Noob needs help How to fade playing track when using mic "input" ? SOLVED!

[mitchrapp]

Hi well 1st time on Air live the yesterday, was rough. The setup is a live virtual club and all get their stream via client being served by my Shoutcast stream.  So with live people in the virtual club and there is feedback and comments and using the mic is important feature this club DJ needs.  All the standard stuff a radio dj/host needs to do plus react during song breaks and over music with a mic, much like taking live calls.

My current setup is  RadioDJ getting input (mic) from Voicemeeter Banana, and streaming with the internal A******t encoder to Shoutcast.   I do NOT see a way to fade the current song so the volume is low enough to allow me to speak over music clearly.  I have tried and it sounds muffled, I monitor the in-world stream and whatever I am saying is muffled sounding and hard to understand.  If I use assisted to stop at end of track, then mic/input, my mic and voice are crystal clear. I want to do voice over sweepers  or music beds, but can't see how i can with radioDJ.  DJs in this eco-system typically doing this are using Sam or Virtual DJ or Mixxx.  I do this for fun, and no money is involved so I am trying to keep this on a poor man's budget.   

How do I fade playing music to a volume low enough that I can clearly talk over, without sounding muffled ?
Is it possible to switch to the standalone alta cast encoder ( RadioDJ > Voicemeeter > Alta- Cast > stream to Shoutcast) and have Voicemeeter and my mic is added and mixed with RadioDJ audio - voicemeeter will that give me fade control over the playing music track in voicemeeter and allow my mic to mix with the input from RadioDJ to achieve the results I want?    I know this is not the place for voicemeeter I tried to register for their forum and haven't received a confirmation yet. 

Maybe I am just complicating things  not sure...

I have to be honest, and I do respect that this is software programmed with a lot of work and care, and I get to use it for free, but it seems odd that a music-oriented software with mic and music audio has NO volume controls.  I can understand it is like idiot proofing except when people want to do more than the design capabilities.

HELP !  and thank you in advance

[DJ Garybaldy]

I'd suggest you switch to standalone encoding program (such as Radiocaster/MB recaster) that way you should be able to get the audio from all the sources out via the Standalone encoding software.

http://djgarybaldy.co.uk/stand-alone-encoding-software/

A******t isn't supported around here...

[neutralhills]

1. Click OPTIONS
2. Click OPTIONS again.
3. Click SOUND tab.
4. Scroll to bottom of dialogue and check "Fade down music when enabled"

This will lower the volume of any track playing while the INPUT is open and you're talking on the mic. If you're using Voicemeeter Banana you can set it to do the same thing easily with Macro Keys, or, even better, you can set up automatic audio ducking when there is input over a certain level on the mic channel.

FYI, the forbidden encoder isn't bad, but it isn't supported here. I have found it can crash systems so I recommend using B.U.T.T. instead.

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[mitchrapp]

1. Click OPTIONS
2. Click OPTIONS again.
3. Click SOUND tab.
4. Scroll to bottom of dialogue and check "Fade down music when enabled"

This will lower the volume of any track playing while the INPUT is open and you're talking on the mic. If you're using Voicemeeter Banana you can set it to do the same thing easily with Macro Keys, or, even better, you can set up automatic audio ducking when there is input over a certain level on the mic channel.

FYI, the forbidden encoder isn't bad, but it isn't supported here. I have found it can crash systems so I recommend using B.U.T.T. instead.

Thank you, neutralhills  for clear concise info!!!
The tip about setting up VM for audio-ducking I will look into.
I did have the fade down music checked.. I actually had this screenshot ready to post but was half asleep when making my post here early this morning.  But do appreciate so much you took the time to give me much needed help.


                click

I'd suggest you switch to standalone encoding program (such as Radiocaster/MB recaster) that way you should be able to get the audio from all the sources out via the Standalone encoding software.
http://djgarybaldy.co.uk/stand-alone-encoding-software/

Ok I get it, there is a issue RadioDJ staff has with the *AC* encoder... however I have clearly stated that I am broadcasting just fine, I have music, mic, and its being clearly heard by others on my stream.  That indicates *AC* currently is working fine.

The reply has no answer to my question ... 

What I don't understand Gary, is you already have this answered in your own blog. I don't know why you can't give me some help.. If you don't want to mention other products feel free to IM me.

microphone-input-in-radio-automation-soft

Further I just discovered in the pinned yellow posts above:
What does the INPUT button from RadioDJ?

So restating the main questions:
1.  How do I voice-over a track currently playing so that it fades low enough that I can be clearly heard, where are the settings that set the levels to achieve automatic "audio-ducking".  If there is NO genuine capability for true Audio-ducking just say that.   If there are workarounds point me in a direction.
2.  Is there a way to achieve genuine fader or gain control over the track being played?  Specifically, I am using Voicemeeter Banana, if no one knows the answer using VM or a link to give me help, then maybe another solution or direction I need to go?

