Using Skype As A Telephone Hybrid In An Internet Broadcast Situation
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Using Skype As A Telephone Hybrid In An Internet Broadcast Situation
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I have a question concerning the use of SkypeOut. I have two people I’d like to bring into a broadcast; one can make a standard Skype call, but the other is in an area without high speed internet access. Is it possible to have a conference call with both of these individuals, plus me at the console, and be able to record all three participants?
I have tried this by using an analog hybrid interface and standard Skype, but as you may guess, the analog interface “pumped” and had wildly different levels. I also had to build a box with several RDL units to try to feed multiple “mix minus” feeds to each participant. The results had levels all over the map.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Thomas.
It should be possible to get this going without too much difficulty.
We’re using two instances of Skype logged in to the same account at once now, and that allows us to handle two different callers. We can bring them on one at a time, or we can conference them into the broadcast at the same time. Our listeners call in using a toll-free number that forwards to our SkypeIn number. The calls are automatically answered using a custom application I wrote that interfaces with the Skype API to manage our calls.
The best way I have found to do this involves some hardware:
- 2 Soundcards dedicated to phone calls. They can be on the same PC, or different PCs– it doesn’t matter.
- A mixer with two aux sends
Here’s what you would do.
1. Setup Skype for each soundcard. The Skype recording device would be the Line In on the sound card, and the Skype playback device would be the Line Out on the sound card.
2. Login to both instances of Skype at once using the same account. If you are running both instances on one PC, you will need to right-click the Skype icon, choose ‘Run As,’ and then choose a different user to run that instance of Skype. You will then have two instances, each with their own soundcard, logged in to the same Skype account, on one or two PCs.
3. Connect it up. Run the Aux A Out from your mixer into the soundcard Line In for Skype 1. Run the soundcard Line Out for Skype 1 to one of the standard channels on your Mixer. Run the Aux B Out from your mixer into the soundcard Line In for Skype 2. Run the soundcard Line Out for Skype 2 to another of the standard channels on your Mixer. Adjust each soundcard so they record from the line in, and ouput to the line out. In the playback controls, make sure that the “line in” volume is muted or at zero, else you will be feeding the program audio back into the mixer with the caller’s audio.
4. Adjust levels. Here is where we make our mix-minus. Turn the aux send up for every channel but the caller audio. Turn the Aux A Out for Skype 1’s fader all the way down. Turn the Aux B Out for Skype 2’s fader all the way down.
Have a look at our studio setup. I’ve got a closeup of the mixer in there, and you may be able to visualize it a little bit better. The callers are the 3rd and 4th slider from the left. The Aux settings are the two horizontal rows of red buttons (Aux A send on top, B on bottom). Link
That’s it! From there, you can initiate two separate Skype calls (PC-to-PC, SkypeIn, or SkypeOut). Each caller has their own fader on the mixer so you can adjust their volume how you need it.
I know, it might sound confusing or complex. It took me quite a while to wrap my brain around mix-minus, and then come up with this scheme to get it to work. But, it does work, and it works pretty darn well at that.
Let me know if you have any more questions that I might be able to help answer!
Mike
HEY Mike…..im trying to setup a lil internet radio station where people can call in in.its gonna be mostly a dj show not more of a talk show just gonna take couple calls wit skype…now due to limited space i would like to know if i will be able to use my 3 channel dj mixer in order to execute this nicely…Please check this site out to see all the specs of my mixer… link
Also can u tell me wat program can cue up a caller rather than answering it yourself and also do u normally turn the levels down before the caller hangs up just so u wont hear their phone hanging up….the soundcard i will be using is the maya 44 usb….please let me know if that’ll be good….thanks for the info in advance
Hi Keeton.
When you say you want to take a couple of calls, I assume you mean you will only take one call at once. Doing more than one call at once is more difficult and complex.
I checked out your mixer, and I’m not sure if it will work.
Basically, you need an aux send, and the ability to individually adjust how much of each channel is sent to the aux channel. You take the caller audio from the computer (line out) and feed it into a mixer channel. Then, you send every channel *except* the caller out the aux send. You run that into the computer (line in) and feed that audio to the caller. It contains everything but the caller’s own voice, avoiding an echo.
I recently made a wiring diagram of my setup, and it may help you to visualize it. That handles two instances of skype, each with their own set of soundcard inputs and outputs, and each with their own mix-minus feed built using the aux channels.
