Total beginner in streaming

General discussion about Gig Performer
1

Oh boy. How can i start? So many things that is better to start with my goal.

Lets assume i want to stream some live performance as a hobby on Instagram or youtube.

My main audio device is the nux migty space (https://www.nuxaudio.com/mightyspace.html) which is a portable guitar amp that works as a FRFR/Audio interface with ASIO support for windows (2in/2outs visible on the interface properties but physically only 1 in, the guitar and stereo speakers)The amp itselt has built in effects so i might not need additional plugins, but sometimes i might be interested on the use of other audio plugins such as MIDI guitar. So, with this in mind, and assuming i am a windows user, how would you do the set up for live streaming if GP Is used?

I mean, the ASIO audio driver is one thing and windows audio is another one. Instagram or similar does not have Asio support, (assuming a multi client asio device like mine) would be possible on windows to route this from GP to Instagram?

If so, how?

Would this be easier on Mac?

Thanks for the patience, but i am a beginner with streaming and i dont have any clue

Cheers

2

How should I set up Gig Perfoemer for live streaming is like asking what guitar to buy; but you’ll find SO much help here once you understand your use case. Since you’re new to live streaming I’ll offer some related advice which you can treat as free!

I’ve racked up now some thousands of hours of live streaming to Twitch and YouTube using I suppose a complex setup starting out on a 15 year old Mac with OBS bootstrapping Windows 8.1 and now progressing to using the ATEM mini pro. I used a number of VST hosts before I found Gig Performer.

I’ve also remotely operated also many live streamed hours for others and done super fancy Zoom type calls as well. Everything from gaming to ambient generative music, including all the events overlays bells and whistles etc. I have an idea I’m fairly experienced at this topic area by now, but it’s not of interest to most people as far as I can tell.

Here’s my $0.02 worth of opinion on best advice for a beginner:

Don’t bother messing around with CPU-based “free” solutions.

It’s VERY tempting to “just download OBS” and go from there. But that’s a rabbit hole, trust me. You don’t want to be messing around with your ASIO drivers spiking into your h.264 encoding and causing variable latency which stalls and drops frames while your VSTs are choking the CPU. Bypass that problem class altogether is my advice.

My best advice would be consider what your time is worth to you. Now figure out how much of your time it would take to add up to USD$295 plus let’s say $50 for HDMI cabling. I’ll assume you have a camera with HDMI output (camcorders for $200-ish will work great they even have 4:2:2 chroma sampling HDMI outputs). With an ATEM Mini Pro (don’t forget the “pro” part) you have so many and such smart options you can even work around just using a built in USB camera on a laptop.

However much your time is worth you’re going to zoom way past $500 very very fast messing around with getting “free” OBS working the way you want. Learn from my pain.

The $295 is the price of a new BlackMagic Design ATEM Mini Pro. Believe me this is the best kept and most ignored secret weapon in the entire online video ecosystem in 2024.

Maybe a bit of a learning curve but it’s not onerous, you’ll get very far learning very little, and your expansion options are frankly mind blowing. I won’t even start to go into that aspect of it. I’ll just say OSC is your friend.

This year marks a half a century since the first time I worked in live TV studio broadcasts. This device is the way to do it for my money. It’s utterly future proof and it will stay OUT of your way and let you perform.

Funny story, true story:

Shortly after the ATEM Mini Pro (do NOT forget the “pro” in the model name) came out, a new little gadget became available to 3D print. It’s a protective little cage that snaps on the corner of the ATEM control surface to prevent you accidentally hitting the “Live” and or “Record” buttons. They are for real, and they work exactly as advertised. Pro-tip use the FTB (fade to black button) which blinks slowly when on black, just like downtown,

The ATEM takes HDMI inputs so doesn’t care where those come from, Mac/PC that’s your choice. Personally I decided Windows and custom built my own machine. Even a moderately priced AMD or NVIDIA graphics card will give you 3 or 4 HDMI outputs. I believe Apple will still extract cash through your nostrils for that many HDMI outputs.

My advice if you’re starting: you will NOT be sad you bought an ATEM Mini Pro because then you can sit down at your instrument; hit the live (or record to SSD) button and you ARE live. That’s where you want to be.

I’m not associated with BlackMagic Design except as a customer, and I just happen to know the $295 is B&H’s price right now. This thing will take the headache out of streaming. Highly recommended.

A lot of people think “$295 plus, but OBS is free!” There is such a thing as diseconomy particularly when talking about our own time. Your time is not free and it sounds like you want to spend wisely. This is a very wise way, It’s a new world maybe but you’ll love it and it’s the real world TV way to do things. It’s not “too complicated” that objection is a trap.

