A simple problem of I/O

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BIMMstudent
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 12:54 pm

A simple problem of I/O

Post by BIMMstudent »

Hello, I am struggling with what I am sure is a simple problem. I am videoing my drums and want to have the backing track appearing in my headphones and on the video along with my drums. I am using 2 mics connected through a 2-channel USB interface into my Windows 10 laptop which is playing the backing track. For video I am using Panopto which allows me to select the incoming audio stream, but only one, which is why I want to use Voicemeeter. Panopto can 'see' Voicemeeter and my USB interface and the PC sounds. I did kind of get it to work by trying all different permutations but the signal level was unusably low in spite of being turned up everywhere. Many thanks.
Andres
Posts: 192
Joined: Fri May 01, 2020 7:25 pm

Re: A simple problem of I/O

Post by Andres »

Hi. To help you out with Voicemeeter, ¿Could you please provide a screenshot of Voicemeeter and the System settings / Options window? What USB audio interface are you using?
Since you need to mix 2 microphones and 1 backing track you could use Voicemeeter Standard (Banana or Potato provide additional inputs and flexibility). The typical setup goes like this:
  • Select A1 Hardware Output (main device): Choose your USB audio interface
  • In Hardware Input 1 select your USB audio interface
  • Select Voicemeeter Input as your default playback device (You can do this using Windows Sound settings)
  • Select Voicemeeter Output as input device in Panopto
  • Route your hardware input 1 and Virtual Input to the B bus (This sends the microphone and backing track to Panopto)
  • Route your Virtual Input to the A bus (This sends the backing track to the audio interface). I assume your headphones are connected to the audio interface
BIMMstudent
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 12:54 pm

Re: A simple problem of I/O

Post by BIMMstudent »

Thanks Andres. That seems to work, although the levels in Panopto seem a bit low and there is no input adjustment that I can see. The other issue is the latency as the drums are lagging the spotify track - is there an offset I can apply?
The interface is a Zoom H4n 2 channel USB running at 48KHz with 2 x Sure M57 mics. I attach the screenshots you requested.
Many thanks for your help.
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BIMMstudent
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 12:54 pm

Re: A simple problem of I/O

Post by BIMMstudent »

Incidentally, I am monitoring the headphones from the PC.
Andres
Posts: 192
Joined: Fri May 01, 2020 7:25 pm

Re: A simple problem of I/O

Post by Andres »

Hi. You could try to reduce latency by using ASIO instead of WDM. To use ASIO you need to install the Windows driver from Zoom Support (currently version 2.0.0.3) which includes the ASIO driver for your interface. Follow these steps to try out:
  • Save your current settings: Choose Menu - Save Settings... (You can use them later as a rollback plan)
  • Choose - remove device selection - from Hardware Input 1 dropdown
  • Choose the ASIO option for your interface in the Hardware Output A1 dropdown.
  • PATCH ASIO Inputs to Strips in the System Settings / Options Window by clicking the 2 boxes near IN 1.
  • Set the Preferred Main SampleRate to 48000 Hz and the ASIO SR (Sample Rate) at Use Preferred Samplerate.
Your setup should be similar to this (I don't have a Zoom Recorder but a Realtek ASIO):
vmsetup.png
vmsetup.png (198.37 KiB) Viewed 3854 times
I can't advise you about how to properly record a drum kit. I know a lot a people uses Shure SM57 microphones so you should be OK with them. Phase cancellation could be an issue when using multiple microphones and result in a very weak signal.

The only suggestion I can make is to start by monitoring through your Zoom recorder by connecting your headphones to the [LINE/PHONE] 3.5mm jack and activating the MONITOR function in the USB AUDIO I/F MENU. If the audio level in the Zoom recorder is what you would expect you can start to debug your setup.
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