Need help with sound

[Sinc747]

Mike,

Used VidBlaster again this weekend to broadcast two soccer matches. Had two cams including a Canon XHA1 to play with. Quite a trick, but fun. FME gave me headaches as before so I dropped it, but am continuing to try to get it stable and useable.

Still trying to figure out how to get audio from a video in a player to broadcast. Using an Alesis USB mixer and a 1/8" cable from laptop headphone to 1/4" converter jack, then into the mixer. No sound.

I have sound through the laptop speakers when I play the video if the mixer is not connected to the USB port and the 1/4 -> 1/8 cable is disconnected. I have sound at mixer if I the mixer is on and connected by the 1/4 -> 1/8 to the headphone jack on the laptop but not connect by USB.

But connect the mixer to the laptop and turn it on and no sound at the mixer.

I might add that I am having no problems with the mixer when used with up to four mics at the same time.

I've include the text of the Sound Help chapter from VidBlaster below for easy reference.

Any suggestions? What have I missed?

Great software! Working towards purchase.

Thanks!

Tom
www.PirateSoccer.TV

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Help Chapter: Connecting the Audio

Although VidBlaster can be used with a single microphone, it is intended to be used with an external audio mixer. Not only will a mixer give you better control over audio levels, it will also allow you to do more advanced things like using multiple microphones, mix audio from the microphone(s) with audio from video clips, and use audio processing.

A typical setup will be as follows: connect the output of the mixer to the line input of your sound card. Connect the line output of the sound card to one of the line inputs of the mixer. Finally connect one or more microphones to the mixer. Right click the audio module, click Audio Device and select the desired sound card, then click Audio Input and select the line input. Use the module's volume slider and the mixer's output level setting so that maximum input volume corresponds to a maximum output in the peak meter.

Note: only audio devices that support multiple software connections can be used with VidBlaster. You also cannot use an audio device that belongs to a video device that is already used as camera in VidBlaster. Typically this means you can use just about any sound card, but can't use (virtual) audio devices like the microphone in a webcam or camcorder.

[Sinc747]

Let me add I am using VidBlaster Studio 0.40 on a Dell Inspiron 1521 laptop (AMD Sempron Processor 3600+ 2.00 GHz, 4.00 GB RAM, Vista Home Basic 32-bit O/S).

[Mike]

I'm not familiar with this mixer, but I assume it has a two way USB audio connection. That means as soon as you plug in the mixer, the default audio out device in your PC changes to the mixer. This is actually good for you, as the audio will already be available in the mixer and there is no need for the additional cable from laptop headphones to mixer. Check your mixer's manual to find out where the audio signal is and how to add it to the mix.

[Sinc747]

Thanks, Mike. I'll check that!

[Sinc747]

Mike,

Partial success. On my Alesis Multimix 8 USB mixer, I jumped the 2-track OUT to the 2-track IN (L&R RCA jacks) as you suggested. And I actually got sound when broadcasting on Ustream and running a video on one of VB's players. But...

The sound was intermittent in quality and volume, to the point where there was no sound at all. I shut down my laptop and restarted VB only (no FME, no Ustream, no mixer). Played the same video on the same player and had the same problem. Tried other videos with similar results.

So, it doesn't appear to be a streaming issue or a FME issue or a mixer issue. CPU monitor was high (80-100), but it stay's there for me most of the time. So, I'm not sure where it's a hardware issue (mine) or a player issue (yours).

Do I need a faster laptop?

Thanks for your outstanding support!

Tom in Alabama

[Mike]

If your PC cannot keep up while playing a video, sound can get interrupted. Never run VidBlaster "in the red", i.e. if you see the CPU usage warning window pop up.