4 mics on skype call

[xanld]

OK, here's the situation...

I'd like to run 4 mics into my mac for a skype/google hangout video call. Ideally, they'd run through some signal processing such as gates and compression.

I'm thinking it should be possible to connect 4 USB mics via a hub, run them through some software which processes and mixes them, and then outputs them to a single signal that I can select as my 'input device' in skype configuration.

I think I can do this with an 'aggregate device'. But I've struggled with the exact setup.

mic1, mic2 ,mic3, mic4 all plugged in to a USB hub plugged into my mac (yosemite).

Question 1) how do I work with each of the mics in garageband (or other software) as separate channels so that I can apply signal processing and levels individually?
Question 2) in garageband I can't find anything to do with output levels (master level out).
Question 3) how do I output the mixed signal to a single device which I can select as my input device for skype?

Thanks.

[xanld]

I'm thinking something like the ESI MAYA44 4 in 4 out USB audio interface may help...

I can plug 4 mics into this, and then I think it's possible to select this as the input source for garageband with each of the mics on separate garageband tracks where I can apply signal processing.

So then, how do I output garageband as an 'input device' that I can select in skype?

[G]

I can plug 4 mics into this, and then I think it's possible to select this as the input source for garageband with each of the mics on separate garageband tracks where I can apply signal processing.

You'll probably want to be able to adjust each mic level independently, so I'd make sure my interface of choice came with internal DSP and a decent software mixer/FX app that could work with the audio before it gets to GarageBand, which may only support a single input for live recording (not sure about that, since I don't use GB very often).

So then, how do I output garageband as an 'input device' that I can select in skype?

You'll need a software go-between. That can be done easily with Rogue Amoeba's Loopback, but it's $99. You might also be able to use JACK (free) or Loopback's predecessor, Soundflower (free), since you're still on Yosemite.

[xanld]

Thanks for your reply.

So I've seen video tutorials which indicate that GarageBand will let me split 4mics onto 4 channels through one 4 channel audio interface or simply with 4 USB mics (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=14GSX2szd9s) . If this is the case though, can I still use an interface to mix 4 mics directly into Skype without any intermediate software? Probably not with 4 USB mics in a USB hub, but perhaps with 4 analogue mics in a 4 channel USB interface?

I am actually on El Capitan sorry, and Jack and SoundFlower don't appear to be supported. So it looks like I'd need loop back, or perhaps sound siphon (https://staticz.com/soundsiphon/), which might work for cheaper.

At this stage, my ideal is a softwareless setup which will provide a straight, unprocessed mix that I can plug directly into Skype. This is important so that Other team members can plug-and-play. But if I can get software like sound siphon working (or do other tools like reason, protools or logic allow mixing to one device?), I can then apply processing as a bonus.

So can I do this with a 4 channel USB interface? Will it provide me with a mixed signal 'device' that I can use as an input to Skype directly? Or will they come with software that is El Capitan compatible? Or is this not possible without Sound Siphon or similar?

Or, can I use 4 USB mics in a hub? For input directly into Skype, I'm going to need to mix them somehow. Will a simple aggregate device do it? Woul I be able to optionally epithet this aggregate device via GarageBand or similar to apply gates and compression etc?

[G]

I hadn't seen Sound Siphon before. It looks cool, and it can handle multiple inputs with independent level control on each, but I don't know if it will feed that audio over to Skype (which is mostly up to Skype). It only mentions recording Skype output.

Question: Ultimately, do you just want to feed these mics into Skype for a conversation, or do you want to record everything for use later, like a Podcast?

Higher-end audio software can indeed handle more inputs at once. I've never used USB mics myself, so I don't know if 4 would work simultaneously through a hub (power would be a concern here--be sure to use a good powered hub). If you have a specific microphone in mind, I'd contact the manufacturer and see what they say.

Hopefully, someone else reading this will have some direct experience to add.

[xanld]

Question: Ultimately, do you just want to feed these mics into Skype for a conversation, or do you want to record everything for use later, like a Podcast?

This is only for conversation, no recording needed.

My thinking at the moment is that I can't see a great deal of point in the usb interface if I can simply use 4 usb mics, and an aggregate device. If I can use the aggregate device directly in skype then I've achieved the main objective. If I can also route these 4 USB mics via the aggreate device into garageband on separate tracks, and then out of garageband using loopback or sonund siphon to skype as one microphone, I can also introduce signal processing.

Can anybody confirm that this will work or if there is a simpler way?