It gets VERY cool very fast when you start figuring OSC into how your setup works and pretty much any limitation is essentially removed, particularly in how you want to run and sequence your show.

<\Pontification ends>

3

This is one of the most misunderstood issues when buying something. Many people, particularly in the open source world push stuff arguing, “it’s free”, while completely ignoring TCO (aka Total Cost of Ownership) where the value of your time generally makes the initial cost of a purchase negligible.

4

+1 feel free to treat OBS shaped tire tracks on my back as lines on the road to purpose engineered hardware solution that is VASTLY superior to OBS (etc fill in name of “free” solution).

My observation; which clearly aligns with the rationale for spending $200 one-time on a perpetual Gig Performer license, comes from the 128-point checklist I once developed necessary before “going live”. It was at that moment I started thinking I need to spend some money to accomplish this instead.

My advice to a new live streamer: pay for an ATEM Mini Pro and I would even argue every single person even streaming shooter games (non musicians) would have a universe of time and money saving options opened to them with a Gig Performer license.

5

@kevinf

Thank you very much for these gems of advice.

That sounds like a great article :innocent:

6

Kevin.

Thank yo so much for the detailed explanation, specially after mentioning that our time is not free :sweat_smile:

Nevertheless, i would say that all your advice is very worthy for some someone that wants to do it in a more professional way.

As i mentioned, i just would likw to stream forr some friends randomly any day i have the mood to do it.

Actually doing more research, i have found some other solutions, that are not related to laptops.

I mean, i can just take my mini amp to the streets, and streaming from my phone, but i dont want to use the microphones in my phone. I have an Android with OTG usb-c port, so i can plug anything there like microphones or even my amp directly, but the issue is, i can not select on instagram (i dont know about YouTube live) the external device as a main audio input. I am not sure if in IOS It is possible, but i think this is an app related thing, as i can capture the audio using other apps, for instance there is an app called “open camera” where the video options has this audio source option available. I tested it with my amp and it works. Even the amp app allows to use a loopback option to capture audio from another microphone like a wired 3.5mm or a Bluetooth one.

I have found a streaming tool device for mobiles and laptops that apparently would allow to do such tasks directly on phones, the so called "irig stream’ but in the end, this is still like an audio interface mixer that might work on iphones but not on Android , and i think meta has been pushing to use the next topic.

I have found that there is a new desktop version called “Instagram live producer” wich allow streaming apps being used with the streaming solutions you were talking about. So, if this is the case, then i can follow your approach. Assuming that is a windows laptop, my idea was to rout directly the audio either from the dsp/fx on the amp or the plugins to a live streaming in the Instagram website using for example chrome as main browser. But now, besides the GP session, the browser running in the background i will have to manage another tool, whihc is just too much for a hobbiest.

For me the ideal would be send the audio directly to my phone but if is not posible, as a hobbiest, probably will try to see how bad will sound via Instagram app in the phone, as a i like simplicity

Thank you again for your comments !

7

I think i have overcomplicated my self.

Some times the easiest solution should be the best. In idea came to my mind but i will need to try it.

I will need an DAC converter to 3.5mm adpater to bypass the built-in mics of the smartphone, as far as i know, any app will proiritize audio via 3.5mm headphones/mics connected in that way instead of the usb c port. I have an Android still with 3.5mm but i need to buy such adapter. The idea will be use the usb port of the amp as audio out at the same time that the sound coming from the speaker, and i need to emphasize this method, because if i use a single 3.5mm stereo cable between the phone and the headphon out of the amp, i will lose the sound of the speaker for a live performance.

I have this is clear, but i need to buy the adapter first and test it.

This will be a laptop less solution, i still need to think what other way will be an easy one when using a laptop :sweat_smile:

8

How exactly does Gig Performer fit into this?

9

Well, as i mentioned, i have 2 scenarios one with no plugins and one with plugins.

Assuming i want to use gp, i still have doubts about audio routing. My goal will be as light as possible, i mean the less hardware and software the better, just the amp/interface , a windows tablet (or mac if the audio routing is easier), and a Smartphone to received the processed audio digitally.

But on these second case i dont know if it will be possible without a mixer, cause as i mentioned, the amp/interface has 2 input and output via usb connection, and i am not sure if is possible to use different instances of GP In a way where one instace of gp sends the output of the guitar amp/interface, and then a second instance (just for the shake of audio transmission) forward this audio via another inteface i.e the built in 3.5mm of a laptop or the previously mentioned irig stream.

