Need help with Zoom/Headphones setup

[MC208]

We're doing music lessons via Zoom. I'm recording video via a camcorder connected to capture card. And using USB output from a ZED10FX mixer (voice mic, guitar and backing track) as the "mic" in Zoom. Using a TV as a monitor for the presenter to see the student. And using the speaker in the TV for the student's audio. So the presenter is just looking at the TV screen and hearing the student from the same TV.

I'd like the presenter to wear headphones (for better quality recording) which would mean he would need to hear both the output from the mixer, and the audio from the other end of the Zoom call, in his headphones. Having trouble figuring out how I can accomplish this setup. Thanks for any help!

 

[Boswell]

Are there spare inputs on the mixer? If so, you could take a splitter lead from the headphone output on the TV (this will cut out the TV loudspeaker) and feed it into the mixer. You would use a stereo input if available, or else a pair of mono channels, panned L and R.

If no spare channels on that mixer, get a small, cheap stereo line mixer and feed it with the stereo mix output from your music mixer and from the TV sound as above.

 

[MC208]

Maybe that could cause a problem with Zoom I'm thinking because in Zoom, I choose the mixer's USB as the "mic." So if the audio from the TV is being fed into the mixer, if the person on the other end of the call talks, won't he be getting fed back what he's saying? And then there's the issue of what would I choose for the speaker in Zoom, i.e. what the presenter hears?

 

[Boswell]

What I described would be the headphone mix - sorry if it did not come over like that. For the channel that goes to Zoom, you would not include the incoming sound (from the TV in your case).

 

[MC208]

You lost me

 

[bouldersound]

You can select what goes to out to the student via Zoom by pressing the Record buttons. You can select what the presenter hears by pressing the Listen buttons. The presenter can listen to the student through ST-2. So press Listen on all channels used including ST-2, but press Record on everything used except ST-2.

 

[MC208]

So the "speaker" setting in Zoom should still be set to the TV. And the audio from the TV will go into a mixer channel.
I plug the headphones into the Phones jack on the mixer and I press the Listen buttons down on the channels that I want to be heard in the headphones. And I press the record buttons down on the channels that I want to go to Zoom - is that correct?

 

[bouldersound]

Well, I would plug the headphones into the mixer and put all the audio through that. Otherwise the presenter is listening to his own instruments through the Zoom software. I would expect a substantial latency. So set the Zoom audio input and output to the mixer and use that to control what goes where.

 

[MC208]

I'm lost again, what?! The presenter does want to hear his instrument, and a backing track when it's played. He doesn't need to hear his own voice of course. What do you mean by "plug the headphones into the mixer and put all the audio through that." and how could the input and output be the mixer? I thought I understood but no dice :-(

 

[bouldersound]

The Listen button lets the presenter hear or not hear whatever he wants. And actually, if he has headphones on he may (or may not) want his own voice in his mix.

 

[MC208]

Well I know that the presenter has no need to hear his own voice in the headphones. Only the person at the other end needs that.

I know there is a latency as far as being able to play in time with the other person, but we don't need that capability so latency isn't an issue.

• The presenter needs to hear in his headphones: his instrument and backing track, and the audio from the other person.
• The caller needs to hear: the presenter's voice, instrument and backing track
• I don't know if it makes a difference in the setup, but we also record the call to give to the students afterwards.

So this is what I'm trying to accomplish with my mixer if you can point me in the right direction.

 

[bouldersound]

What I suggested should accomplish that. If the presenter uses headphones on the TV speaker, he'll probably have latency on his own instruments and backing track, which would make it pretty much impossible to play. The Record buttons control what gets sent over USB, and the Listen buttons control what the presenter hears (including the remote student).

 

[MC208]

When you say "what I suggested" do you mean this?:

"You can select what goes to out to the student via Zoom by pressing the Record buttons. You can select what the presenter hears by pressing the Listen buttons. The presenter can listen to the student through ST-2. So press Listen on all channels used including ST-2, but press Record on everything used except ST-2."

If so, that's where I'm confused. In your previous post just before this one, it sounds like you're saying I shouldn't use the TV's headphones out, correct? Just plug the headphones directly into the headphones jack on the mixer? But if I do that, how will the audio from the caller get into the headphones? The USB is just for sending audio from the mixer to the computer, right?

 

[bouldersound]

The USB is both directions. The channel marked ST-2 lets you monitor signal coming into the mixer via USB. It looks like PLAYBACK IN is an alternative way to monitor input from USB.

