Gear/Cables Needed for FB Live

Hi, just looking for some input on how best to set up my gear for a possible FB Live Session. I believe I have all the hardware I need but might be missing some cables. Ideally I would like to have audio sent directly from my T4s/ L1 system directly into an android or iPhone or directly into a Mac Computer via USB out or something.

My Gear and Current Chain:  

1: Taylor 214 and Shure SM 58 (XLR and 1/4 in) into TC Helicon Play Acoustic (for guitar and vocal effects, harmonies..) out to-> Boss RC 300 (for Looping) -> Bose T4s Mixer.

From the mixer what kind of cable can send audio directly a phone and/or computer? I believe it s more than simply USB out..is there a unique cable I need?

 

Thanks for any help, Todd

Hi Todd. I'm in the process of doing the same thing, except I have 2 t1 tonematch's. I'm going to run a trs cable from the main out on my tone match into either an i rig stream or iRig pro duo. I haven't decided yet which one I'm going to get. Check it out on YouTube for videos on ik multimedia iRig duo pro and iRig stream. The irig stream just uses 1/4 inch from your master out on your tone match into a y RCA cables on the end which go into the iRig stream. From there, it goes into your Android phone. The cables all come with each one of the Irigs. Hope this is of some help.

Hello ToddK,

I have done a Facebook Live using my Bose equipment into a PC (sorry, not into a Mac or phone).  For reference, I have a T8S rather than a T4S, but the concepts are the same.

 

If you decide to use an iRig Stream as Dan suggested, I would use the T4S headphone jack (which is a stereo L-R signal on a TRS jack) rather than the main outs (which are balanced signals on TRS jacks.)  Using a 1/4" TRS Y-cable to two RCA plugs from a main out would result in the plus and minus signals cancelling each other out, whereas the headphone jack correctly presents a stereo L-R signal.  Also, using the headphone jack allows you to adjust the signal going to the iRig separately from the volume going to your L1.

As an alternative, you can go directly into your Mac via USB and it really is that simple.  However, monitoring becomes a problem if you don't have a separate Tonematch power supply for your T4S.  Here's why:

I found I really have to pump the channel volumes and master volume to get a robust signal into the computer via USB.  However, if you're powering your T4S via the Tonematch cable from your L1 Model II, then your L1 will undoubtedly be way too loud.

I have a T8S with a separate Tonematch power supply,  and used the headphone jack on the T8S for monitoring.  I sent that signal to an L1 Compact and had nothing connected to the main outs. 

If you decide to go direct USB and use your L1 Model II for monitoring, then the best option is to have the external power supply for your T4S, and set an Aux out to send to your L1 via TRS-TRS cable so you can control that volume separately.

Does that help?

Fish

Ty, really good examples and advice there. I was considering the head phones out as a likely choice for this. USB out I seemed to have some latency issues with the looper. Thanks so much for the help. 

That's great!  I did some more testing this morning and found out that even though the "USB to PC" in Prefs is set to "Master", the Master Volume has no bearing on what is sent to the PC via USB, only the channel volumes.  (Now that I think of it,  I may remember ST pointed that out in another post.)

The "Master Volume" evidently only sends to the 1/4" and Tonematch jacks (XLR jacks on a T8S.  ST, can you chime in and confirm this?)  If that's true, you could indeed use your L1 Model II to monitor without it blasting you out.

Re: the latency with the looper ... not sure what's happening there (I've never used one) but I have noticed overall latency with both the audio and video monitoring on the PC.  I really noticed it when I plugged my headphones into the laptop.  When I plugged them into the T8S, there was none.

Good luck!

Hi Fish,

Fish posted:

That's great!  I did some more testing this morning and found out that even though the "USB to PC" in Prefs is set to "Master", the Master Volume has no bearing on what is sent to the PC via USB, only the channel volumes.  (Now that I think of it,  I may remember ST pointed that out in another post.)

Yes. The T4S/T8S USB output is post-channel-fader (affected by channel volume, but not Master volume control)



The "Master Volume" evidently only sends to the 1/4" and Tonematch jacks (XLR jacks on a T8S.  ST, can you chime in and confirm this?) 

Yes - confirmed.
For those reading along, the USB output is post-master-volume on the T1. That is, the USB output is affected by the T1 Master Volume control.

If that's true, you could indeed use your L1 Model II to monitor without it blasting you out.

Yes - this is one of the improvements compared to the T1.

ST

Hi,

 I am trying to connect T1 to I rig Stream. Master out (1/4" to Y RCA  and not getting a signal.

 Please, help .What am i doing wrong.

Hello Leonskolnik,

 

Simply unplugging one of the RCA plugs and flipping the mono button on the side of the iRig Stream to "on" should work.  (I don't have one to test -- if one RCA is labeled "tip", use it and unplug the other one.  If neither is labled "tip" or "ring", try each individually to see which sounds better.)

 

The T1's output is balanced line-level mono, and the iRig is expecting unbalanced stereo.  If you are using a cable like this:

 Dual RCA to Quarter Inch TRS.jpg

... the 1/4" TRS plug is splitting the and - balanced line-level signals to the iRig Stream which is expecting L and R unbalanced stereo signals.

 

If you have a TS 1/4" to single RCA cable (like a Hosa CPR-103), that may work as well.

 

If neither of those alternatives works, you may need to use another, separate mixer that has stereo unbalanced RCA outputs.  Then run your T1's output to a channel input on the second mixer and then from the second mixer via dual RCA-RCA cables.  However, that adds a another whole dimension of cost and complexity.

 

Does that help?

Thank You very much for reply. I will definitely try today. 

Unfortunately this cable did not work. I will try another cable you suggested.