NEWBIE - mixing mics into a usb output

B

billyqureshi

New member
hi - apologies im not knowledgeable in this area. Im an NHS doctor and we are having to do alot of large meetings with 20 or so people in a lecture theatre (one speaker at a time) and 50-60 at home.
currently, i have one USB wireless handheld mic (samsom xpd2). It works great. the problem i have is when those in the audience with to speak - we have to carry the mic up to them and then back to the speaker podium.
We cannot link up a second laptop into the teleconference app as then whatever is input into that device comes out the PA system hooked up to the speakers podium computer.
I have bought a second samson xpd2 as i read i can use 2 simultaneously on a mac using MIDI app to create an aggregate device. However, i cannot get the aggregate device to actually combine both mics - only one of the two are working. ( i havent tried with any professional audio recording software, just the teleconferencing app).
I understand there are some windows applicaitions that might be able to create aggregate devices, but my personal laptop is a mac and my NHS laptop is windows but very locked down and will be a nightmare to get IT to test and approve something to be installed on it.
I am now looking at the possibility of finding something (?a mixer) that will allow me to plug in two mics, and will give me a single mixed output. the inputs can either be USB, or they can be 3.5 mm as the samson mics have a line out on the usb receivers.
the output of the mic would preferably be USB as i can use that on any computer/laptop. a 3.5mm would be acceptable if thats all that available.
this is for amateur use so i dont want to spend alot - no more than £75-100. Its only going to be used for speech so doesnt have to be fancy.
Id appreciate any help or advice !
 
Hi there,
You've outlined the main limitation of USB microphones there.
I know you're asking for a device that lets you plug in multiple USB mics at once but the thing with a USB microphone is it is the microphone and the audio interface,
so that's not really a thing.

Usually when we use multiple microphones together in a digital recording setup we have a USB (or whatever) audio interface with multiple analog inputs,
and all the microphone plugs are generally XLR.

The easiest thing is probably to buy or borrow a USB audio interface with two, or more, XLR inputs then buy, or borrow, as many microphones and cables as you need.
If you, or any of your staff, know anyone who is into live music, playing or hosting gigs, they'll have a bunch of sm58s doing nothing for the next few months. ;)

Failing that, what you tried to do should work.
Using two USB microphones simultaneously in an aggregate device should be OK.
Just make sure that all the devices going into the aggregate have the same sample rate and bit depth settings in Audio/Midi setup,
and make sure that each of them is working as a single device first, to rule out any driver or initial setup issues.


In your singe-mic setup have you been feeding the samson microphone's line-output to the PA?
If its output shows as a separate device in Audio/Midi setup (sometimes they do) you'll need to make sure you include that in the aggregate device as its output.
Alternatively your aggregate could include the two microphone's inputs and the mac built-in output,
so the PA would be fed from the headphone socket ideally with the headphone level turned down fairly low.
 
Aggregate device just allows audio devices using different inputs to work together, it doesn't do the mixing. The software would have to be able to manage and mix the different inputs. I suspect your conferencing software isn't set up to do that.

I don't think you'll find a mixer that takes input from USB wireless mics like the ones you've got. Using the 3.5mm outputs might be your best bet. I wonder if you could power the receiver/USB units from a couple of USB power supplies (like phone chargers), then connect the line outs to something like the mixer in the link below, which would then connect to the computer by its own USB. As a bonus you would get a single XLR input for a proper wired mic.

Q502USB | Analog | Mixers | Behringer | Categories | Music Tribe - Behringer

You will need 3.5mm (1/8") to 6.35 (1/4") cables. There could be a little challenge here as you're interfacing what may be either stereo or mono wiring to what's probably balanced wiring. I suspect the most likely cable to work would be a mono/unbalanced cable with TS (tip/sleeve, with only one plastic ring separating two metal contacts) on both ends. Using a stereo/balanced TRS (tip, ring, sleeve, with two plastic rings separating three metal contacts) would give you problems. Stereo and balanced use the same TRS connector (which can be 3.5mm or 6.35mm) but do different and incompatible things. Using TS cabling defeats both and gives the best chance of working. I know this may seem like information overload (which I suspect you're already experiencing), but I suspect getting an audio pro there in person isn't really an option right now.

Good luck, feel free to ask more questions.
 