I hope it is clear. I really think it is a mess my explanation but in the end everything falls about to trick the audio input of the smarphones. But if clear and you have a better idee, please let me know

10

Here’s my 2 cents.
I use a Win 10 Laptop running GP with a USB interface sending Audio and Midi to another USB interface connected to a Win 10 Desktop with a NVIDIA Graphics card running OBS.
This allows me to change scenes in OBS from GPs song selection with midi Program Change - very handy.

1 Like
11

Awsome, so it is possible to use 2 interfaces for routing reasons.

May i ask what interfaces are you using and in what order?

Thanks

12

I have gone through several. I gave up trying to get the ZOOM UAC-2 drivers to work consistently. The Behringer Xenyx 802S Mixer was too noisy.
I now have a Steinberg UR44-C for the laptop and an old Tascam US-1641 still working for the desktop - It works great for Cubase but is overkill for OBS which only works with the 1st 2 channels - at least until I try the new Steinberg ASIO Drivers I just found out about.

1 Like
13

Are you sending MIDI to OBS or OSC? Either would require an OBS plugin, and I’ve found GP spectacular for doing that.

For just one example I can start and stop Gig Performer playback, and actually have a 2-way OSC handshake that ensures the only way the Companion- emulated Streamdeck button can change from “Stop” to “Run” is that the stop and run strings are actually sent as a report from Gig Performer when it’s stopped or running.

So Gig Performer makes sure the Streamdeck button isn’t guessing; it knows. :100:

2 Likes
14

Using the OBS midi plugin.

15

I’m curious how you use a MIDI PC to switch OBS?

16

ah, ok, so i think i misundertood something. so you are using 2 interfaces but each in a different computer, right?

Does any one knows if is possible to forward processed audio from one interface to another (using a second instace of gp) ?

I will write again the scenario if it is not clear.

The portable amp with the ASIO intarfce built it feature will be the main input and output for street performance. The amp is connected to a windows tablet and there is not possibility to route the audio with other outputs to the TRRS 3.5mm of the phone, hence, maybe vritually, but with the usage of another small interface, would it be possible to route the output chanels of the amp, as input on the second interface (using the same tablet) and then use this second interface as connector with the phone?

Thank you

17

This is hard to understand, but I’ll try to reflect it: You are playing an instrument through an amp that has a built in USB interface that has its own ASIO driver (neither here nor there but ok) connected by USB to a windows tablet. I’m not sure how that’s getting to the tablet.

Assuming that device actually presents an ASIO audio input and also ASIO output device available to your Windows tablet. Let’s say you add a reverb VST. So you send that audio back to your ASIO equipped amp and that gives you the result you want through the speaker.

This is what I think I understand. Maybe I’m wrong.

You want a way to send the audio you processed in GP that’s going to the speaker also to your phone’s TRRS jack as input. That’s going to depend on how you connect the phone to the computer I think.

But maybe I don’t understand.

18

There is a VST called Blue Cat Connector which allows routing audio and MIDI from one app to another (so from one instance of GP to another) I mention it because I have it and it DOES work but… it’s a bit finicky sometimes (jitter, dropouts, lag: would take careful setup and testing) and it’s not technically lossless.

You would want to test the demo for sure. But that might give you a way to send audio from one instance of GP to another instance of GP (via the Blue Cat Connector VST running in both, and configured to do this), and that second instance could be configured to use for example the analog headphone out (or other audio interface) from your windows tablet via TRRS connector to your phone etc. Lotta transcoding there careful your buffer sizes.

There’s quite a few “ifs” here and I would classify the idea as experimental for performance and live streaming purposes.

Little-known fact the ATEM mini pro (which I have no relationship to other than as a customer for years) can tether to a cell phone by USB-C and live stream directly to through that phone’s SIM even (or WiFi I think). It also live streams like a tank drives across a sports field so watch your non-WiFi data consumption… You might want to look at that idea too…?

Hope that helps.

19

Yes, the amp has some fx built in but they can be by passed. Connection is via usb and yes the affected dry sound is reflected on the amp. First part is well understood by you.

And yes i also want to send the processed audio to the phone. I assume that due the nature of my amp (number of i/o available) i Could use a 2nd asio intarface or even the 3.5mm output of the tablet (this could be a bad solution as latency is higher)

I think i have heard about blue cat, so i might need to try as well, thank you!

About atem, i haven’t heard but I will check it.

I will try to show my results as soon as I can

20

So I did understand it had to do with how you connect from the tablet to the phone. I can tell you from thousands of hours of experience streaming now the ATEM works and plays VERY well with Gig Performer, and it’s a kind of a live streaming Leatherman multi tool in hardware. It includes a 12 channel audio mixer for example with Fairlight audio processor per channel included. It’s just stupid powerful especially for the price. You definitely want to look at it very carefully, it might have a very clean solution for getting your GP processed audio to that live stream.