Technical Help Required (ASAP)

[thisisbenradio]

I have to pre-record a radio show from a home-studio set-up, and here's my issue.

I bought an Alto Professional ZMX 862 Mixer about a year ago, along with two AUX
to 3.5mm jacks. I plug these jacks in to the Microphone port and the Headphone port
on the computer, and then AUX in and AUX out on the Mixer. This allows me to easily
play audio directly from the computer. I use radio broadcasting software to do my radio
shows. I play the music through the console, but when I want
to talk over the top of the intro or outro of the music, there is a slight echo. This is
because everything happening on my Mixing Desk is fed through to the "Microphone"
deck on the console. I don't want to do this, so when I turn the AUX IN fader down completely,
I then obviously cannot hear my microphone or the music or jingles being played.

I need help pretty quick as I have to record my first show soon!

Many thanks,

- Ben

 

[General Lighting]

I've had a quick look at this mixer but I can't find a larger picture of it; however I think what may be happening [as you do not mention how the microphone is connected up] is you are perhaps using some "talkover" function on your broadcasting software which also contains some sort of compressor/DSP in software; that will always create a lag/delay.

Instead of this, connect the microphone directly to one of the mic channels on the mixer, and use the playout software only as a source of music and jingles (if the mixer doesn't have prefade you may need to use switch boxes or similar to change your headphone output over).

Connect the output of this to the input of a PC used for the recording or streaming.

Essentially you are doing what we did in 1980s/1990s but with computers instead of vinyl turntables /. CD's and a tape recorder or VHF transmitter at the other end.

It often helps to use two PC's for this purpose; it is often easy and cheap (or even free) to obtain an "obsolete" PC from a family member or trusted friend.

Especially if you add a USB soundcard to this you can get very good audio quality..

if you are sensible about what you do online and use third party anti-virus software like Malwarebytes anti malware you can keep an old XP box going; or if you have a very brainy friend they might be able to set up a Linux box for your streaming and that is more secure; as reliable and does have a monitor display with all the level meters you would want.

A friend on PartyVibe has done just that for his home setup; although I barely understood about 10% of how he did it. I have recently been experimenting with Xubuntu on an old laptop and it has some reasonable multimedia applications but is not as easy to configure as todays Windows equipment.

I am lucky as I get to take home all the obsolete PC's from work as I'm trusted to ensure any data is securely removed) and I can get about 3 usable PCs from 5 defect ones and can dedicate a whole room in my house to computers and electronics stuff; but if you are in a family environment and have a wife and kids one way round it may be to upgrade their computers and re-use the old ones for the studio