Using Ox Box through Zoom/Skype live

slawler

Tried searching for this online but nothing came up.

I am looking to start taking guitar lessons by Zoom/Skype and would like to use my guitar through my Amp and UA Ox Box as a direct in through my audio interface (UA Apollo) rather than through a microphone.

I would also like to use a separate microphone for my voice when speaking.

Is this something that can be done and, if so, how?

Appreciate any advice.

spark240

It can all be done....just need some sort of streamer setup like rodecaster or similar to direct each input

Lestratcaster

I teach online and use an analogue mixer for my sounds, my XLR mic for talking into, Kemper Profiler (main out from the back into a line input) and backing music into the other channel.

I don't use Zoom/Skype but a platform run in Google Chrome Browser which just takes my computer audio input from my Focusrite (Windows 10)

If your amp has a line out you can run this into an input into your interface and use the other one for your talking mic. If you don't use backing music to play to then you can probably survive with this basic setup, but as I teach songs I have to demonstrate parts to the original song so I need a 3rd input hence the need for a mixer (I could just use the Kemper's alternative input though but I like the individual volume controls for separate channels on the mixer)

spir4L

I tried doing something similar, using the Ua Ox Stomp instead of the Ox Box, plugged in stereo to my interface and a microphone and I discovered that most of the voip softwares only take one or two inputs from the interface (the first or the first two), so, unless you are using an external mixer, the solution is to route all the inputs into the first input of the interface and mix through your Interface Control App.

Some interfaces can do do this via a loopback sw function, but, since my Clarett+ 4pre doesn't, I had to sacrifice one of the inputs and plug the output to which I routed the other inputs into it physically i.e. with a jack cable. 

This is what I followed from the Focusrite website: https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360015630060-Using-several-interface-inputs-in-macOS-video-call-software

I think this could also be achieved via the s/pdif in/out but I haven't tried.

I also tried creating aggregated inputs and outputs from the Audio Midi MacOS setup but while it works for things like QuickTime recording (I can record the inputs in the interface as well as a backing track and the voice over the microphone), it doesn't do the trick for the voip softwares.

The only thing I still didn't manage to sort is to be able to actually play some backing track from the laptop and get also that one streamed (that I believe in a lesson would be important) because, if I also routed the laptop audio to the same output that I am using for the microphone and guitar, I think that would mean routing also the sound coming from the audience in the call, that means the audience would hear themselves and it would probably be very annoying.

From what I saw online it seems that using OBS it should be possible to achieve this, this is a page I found but I still didn't give it a try:
https://obsproject.com/kb/surround-sound-guide
https://obsproject.com/kb/multiple-audio-track-recording-guide

Lestratcaster

When I first started teaching online during when the covid pandemic started I had the same issue with syncing guitar signal and Spotify audio playback off the computer as the two sounds were different sources, one was analogue one was digital so the 2 were never in time properly. SPDIF didn't work either as Windows only detects teh front 2 analogue interface ports as said.

So I decided the only way for me to have guitar and music in sync was an external mixer, I now use the Yamaha MG10 and its great. All music is in time with the guitar and I can control each level with one touch of a button (or knob, in this case).

I do have to use 2 hardware devices but it sounds great and I offload another processing task for the computer (important for video calls as its quite for processing power). I could use a DAW and run sounds off that, but it requires a loopback function plus I want to just keep the one video call window open instead of having 3 different windows open at one time.

slawler

Thank you for all the advice so far.

My current equipment signal chain is:

1. Guitar / Guitar Pedals

-Into-

2. Amp Splitter for two Amps (Two Rock Classic Reverb Signature 100w and Marshall SV20h)

-Into-

3. Universal Audio Ox Box (s/pdif in/out)
 
- Into -

4. Audio Interface (Universal Audio Apollo Twin X)

- Into - 

5. Computer (Macbook Pro) with external monitoring speakers

Based on this signal chain, would I still need to add further equipment in order to use the Ox box live in a streaming sense through Zoom/Skype/Microsoft Teams?

Or can I use my existing equipment to achieve this somehow?

Lestratcaster

I think the main issue is the computer not picking up SPDIF to use with Zoom/Skype etc. I had problems with mine (Windows user) picking up the signal cos it doesn't detect it. Unless you use a DAW and run 2 tracks (1 for the speaking mic which I think you're going to get) and the other for your guitar input and then some form of software to run it into the platform. Voicemeeter and some Banana one are ones I know but they didn't work for me with backing music.

I believe there's a line out in the Ox Box so that could go into one of your interface ports, and the mic going into the other one, though if you're using Skype it only uses one analogue input I think.

When you play your guitar is it being picked up in your Mac audio input? If it works via the line out then its possible you can use it.

octatonic

I use Audio Movers Omnibus for sending sources to different, unlinked destinations.

https://audiomovers.com/omnibus/

It is the best at it, sometimes sample rate agnostic too.
You don't have to mess about with aggregate devices, which are buggy and unreliable, at best.

For teaching I wouldn't bother though.
Use a modeller- the point is to teach the student, not worry about your tone.
When I studied with Ian Miller in Australia back in the 90's he didn't even plug in his guitar.

When I teach now via Zoom I use a condenser mic in the room (sending to Zoom via Omnibus).
I'll either use a clean guitar tone or sometimes a distorted tone from a modeller.

Lestratcaster

Wow that Omnibus software looks complicated! But I couldn't use it anyway cos I think its only Mac-based. I think I'll stick to my hardware mixer lol, only 3 sounds to control and I can keep the main call window open instead of switching between several. 

Would be nice to get something that only uses 1 hardware device and less connections though. No doubt someone will bring something out. I think the Boss Gigcaster does something like this but I'm not sure if it does 2-way monitoring. ie. both people hear the same mix as I had learners use the Yamaha AG6 which is meant to be an audio interface and mixer in one but only 1 of us could hear the mix which is kinda useless in a lesson.

octatonic

It isn’t complicated, but it is capable.

Lestratcaster

Maybe they'll bring out a version for Windows users, and I'll get the hang of it someday lol.

Wazmeister

Have a look at the Boss Gigmaster 8.