Always help is appreciated

[mitchrapp]

Below is a post that explains what I want to do, but I need some basic ABC instructions on how to do it, without spending 2 or 3 days or 24 hours testing and trying to figure out the connections..    HELP if you know how to achieve this

Been fiddling around with Voicemeeter Banana and RadioDJ, plus BUTT (external streaming software) and I must say that I'm quite delighted with the first results! I can even use my MIDI-controller (which has faders and buttons and such) to control Voicemeeter via MIDI-mappings, which is even greater. The feel of faders under your fingers while it all is being processed 'in-the-box' is great. Voicemeeter supports ASIO (hallelujah!). I'm a BIG fan of working completely 'in-the-box' if you yet hadn't noticed ;-) No need to get an even larger desk, I can keep my setup as is without any rewiring, and have it work with my recording software, aswell as being able to DJ. Now I gotta fill this database with all the tons of songs I have, listen thru them all and set intro-points for each and every one of them, make sure the datatags are correct and so... Loads of sleepless nights ahead! And I already had so little sleep

[DJ Garybaldy]

What I don't understand Gary, is you already have this answered in your own blog. I don't know why you can't give me some help.. If you don't want to mention other products feel free to IM me.

The posts on my blog are just basic pointers to how you would achieve what you want,  There are some things you might need to figure out for yourself, I don't have the time to go through every bit of your setup and tell you what you're doing wrong etc..

There's only so much I can do and i don't have a great deal of free time at the moment. Voicemeeter isn't my software so i don't have to support you with it. http://www.radiodj.ro/community/index.php?topic=10046.msg60505#new

Ok I get it, there is a issue RadioDJ staff has with the *AC* encoder... however I have clearly stated that I am broadcasting just fine, I have music, mic, and its being clearly heard by others on my stream.  That indicates *AC* currently is working fine.

The fact A******t isn't supported around here was down to  the fact its breaking DMCA rules somewhere, its not just me saying it for the good of my health.

http://www.radiodj.ro/community/index.php?topic=8401.msg51184#msg51184

I don't mean to sound harsh but even this forum has its limits on what people can actually do we can only give advice where needed.

[neutralhills]

How do I fade playing music to a volume low enough that I can clearly talk over, without sounding muffled ?
Is it possible to switch to the standalone alta cast encoder ( RadioDJ > Voicemeeter > Alta- Cast > stream to Shoutcast) and have Voicemeeter and my mic is added and mixed with RadioDJ audio - voicemeeter will that give me fade control over the playing music track in voicemeeter and allow my mic to mix with the input from RadioDJ to achieve the results I want?    I know this is not the place for voicemeeter I tried to register for their forum and haven't received a confirmation yet. 

Maybe I am just complicating things  not sure...

Well, to be honest, what you are trying to do IS complicated to an extent.

Our studio system does allow people to talk over music beds. We use Voicemeeter (VM) as a virtual mixing console. I control it with an AKAI MIDIMIX controller that is mapped to the corresponding controls in Voicemeeter. RadioDJ is an input into Voicemeeter. My Mackie mixer is an input into Voicemeeter. via USB. My Pioneer DDJ-SX control surface is an input into Voicemeeter on a separate channel. Ring Central comes into VM on a separate channel. The outputs from VM go to local monitor speakers, headphones, and the B.U.T.T. encoder to stream to our Shoutcast server.

The good news is that this isn't nearly as costly as setting up the broadcast booth of a real station. I used an off-lease Dell workstation with Dual Xeon octacore CPUs and 32 GB of RAM for the studio system. It has a RAID controller and dual-SSD drives. Total cost for it was about $600. MIDIMIX was about $100 used, I think. Mackie controller was about $250. My Pioneer was $1300 back in the day, but you can find something decent enough for around $300 used now. You can build a cheapie key control pad for about $6, or a good one for around $100. About $100 for mics (Behringer XM1800s -- good and cheap). Another $100 for cables. $50 for cheapie boom arms off of Amazon with shock absorbers.

Software? Free. Music inventory, I pay about $650/year to Primecuts Music. Another $350/year for licenses to stream.

Pics of my mixing desk in my basement and also our studio system (which is mostly running the same software minus the Pioneer and Serato/Flow8) are below.











Anyhow, that should give you an idea of some of our setups. Finally, we do have a support site for our project that may help you with some of your issues:

http://support.radiohanna.ca/

[mitchrapp]

Thank you so much neutralhills  for the always helpful and detailed reply.  Whew, that is a lot to take in and a good future goal depending on how much I want to follow this broadcasting thing.

Here is what I came up with after watching many videos and reading different sources.  Knowing that it would be possible just needed to get pointed in the right direction.

I NOW HAVE a Working Fading music track using Voicemeeter Banana and a stand-alone encoder.  It's very basic there are still things I want to figure out. But now after 4 broadcasts, it works enough to do basically what I need.

Simply I just fade the playing track with VMB, I have tested enough to know how low to go so the playing track is still easily heard in the background and my voice is good and clear.  Then fade in the music when done on the mic. 
Also added cue monitor input to VMB, allows me to check unknown songs, or song requests before they get played.
There is info out there, on how to setup ducking the music track when a voice mic is detected, I will be looking into that.  Will also be testing macros to simplify hopefully some of the things I know do for a voice over or even just simple mic/voice with no music playing.

Again below is what is working for me, NOT saying this is the only way to achieve the goal of fading music from RadioDJ. Also I will be submitting my layout at the VM forum to see if there are better ways to do this with least amount of latency or better audio/stream quality.

Hope the image helps someone...


           click image to see full size image