microphone source for Skype. Play away.

If you want to use two channels (say mic for vocals and mic for guitars), you will need to use the interface's routing software to create a suitable mix to one of the interface outputs, and once again select that as the microphone source for Skype.

Skype does not give you as much control as an actual streaming software such as say OBS, nor integration with popular streaming locations like Facebook and YouTube, but for just sound and a single image it works.

The codec used by Skype to encode your audio and video to transmit (and therefore what the listener on the other side will hear) depends a little on the version, and you can see it in the application's preferences. Think they default to their own "Silk" encoder. Much also depends on the congestion of the network when you transmit.

But if you maximize the quality at your side the codec will have an easier time to preserve that.

The main factors for that quality are the room you are recording in, the position of the microphone(s) in it, and your own performance.

[MOF]

Does it have to be live? I’d be more tempted to record a performance and then do a basic edit (trim the beginning and ending) and then put it on the host site once you’re happy with how it looks and sounds.

[Sam Spoons]

Me too, or, at least, if you must stream truly live sort out a remote method to start and stop streaming, clambering over mic stands and music desk to switch the camera off while looming large on the screen is not the most professional look

[MOF]

clambering over mic stands and music desk to switch the camera off while looming large on the screen is not the most professional look

That’s what I was thinking Sam. I have seen what had originally been a live stream where the person was clearly looking for some indication that it was live and that seemed to go on for a long time before the talking/singing began.
Also I presume that the bit rate can be better from a stored file than a streamed file.

[Sam Spoons]

Actually making a video or live stream that looks* and sounds better than 90% of the stuff up there should not be that difficult. Most of us on here have the knowledge to get the sound reasonable at the very least.

* top tip.... get the camera at eye level, I don't want to be able to count your nose hairs

[MOF]

* top tip.... get the camera at eye level, I don't want to be able to count your nose hairs

Agreed, not a good look. I wonder how the OP got on and if it was live or recorded?

[Guest]

Thank you for your interest in live streaming!