Livestream setup [Jun 2024]
Previous setup [Jan 2022]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-26f39b13d8f0
Previous setup [May 2022]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-may-1b3b7be8be16
Previous setup [Oct 2022]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-oct-17df724fa809
Previous setup [Mar 2023]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-mar-2023-24fe479fa98a
Previous setup [Jun 2023]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-jun-2023-eb15d7fc6b4f
Previous setup [Sept 2023]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-sept-2023-38cf8053c2db
My website: https://scruffyfox.fm
Watch me live: https://twitch.tv/scruffyfox
Listen to my ambient: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_kOBiDJ-vx-kjkRsmyavmOhuwAYnK_7R
Tip me: https://scruffyfox.gumroad.com/
Since my last update, a number of things have changed with my streaming and music making setup. Firstly, the biggest change is that I now have a dedicated machine running Ableton 12.
Because my main machine was running Ableton, REAPER, and OBS for streaming, it was being put under too much stress and I was frequently experiencing audio dropouts and CPU maxing in Ableton. I figured the next logical step for upgrading the setup would be to separate out the music side from the streaming side. Thankfully I had enough spare parts available that I was able to build a separate machine with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X processor, 64GB of RAM, and a RTX 3060ti.
Ableton runs pretty smooth on this machine and to accommodate the 2 PC setup to get the audio from one machine to another, I needed a second audio interface.
I picked up a Roland Rubix which has 4 inputs and 2 outputs. It’s a decent device though in hindsight I probably should have picked up something with at least 8 inputs!
Here we have the output from the Behringer 305 mixer into the first inputs of the Rubix, then a direct input from the K2, and finally a direct input from the Juno (with a mix-in from my guitar making this a 2 in one input).
The stereo out from the Rubix goes into my existing SSL2 on the main machine and directly into OBS.
My biggest complaint with the Rubix is that the software does not allow you to set a buffer size, instead it gives you arbitrary “streaming mode” numbers which correspond to a buffer size.
Gear
Since September’s update, I have finished building my custom euro rack.
I originally started with the neutron (left) and the k2 (right) but wanted to unify them in a single case with space for additional modules.
I purchased a custom size rack from https://synthracks.com/ for a pretty reasonable price, added a power supply module (the TipTop uZeus), a mixer (Behringer 305), a filter (Doepfer A124 Wasp Filter), and a sampler (Squarp Rample)
I then cut side pieces and a back plate to act as an “open” case.
For my Ambient project, the Neutron serves as the root note drone. Provides very nice low ends with some modulation on the filter (CV from the Oxi One) and the wave shape on OSC2 (from LFO)
The Mixer mixes the output from the Neutron (with EQ) and the output from the Rample onto the 2 channels and into mono sources in the Rubix.
The K2 is patched into the Doepfer Filter which then runs through the neutron’s overdrive module and out into a direct input on the Rubix.
The K2 provides the mids and various swells. The signal is patched through the external signal processor to overdrive it further before going into the Wasp filter. Some very nice tones can be produced from the K2 with various overdrives.
The launch pad minis still serve well for session view and various macros within Ableton and the Oxi one still runs the master clock and provides most/all of the midi information for the Ambient set.
Push 2 for interfacing with Ableton Live 12.
Akai Midimix. Used for track EQ and volume (each lane represents a track)
The default knobs that come with the midimix are very small and not great to use, so I ended up buying some custom coloured knobs from here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001954643735.html. They are ok. Better than the default knobs, but they are not cut 100% straight so they can feel a little odd to rotate.
Because the pots are so small on the midi mix, a little bit of tape is required to really get the knob inserts to secure.
Liveset
Currently, my main music project is my daytime semi-generative ambient music which I stream to both Youtube and Twitch.
The project itself hasn’t changed much since it’s started. I have 8 different audio source tracks coloured Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, White, Black (to correspond with the coloured knobs). 4 tracks (Red, Purple, White, Blue) are the hardware synths Neutron, Rample, Juno, K2 respectively. The remaining tracks (Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue) are software synths. These synths change every so often as I mix up the sound.
I have one additional track which I use for various field recording sources I like to use to add in a bit of “texture” to the ambient music.
And finally a dedicated track for white noise (because you always need a bit of white noise).
For my reverbs, I still have 5 different return tracks.
- Raum
- Blackhole
- Hybrid Reverb
- kHs reverb
- Replika XT delay
I then have a dry signal return with some glue compression.
A reverb return track (all the reverb sends mix into this return track)
A return track for the lows from the Neutron. This track only receives audio from the Red track (neutron) via audio sender m4l device.
The signal is passed through the sends to allow any highs through
Then some FX on the subs.
All these signals then route to the main channel for some more compression and EQ
Each track has a filter controlled by a (CPU Optimised) LFO device, a compressor, a utility device for +/- 6db range, a Channel EQ, and a high/low pass track filter.
Stream
Not much has changed from the streaming side of things except I now dual stream to Youtube using the plugin Multiple RTMP output. I have this configured to send a separate scene to Youtube than Twitch, one that does not contain the emote overlays, and mic audio is only sent to channel 1 and not 2 (so its not stored in the VOD)
That’s all from me for now! Until next time.
