Routing App Audio to Skype or Zoom

[mikehalloran]

Great resource. Thanks for sharing!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I'm just getting my feet wet inline streaming for several clients and it's not without issues. I'll start a new thread, but in short Zoom.us, while fantastic for meetings absolutely sucks for music. The app is apparently build for human voice in terms of dynamic range and frequency response. Instruments sound horrible and there's no current solution. Bummer. THe topic in this thread seems to have been exhausted and the current solutions are working, especially Loopback (at least on my system).

Oh well... we got time!

[stubbsonic]

No doubt you've already done the ADVANCED audio settings where you disable
"Supress Persistent Background Noise" (i.e, your f'ing music)
and
"Suppress Intermittent Background Noise" (again, your f'ing music)

Leave Echo cancellation on AUTO. Also, if you can try to have yourself and your clients use wired earphones, it doesn't help that neither Zoom nor Skype seem to do anything different, in this case, but it could/should.

Today I had my first example where a Zoom call was a vast improvement over a Skype call. Usually a Skype call sounds a little better and looks about the same.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Hey Stubby. See my new post on streaming. There's a small little box in advanced Zoom settings that fixes the audio issue. Yeah, I disabled the settings you mentioned as well. Thanks. It's going well; First night test tonight...

[stubbsonic]

I spent a little time reviewing RME's TotalMix FX software which is the mixing panel that comes with their interfaces. Depending on the hardware, there may be some DSP sections, but the GUI mostly hides features that aren't available with older interfaces.

In my re-over-view, I was reminded of it's own Loopback functionality.

First of all, the TotalMix FX panel has three sets of controls: physical inputs, software playback channels, and physical outputs. The "Software Playback" channels are basically what your DAW and other audio apps see as outputs. TotalMix just lets you do another step of routing before they go to physical outs.

In TotalMix, you can assign any signals (either from physical inputs or software playback) to an unused output (like one of the ADAT outs). Then set that physical output channel or stereo pair to "Loopback" mode. In so doing, it will route it's received signals back to the corresponding physical inputs (ADAT 1/2 out's loopback to ADAT 1/2 in's).

In theory, this could have allowed me to route combined mix elements into Zoom/Skype. However, the obstacle is that Mac OS doesn't publish all the possible i/o channels from the interface. I only see one Fireface 800 option in any lists. And if I were to try to loopback the main mix to inputs 1 & 2 (which are available) all signs point to a textbook feedback scenario.

This is why Rogue Amoeba's LoopBack software seems useful. It allows you to publish more granular combinations of hardware inputs and software sources as devices that will appear to all software. That's what I have set up now.

[stubbsonic]

I just tried a lesson yesterday using an iPad with Zoom installed. iOS's frustrating lack of any audio input settings made it unusable.

The Zoom app dutifully follows suit. The iOS version removes the ability to "use original sound", gives no sliders or level meters. Dumb. Skype is no different. I suppose iOS "etiquette" states that apps cede control of audio input levels to whatever iOS provides.

The student was using an iPad as well, and sounded pretty terrible (the audio quality, not the student). But I have no idea what she was hearing from my end.

I've come to realize that Skype's sound is not as good as I originally had thought. It is better on some calls, but it also depends on the input device used, and the internet connection quality. If the connection is good, then Zoom with "original sound" enabled is better that Skype.

There are several scenarios where Zoom's audio options are not available: Zoom via web browser, older versions of the software, or the iOS version. I don't know about the Android version, or the Windows version.

[TimRideout]

Could you explain in a little more detail what you did - what programs you used and what your routing is? I can't for the life of me figure it out.

THANKS!

T

I just went thru this with OBS software. Soundflower is not a great option. Loopback is super simple and reliable. $99 sounds like a lot but if you need it for work that is generating income it's a no brainer. If you go that route and don't already have AudioHijack Pro 3, you can get both for $130. Well worth it.

[mikehalloran]

I just tried a lesson yesterday using an iPad with Zoom installed. iOS's frustrating lack of any audio input settings made it unusable.

The Zoom app dutifully follows suit. The iOS version removes the ability to "use original sound", gives no sliders or level meters. Dumb. Skype is no different. I suppose iOS "etiquette" states that apps cede control of audio input levels to whatever iOS provides.

The student was using an iPad as well, and sounded pretty terrible (the audio quality, not the student). But I have no idea what she was hearing from my end.

I've come to realize that Skype's sound is not as good as I originally had thought. It is better on some calls, but it also depends on the input device used, and the internet connection quality. If the connection is good, then Zoom with "original sound" enabled is better that Skype.

There are several scenarios where Zoom's audio options are not available: Zoom via web browser, older versions of the software, or the iOS version. I don't know about the Android version, or the Windows version.

Windows and Mac are good platforms for hosting and getting better. With either you can share DP Audio (48kHz only).

iOS, Android, browser etc. function as a client but are useless for hosting, IMO.

Because of recent Zoom updates, some of this info is a bit outdated but it's still a good resource for the basics. Watch the video, then read the free book.
http://musictechexplained.com/

Some interfaces support Loop Back. The M4 comes to mind if the MOTU drivers must be installed. On Win, these are required; on a Mac, the M4 works over Core Audio but not Loop Back.

[lafnian1990]

Skype is a stable resource for small conferences, but zoom helps to cope with a large flow of people and massive visualization of material. I recently gave an overview of book https://freebooksummary.com/category/an-ordinary-man variations and the zoom helped make a good physical presentation. I recommend using my advice..