We all know how frustrating it can be when the audio isn't working properly on your stream. Here are some common audio issues and how to troubleshoot them.
Volume is too low or too high
This is generally caused by either not enough gain or too much gain going to your BoxCaster or encoder. The most common culprits are gain structure, connection/device, and/or too many points of interception.
Adjust the encoder volume
The BoxCaster Pro lets you adjust the analog input gain directly on the unit. The BoxCaster lets you make adjustments in +/-3dBFS increments from its Advanced Settings page. This solution is can help you adjust audio input levels that are too loud or too quiet, especially when you can’t physically adjust other equipment in your workflow.
We recommend you find an input level setting that works well for you and perform fine-tune adjustments on a per-broadcast basis using an audio mixer or video switcher.
Adjust your equipment volume
The simplest method is to adjust the volume on the piece of equipment closest to your encoder. If you're running a switcher or coming off a split from a recorder, most of those devices have their own volume control. Adjusting these devices may solve the low volume. If you don't have a switcher and use audio directly from the console or source, adjust the volume in 1–2 dB increments until it’s better matched.
Left- or Right-Side Only Audio
Audio is determined by channels, and there are typically only two channels any person will hear — left and right. If you're hearing audio in your streams coming through only one side, then you're streaming in mono. There are a few reasons why this happens:
The connection to your encoder is only sending audio to the left side.
You're sending audio L/R to your encoder, but your cable isn't working properly.
The device a viewer is listening on is set up for mono audio only.
The best way to solve this is to check your connections. Sometimes, audio being sent in stereo from the source is being converted to mono with your cable. Check to make sure your cable is able to handle stereo signals and that you're connecting it to the correct inputs on your encoder.
It’s also important to use the proper connector. If you're running audio from a console with one cable that’s marked for stereo, you should be aware that you're still running mono audio and your cable is converting the left or copying the left to the right side to make a faux stereo signal.
Viewers’ devices sometimes automatically take a mono signal and make it stereo. Advise them to check their device settings to disable that feature.
Ground Loop or Noise Floor Hum
Ground Loop
If you're hearing a buzzing noise or a hum, it might be that your audio is experiencing grounding issues. The best solution to remove the ground loop is to ground the source of your audio. If that’s not easily done, use a ground loop isolator. This will cycle your audio signal through a transformer and remove the loop.
Noise Floor Hum
Noise floor hum occurs when your gain or volume on the source is so high you can audibly hear the lowest frequencies. Noise floor sounds almost like ground loop, but it’s more like a hiss than a hum. To get rid of noise floor hum, try a hum eliminator or bring your gain down a little to keep from amplifying the floor noise in your stream.
Diagnostics show audio channel, but no audio is coming through
This is a fairly common issue but don't worry, we've got some steps you can take.
Check your audio sources (muted audio on a board is the most common reason we see this happening).
Check your cables to make sure they are fully plugged in. We know it sounds cliche, but now's the time to try unplugging them and plugging them back in securely (this applies mostly to analog audio plugs).
Try swapping out a cable for a different one, to make sure you don't have a bad cable.
Restart your equipment.
For BoxCast Users
We've got a few extra things you can try.
Ensure that the correct audio source is selected in the BoxCaster's settings, under the Sources menu. Sometimes we see people select HDMI audio only during set up, but then decide to use RCA or analog, but forget to change this setting. If HDMI audio only is selected, it will essentially ignore any analog source plugged into it.
Make sure the BoxCaster's gain control is set to the proper level.
If this issue is viewer-reported
Ask that the viewer:
Check to make sure that the audio isn't muted on the player (they may not be aware that a lot of browsers auto-mute the player)
Make sure the audio isn't muted on the actual device where they are viewing the stream.
Restart the device.
Try a new device.
If this doesn't solve your issue, feel free to reach out to the BoxCast technical support team at questions@boxcast.com or through our chat.