Pierrot's Twitch Streams

[Ziggy]

So I used the example of someone getting louder, but it also works in the reverse as well. Compression will normalize the volume basically, so essentially it will turn you down if you get too loud or turn you up if you're to quiet. I've never streamed before, but I'd be kind of surprised to find out that compression wasn't built in to Twitch or whatever streaming software is out there (although I'm still surprised that YouTube has no volume normalizer). If there's no compression in the software, you can always do it with hardware. I have no idea what your setup is like, but if you're just plugging a mic into a computer, you could instead plug it into a mixer or preamp first (one that has compression).

Here's a small mixer that has compression on board. Again, I have no idea what your set up is like, but just to offer this as a tip... This mixer would interface with your PC via USB (your computer would see it as a sound card). You could even route the game audio through it to control that volume level as well. It has a headphones output if you wanted to monitor with headphones (you don't have to). If you keep the mixer next to you while streaming, then you can adjust on the fly. So if someone in the chat is like, "Hey, the game audio is too loud," you could simply turn that channel's volume knob a tad. Or anything else, like "Hey, I can't hear you!" or whatever.

I don't know what people typically do for streaming, but this is what I would use. Mostly because it's what I'm already familiar with. And I'm just a real nerd for gear. Anyways, if you ever wanted to go this route and had any questions I'd be happy to help!

[pierrot]

OBS has options for setting the audio bit rate for the whole stream. I think there may be compression settings per audio channel, too, but I can’t remember. The problem is that I’m sort of locked into elgato’s Game Capture HD software, because I can’t inject the video into OBS from eye TV anymore. I thought Game Capture HD had gotten a lot better since I last used it, but I’m starting to get pretty annoyed by it again. A hardware option is an interesting one, but I have a USB mic, and I’m also very, very cheap.

[pierrot]

So, I think I've realized that cycling between two or three different games each week isn't really going to work for me. I'm not sure that any audience is going to especially care about different genre themes on different nights, either. I'm going to continue with Elnard and Kino no Tabi II, as initially laid out, but I think once I've finished one of them, I'll be switching to just doing three nights a week with the same game, until I finish it, and move on to the next game.


I'm gonna be getting set up for Elnard in just a bit. Feel free to pop in and say hi, if you're up for it: https://www.twitch.tv/pierrot_0.

[Michi]

Oh good. I was worried that after you got into the groove last week that the bemoaning would stop. But joy, my fears were for naught.

"Oh, monsters come in CHESTS now!"
"I just wanna get out of here."
"Oh no, what did I do?"
"That left one was a real jerk."
"*sigh*"
"This time...kill that thing....or not."
"Ah, whoops."


On a side note, I can hear you much better tonight (without having to jack the volume up to ungodly levels), so I think you figured out the sound issues.

[Ziggy]

I've been tuning in and out. Yep, volume levels are definitely much better!

[Michi]

I clearly posted too soon. Cause my favorite line tonight was:

*is happy to have topaz*
*goes back to find lady*
*gives lady topaz*
"...Wow...Oh, wow...you suck lady."

I don't know what she said to you, but you sounded as if your jeweled gift was rewarded with a threat about how she was going to track down and kick your dog or something

[pierrot]

I don't know what she said to you, but you sounded as if your jeweled gift was rewarded with a threat about how she was going to track down and kick your dog or something

Even worse! She told me about how she was getting-- MARRIED! And that she was so HAPPY about it!
<_<

Yeah, she filched that topaz from me, though. She initially said she would tell me an interesting story if I brought back a Topaz for her from that sunken city of Melnam. Then when I gave it to her, she was just like, 'I'm getting married! Whee!' I was kind of pissed. The topazes are worth a fair amount of gold--.

On a side note, I can hear you much better tonight (without having to jack the volume up to ungodly levels), so I think you figured out the sound issues.

I've been tuning in and out. Yep, volume levels are definitely much better!

Thanks for the feedback. I wish I could say I know exactly why it's better, or that I'll be able to count on it being the same next time, though. There're three different setting on my mic, and the one that seems to work the best is the shotgun setting, but it's sort of a spherical pickup. I felt like I could hear a lot more thermal/ambient noise, but if it's not noticeable, then I won't worry too much about it.

[Key-Glyph]

Oh, woah! Didn't see this until now! Followed, my friend! And ending every sentence here with an exclamation point!

[marurun]

Shotgun should be highly directional, a cone emanating forward from the mic.

[pierrot]

Yeah, I guess I was thinking it was some kind of weird pattern, like bidirectional, or subcardioid, but apparently that isn't even right. There is an omnidirectional setting, but that wasn't what the switch was on (according to the manual that I had to look up, because I haven't seen mine in years). There's two cardioid pattern settings, and the one I switched to supposedly adds 10 dB of attenuation, which makes a fat load of zero sense, given the results. I don't know.

Oh, woah! Didn't see this until now! Followed, my friend! And ending every sentence here with an exclamation point!

Thanks, Key! It was kind of a nondescript topic title until yesterday! I'll do my best to not make you regret that follow!