Playing & talking online with no headset

[AwakenTheSkies]

I'd like to find some people online to play videogames together like back in the day. The problem is I can't use a headset because I have damaged ears from sound trauma and last time I used headphones for a long gaming session (Beyer DT880 Pro) it made my problem permanently worse.

The problem with not using headphones is that if you just play with speakers as is the sound of the speakers will bleed into the microphone and it'll be annoying for other players.
Luckily I know my stuff with audio and have a home studio setup. A condenser mic & tube preamp, interface etc.

I guess I might have to buy a dynamic microphone that only picks up sound from my direction, because the condenser is REALLY sensitive. Then use a hardware noise gate with that? So it'll filter out every sound that's not my voice. Then it can go to the channel strip for compression, EQ and saturation (which isn't necessary, but hey it's right there so why not use it?). And then the interface.

I know this sounds overkill, but I can't think of any other way that won't annoy the other players. Can you think of something easier?

Another thing is I'd like to have a compressor or limiter on the voices of the other players. So it won't fool the noise gate when someone yells..

 

[wankerness]

What system are you playing on? The PS5 just has a mic built into the controller that works pretty well for what it is. As long as you aren't blasting the game sound it doesn't cause substantial bleed, and it's designed to pick up your voice from a distance since they're not expecting you to hold the controller up to your face. I think it works as a mic if you hook it up to your PC and have the right drivers installed too. Not sure about xbox.

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

What system are you playing on? The PS5 just has a mic built into the controller that works pretty well for what it is. As long as you aren't blasting the game sound it doesn't cause substantial bleed, and it's designed to pick up your voice from a distance since they're not expecting you to hold the controller up to your face. I think it works as a mic if you hook it up to your PC and have the right drivers installed too. Not sure about xbox.

I'm on PC. I think most games are going to be on mouse and keyboard, but I like using the Xbox Series controller as well.

I did just remember that you can do push to talk, I forgot that existed. That would make it a lot easier and I wouldn't have to use the whole noise gate setup. I don't know, I'm playing on my DAW machine so I have my studio monitors like 1 meter away from me, it's not like I'm playing on the couch with the TV far away from me. So I want to avoid feedback and the speakers bleeding into the mic.
I could do the "streamer" thing and buy a mic arm for the table. But I still think the condenser mic is too sensitive for this. I could invest in an SM7b.. could use it as a gaming mic and a vocal mic at the same time since it's so popular.

 

[TedEH]

I've got one of the cheaper Rode pencil condenser mics on a stand next to my desk, and I've used it for online games a couple of times. It was never a problem without headphones. It might be worth just jamming whatever mic you already have on a stand and trying it anyway. Maybe it's fine. I'd only bother upgrading or getting new stuff if anyone calls it out.

 

[jaxadam]

I just bought my kids a PS5 and let me tell you I can’t even get the person to walk in a straight line or turn how the hell do people use these controllers? My wife is even worse and that’s saying something.

 

[Crungy]

I just bought my kids a PS5 and let me tell you I can’t even get the person to walk in a straight line or turn how the hell do people use these controllers? My wife is even worse and that’s saying something.

There's two approaches here. Since you're not a preteen, let's start with what the older kid's checklist:

Have you had enough energy drinks?

Hit your vape in the last 30 seconds??

Posted enough on TikTok?

 

[jaxadam]

There's two approaches here. Since you're not a preteen, let's start with what the older kid's checklist:

Have you had enough energy drinks?

Hit your vape in the last 30 seconds??

Posted enough on TikTok?

The last console I had was a Super Nintendo. It was a stretch going to those two buttons in the top. I played a few games on my buddy’s N64 and PlayStation 2 but holy fuck whatever just happened to walking forward with the up arrow key?

 

[Crungy]

The last console I had was a Super Nintendo. It was a stretch going to those two buttons in the top. I played a few games on my buddy’s N64 and PlayStation 2 but holy fuck whatever just happened to walking forward with the up arrow key?

They just moved it to analog so you have more sticks and buttons to use!

I started on NES and kept going since then... I like the old and new stuff but yeah it's a pretty big jump from the NES/SNES days!

My prescription is vape twice a minute every hour while drinking tall boy energy drinks of your choice.

 

[jaxadam]

They just moved it to analog so you have more sticks and buttons to use!

I started on NES and kept going since then... I like the old and new stuff but yeah it's a pretty big jump from the NES/SNES days!

My prescription is vape twice a minute every hour while drinking tall boy energy drinks of your choice.

What about Monster flavored vape juice?

I just got that modern warfare three shit and I just run around yelling “pwnt n00b!” and “Imma hot this fool yo!” and it seems to be getting me a better kdr.

 

[Crungy]

What about Monster flavored vape juice?

There ya go! Did you go to Hollywood Upstairs Medical College too?

 

[jaxadam]

There ya go! Did you go to Hollywood Upstairs Medical College too?

No but if they are online I’ll sign up for some classes!

I did tutor a girl back in college though on Butterfly diagrams and if she got an MD/PhD and runs her own research institute then they should at least allow me to write prescriptions.

 

[Choop]

I use an SM57 with a little in-line preamp to boost the signal into my interface and it works pretty well for me. I think a condenser mic could potentially still be too sensitive even when using push to talk, but would be worth trying out anyway just to see. You could do a brief recording of a gaming session and play it back to see if there is any excessive background noise going on.

 

[CTID]

late response to this but it's also worth noting that at least discord has some noise cancelling shenanigans going on already, and it's adjustable. 99% of the time i wear headphones but the couple times i've had them off and had my studio monitors outputting instead didn't cause any issues, personally. obviously might require some tweaking but you can get it set up right

plus if all else fails, every friend group has the one person who you can hear everything in their house and every mouse click and every click of their mx cherry blue switches, maybe that person can be you! embrace it!