VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[Rob Ellis]

Well, I have searched the archives but still have a couple of questions about phone patches....
what brands/configurations would work well with a Mackie Spike audio interface, and do I need to have the patch with me in the vocal booth/closet? My software is Adobe Audition, phone provider is Embarq, and I have cordless phone in the office, with the dial keys on the handset, not the base.(I had read that this could be problematic with some phone patches)
Thank you in advance for your guidance and suggestions.

[Chuck Davis]

Rob,

Not all that familier with the Mackie i/o box but here's what I can offer.

Most, if not all, phone patch units work best when you're able to "bus" audio to the input of the phone hybrid such as sending your mic to the caller on a aux out of a mixer. On the other end you want to be able to separate the callers return audio from what you'll actually be recording so that you're not recording the line noise from the phone. The second can be accompished simply by turning the callers feed to you down when you actually record the take. The caller can here you..but you can't hear him/her until you turn their audio back up in the mix.

The way I do it is to send the hybrid (a Gentner in my case) the aux 1 output from my mic channel..that channel also feeds my editor (protools) via the alt 3-4 bus on my Mackie mixer. I hear my source audio by turning up the Protools return fader on the mackie..and the caller by turning up the fader dedicated to the output of the hybrid. Caller and I hear each other ....protools only hears me..and maybe a little headphone bleed.

I'm also using a cordless phone with a handset keypad. Once you've engaged the phone pach and it's grabbed the line the phone is out of the picture. I would think having the patch in the booth wouldn't
matter much. Answer the call, switch the the caller over to your hybrid, hang up the phone, go into the booth and talk to the caller on your mic.

Hope this helps!
_________________
Wicked huge.....in India.
www.chuckdaviscreative.com

[Rob Ellis]

Thanks Chuck...I may just go with one of the phone patches Harlan Hogan mentions in his "Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording"....as an ex-radio guy I always felt pretty technically savvy, but now that I am my own engineer, well......

[JeffK]

Rob, Don G. posted a cheap alternative a little while back:

http://www.vo-bb.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2118

Myself, I have had some problems with other units and based on some other posts I am not alone. I decided to give Don G's idea a shot and it works very well. I have it plugged into a behringer HA8000 headphone amp and quite frankly it is simple and works very well plus it is very inexpensive.

http://www.bswusa.com/proditem.asp?item=HA8000

just my $0.02

Happy TGIF,
jjk

[Rob Ellis]

Thank you, Jeff.
I will let everyone know what ends up being the most workable solution.