Need Advice for my Live-streaming Audio set-up

[Linaru]

Hi, I am currently in the process of upgrading my Live streaming set-up and am getting a bit confused as to how to handle my audio set-up for my mixer.

To make things easier i am going to give a rough idea of how my set-up used to be:

I have an se2200a ii condenser mic wired up to my Behringer Xenyx QX1204USB. i use the Audio mixer to manage the volume levels of my microphone pc game-play, console game audio and music individual while i am streaming. i also had my Aux sends 1 hooked up to my speakers, so i can send just my game audio.. or game audio + Skype chat (if i'm streaming with a friend) to my speakers for me to hear. my Aux sends 2 was leading back into the computers microphone port so i can send just my voice from the mic to Skype.
When combined with all my console video cables etc this becomes a mess of wires that is difficult to keep track of.

The problem i am now having is that i have got my hands on a 7.1 Surround sound speaker system for gaming and a 7.1 soundcard for my pc. this connects to the speakers using 5-6 3.5mm jacks for left right front and back speakers + sub-woofer. To further confuse myself my pc has been moved to a different room with extension cables running through a hole i drilled in the wall( this was so that my microphone would no longer pick up vibrations from my pcs cooling system, allowing me to stream games with the graphics at max), so i am concerned about the loss of sound quality over the longer 2m extension cables i am using.

What i want to do is preserve the surround sound so that while playing games i hear enemy's and events behind me from the rear speakers, but i also wish to output all my audio to the mixer so that my stream will still hear it obviously as the Aux sends on the mixer is not 7.1 multichannel my old set-up no longer works for this.

In addition 90% of my consoles output their surround sound audio in the format of a Digital optical cable, which the speaker system does not accept. they need to send sound both to the speakers and to my mixer for the live stream to pick-up. in the past i had been using independently powered conversion boxes to turn my optical out to a stereo audio and then into my mixer. as this compresses all the different speaker directions into one audio channel this is no longer viable with a 7.1 speaker set-up.


I am completely lost on how to set-up my audio, i would like to point out that i have very little knowledge of audio hardware and just barely know enough about my mixer to use it to manage volume the way i have been.
I appreciate any help or advice on this issue as the sooner i work out what i need the sooner i can get back to my live streaming schedule.

Lina Greyfall

 

[ecc83]

Hi Lina. Now I am not a gamer and have not messed with Ssound for many a year but let me see if I have your problem aright?

You have a 7.1 system that you would like to listen too but need to stream a stereo version?
My 'tronics instinct tells me that 5.1/7.1 amps should deliver a stereo resolution of the multichannel input and sure'nuff, looking at the back of a Denon AVR-X2200W receiver it has L and R "tape" outs. These can route back to the mixer.

The only other alternative that I can see is to "pinch" a bit if signal from each speaker feed and mix that to stereo but that is I am sure beyond your capability and could be risky to the amplifiers.

On a general note. You say the present setup is a "hard to follow rat's nest"? So, LABEL the cables! Work up a system (A and B front l&r, C centre, L back, R back di,,,,da....) Buy a Dymo machine, Even better! Learn to solder and buy lengths of differently coloured cable and roll your own (use big, fat goldplated RCAs. Won't SOUND any better but easier to work with and solder)

Finally, two mtrs is NO distance at all! Even the crappiest cable will cause no quality loss and even 20mtrs of 1/2 decent stuff still will be undetectable. The only caveat is that all this stuff it "unbalanced" (Google) and you could introduce mains hum and possibly Radio Frequency Interference. Not likely tho' on 2mtr runs. AND! Hardware/DIY tronics challenged you MIGHT be now Lina but you are gonna have to learn!

Dave.

 

[Linaru]

It Sounds as if i need to invest a little bit of my budget in a Receiver then?
my surround sound system is the Creative Labs Inspire 7.1 T7700, all the speakers plug into the sub woofer, its a sort of standalone surround sound kit..

 

[ecc83]

It Sounds as if i need to invest a little bit of my budget in a Receiver then?
my surround sound system is the Creative Labs Inspire 7.1 T7700, all the speakers plug into the sub woofer, its a sort of standalone surround sound kit..

Looking at the manual for the T7700 no, you don't need a receiver. You could pick off the signals you want for a 7.1 to stereo mix by using "one in, two out" RCA adaptors. These are quite reliable (again, get good quality GPtd ones) and I have a few in my garden CCTV sound chain.

It might be more convenient to split out from the sub woofer feeds.

Dave.

 

[ecc83]

Err? I have never mixed a ssound matrix to stereo! I doubt many here have.
But logically I would think...Centre pans to centre. Lf and Rf self exp? Lside, left but a few dB down, same for Rside. L&R rear, centre low level? Your VOX will be panned centre.

But really have no idea!

 

[Linaru]

Okay, i see what your saying about the RCA Splitters.. to separate out the audio to the speakers and the mixer..

i'm not sure how i combine all the speaker outputs to stereo to feed into my Streaming mixer..
i have been using the Behringer mixer to combine all my music game-play sound and microphone inputs and am useing pretty much all the channels so i cant plug all the individual speaker outputs into separate channels if that is what you mean? not enough room.

