Desktop audio being picked up in mic

[TheBaconDealer]

I just purchased a Behringer 50 mixer and a AT2020. I've got everything set up but when i open audio monitoring software such as OBS or Audacity, whatever audio is playing through the desktop track is also being picked up in the mic track.The current setup I have on the mixer is an XLR in, line in from the audio out of my sound card, RCA out into 3.5mm mic jack on the sound card and then my headphones plugged into the phones jack on the mixer. I've tried rearranging the cables in every which way I can think of but cant seem to stop the mic from picking up desktop audio. If anyone can help me figure this out I'd be very grateful.

 

[ecc83]

I just purchased a Behringer 50 mixer and a AT2020. I've got everything set up but when i open audio monitoring software such as OBS or Audacity, whatever audio is playing through the desktop track is also being picked up in the mic track.The current setup I have on the mixer is an XLR in, line in from the audio out of my sound card, RCA out into 3.5mm mic jack on the sound card and then my headphones plugged into the phones jack on the mixer. I've tried rearranging the cables in every which way I can think of but cant seem to stop the mic from picking up desktop audio. If anyone can help me figure this out I'd be very grateful.

I am not clear about the setup? The mic can only pickup audio IF it is being reproduced in the room. Do you mean the mic CHANNEL is feeding audio from the PC into the monitoring chain of the mixer? What actually is this audio?

I suspect you need to turn something off in Audacity. Will have a look.

Dave.

 

[ecc83]

I suspect you need both of those boxes unticked.

Other than that is could be a routing problem in the mixer. If indeed the mic is picking up an acoustic signal? It will, nothing you can do about that except stop the noise or get very well away from it.
Dave.

 

[mjbphotos]

YOur internal soundcard probably does not have the monitoring capability you need the way you've got it hooked up. The 'desktop audio' - is this sound from the internet?

 

[spantini]

Is this your mixer?

 

[TheBaconDealer]

spantini
Is this your mixer?

Yes.

The 'desktop audio' - is this sound from the internet?

Any and all audio coming from my computer. i.e. music, internet, discord, games, etc.

I was going to attach a clip of what I was seeing in OBS but for some reason I can't upload the video. Basically all of the problems are only experienced by someone listening to my mic on discord (I've been told it sounds like a McDonald's drive-thru) and when listening to recordings of my mic. If I'm playing audio (Discord VC, music, etc.) while recording with my mic it gets picked up on the mic channel and shows up highly degraded and sounding like demons. If I have OBS open and I'm looking at the desktop audio channel and the mic/aux channel, nothing appears wrong when I speak into the mic, levels on the mic channel react normally. However if I begin to play music or join a discord channel, the desktop audio channel shows the audio activity but the mic channel is now receiving a signal. It appears as if it were a 'Shadow' of the desktop audio, mimicking its activity but seemingly not quite as loud. Again I can hear my voice in my headset and that quality sounds divine, but if your on the other end or listening to a recording it sounds really crap.

My sound card is the creative sound blaster zx

 

[mjbphotos]

As I conjectured, you're using your computer's internal soundcard?

THe line out form your computer - where do you have that plugged in on the mixer? The '2 track' input? If so, you don't want the '2 track to mix' button pushed in.

 

[TheBaconDealer]

As I conjectured, you're using your computer's internal soundcard?

THe line out form your computer - where do you have that plugged in on the mixer? The '2 track' input? If so, you don't want the '2 track to mix' button pushed in.

I have a 3.5mm on the line out of my computer to dual 1/4 inch mono on line in 4/5

I have tried connecting my audio out from my computer to the 2-track input though - with and without both buttons depressed - and it did nothing except in some variations made the sound so quiet it was almost inaudible.

 

[DaleVO]

TBD,
I may be wrong... But I think you are trying to 1) broadcast your voice in OBS, 2) listen and talk to others, and 3) recording the audio [Mix], while NOT sending your listener's own audio signal back to them [Minus]. This requires a Mix-minus set up, which I have read that the 502 cannot do, since it lacks FX or Aux send channels. I think (going from memory) that the Q502USB or Q802USB can be rigged up in mix-minus format.

Google up mix-minus or YT it and see if that is what your are attempting.
Dale

 

[TheBaconDealer]

TBD,
I may be wrong... But I think you are trying to 1) broadcast your voice in OBS, 2) listen and talk to others, and 3) recording the audio [Mix], while NOT sending your listener's own audio signal back to them [Minus]. This requires a Mix-minus set up, which I have read that the 502 cannot do, since it lacks FX or Aux send channels. I think (going from memory) that the Q502USB or Q802USB can be rigged up in mix-minus format.

Google up mix-minus or YT it and see if that is what your are attempting.
Dale

Unfortunately that's not what I'm trying to do. I may try cutting out the 2-track all together and plug the main out into the mic input.

 

[DaleVO]

I have a 3.5mm on the line out of my computer to dual 1/4 inch mono on line in 4/5

Ok- I am definitely confused then about what you are trying to do here. I am not sure the Main Out to Mic will help. If you are dumping your computer signal from it's line out, into the mixer via dual 1/4" on 4/5, how are you routing signal TO the computer for discord or OBS, as MJ and ECC mentioned may not work with your set up?

Trying to understand,
Dale

 

[TheBaconDealer]

Ok- I am definitely confused then about what you are trying to do here. I am not sure the Main Out to Mic will help. If you are dumping your computer signal from it's line out, into the mixer via dual 1/4" on 4/5, how are you routing signal TO the computer for discord or OBS, as MJ and ECC mentioned may not work with your set up?

Trying to understand,
Dale

Okay I've done some more experimenting and I think what's happening is that the input from my computer into the mixer is getting caught up with the output of my mic from the mixer thus whenever I play audio on my computer it cuts off the audio from the mic and routes back into the computer via the mic jack. I honestly don't know wtf is going on and I'm almost ready to say its faulty hardware. If there is anything I can answer to help clarify my new findings please ask away.

 

[TheBaconDealer]

Okay I've done some more experimenting and I think what's happening is that the input from my computer into the mixer is getting caught up with the output of my mic from the mixer thus whenever I play audio on my computer it cuts off the audio from the mic and routes back into the computer via the mic jack. I honestly don't know wtf is going on and I'm almost ready to say its faulty hardware. If there is anything I can answer to help clarify my new findings please ask away.

Also if I use 2 RCA cables in the 2-track both connecting the the headphones and mic jacks on the computer the issue stops (other things start happening though) but I can no longer hear my voice in my headset unless I push down one of the 2-track buttons and then my issue starts again

 

[mjbphotos]

It's not faulty hardware, it's that using your computer's soundcard + the mixer won't get you what you want. An external USB audio interface should allow you to do it, but check here on the model's capabilities.

 

[DaleVO]

It's not faulty hardware, it's that using your computer's soundcard + the mixer won't get you what you want. An external USB audio interface should allow you to do it, but check here on the model's capabilities.

TBD,
MJ, et. al. have suggested this earlier in the thread. At the moment, I think you rigged it up to be a glorified, headphone amp, of all of your mixed inputs.
Dale