Bad echo on Skype calls and recordings

[awaretek]

I have recorded many good podcasts of Skype calls. Sometimes however I get an echo of my voice, ruining the sound. Rob Walch over at Podcast411 told me it was caused by the other Skype user listening through speakers instead of headsets, but my one friend is using headphones, no speaker, and I still get an extremely bad echo of my voice. Netlher of us has any speaker going, only headphones.

Can anyone advise me what to do?

Ron Stephens
www.awaretek.com

[bazookajoeshow]

I have this problem, too. At first I thought the audio coming through my headphones was bleeding into my microphone but I've noticed that sometimes I get the echo and sometimes I don't.



I have recorded many good podcasts of Skype calls. Sometimes however I get an echo of my voice, ruining the sound. Rob Walch over at Podcast411 told me it was caused by the other Skype user listening through speakers instead of headsets, but my one friend is using headphones, no speaker, and I still get an extremely bad echo of my voice. Netlher of us has any speaker going, only headphones.

Can anyone advise me what to do?

Ron Stephens
www.awaretek.com

[awaretek]

Thanks, Bazooka Joe, I hope someone can shed some mroe light on this and help us out.

Ron Stephens

AwareTek podcast series, the Technology of Being Human
www.awaretek.com

[etomorrow]

first question: what is the setup you are using, it generally helps to know that info before someone can give you an answer.
2: are you getting the "echo" on the recording, as well as in your headphones?
3. are you monitoring the skype call AND the recording at the same time?
4. is it only YOUR voice that you are hearing in the "echo"?

[awaretek]

Eric,

Thanks for helping! See my answers to your questions below:

"""first question: what is the setup you are using, it generally helps to know that info before someone can give you an answer."""

I use a Mac Intel , with an usb M Audio Mobile Pre Amp; Skype, and Call Recorder (software). I have a good mike and headphones. There is no sound (other than headphones) on either my end or the other party's end.

"""2: are you getting the "echo" on the recording, as well as in your headphones?"""

Yes, I get the echo in my recording, as well as in my headphones. The other party reports his headphones do not have any echo.

"""3. are you monitoring the skype call AND the recording at the same time?"""

I listen to the conversation on my headphones while I record it. I don't know if that answers your question, I don't know the implications of the term "monitor" exactly.

"""4. is it only YOUR voice that you are hearing in the "echo"?"""

Yes, it is only my voice that gets echoed. The other party's voice is clear. My voice, gets echoed pretty loudly.

I have perfect sound quality with lots of Skype calls. For instance, I recently interviewed Rob Walch of PodCast411 for an episode, and the sound was perfect, in my headphones and on the recording (by Call Recorder software).

But with a few callers, I get this problem. They report no sound other than on their headphones. Any help appreciated.

Ron Stephens
AwareTek, the Technology of Being Human
www.awaretek.com/podcasts/index.html

P.S. I like the looks of your website and I will certainly try out your podcast. It looks interesting! ;-)))

Ron
__________________

[etomorrow]

Eric,

Thanks for helping! See my answers to your questions below:

"""first question: what is the setup you are using, it generally helps to know that info before someone can give you an answer."""

I use a Mac Intel , with an usb M Audio Mobile Pre Amp; Skype, and Call Recorder (software). I have a good mike and headphones. There is no sound (other than headphones) on either my end or the other party's end.

"""2: are you getting the "echo" on the recording, as well as in your headphones?"""

Yes, I get the echo in my recording, as well as in my headphones. The other party reports his headphones do not have any echo.

"""3. are you monitoring the skype call AND the recording at the same time?"""

I listen to the conversation on my headphones while I record it. I don't know if that answers your question, I don't know the implications of the term "monitor" exactly.

"""4. is it only YOUR voice that you are hearing in the "echo"?"""

Yes, it is only my voice that gets echoed. The other party's voice is clear. My voice, gets echoed pretty loudly.

I have perfect sound quality with lots of Skype calls. For instance, I recently interviewed Rob Walch of PodCast411 for an episode, and the sound was perfect, in my headphones and on the recording (by Call Recorder software).

But with a few callers, I get this problem. They report no sound other than on their headphones. Any help appreciated.

Ron Stephens
AwareTek, the Technology of Being Human
www.awaretek.com/podcasts/index.html

P.S. I like the looks of your website and I will certainly try out your podcast. It looks interesting! ;-)))

Ron
__________________

it's late now, but i didn't want you to think i was blowing this off. i'll mull it over once i have my coffee in the morning.
one more question, what program are you using to record? garageband?

it might be a callrecorder issue, as i am not real familiar with that app.

our site hasn't been updated in ages. we actually have a full redesign about to launch this week that will be alot better.

[awaretek]

Eric,

I usually use Garage Band, but sometimes i also use Audacity, and other times I use Audio Hijack Pro. For the Skype conversations that I record with call Recorder, I usually use Garage Band unless the length of the interview precludes using Garageband in which case I use Audacity.

I could; turn Call Recorder off to see if I still hear the bad echo in my headphones, but I suspect I will.

Thanks for trying to help! ;-))

Ron Stephens

[BrianGentry]

Rob,

I'm going to take a guess that your "caller" is using an external mixing board on his end, with his mic plugged into a channel on the mixer, and the output of the mixer going back into the computer to feed it to skype. He also has one channel of the mixer being fed with the output of the computer so he can hear what you are saying, and is listening to the whole thing with his headphones plugged in to the mixing board.

If this is the case, his setup is what is causing it, as he is sending both his audio *and* yours to skype, effectively sending you a copy of yourself, delayed by the time it takes for the audio to do a round trip through the skype system, which in turn causes a nasty echo. The fix is to use a "mix minus" on his end, which I'd be happy to describe if I have guessed correctly.

Brian.

[etomorrow]

Eric,

I usually use Garage Band, but sometimes i also use Audacity, and other times I use Audio Hijack Pro. For the Skype conversations that I record with call Recorder, I usually use Garage Band unless the length of the interview precludes using Garageband in which case I use Audacity.

I could; turn Call Recorder off to see if I still hear the bad echo in my headphones, but I suspect I will.

Thanks for trying to help! ;-))

Ron Stephens

so what is the input set to on garageband?

also, you can get over 2 hours on garageband, i do it every week.

[Steve Jeffries]

Hi,
I reckon BrianGentry has got it spot on there. I've encountered this problem before with an ISDN connection. If the person you are talking to is using a mixer of some description then he needs to send you back what is termed a "cleanfeed" i.e an alternative output from his mixer that contains just his voice, not a repeat of yours. To do this he could monitor (just basically means listen to) what you are saying on his main output, but his response (audio going into skype) should be routed through an auxiliary/alternative output (if his mixer has one). I'd have thought even the smallest mixer would have some kind of alternative output though i.e an FX send or something he could use.

To be honest I'm not overly familiar with Skype but this is my input on your problem anyway.

Hope it helps

Cheers

Steve