My day gig has me working with pathologists across the country and part of it is to enable them to present histologic samples to remote peers. It's all video sharing and the audio side is typically through conference calls with no need for a PA.

For what you want to do, the USB mixer sounds like the right approach. Plug your lavalier line level outputs into it. USB connection to the laptop. I think you be able to run the PA from the mixer then the teleconference app can go from the PC into the mixer. The mixer should show up as an audio device that is selectable in the app.

The MIDI aggregate you mentioned is for MIDI devices, not audio, so that option does not apply to you.
 
Hi, thanks so much for your quick response!
So if i can find a "mixer" that will output USB, could i use 3.5mm to XLR adapters and take a line out from each of the USB wireless receivers?
Even if the wireless receivers are plugged into the laptop, it shouldnt be an issue as i could pick the USB mixer as my input device rather than selecting one of the Samson mics. That Shure SM58 (if i found the right device) is a dual mic system but its pricier than what the NHS will pay for! Is there a cheaper equivalent? or a simple mixer that will take two XLR inputs and output a USB feed?
I will have another go with the aggregate device - i suspect you are correct in that the teleconferencing software just cant process the feeds.
In my current set up i have not been using the line out on the USB receiver - because the USB itself is identified as a mic source and i can select it from the app.
the idea about aggregating the built in mic is a good one, but the main speaker moves around and i think it would annoy those listening at home.
 
Hi - this is great advice and i really appreciate it. I am intersted in this 3.5mm to XLR adater - can you suggest one on the market that might work? I am thinking of taking two line outs from two USB receivers (plugged into power only USB sockets - im sure the Samson mics will work without a computer connection but i can easily check), then converting the line out to XLR, and inputting those into some device which will provide a USB output that a computer will recognise as a mic source.
 
yeh i have tried this - the aggregate device can be made, but the teleconferencing app will not pick up both devices despite offering it as an option on the list of inputs.
 
With the mixer in BSG's link, you won't need an XLR connector. You can go 3.5mm to 1/4TRS.


Something like this
LINK
 
billyqureshi said:
yeh i have tried this - the aggregate device can be made, but the teleconferencing app will not pick up both devices despite offering it as an option on the list of inputs.
Click to expand...

Cool. Sorry for the misinformation, hadn't heard of that before.
 
Chili said:
The MIDI aggregate you mentioned is for MIDI devices, not audio, so that option does not apply to you.

Maybe someone else will have more knowledge at this.
Click to expand...

Aggregate device on a Mac does work with audio devices to make them all accessible to software (e.g. Pro Tools) at the same time, but the software has to be capable of handling multiple inputs and outputs. I don't think his conferencing application can do that.
 
hi - sorry - im not sure what BSG is - but are you saying a simple 3.5mm to 1/4inch lead will let me take the line outs from the USB mic recievers into a mixer? if so great - im just hoping someone will post a link to suitable mixer. i really dont want to pick one myself as it looks terribly complex and im generally quite a technical minded person!
 
BSG is Boulder Sound Guy. He probably has more experienced with this kind of thing than I. He has a link to a Behringer mixer in one of his posts. the Behringer Q502USB.

Yes, you can use that simple cable to connect the receiver to the mixer. If you need to provide power to the mic receivers, you can probably use USB power supplies.
 
billyqureshi said:
hi - sorry - im not sure what BSG is - but are you saying a simple 3.5mm to 1/4inch lead will let me take the line outs from the USB mic recievers into a mixer? if so great - im just hoping someone will post a link to suitable mixer. i really dont want to pick one myself as it looks terribly complex and im generally quite a technical minded person!
Click to expand...

BSG = bouldersoundguy, me.

Yes on the cable. I linked to a simple mixer above.
 
i - sorry - im not sure what BSG is - but are you saying a simple 3.5mm to 1/4inch lead will let me take the line outs from the USB mic recievers into a mixer? if so great - im just hoping someone will post a link to suitable mixer. i really dont want to pick one myself as it looks terribly complex and im generally quite a technical minded person!
 
so on this device Q502USB - there are lots of inputs! the 1/4 inch ones look like they are split L and R - but id only have one 1/4 for each of the two mics. Can anyone tel me how id link this up?Q502USB_P0ALL_Top_L.png
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top