How does SkypeIn work?

[pdadave]

I see that SkypeIn is available and I am just wondering if anyone is using it. I am specifically wondering if it still keeps the two voices separate ....unlike a conventional phone where you may hear your own voice in the headset when you talk. Skype-to-Skype does this, so I am wondering if it is the same with SkypeIn (or SkypeOut).

[yaz]

man, i don't know if anyone has luck with skype, we've tried it a few times but it always screws up our levels and our recording, plus we get a wicked echo...we have a different setup for calls now, but if i tell you about it, bibb will beat me with the cord from the iron...

[cc_chapman]

SkypeIn works exactly like regular skype. I bought a number a few weeks ago and haven't had any problems yet.

What works really well though is SkypeOut.

A bunch of us in AMP (http://www.musicpodcasting.org) used it a few weeks ago to call into a conference call line and it worked flawlessly (we had to do this because we had more then 5 people on the call).

Skype continues to amaze me...

[gozar]

I see that SkypeIn is available and I am just wondering if anyone is using it. I am specifically wondering if it still keeps the two voices separate ....unlike a conventional phone where you may hear your own voice in the headset when you talk. Skype-to-Skype does this, so I am wondering if it is the same with SkypeIn (or SkypeOut).

We use a Skype conference call for all of our podcasts. Me and the other hosts are spread out all over Ohio. Here's how I do it:

Equipment:
1 Behringer UB1202 (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/631236/) mixer
1 iRiver IFP 795
1 iPod
1 iMac

The iRiver is plugged into the tape out on the mixer. Our shows are recorded on the iRiver.

The iPod is plugged into ports 11/12. This holds all the music and sound for the show.

The iMac out is plugged into ports 7/8. This is to record the Skype call.

My microphone is plugged into port 1.

Now here's the tricky part. My mixer supports a FX Send. The mixer FX send gets plugged into the iMac's microphone jack. I then turn down the volume for FX send on ports 7/8. This way the skype users hear everything but themselves.

We used this for the first time on our last show, and it seemed to work ok, except I didn't have the iRiver record loud enough so our show seems a little quiet. I'll try to fix this the next time. Another problem is an "airy" sound coming through Skype. It could be the cheap mics the other hosts are using, but I haven't tracked it down yet.

We haven't tried it with SkypeIn or SkypeOut yet, but it should work with the same concept. You can go listen to our latest show (BSPC-050407) at Bitsmack.com (http://bitsmack.com/) to hear how it sounds. Keep in mind that the levels are too low, and that I know that! :-)

This next week I am going to run the show through Audacity to use the Normalize and Compressor effects.

[pdadave]

Thanks all. My main question was simply if it delt with the audio the same, as I have a worry that because it is crossing over to a land-line network, you will get an echo back on your own voice.

yaz, I am sure you guys just you some sort of digital hybrid (or maybe not digital, or maybe not quite a hybrid). That is a good solution...especially if you are having problems with Skype. Personally, I have had decent luck with Skype.

gozar, I would think you would want to drop the send out into the computers line in, not the mic. Usually the signal is to hot for a mic input.

Again, thanks all.

[jeffoest]

With Skype, I get isolation between the two ends of the conversation so I can patch them in/out of the mixer any old way I need to - with the telephone I can't isolate the two channels on the return. The options for using the telephone are either to buy a hybrid that uses phasing technology to dampen the side-double or to just edit at post.

For those that haven't tried phone conversations, the preceeding will probably sound like gibberish.... ;-)

[allthewhile]

Sound going into computer:

microphone -> eurorack mixer -> line into soundcard


Sound coming out of computer:

line out of souncard -> speakers -> line out of speakers -> line in iriver ->line out iriver ->headphones

This records skype flawlessly. Before I had trouble with the listener getting echo, but that was because my software was recording. The recording now takes place on the iriver.

-jayson