Hello,
Ok, we all know pandemic changed our life in so many ways, and it affected our business models taking it toward a more "tech friendly" approach. I've always been a studio guy addicted to music technology and such as, this kept me very sure during lockdown and ready when people changed their habits. I wanted to open a discussion regarding the experience of how other people - here in the forum - managed the situation: were you ready? did you have to rush into tech upgrades and learn new technologies?
Let's see if we can discover new things!
Gabriele
Hi Gabriele, I have recording experience but hadn't done much streaming before the pandemic hit. I wasn't able to get my Zoom R16 interface to work with the streaming services so I ended up getting a little Shure MVI to use with my Shure KSM32. It's been pretty reliable but occasionally make my voice sound like a chipmunk... it gives my students a good laugh though and is always fine after I unplug it and plug it back in so I'm not too upset about it! What kind of mic/interface setup do you use?
Sean
Hi Sean,
I've been relying on a very powerful plugin called "Listen to" by audio movers. It's very demanding for network though, so I have a plan B since not all the students have access to fiber: I've been setting up my zoom's advanced audo setting as best as I could; I've found a very useful e-book from Edgar Rothermich. I use an Apollo rack with a Telefunken ELA M-260
Hi Sean and Gabriele,
I got lucky I had bought a Soundcraft ui24r which is incredible for any drummer wanting to stream.
Its a mixer/interface. so you can mix with reverb, compression, etc... its been really awesome. I was 100% ready for it when the pandemic hit. Unfortunately I wanted to record my band at live gigs... this will have to wait.
Messing with the Zoom Settings you can stream in 48/24 which is pretty good. Good internet connection... once again a necessity.
Hi Sean,
yeah you can also set the original and stereo sound settings for Zoom, I ask my students to do it as well. I noticed that in the last weeks the setting regarding the "echo cancelation" changed, there less option available when it comes to that
Gabriele
Hi all!
I'm on team ListenTo as well— I use it when teaching anything to do with production. So easy to throw on my Master and stream audio as perfect as can be to a student. I don't know that I had to rush into upgrades when the pandemic hit, but I did slowly and steadily invest in tools that would make teaching easier. I ended up with a second interface to rig my old laptop and monitors as my piano while teaching on my new iMac, more lights, a graphics tablet, etc.
However I initially started teaching last April on my old Macbook (mid 2009) and was using Soundflower to route Addictive Keys as my piano which worked, but could get a touch finicky in Zoom. When I invested in my new computer (which was over due -- I was just using a PC slave for most of the heavy lifting working on my old Macbook) I eventually bought Loopback thinking I would use it more, but frankly the trial the annoyed me (that was not a 20 minute trial and they're so aggressive with pushing the white noise at super high levels constantly at the end I kind of ended up angrily panic buying it to get it to shut off!).
It just became easier for piano and voice lessons for me to treat my piano as purely external with the second rig, and teach on my main computer.
It is great how far Zoom settings have come over the last year, and I really haven't tested how viable Zoom alone is for teaching production. I'd need to do some testing, but I'd still be hesitant personally to use Zoom's built in audio capabilities. I have a hard time believing that it can equal streaming via Listento. The only downside is that I have some students who ask for their production lessons to be recorded, and while what we talk about will be recorded the session we're working on obviously isn't part of that.
Hi Kati,
Well I feel the same way regarding Listen To and yes, I don't think that Zoom (even if you do the homeworks) can be compared to it as well. Especially because to get the best out of Zoom you need to have the student committed into tech stuff too. When the pandemic hit everybody was talking about Loopback, but I just felt like I didn't need it, all I wanted was to stream HD audio in stereo. The white noise deal has to be very annoying!!!
It was just yesterday that I was notified by AudioMovers (listen to's software house) that they teamed up with Abbey Road and announcing new features soon, we'll see!