Question / Help Static/buzzing in stream with dual pc setup

[bruschetta]

Two pc's , 3.5mm splitter in 'line out' port of gaming pc; one end of the splitter runs to my headphones while the other end runs to the 'line in' of the streaming pc. microphone obviously in the mic in port of the gaming pc, as well a secondary desktop mic in a usb port of the streaming pc (that is besides the point).

Everything is great, i can run very low CPU presets at 720p and 1080p while having practically zero impact on my gaming pc performance. The only thing holding me back is this constant static/crackling/buzzing that is heard while streaming. Clearly there is some sort of interference happening here, and i realize that some motherboards cause this type of thing to happen, be it the amount of usb ports in use, case fans, etc... But there must be some sort of workaround, especially for successful streamers who do in fact use dual pc's to stream...

I tried two different 3.5mm male to male cords from splitter to streaming pc, I attempted using a usb external sound card on both pc's in hopes that it would lessen or remove the static somehow. I purchased a $38 sound blaster audigy fx internal pcie sound card for the streaming pc just to bypass the realtek mobo onboard sound in hopes to work -> all of this to failure.

This is irritating to my viewers and I, some sort of explanation / solution is much requested.

A streamer suggested something like this, but is this completely necessary?

http://i.imgur.com/huLWVNo.jpg

Also, another person suggested purchasing a thicker 3.5mm male to male cable designed for vehicles, which is shielded and what not..

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021812&p_id=5577&seq=1&format=2

Appreciate you guys reading.

 

[Krazy]

Could you try some local recordings from using OBS on your gaming PC to see if the static is still present? Maybe it's some quirk on the gaming PC's end and not the streaming PC.

 

[bruschetta]

Could you try some local recordings from using OBS on your gaming PC to see if the static is still present? Maybe it's some quirk on the gaming PC's end and not the streaming PC.

Just came back from testing what you listed above and had absolutely zero static/buzzing interference (when listening to stream from two separate pc's, that being streaming and laptop).

just an update: a youtuber suggested i test this out because it supposedly removed all of his static interference. I just went ahead and purchased it after reading reviews and what not,

this item may also do the trick...

:( :/ :(

 

[FerretBomb]

Just a possibility, plug your headphones into the encoder PC's 'speaker' port, and try enabling 'listen to this device' on the line-in recording device's properties. This eliminates the splitter which can cause crackle/interference. I'd also recommend clipping a ferrous loop bead around one end of the dubbing cable, or better yet, just switch your audio output to HDMI (this will also ensure that game audio/video are in-sync on the encoding machine along with keeping the audio digital and eliminating interference).

 

[Boildown]

I recently read some reviews of mixers for sale on Monoprice, and the user reviews there said using the USB for audio resulted in horrible buzzing. http://www.monoprice.com/Product/?c_id= ... 4#feedback You should check for this before getting any mixer where you plan to use the USB (or in general).

I use the splitter design, I don't think the mixer would add much value to me, even if it didn't lag the audio or add noise, which I'm not convinced it wouldn't. In my design, I do get a small buzz, but its not noticeable over game audio.

Even so, I would be interested in learning how to eliminate the small buzz. I see very inconsistent things about where I should be plugging in my two computers, some say different circuits, some say same circuit. Some warn that outlets even far apart in the same residence on different breakers might still be on the same circuit. Its a mess.

I happen to use the shortest and highest quality 3.5mm cable I could get from Monoprice to take my fronts to the line in on my encoder PC, and still get a slight buzz, by the way. Just inaudible in most situations. I use an analog 7.1 surround headset, and split the fronts with a Y-cable, so only the fronts get sent to my encoder PC, but in practice I don't think anyone ever knows they're not hearing the full surround audio.

For my microphones I use two of these: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Desktop- ... B00009EHJV . Most microphones use the 3.5mm microphone input, and I've always found that they completely suck quality wise, especially headset mics. This microphone sounds great and its nice and cheap, and doesn't seem to be at all affected by noisy USB busses, unlike every other USB audio device I've used. I have one of these mics going to my game PC, and another going to my encoder PC, and they sit on my computer desk side-by-side. It just works, no mixer needed.

The only downside is no push to talk for the encoder PC. If I want to mute, I have to push the button on the mic itself. But I actually have learned to like this better. I can mutter things under my breath or narrate things that are now included in my stream but not sent to my teammates in-game.