• Registered: 2021-11-14
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Topic: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

Hey Everyone! Question about muting microphone inputs that are not being used.

I use my RME BabyFace PRO FS for recording a 2 person podcast. In this instance I do want signal to be captured from both XLR Inputs and it works great.

When not recording a podcast my BabyFace is my main microphone input for some voiceover narration. I noticed that even if my 2nd input is muted with the level all the way down, it's still sending input into my DAW. Unless I completely disconnect the XLR connection I can't find a way to 100% mute the input so that it's not picking up signal from an unused mic while I'm doing solo narration work, or in a Zoom meeting, etc...

This becomes an issue due to the fact that my MKH 416 is on the other side of the room and when the laundry is running I don't want it sending that signal.

Is there a way to mute not just what I hear/monitor, but also what's sent to the DAW without disconnecting the XLR cable?

Thanks for the help!

2 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2021-11-14 19:12:55)

  • waedi
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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

Do you get signals from both mics into one track in the DAW ?
Recording input 1 is recording mic 1 plus sound from mic 2 ? This would be an issue, case for repair.
Or do you see the signal from mic 2 coming in into the DAW in another track ? That would be normal.
Have you created a stereo track for recording input 1/2 ?
Then create a mono track for recording input 1 only.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

3 Reply by gl (edited by gl 2021-11-14 21:10:00)

  • gl
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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

This may not actually help you (surprised about your issue but will have to try it myself), but:

I use the Exp (expander) dial in the Dynamics section of the hardware input in TotalMix as a noise gate, so it mutes below a certain threshold.  Also handy for noisy line inputs:

https://r-i-l.net/_pics/rme/totalmix_gating.jpg

4 Reply by yawnny.j (edited by yawnny.j 2021-11-14 22:05:38)

  • Registered: 2021-11-14
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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

waedi wrote:

Do you get signals from both mics into one track in the DAW ?
Recording input 1 is recording mic 1 plus sound from mic 2 ? This would be an issue, case for repair.
Or do you see the signal from mic 2 coming in into the DAW in another track ? That would be normal.
Have you created a stereo track for recording input 1/2 ?
Then create a mono track for recording input 1 only.

I am getting signals from both mics into one track in the DAW.. though the single track does show AN 1 + 2 which could be saying it's going to put signals from both those inputs regardless if they're muted or levelled down.

I recorded a video that (hopefully) explains what I'm talking about a bit better as well..could be that I'm just misunderstanding what putting the level down and the Mute button are supposed to do (ie: maybe they're only functions purely for monitoring purposes and never applies to signals going into a DAW?)

Here's the video (shared via Dropbox):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zy5vyr99bsl4z … M.mov?dl=0


The video tries to drive the point home that regardless if the inputs are Stereo/Mono, Mute, and levelled all the way down.. I'm getting the same signal from both mics into the DAW.

Let me know if that video helps and if I can clarify any further!

I really appreciate the help thus far.

5 Reply by gl

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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

yawnny.j wrote:

(ie: maybe they're only functions purely for monitoring purposes and never applies to signals going into a DAW?)

that's right (the idea is that you can never accidentally screw up recordings this way).

the easiest is recording them to separate tracks as Mono inputs, and then only record-enabling the one you want.  if your DAW allows that.

6 Reply by yawnny.j (edited by yawnny.j 2021-11-14 23:04:17)

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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

gl wrote:
yawnny.j wrote:

(ie: maybe they're only functions purely for monitoring purposes and never applies to signals going into a DAW?)

that's right (the idea is that you can never accidentally screw up recordings this way).

the easiest is recording them to separate tracks as Mono inputs, and then only record-enabling the one you want.  if your DAW allows that.

Thanks for clarifying. That makes sense.

Any idea how to break out the two XLR analog inputs as two unique selectable input devices? It seems that Windows and my DAW always show Analog 1+2 regardless if the inputs are set up in Stereo or Mono in TotalMix FX

Here's a screenshot showing what I'm referring to:

https://i.ibb.co/MGMTs0w/analog12-01.png



It sounds like if I can get two options such as Analog 1, and Analog 2 broken out as separate input devices I could then select each on their own tracks in the DAW. I'm just not sure how to break out Analog 1 & 2 this way.

  • mkok
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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

What is your DAW? Cubase let’s you set up mono or stereo inputs in connections. Your DAW should be able to do the same.

Babyface Pro Fs, Behringer ADA8200, win 10/11 PCs, Cubase/Wavelab, Adam A7X monitors.
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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

mkok wrote:

What is your DAW? Cubase let’s you set up mono or stereo inputs in connections. Your DAW should be able to do the same.

I'm currently using Audacity on Windows (also sometimes working with Garageband on MacOS)

I can set the track to Mono, but it seems like I can only feed it Analog 1+2, regardless if it's a stereo or mono track, so even the mono track is absorbing inputs 1 and 2 (in mono), when I would just like to feed it input 1 (ie: one microphone on the track, not two)

Here's a screenshot of what I'm seeing in Audacity:

https://i.ibb.co/j46qNQz/mono-01.png

I feel like maybe changing up Routing somehow in TotallMix FX will allow the input options to appear differently, but just not sure how to go about doing it. Each thing I've attempted it still shows the inputs as X + Y never just X (ie: Analog 1 + 2, ADAT 5 + 6.. as opposed to Analog 1, ADAT 5)

9 Reply by gl

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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

I don't know Audacity.  If you can't record true mono inputs, can you specify left or right channel only?  that would also work.

10 Reply by gl (edited by gl 2021-11-15 13:28:06)

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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

.. in the long run you're better off using a DAW, or more advanced multi-track audio recorder for this kind of work.  Reaper is free for a while, then cheap to buy, and will travel with you right up to high-end pro work: https://www.reaper.fm/

There are lots of other options, there are probably completely free/open-source DAWs too - have a Google.

  • mkok
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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

Is there nothing in audacity settings that allows the splitting of inputs? I don’t use it as I think it is a very poor program even though it is free. You would be better with reaper or a fully paid for DAW

Babyface Pro Fs, Behringer ADA8200, win 10/11 PCs, Cubase/Wavelab, Adam A7X monitors.
  • cyrano
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Re: Muting microphone inputs when not in use

You can split stereo tracks to mono in Audacity and you can make new mono tracks...

Audacity isn't so bad, as long as you don't need VSTi plugins or more than 2-channel stereo output. It's come a long way since the code clean-up that's been going on for years now.

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