Behind The Scenes: Routing With 2 Channel Audio Interface, Mumble, Google Hangouts and Mixxx For Broadcasting and Recording

This is mostly for internal use but we are hopeful that others will get something out of this.  This was done on an Ubuntu Studio 16.04 system with the KXStudio Tools.  The audio interface used in this tutorial is a Focusrite 2i2 but any 2 in 2 out audio interface should work just fine.

Settings files used in this tutorial:  Click Here

 

Written Instructions:
There is an error in the video routing to the alsa bridge.  Make sure to follow written instructions.  It is noted below in the written instructions.  Sorry!  We will fix this eventually, or we won't.  :)

Make sure your audio device is connected and turned on.

Open Cadence from application launcher.

In system tab go to configure and make sure the correct audio device is selected with the correct number of channels (this tutorial is for a 2 channel interface) and click "ok"

Hit start. Make sure all "Jack Bridges" are stopped.

In tools tab, open Claudia. You should see "Hardware Capture" and "Hardware Playback". If you do not, something is wrong

At the bottom right of the Claudia window, change buffer size to "128"

Open Jack Mixer from application launcher.

From the Jack Mixer window: Mixer --> Open. Open File Named "phone mics mixxx" (it may be in a different location than on the video)

In Claudia: Right click any gray part of the box marked "jack_mixer" and disconnect all

In Claudia: From box marked "Hardware Capture" connect "capture_1" and "capture_2" to "mics" on the box marked "jack mixer"

Open Mixxx from application launcher.

Make sure Mixxx's audio is configured properly (see video)

In Claudia: Right click any gray part of the box marked "Mixxx" and click "disconnect all"

In Claudia: From box marked "Mixxx" connect "out_0" to "mixxx L" on box marked "jack_mixer"

In Claudia: From box marked "Mixxx" connect "out_1" to "mixxx R" on box marked "jack_mixer"

In Cadence: Jack Bridges. Click Alsa Audio. Make sure bridge type is "ALSA -> Loop -> Jack" and click "Start"

In Claudia: On boxes marked "alsa2jack" and "jack2alsa" right click any gray part of the box and click "disconnect all"

In Claudia: Box marked "alsa2jack" connect "capture_1" to "from mumble"

In Claudia: Box marked "jack2alsa" connect "playback_1" to "to mumble Out"
there is an error in the video here.  video shows route from "playback_1" to "from mumble Out".  This is incorrect, make sure you route jack2alsa "playback_1" to "to mumble Out".  Sorry!

Open Mumble from application launcher (you must do this at this point in the process or mumble and/or phone system will not work)

Connect to mumble as you normally would.

In Claudia: Connect "mics Out", Mixxx Out L&R" and "phone in Out" to "to mumble" (this allows anyone on mumble to hear the mics, music/clips, and the phone system)

In Cadence: Jack Bridges. Click "PulseAudio" and click "Start"

In Claudia: Click any gray part of the box marked "PulseAudio Jack Sink" and click "disconnect all". Do the same for "PulseAudio Jack Source"

In Claudia: From box marked "PulseAudio Jack Sink" connect "front-left" to "phone in"

In Claudia: From box marked "PulseAudio Jack source" connect "front-left" to "phone out Out"

In Claudia: Connect "mics Out", "Mixx Out L&R", and "from mumble Out" to "phone out"

Open web browser from application launcher (firefox or chromium/chrome) and start google hangouts.

Open another Jack Mixer from application launcher

From the Jack Mixer window: Mixer --> Open. Open File Named "headphones and stream mixer" (it may be in a different location than on the video)

In Claudia: Right click any gray area in the box marked "jack_mixer-01" and select "disconnect all"

In Claudia: Connect "mics Out" to "headpones L&R" and "stream L&R"

In Claudia: Connect "mixxx out L" to "headphones L" and "stream L" and "mixxx out R" to "headphones R" and "stream R"

In Claudia: Connect "phone in Out" to "headpones L&R" and "stream L&R"

In Claudia: Connect "from mumble Out" to "headpones L&R" and "stream L&R"

In Claudia: Connect "Headphones out L" to "playback_1" in box called "Hardware Playback"

In Claudia: Connect "Headphones out R" to "playback_2" in box called "Hardware Playback"

At this point, when you talk into your mic you should hear it in your headphones

You should also test the phone system by placing a call, you should hear it ringing in your headphones

Both of these sounds should come from "the center" of your headphones. If not, you've done something wrong

You can also test Mixxx by playing a sound file, this should play through as you would normally expect sound to play through headphones

If you plan to broadcast, open BUTT from application launcher

Click "Settings" in butt and go to the "stream" tab. Make sure that "Audio Device" is set to "System"

You can click "EDIT" under "Stream Infos" and change the name of the stream, etc

This tutorial assumes you already have your icecast login info set up under "Server" on the BUTT settings

Open Calf Plugin Pack using application launcher. File -> Open -> "new compressor limiter for podcast"

In Claudia: BUTT will show up as a box labelled "PortAudio", right click any gray part of that box and "disconnect all"

In Claudia: Connect "stream Out L&R" to Calf Studio Box "compressor In #1 & #2" respectively

In Claudia: Connect "compressor Out #1 & #2" to "compressor (2) In #1 & #2" respectively

In Claudia: Connect "compressor (2) Out #1 & #2" to PortAudio "in_0" and "in_1" respectively

If you wish to record, open ardour from the application launcher

New Session. Name it whatever you want to name it.

In Ardour: On the right side of the screen near the top, you will see "editor", "mixer", and "preferences". Click "mixer"

In Ardour: On the left side, you will see 3 boxes. In the center of the 3 boxes, click the + button. At the top of the dialog that opens, change the 1 to a 6, this adds 6 channels

In Ardour: You should now see 6 channel strips. "Arm" each channel by clicking each of the red circles for each of the channels. The red color should become brighter indicating that the channels are armed

In Ardour: Session -> Properties. On the left side of the dialog that opens, click "media" and change sample format to 16 bit integer

In Claudia: Right click any gray area in the box marked ardour and "disconnect all"

In Claudia: From box marked "Hardware Capture" connect "capture_1" to "Audio 1/audio_in 1" on box marked ardour and "capture_2" to "Audio 2/audio_in 1"

In Claudia: From box marked "Mixxx" connect "out_0" to "Audio 3/audio_in 1" on the ardour box and "out_1" to "Audio 4/audio_in 1" on the ardour box

In Claudia: From box marked "jack_mixer" connect "phone in Out" to "Audio 5/audio_in 1" on the ardour box

In Claudia: From box marked "jack_mixer" connect "from mumble Out" to "Audio 6/audio_in 1" on the ardour box

In Ardour: Start recording by clicking the record button (I always just do this when I finish configuring Ardour so I don't forget)

In BUTT: Hit the play button to start streaming

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