Sound For YT Livestreaming

[Scouser]

Wondered if anyone might be able to shine some light on why my livestream is not sounding as good as it might...

I have been using my phone & Zoom H5 for livestreaming to YouTube for quite a long time. The sound was pretty good using this set up, I ran the zoom directly into the phone and it all worked pretty seamlessly without any lag, here is a typical broadcast https://youtube.com/live/0nHCywDKKWE

I always wanted to improve the visuals and use a webcam ( It's actually a camera Sony ZV E10 ) along with my RME Babyface and my new PC build Win 11. I have been experimenting with this new set up and did my first broadcast last night. Visuals were great and in keeping with my teaching content on YT but the sound was pretty awful, here is a sample https://youtube.com/live/3E1hOFwE34U

Would really appreciate any advice on this. It is my hope I can avoid things like OBS, want to keep it simple at all costs, if that is possible. if not then OBS it must be...

[Drew Stephenson]

How are you combining your audio and video in that second clip?

[Wonks]

It sounds very phasey. Are you (unintentionally) combining audio from two sources?

[AlecSp]

It sounds very phasey. Are you (unintentionally) combining audio from two sources?

Agreed.

Would be helpful to know how your signal chain is set up.

[Drew Stephenson]

Yep, my guess is that you've still got the on-camera sound being included.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Sounds to me like there's some kind of auto-gain function in the system which turned the signal level down shortly after you started playing, and was then banging against some kind of limiter ever after.

There is a phasey effect, but I can't tell if that's due to multiple mics or just the YT codec artefacts. I suspect the latter.

[Scouser]

Thanks for your replies guys...

It is possible I had audio on camera as well as chosen audio for stream ( RME Babyface ) ie 2 sources. So I will have to try to duplicate set up from last night and see what I have..

Not sure about YT artifacts, obviously it's possible to get decent audio despite YT limitations, although I don't know what they are ?

Signal chain is camera linked to PC via usb c - Audio RME via pc and selected from YT options for live stream.

Something I have no clue of is the set up for total mix ( sound card software ) I have no clue of this at the best of times !

I also have other options such as MV88+ which could be linked direct to camera, but I would ideally like to go with the RME set up, if poss

[AlecSp]

It is possible I had audio on camera as well as chosen audio for stream ( RME Babyface ) ie 2 sources. So I will have to try to duplicate set up from last night and see what I have..

If you can't repeatedly duplicate your setup, you're going to have trouble trouble-shooting!

Not sure about YT artifacts, obviously it's possible to get decent audio despite YT limitations, although I don't know what they are ?

Signal chain is camera linked to PC via usb c - Audio RME via pc and selected from YT options for live stream.

Not really full information. What are your audio source(s)? Presumably a mic? If so, then what mic? Is the guitar DI'd, or does it have its own mic, or is it all picked up from the one mic? Are you using any software to do any audio processing, or are you going straight from USB audio in to Youtube?

As well as the phasey stuff, there were also the odd crackles, which could have been gains set too high, but also could be insufficient buffers in the audio interface.

If you're mixing on the Babyface, what does it sound like if you listen on headphones plugged into the Babyface?

Or, maybe, record the USB audio input to, say, Audacity and have a listen to what you're sending to the PC, and how successful the USB input process is.

Debugging this stuff is all about being methodical, and splitting the configuration up where possible, seeing what's working and what isn't.

Get this tested and right before doing a public live broadcast - keep the worst of your problems to yourself.

Also, IMHO, audio quality is far more important than video quality, especially for content like this. Honestly, while the performance was perfectly decent, and the picture quality was better, I'd struggle to listen to the end when the audio's as ropey as it is. The first example was much more palatable, despite the lacklustre video.

Once you've got the audio cracked, you may want to consider improving lighting - it's a never ending mountain!

But keep going, your content is worth it, and you'll get there with some perseverence.

[Scouser]

I’m finding total mix really complicated, which doesn’t help matters. Is there a way to simplify this ?

For someone who never records more than 2 ins at a time total mix is overkill and very often I can’t do what I want. For example I would like to monitor what sound is making up my live stream, but trying to higher to a point where I can hear is not possible on the babyface unit, god knows why it just seems to stop increasing after a point, sadly that point is not where I can hear it loud enough to know what’s going on.

