For some applications, a professional microphone solution is called for. This article shares one solution for using professional wireless microphones with Avatour.
A common application of Avatour's live shared reality platform is for real-time tours of a location. The "on-camera host" for such a tour typically uses a Bluetooth headset for audio. However in some cases a more "TV-reporter-style" solution is called for, in order to enable interviews with on-site subjects, allow dual hosts, or just to provide higher audio quality.
The configuration challenge here is that Avatour must use the same device driver for both input and output, but for this application we need to use different devices for input and output. Our solution involves a USB audio interface, connected to a professional wireless microphone setup for the input, and a standard Bluetooth headset for the output.
Note: This solution is designed for use with Labpano Pilot integrated 360 cameras. A similar approach should work with Android devices and Insta360 cameras, but this would require a USB splitter, and has not been tested.
Hardware requirements
- Hub or adapter to enable connection of a USB audio interface to the USB-C output of a Pilot camera (typiclaly supplied with the Pilot camera or your Avatour kit, or one like this)
- USB audio interface with separate 1/8" analog connections for headphones and microphone, like this one
- Bluetooth adapter w/ cable, to connect a bluetooth headset to the USB audio interface, like this one (which has the added benefit of allowing connection of two different headphones)
- Wireless microphone receiver and transmitter set, (we recommend specifically the RODE Wireless Go II), with cable to connect to USB audio interface, and a mono/stereo 1/8" adapter like this one
- Bluetooth headphones
- Optional reporter-style handle for the wireless microphone
Hardware setup
- Plug the Hub into the camera
- Plug the USB Audio Interface into the Hub
- Plug the Bluetooth adapter into the headphones input on the Audio Interface using a stereo (TRS) 1/8" cable
- Pair the Bluetooth headphones with the Bluetooth adapter
- Plug the Wireless Microphone Receiver into the microphone input on the Audio Interface using a stereo (TRS) 1/8" cable and the mono/stereo adapter. Set the Receiver into Mono mode, if available.
- Power on all devices and launch the Avatour app