Unique setup ... weird audio recording issue ... pictures included.

[thecomputerguy]

Client is a stenographer and has this setup below. She is not good with computers.


Computer A is used to Join zoom meetings and watch/listen to court precedings.
Computer B is used to run the stenograph software, LISTEN to computer A during a court preceding, and provide an audio jack so she can playback the audio recordings. Computer B is not connected to the internet.

This setup cannot be combined into one computer with dual monitors because she needs to be able to listen to court and also review the recordings at the same time. This means she needs to produce audio from two devices.

Computer B died and and has been replaced with an off the shelf unit. It appeared the that Microphone in Computer B was not sufficient and the steno software company advised her to get a new mic.

They advised her purchase a Samson Go Mic for $35

She was unable to get it working. After much fiddling and troubleshooting it appears that the Mic is able to distinguish between Digital and Analog audio. When I speak into the Mic it records fine. When it is listening to the audio coming out of Computer A it is either distorted, cuts out, or doesn't record at all.

I was able to reproduce this by swapping in between using my voice, my phone, and a Youtube video ... all within the same audio recording without stopping. My voice was always fine, we had problems with my phone and a Youtube video.

My phone is able to record audio out of computer or audio out of my voice.

This was not an issue with her old Dell.

I don't think the Mic is defective, I think it's doing it's job by trying to block out ambient digital noise thus being unable to listen to the audio produced by a computer.

I'm not sure what I'm looking for here in regards to the correct Mic.

She was also advised to buy this: https://soundprofessionals.com/product/SP-USB-MIC-MODEL-6/

Would something like this work?

Amazon.com

I have no idea I'm not an audio guy.

 

[phaZed]

She shouldn't be using a mic at all, she should be using a line-level cable - a standard 2.5mm headphone jack on each side.
Ideally, one side would go from "line-out" on computer A and go to computer B. Being careful, you can use Speaker out to Mic in - but the levels are usually way too high doing this correctly and still have usable audible sound.

You are correct, the Mic (or audio recording software) is discerning the digital audio from natural audio in the environment. Though this may be a "feature" that can be turned off in the audio software UI.


If I were her, I'd be looking at "podcasting" the audio to the network, then using something like VBAudioCable (if needed) on Computer B.

 

[thecomputerguy]

She shouldn't be using a mic at all, she should be using a line-level cable - a standard 2.5mm headphone jack on each side.
Ideally, one side would go from "line-out" on computer A and go to computer B. Being careful, you can use Speaker out to Mic in - but the levels are usually way too high doing this correctly and still have usable audible sound.

You are correct, the Mic (or audio recording software) is discerning the digital audio from natural audio in the environment. Though this may be a "feature" that can be turned off in the audio software UI.


If I were her, I'd be looking at "podcasting" the audio to the network, then using something like VBAudioCable (if needed) on Computer B.

Thanks, I'll look into this ... the Mic doesn't come with any software ... it's plug and play.

 

[HCHTech]

She shouldn't be using a mic at all, she should be using a line-level cable -

Right - the audio guy in me couldn't resist a grimace when looking at that setup -haha.

 

[phaZed]

Thanks, I'll look into this ... the Mic doesn't come with any software ... it's plug and play.

Still, check the Realtek Audio control panel, Windows Sound Settings and/or NVIDIA Noise Cancellation, etc..

I think you're right though, that mic is pretty good at capturing analogue sound and cancelling out "digital" noise.

@HCHTech Shudder... lol.. Yeah, there's a few ways to go with this, but it's going to depend on what capabilities both those PC's have, if they're laptops, etc.

 

[phaZed]

@thecomputerguy

Would heavily recommend:

VB-Audio Network

VBAN, the VB-Audio Network Protocol by V.Burel

vb-audio.com

Network broadcast the audio, pick it up on the other PC.

 

[Philippe]

This setup cannot be combined into one computer with dual monitors because she needs to be able to listen to court and also review the recordings at the same time. This means she needs to produce audio from two devices.

You can have 2 sound cards in 1 PC, exactly for this kind of use.

it appears that the Mic is able to distinguish between Digital and Analog audio.

Not possible.

When I speak into the Mic it records fine. When it is listening to the audio coming out of Computer A it is either distorted, cuts out, or doesn't record at all.

Look for digital filters / bad speakers / mic frequency response.
But best way is 2 sound cards or a line in/out cable.

 

[britechguy]

You can have 2 sound cards in 1 PC

Yep. Or one truly "in" and another as a USB device. This is done frequently for screen reader users who need to interact via zoom and the like and in other circumstances so that the audio output from the screen reader can be sent to one card where that output is heard only by them and the other card for the "everybody's on here at once" stuff.

 

[Diggs]

When it is listening to the audio coming out of Computer A it is either distorted, cuts out, or doesn't record at all.

This would be a typical impedance mis-match. (Happened to me a few times when I was a soundman in my rock-n-roll days. But, feeding it into 5,000 watts of amplifiers was never a good thing - chuckles.....)

I've installed the VB-Audio software a few times. A bit confusing but works well. Also allows USB ports to be used for sound (in/out).