How do I voice-chat with my friend on PC, sharing my screen and game audio without mixing in their voice?

Question

I consider myself a tech-savvy person, but this audio-related problem I don't know how to solve.

Imagine the following situation: You're chatting with a friend using Skype to show them what's on your game screen. They can see the picture, hear you, but can't hear the sound from your game.

In Skype's audio settings, you can set input (what your friend hears) to your PC's sound mixer output. They will then not be able to hear you, but they'll hear both the game and their own voice.

I have tried using Teamviewer and streaming applications for this purpose, but my friend hears himself in addition to terrible lags and latency.

Using separate devices is also pretty bothersome:

• Show game and send it's audio via Skype (or any other app that can share screen) on PC;
• Chat with friend on another device (friend can use both apps on the same PC) while combining your own audio by using a 2-input → 1 output 3.5mm audio adapter (risky business on its own);
• Alternatively, use another voice chat app on the same PC and some configuration of virtual audio-mixers so that you can hear both the game and your friend.

There's gotta be a better way!

How do I properly configure my PC software so that I can:

• Voice-chat with my friend;
• Share my game's video and audio with them;
• They won't hear themselves speaking?

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Update: Today I tried a bunch of third-party apps like Virtual Audio Cable and such. They all introduce horrible noise due to how much CPU power it needs to perform fast without errors. Setting the latency to higher values fixes the noise, but duh, the latency becomes huge (~4 seconds). Either I'm not configuring any of it right, or it does require superior processing powers to perform flawlessly.

Note: I sometimes play some tunes on a midi keyboard in FL studio and I know how well my PC handles a bunch of instruments with the flawless sound at very low latency (<15ms) thanks to ASIO, so my computer is not very slow and that software shouldn't be underperforming so badly.

Update 2: ASIO and multiple sound outputs got me thinkin. I have a pretty cheap Soundblaster audio card, which has multiple input and output channels that I'm not using. Maybe I could manipulate the sound flow with an audio program? Something about sending the game's output to an unused "line out" device, grabbing it with an app and sending both to me and to an unused "line in", mix in the microphone input, which Skype would then pick up.

Update 3: After some experiments with rerouting inputs and outputs via ASIO, it turned out that Skype refuses to use any audio devices involved in such tampering.

Answer 1

I ended up using Voicemeeter. It has a pretty easily understandable user interface. Didn't work at first, but I managed to pick the right settings and after a few system restarts it's all working just about as I drew on my diagram in the question. The app needs to be running for audio routing to work and you can close it to return to normal without having to restart if you configure it correctly. Did I mention there are no sound artifacts or delays introduced by this solution? :)

Answer 2

As of the time of this answer, the new version of Skype for Windows 10 allows you to simply Share your screen, along with system audio, sans Skype. Thanks, Microsoft! :D

Answer 3

This should give you half the answer you're looking for - you'll hear the game, your own voice, and their voice. Your friend will hear you, the game, and themselves. It's not the "perfect" answer you're looking for, but I personally do this and it works quite fine.

Simply go to your Sound Settings and configure your mic as shown:

By enabling "listen to this device", you're broadcasting your mic directly to your Stereo Mix. Likewise, your game and your friend's voice are also being broadcasted to the Stereo Mix. Open the Windows mixer and adjust the levels to ensure that all three sources can be heard, then set the Skype input to Stereo Mix to send everything to your friend.

If your soundcard has two independent headphone outputs, then it might be possible for you to not hear yourself (and your friend can't hear themselves either). Set the Skype audio output for the first headphone output, so your friend's voice will feed into that jack. Then, set the game's sound and your voice out the second jack, and route that signal (using Stereo Mix) to the Skype input. Use a 3.5mm y-connection to mix both outputs into your headphones, and everything should be all good. :D

Answer 4

I have ran into a similar issue in the past while helping friends with some technical bits and bobs. I use Teamspeak for my Comm's (primarily for gaming purposes) but if a friend there needs tech support I jump on Teamviewer and I will hear myself on his sound and within Teamviewer you can mute the other person audio while they still hear you/can speak to you from the Teamspeak connection.

Obviously you mentioned you use Skype and I haven't actually tried doing the above with Skype but maybe Logmein might work for it if you turn off either your or their audio.

Like I said it might not work but maybe its worth a try.

Good Luck with it though :)

Answer 5

You could try downloading Open Broadcaster Software or Xsplit to Stream to twitch.tv in a private broadcast. There you will be able to customize which audio is streamed easier. I think Xsplit even has the ability to act like a webcam in the eyes of Skype

Answer 6

How about this set up:

voice via voip with google voice - yate: http://yateclient.yate.ro

screen sharing and computer sound via another program

Answer 7

My answer will not require software.

As you are a gamer I suspect you are using a motherboard that has on board audio. You may be using a separate audio card as well (better fidelity sound). If not, they are not an expensive purchase.

Use one card (the lower quality one) for Skype.

Use the higher quality audio card for the game.

Purchase a cord that combines stereo inputs. It has two male connections (one to plug into the audio out of each card). These are physically combined into a single connection for your headphones to plug in to. Also purchase a stereo splitter. This allows two sets of headphones to plug in to the same source. Plug the splitter into the audio card used by the game. Plug a set of speakers into one side of the splitter. In the other side hook your combiner. Plug the second side of the combiner into the audio out of the low quality card. Plug a set of headphones into the combiner.

The combiner gives you audio to your headphones from both cards.

The splitter on the high quality card allows you to have headphones hooked up on one side, and speakers on the other. The speakers will play the games audio This will be picked up by the microphone along with your voice.

This isolates the audio out (you can hear your friend and the game), and your friend can hear you and your game, but not himself.

You have already discovered you are not going to be able to do this in software, at this time it looks like a hardware solution is necessary.

Answer 8

I managed to get all of the good and none of the bad using virtual audio cable 10 and Skype. game audio, chat, and screen cast with no echo's or out of ordinary delay.

use VAC 10 to create 3 virtual cables, then setup audio out on Skype to line 1 and mic to line 2. now use audiorepeater.exe from VAC 10 and open 4 of those. set one box to line 1 and then your speakers, another box to line 2 and your microphone jack, the third box to line 3 to your speakers, and the fourth box from line 3 to line 2. finally go to your playback devices on windows and set line 3 as your default output.

then your done.

Answer 9

In the recording mixer side of volume control should be "monitor this device" or "listen to this device" for the mic. It will then come out your speakers and be part of your sound card's output. BE CAREFUL of feed back. Headphone\mic probably needed.

-They wont hear you but you will hear yourself.

"In Skype's audio settings, you can set input (what your friend hears) to your PC's sound mixer output. They will then not be able to hear you(because your not monitoring your own mic), but they'll hear both the game and their own voice."

-You will hear yourself. +They will hear themselves. Bottom line: everyone gets to and must hear everything.

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Call them on the phone?

Try putting your mic halfway between you and your speakers to pick up your voice and your game sounds.