For automatically answering the call, if you are only doing one line, Skype has a built-in auto-answer. When the caller hangs up, it will disconnect, and take the next call. If the caller doesn’t hang up, you’ll have to hang up on them.
Keep the caller’s volume slider down. When you want the caller on the air, you just slide up their volume. I’ve never thought about hearing the click when someone hangs up– I turn the slider down before then. I’ve found that if you don’t exercise a bit of control when wrapping up a call, they can drag on, which is boring for the listeners. I thank them, give them an opportunity to respond, cut their volume, and move on. The pros seem to just cut their volume, optionally thank them and optionally giving them a chance to respond, and move on.
I hope that helps a bit!
Mike
Hi Mike,
Congratulations on your site! I find it very helpful.
I’m a voice over talent living outside the US but I want to use a SkypeIn line in the US as a phone hybrid (phone patch), so my clientes will be able to listen in real-time when I’m recording… Can you tell how should I do it?
By the way, I don’t have a mixer, I use a M-audio Firewire solo interface for my mic (Behringer B2pro).
Thank you very much!
Jorge
Hi Jorge!
I’ve never used the Firewire Solo, so I’m not sure if it is possible to do what you want.
What you need to do is create an audio feed for your client that includes only your voice, and not their own voice. The only way I know how to do this is with a mixer I’m afraid.
Thanks,
Mike
Hi, Mike:
I have two Telos One’s and an Allen & Heath Zed 14 mixer. I do telephone interviews for a podcast series but sometimes I need to do two calls to separate interviewees and conference these. The Telos One’s will not conference and I only have one land line. I do have Skype but this only works when one of the guests has Skype, too. I’m trying to figure how to use Skype for one caller and the land line for the other. Considering installing a second land line for the other Telos but this will be expensive. ???
Hi Mel.
Nice mixer you’ve got there.
Here’s what you do. You’ll need a dedicated audio interface of some sort for a Skype PC.
Take the audio output from that PC and feed it to a channel on your mixer. That contains the caller’s voice only. Run a cable from one of your mixer’s Aux sends and put it to the Skype PC’s input. That will be mix-minus, and contain all program audio except the caller’s own voice.
Set the Aux Send level for every channel on your mixer to unity gain (looks like the 3 o’clock position on your mixer). Set the Aux Send for the channel for the Skype caller– the one you connected above– all the way down so it is muted.
Done.
From there, grab a SkypeIn number for $18/3 months or $60/1 year, and people can call in. Or, you can get some SkypeOut credit and initiate calls. The Telos isn’t necessary for this setup, so feel free to send it my way… heh!
I hope that helps,
Mike
I am in the process of setting up a streaming audio broadcast for a friend, and came across a piece of software called “Express Talk”. I hasd a fairly flexible setip (seems to be geared toward a SIP setup) but supports 10 calls at a time (if you have that many channels) and allows you to select “PC speaker” for listening and “PC Mic” for return audio. That would allow all mixing to be internal – especially with M-Audio’s driver that supports “Monitor Mix” and if you have a USB Mic, and use Windows Media Encoder, it seems to be all there. Your thoughts??? Thanks -Jay
Hello. I only use 1 pc for my streaming and my skype. have an sb augity 2zs note book soundcard . how would I do this with out going in to what you here?
Hi Sarah,
I’m afraid that I’m only familiar with using Skype for a radio broadcast when using an external mixer and multiple soundcards.
Good luck!
Mike
Hi Mike,
Is it possible to do Three lines? with three different soundcards on 2 computers? I would like to have one guest on skype and have two lines available for callers.
Hey Mike,
Is it possible to use a laptop . We are investigating latency issues when hosting OB’s with talent on site and caller from the studio.
If we could use Skype on a laptop we could originate the host & call from the remote site hence eliminating the latency issues.
Look forward to your thoughts.
Great article.
Peter
Hi Peter,
Sorry for the slow response. Somehow all my comments piled up without me receiving a notice.
I think it is definitely possible to do this with a laptop, likely with simple hardware. The laptop would need an audio input for your mix minus, and a line out to go into whatever you use for mixing. Pretty much any USB or firewire interface should suffice.
If you don’t have a mix minus, you could easily use a small mixer to create it. A USB mixer might even be able to function as the interface with the laptop.
I’m not a radio guy– just an internet hack trying to sound good on a shoestring budget, and have fun while doing it. If you have any questions, fire away.
Mike