SLMC

Cher · Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 3

I've been wandering about the forum for a bit, looking to see if this issue has previously been answered and I cannot find it anywhere, so please forgive me if I am asking a question that has already been answered.

I have been trying to set up to perform live in SL, singing to a backing track of just music. I have everything sussed and working fine, yet one small..annoying technical glitch.

There is a delay between music and live vocals when it is broadcasted live into SL. It is only a second or so, but it's a big enough delay to notice that it is not in time with the music. This delay is not heard in the headphones as you are streaming, only as you listen live within SL.

I am running Vista, SAM 3.43 and a shoutcast stream with a decent stand alone mic and separate headphones. I'm currently not using an external mixer, and havent a clue if I need one. A friend of mine mentioned REAPER, to use as a mixer, but I have no idea how to run SAM through that using one PC.

I would really just love to get my vocals to match up with the music when its broadcasted over the stream. Any help would be greatly appreciate, thank you.
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ticious · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 2600 Location: Chicago

Welcome to the forum Cher!!

I'm gonna guess it's either the lack of a mixer or an input/output issue (vocals and tracks not going to SL via the same feed or some such), but do NOT listen to me!! Some of the musicians will be talking to you right here right soon and they'll give you all the for sure right answers!!

Meantime, I'll be looking forward to hearing you in world!
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Norris Shepherd · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 11:44 pm Post subject:

What kind of a microphone, and how is your microphone connected to your computer?
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RayW · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Posts: 953 Location: Twin Cities, MN

Plus .. how are you playing your music track? It sounds like your mic and your vocals are coming through different paths (which is why Norris asked about the mic, because I bet he's thinking the same thing I am... well, sort sort of the same thing .. I'm sure he's closer to it).

And, I'll bet it's more like a quarter of a second delay .. enough for ears to hear it .. and typical in separate signal paths.

And you aren't trying Voice in any of this, right?

PS: Welcome Cher Very Happy

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Gavin Mackay · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 119

I heard someone else talking about this. A performer they heard recently was playing, and his guitar and voice werent in sync... off by a second or so. It sounded weird, but maybe there is something going on if more than 1 person is seeing it. I'm technologically deficient (as in so many other areas) so I cant help, but I thought it might be useful to mention that its happened at least twice.
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Norris Shepherd · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:37 pm Post subject:

yeah Gavin, 'latency' is a very common problem with using a computer for audio purposes.

Usually the computer can be set to 'synch up' all sound sources.

Since there are literally millions of different ways to get sound into the computer and onto a stream, we would need a bit more specific information to help her though....
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Cher · Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 3

Hello, everyone and thank you so much for the warm welcome. Let me see if I can answer some questions and perhaps someone can guide me towards a solution. Very Happy

Norris- The microphone is a "Vocal Dynamic" with a 1/4 in audio plug (that has an adapter on it) going directly into the computer. (The headset is not USB but has the normal male/female prongs that get plugged into the pc itself, I just never plug the headset mic in and use the Vocal Dynamic one.)

Ray- Your are correct, it is that 1/4 second delay that is just a nuisance. Nope, I am not trying any of this in SL voice. I have the backing tracks being played in SAM ( Ive tried pulling the tracks into SAM from my hard drive as well as storing the tracks in SAM's database as well, neither fix the delay issue) and the vocals are coming through SAM as well.

This is probably not going to help but I would rather give you all more information, than not enough. When I have rehearsed this, I am not listening to the stream in SL, I am listening in SAM in the headset. The music is playing through SAM, into the headset without the vocals echoing in the headset. ~hopes that makes sense~

Thank you again everyone for any help you can with this.
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Sooner or later we all put our ahss in a sling, but the point is we're still laughing at the fun that caused the injury

RayW · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Posts: 953 Location: Twin Cities, MN

See, what I'm thinking is that there is a builtin delay on the vocal input for SAM to reduce feedback ... may even have a program option to control it (I have SAM3 .. tried to start it, but it got in a fight with Norton and I'm the one who lost).

I'm thinking the program material (music tracks) don't have a delay becuase they would not be a feedback source. And, monitoring through SAM would most likely correct for the delay.

Yah .. it's a stretch. Really reaching for an answer. But, it's the only thing I can think of. Maybe you need to play your tracks and vocals through some other sotware .. soft-mixing them there .. then feed that into SAM. Not sure what a good SW product would be .. I use a hardware mixer. AND EVEN THEN I get the minor delay when using Voice between my vocal in and what I'm monitoring in Voice.
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Norris Shepherd · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:06 am Post subject:

I would try this....

a) Download and install this software (it's safe and simple.. tons of SL musicians use it) http://sourceforge.net/projects/butt/files/

b) load your backing tracks into Winamp, Media player, Quicktime or whatever.

c) play the tracks, sing along, and stream using BUTT.

Hopefully that solves your problem. I haven't used SAM, so unfortunately i can't give you any direction with it. Hopefully this way allows you to stream without the delay between tracks and voice.

... hmm.. and i just had a flashback of another friend with Vista and streaming problems when using tracks... get back to us and let us know if that works. I'll sleep on it and try to remember what the problem was, or at least who it was with....
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Cher · Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 3

Thank you so much Norris and Ray, I will try this and keep you posted, I appreciate all the help. Very Happy

_________________
Sooner or later we all put our ahss in a sling, but the point is we're still laughing at the fun that caused the injury