I have watched a few tutorials on total mix and picked up a few tips, but still don’t fully understand it. People have said there are many sliders that don’t need to be raised and can be left at the bottom ( totally counter intuitive )

Perhaps someone can talk me through adjusting what I need to adjust as I know many of you are far better qualified than me..

[OneWorld]

I’m finding total mix really complicated, which doesn’t help matters. Is there a way to simplify this ?

For someone who never records more than 2 ins at a time total mix is overkill and very often I can’t do what I want. For example I would like to monitor what sound is making up my live stream, but trying to higher to a point where I can hear is not possible on the babyface unit, god knows why it just seems to stop increasing after a point, sadly that point is not where I can hear it loud enough to know what’s going on.

I have watched a few tutorials on total mix and picked up a few tips, but still don’t fully understand it. People have said there are many sliders that don’t need to be raised and can be left at the bottom ( totally counter intuitive )

Perhaps someone can talk me through adjusting what I need to adjust as I know many of you are far better qualified than me..

I used to struggle with Totalmix, it was impenetrable then one day it just jumped out at me, so simple. It’s a matrix.

Yes for just doing simple 2 track mixes it will seem overwhelming, but Totalmix is designed for the whole range of interfaces that RME manufacture, and that might include for example 56 inputs, and maybe outputs too, if memory serves me right, but nonetheless, a high track count.

Now what Totalmix does is allow any input/source to be sent to any output.

Now, the inputs are in different sections -

at the hardware side (line/mic +adat +spdif)

From the DAW (audio tracks)

From the DAW (soft synth outputs)

For example you might have a softsampler, occupying 8 midi tracks - piano, bass, strings, and so on. The output of these can each be assigned its own output so…..

Track 1 -> audio 1
Track 2 -> audio 2
Track 3 -> audio 3
Track 4 -> audio 4
And so on

But another user, such as yourself, might want everything going out to the stereo out (audio 1 + audio 2) so you have…

Track 1 -> audio 1
Track 2 -> audio 2
Track 3 -> audio 1
Track 4 -> audio 2
And so on

So as you can see any input can be piped to any output. Why do that you might ask? Some users might want to use a hardware mixer, or as in my case I had stereo 1+2 going out to a cd recorder, stereo on 3+4 going out to an amp, stereo 5+6 going out to a hardware sampler and so on.

I used to have trouble getting an output to the headphone socket, then it dawned DOH, I hadn’t piped an output to the headphone socket.

So imagine TotalMix as a big hardware mixer, with the outputs being the direct outs plus stereo outs and send returns etc. And the inputs arranged into sections, as you would with a hardware mixer, for example

Tracks 1-8 line/mic
Tracks 9-16 the adats or the audio tracks in the DAW
Tracks 17-24 the outputs from softsynths
And so on, and bear in mind the above is determined by the individual user, that is the essence of TotaMix, it is a matrix

Any/all can be sent to any of the outputs, in your case all pointing at a stereo output.

Yes it might seem overly complex, but RME gear is built to last, and who knows what setup you might want in the future, TotalMix will accommodate it

[Drew Stephenson]

Depending on where you are in the country someone may be able to visit and help set you up?

[Scouser]

Sadly I’m based on the Isle of Wight

[The Elf]

It sounds like you are really going to have to get to grips with TotalMix.

The good news is that it's really not as complicated as it first appears.

The top row represents all of the physical inputs of your RME interface.
The middle row represents the outputs that your software/DAW sees.
The bottom row represents all of the physical outputs of your RME interface.

From a fully reset TotalMix... Make sure you are in 'Submix' mode (blue box on the right). Select (i.e. click on) a physical output on the bottom row. Now turn up any top or middle row fader that you want to appear at that physical output. Job done.

Grasp the above and you have most of what you need to get TM working for you.

The next step I would probably guide you towards is to remove all of the faders you don't need from the TM screen, but that's for another time.

Beyond this I know there are YouTube videos that will take you through TM step by step, so go search there, and work through the tutorials slowly and carefully. Most of those videos will go on to tell you far more than you will likely ever need.

[Scouser]

That helps Elf, as a starting point. Still confuses me about the faders being down and still producing sound ? counter intuitive to say the least.

Perhaps someone can suggest a custom set up for my needs that will simplify things. including, removing everything that I am unlikely to use, as mentioned I use very little. I record one track at a time..

I will have to hunt down some more video tutorials, some of them are way too much information as you have pointed out..