My partner and I are running Manjaro and very new to it. Trying to switch as much as possible over to daily use with Manjaro. We have pipewire, not pulseaudio
We record multiple times a week on OBS, and my partner and I are in the same room. We have two mics side by side both inputs going into my PC. Linux, and therefore OBS, are recognizing the two mic inputs separately as you might expect.
OBS can set up both of these separate inputs, but the issue is we’re having significant problems with echo and the noise suppression/noise gates are not sufficient.
This was not an issue on windows, where we used Voicemeeter to combine our inputs into one mic for OBS. I am looking to emulate that on Linux to see if it solves our problems.
We have tried a mic merge sink, but it creates an OUTPUT device, not an input device.
I can think of some commercial audio processors that can help with that, but they are super pricey.
I can’t think of a linux application that has this capability. If there is something out there that offers AEC (acoustic echo cancellation) on linux with two mic inputs, id also be interested.
One way to help with this as far as inexpensive hardware is to make sure you’re using cardioid dynamic microphones, and not omnidirectional condenser microphones. Cardioid dynamic mics generally pick up audio directionally, like from the “front”. You have to be right up on the mic in order to have it record any type of audio. They generally wont pick up environmental sound from anything more than a few feet away. You can just point them away from noise you don’t want to pick up.
Yes, I’m sure there are multiple professional software solutions that are expensive but can do it. Reconfiguring the equipment is much cheaper.
Even basic stuff like teleconferencing software can do it, like do y that when Zoom is playing audio it doesn’t pick it back up through a desk mic, unless the feedback is really bad.
Hardware isn’t the same as software so I feel like my point largely stands lol. There’s no way their room is treated either.
I’ve regularly run 2-5 person talking head recordings for years. Mic placement is everything. If they’re too close together there’s no solution. They need to be 180 to each other with hyper cardioids
The room is not professionally treated for sound, but we do have one wall (behind the mics) 90% covered with 2" sound dampening foam. Lots of stuff on the other walls, rugs, etc. It is not a bare-bones room. Our mics are good quality cardioid mics and while our setups are not 180° back-to-back, the mics point away from each other when in use. I don’t know if I can explain well enough with words, but we sit side-by-side with the mics between us on arms. They swing down between us, stretch out towards us, and point away from each other. They are about 1.5 to 2 feet apart from each other, pointed away, when in use.
Then it’s not echo you’re getting, it’s bleed. Y’all should look into kill switches for each mic. There are really great set ups that allow you to kill the mic whenever you are releasing a button or pedal, so as long as you get used to the habit of only pressing down when you’re speaking (very doable) that is also an option. Discord also support push to talk if you want the free/more hassle version.