 

[MC208]

I didn't realize that at all
So I could plug the headphones into the playback in possibly? or would playback in only let the presenter hear the caller, but not his instrument/track?

 

[bouldersound]

Plug the headphones into the headphone output of the mixer. On channel ST-2 press the Listen button. Also, press the Listen and Record buttons on the presenter's backing tracks and instrument. Press the Record button on the presenters voice (and optionally, the Listen button).

I would also suggest reading the mixer manual for setting levels. The knob at the top of each channel strip "preconditions" the input signal to work optimally in the mixer. The knob at the bottom is for determining the balance relative to the other channels, i.e. the actual mixing.

 

[MC208]

Plug the headphones into the headphone output of the mixer. On channel ST-2 press the Listen button. Also, press the Listen and Record buttons on the presenter's backing tracks and instrument. Press the Record button on the presenters voice (and optionally, the Listen button).

You mention the ST-2 channel, but you didn't mention what to plug into that channel? I ask because I currently have one of the backing track channels plugged in there. (I have two sources, one from a laptop in ST-2, and one from a MIDI player in in ST-1b)

I would also suggest reading the mixer manual for setting levels. The knob at the top of each channel strip "preconditions" the input signal to work optimally in the mixer. The knob at the bottom is for determining the balance relative to the other channels, i.e. the actual mixing.

As I understand, I'm supposed to use the Listen button to set the correct input signal level, so yes I understand that part. I didn't know that the Listen button serves another purpose too, so that's new to me.

 

[bouldersound]

You mention the ST-2 channel, but you didn't mention what to plug into that channel? I ask because I currently have one of the backing track channels plugged in there. (I have two sources, one from a laptop in ST-2, and one from a MIDI player in in ST-1b)

It looks like the return from USB is available on either PLAYBACK IN or ST-2, so you should be able to use PLAYBACK IN to monitor the student. Turn up the PLAYBACK Level knob to the left of MAIN MIX Level knob.

You'll need to select the Record Bus button as the USB OUT SOURCE, otherwise it will be sending the student's audio back to him with latency.

Also, after looking at the manual I realize you don't need to press in the Listen buttons. It was unclear to me what their function was. They are for setting gain on channels or listening to one channel at a time (PFL or solo) rather than an assignment selector. Just turn the knobs up on all the presenter's channels. You will have to have his vocal mic up in the mix for it to show up in the record mix.

If you absolutely cannot have the presenter's voice in his headphones, change the USB OUT SOURCE to Aux-FX and turn up the relevant AUX send knobs and the AUX MIX LEVEL knob. The Record buttons become irrelevant if you do this.

 

[MC208]

I'm getting all the instructions in the thread mixed up now. Am I plugging the headphones into the PLAYBACK IN, or the headphones jack? I feel like I'm being a pain for not understanding all this. But would really appreciate it if you could give me a step by step set of instructions what to plug in in where and what buttons should be engaged/disengaged and I guess you said Zoom's mic and speaker should both be set to the mixer, is that still the case? It doesn't make sense to have the presenter hear his own voice as I think that could be very annoying for him.

 

[pcrecord]

I'm getting all the instructions in the thread mixed up now. Am I plugging the headphones into the PLAYBACK IN, or the headphones jack?

In the headphone out.. when audio gets out it's out, if it's going in, it's in

I feel like I'm being a pain for not understanding all this.

Your mixer isn't the easiest to understand either. I've been doing audio work for the past 30years and this one is weird.

The best setup to do is to have everything going to the mixer. then you decide what goes to the computer (by pressing record) and what you listen to by pressing on listen. The challenge here is that it is not clear by looking at the mixer how to redirect the audio correctly within the mixer's circuit. All those switches and arrows goint everywhere is confusing.

So if I read our friends here, I assume that when you playback something from the computer it is redirected in ST2, if it is the case, you can't connect anything in the ST inputs because you will cut the signal coming in from the computer/USB.
So what you want is for the presenter to hear the student (audio coming in from zoom / computer / USB / mixer ST2 / headphones) so in zoom the audio device input and output should be the mixer (not the TV) then you push down listen button bellow the ST2 channel.
Don't ever push on record on ST2 because you will do a loop (in going out and back in) it will make a terrible feedback noise.

So what's left to do is plug the mics and guitars and what ever, then everything you want the student to hear, push on record, everything you want the presenter to hear push down listen...

Bare with me, I never tried this mixer, I'm just assuming.. more than that will take a very good read of the manual