 

[ecc83]

Okay, i see what your saying about the RCA Splitters.. to separate out the audio to the speakers and the mixer..

i'm not sure how i combine all the speaker outputs to stereo to feed into my Streaming mixer..
i have been using the Behringer mixer to combine all my music game-play sound and microphone inputs and am useing pretty much all the channels so i cant plug all the individual speaker outputs into separate channels if that is what you mean? not enough room.

Yes, you are going to need another mixer! This,,Behringer RX1602 looks the bizz but perhaps a bit of an overkill? I have used a Wharfedale Ez-m 16-2 mixer, wee thing, for several years very happily. Has 4 stereo line inputs plus two mic/line inputs and Tape/CD in/out , more than enough for 7.1.

Dave.

 

[Linaru]

Okay, first want to say thanks for the help so far, its really helped me get my head around what i am doing

that Behringer mixer does not look to bad price wise, definitely looks like the direction to go.. with a bunch of splitters i could hook up my pc's surround sound audio And still output to my streaming mixer.

i am doing some research on cables and things i need and trying to map my whole set-up out budget wise.
the problem i see with doing it the above way is the addition of my consoles..
ideally i want my pc audio and console game-play audio in two separate channels on my 'Streaming mixer' (this allows me to adjust music volume and game-play sound separately for my broadcast.

Taking the back of my Xbox One as an example my consoles out-put all their surround sound audio via either the 's/pdif' Toslink port, or the Hdmi cable..
im not 100% sure how consoles handle surround sound but i guess they are designed to work with receivers rather than the sound system type i have?
i am trying to work out how they would be added


====
edit:
Could the pre-amp out on a Yamaha receiver be hooked up to the mixer to mix down to stereo while still outputting to its connected speakers? i am thinking that if i where to pick one up i could connect the pc audio to it via toslink and consoles via HDMI then mix that down and send it to my 'streaming mixer'.

it would mean pc audio and console audio is all on a single channel but i may have to accept defeat in that respect?

 

[Linaru]

okay in an attempt to get my head around the set up..and perhaps explain my needs better i have drafted up a sort of chart:
https://i.imgur.com/ec2LruN.png

blue lines are audio
red lines are video
green lines are temporary as they would not work, but symbolise what needs to connect

while the above chart isn't finished
this is roughly what i am thinking..

the console surround audio is sent to a hdmi video splitter, one hdmi cable goes to my video capture card, the second to a receiver(ill have to pick one up) for my own audio and video.
and the 3rd hdmi from the splitter is used just for the audio, which would need to be somehow converted to fit the Behringer RX1602 you suggested, and is mixed down to stereo and sent to my 'streaming mixer'

the pc surround would have to be sent to the receiver for me to hear via a Toslink cable, i am unsure if i can also output to the 3.5mm jack (dont think windows will allow this)
so this somehow needs to be split off mixed down and sent to the 'streaming' mixer (on a separate channel from the console audio)

the streaming mixer sends its mixed audio to the pc via usb for my Streaming software to encode and broadcast.

does this make more sense?

 

[ecc83]

Ok, this..RX-V779 - RX-V - AV Receivers - Audio & Visual - Products - Yamaha United States
Does indeed seem to give you the 7.1 audio feeds you need to split out to a mixer to derive a stereo signal for streaming. However it is just as likely that the receiver derives a stereo signal of itself, sving you the trouble and the purchase of another mixer?

I have to confess that I am rapidly getting out of my depth here! I am fine with audio systems but it is hard (I think for anyone?) to advise about gear they have not had hands on experience of.

What I CAN tell you is that you have nothing to fear in trying various wiring setups. You cannot damage anything when working at "line levels" (probably -10dBV?). Loudspeaker levels CAN be destructive, to other things, inputs say and it is even possible to damage the power amplifiers inside the receiver although with well respected brands such as Yamaha and Denon this is most unlikely.

At this stage I would fore off an email to Yamaha technical support, describe what you want to achieve and I am sure they will help. Another suggestion? Sound On Sound | Recording Techniques | Audio Technology | Music Production | Computer Music | Video Media There might JUST be a gaming seven dot one skyper in their forum with all the answers!

And DO NOT be swayed to buy expensive, exotic cables! At these levels and distances "baling" wire would make no difference if you could insulate and screen it!

Dave.

 

[Linaru]

I understand, my own technical expertise are focused alot more toward streaming, I encoding broadcasting... video.
i really do appreciate all the help so far.

It seems that the gap between Mixers/Professional Audio equipment and Live-streaming technology is relatively new.
i've seen very few pieces of studio quality equipment targeted at streamers / you-tubers.

iam contemplating various audio and video splitters/extractors, most are made by obscure manufacturers targeting 'quick fix' equipment at home cinema users ..to convert from on cable type to another, a majority are low quality products or china made knockoffs. and that is what i meant by researching cables.

i know exotic cables make very little difference if any.

that receiver you linked is in fact the one i was looking at, but i think i will take your advice and contact Yamaha support to see if it will do the job.