If you want to record Skype interviews for your podcast and run everything directly into a mixer, but don't want to mess with a complicated “mix-minus” setup, this is how to do it.
The trick is the iRig 2 guitar interface adaptor which separates your voice from the voice of the person you’re interviewing using the same connector your mobile phone headset has and basically giving you the same result as a mix-minus. The iRig 2 adaptor does two things — it lets you reroute the sound coming from the phone into a mixer and lets you use your podcast microphone instead of the built-in mic on your phone.
As a bonus, in addition to recording interviews via Skype, you can also use this setup to:
- play and record sound effects via a soundboard app
- play and record voice mail from listeners (or other callers)
- record standard phone calls
The Equipment You Need
- iRig 2 guitar interface adaptor
- 3.5 mm TRS to Dual 1/4 inch TS Stereo Breakout Cable (this sends the signal from the iRig 2 to your mixer)
- 1/4 inch TRS to 1/4 inch TRS Balanced Interconnect Cable (this sends the signal from your mixer back to the iRig 2)
If you have a phone with a "Lightning" connector, you'll also need a 3.5mm adapter.
How To Connect Everything
This video by Ray Ortega of The Podcasters’ Studio shows you how to put everything together:
Here’s something that will throw some people off... A lot of mixers don’t have an “Aux Out” of "FX Send" connection. Many mixers, like the one I use, a Mackie 1202VLZ4, use the label “Aux Send.”
Regardless of the label on your mixer, you should be good to go.
Troubleshooting - Three Common Problems
- NO SOUND COMING FROM THE PHONE TO THE MIXER - This could be because the “headphone volume” on your phone is turned down. To resolve this problem, simply turn up the headphone volume.
- THE PERSON YOU’RE TALKING TO CAN’T HEAR YOU - Turn up the gain dial on the side of the iRig 2.
- THE PERSON YOU’RE TALKING TO SAYS YOU’RE CLIPPING - Turn down the gain dial on the side of the iRig 2.
Need More Help?
You can reach out to me, and I’ll help you if I can, but keep in mind my podcasting expertise is marketing, not tech. For a list of the exact equipment Ray uses in the above video, check out his equipment page. You may also enjoy his podcast on podcasting, Podcasters' Roundtable.
