Fix ATEM Mini Bad Audio in 1 minute!

I was having audio quality issues with the ATEM Mini, even though I had all my gains set up correctly and when inputting this to OBS and the levels seemed correct the audio sounded quiet and scratchy and distorted.

The issue turned out to be with the XLR to a stereo jack and what this does to the input signal.

Watch this rough and raw 2 minute video to fix this issue and all will be as you would expect it to be.

You're welcome.

[philiptong]

XLR balanced (outside of Japan) is 1=ground, 2=hot, 3=cold
The equivalent in TRS (single channel, balanced) is tip=hot, ring=cold, sleeve=ground

What ATEM mini had is 3.5mm TRS for unbalanced stereo: tip=left, ring=right, sleeve=ground that should operate at -10dBV norminal

when you plug balanced (single channel, mono) into unbalanced stereo jack, you get
hot->left, cold->right, ground stays connected
the hot and cold in a differentially balanced transmission carries opposite polarity, same phase of the original signal, they cancel out each other when you play both in near field

tip: The ATEM MIC IN can be configured as microphone or line level input

[KenTenTen]

Adding to the previous answers, note that the signal in a balanced line (the XLR connector usually carries balanced signals) is between the two signal-carrying wires, with No reference to the third pin of the XLR or the sleeve of the TRS plug if that's what your hardware uses. Thus, a connection cable with XLR on one end and TRS on the other will simply change the plug description, but not the signal type. The confusion comes when we look at a TRS plug and think "Ah, stereo." But balanced signals are not stereo. Headphones are stereo UN-balanced signals--Left on Tip, Right on Ring an a common reference (often called Ground or Earth) on the Sleeve. If you connect a balanced 3-wire output by a cable to an unbalanced 3-wire input (mixer to ATEM) you get positive-going voltage on one wire (tip) while simultaneously getting the mirror negative-going signal on the other wire (ring). In a perfect world, they cancel each other completely; in practice, the result is a very weak, very noisy signal. Not at all what you want.
In hardware, without mucking around with the ATEM, use a passive DI box in reverse feeding a jumper (short length) of 1/4 mono (TS) to 1/8 stereo (TRS) with the T and R connections soldered together. That gives you the same monaural unbalanced signal on both sides of the ATEM input.

[ThieuNguyen-khuo]

Love you short resolution.
I was having this basic issue, try it out and worked perfectly. Thanks

[FusionSource]

LOVE the tip, going to try this at Church on Sunday, was pulling my hair out, can't wait to try it, will let you know

[Covenantprezi]

Did you just try changing the mic setting from mic to line level?

[mikeboltz]

What others are saying is essentially correct without enough explanation. You can make an xlr to trs cable for this...xlr end hot =pin 2 cold =pin 3 ground= pin 1, on the 1/8” trs side hot goes to tip and ring, ground and cold goes to sleeve.

[realizator]

Everything U need is just a proper cable... Try using MINI JACK stereo - 2x MONO JACK/XLR

[thebasesproject-censored]

No mate the shash crap from the dirty earth on the Atem is a nightmare

[arbitrarilyturningknobs]

Your level is too hot for the Mic 1 channel. Not sure why you've added extra volume inside the atem.

[oanthatakealeboga]

Anybody know how to control the bass? I was in church yesterday and they sung and the kids love their own bass and they really went deep. On church spearkers it sounds fine but on the stream the bass just cracks up and sounds like noise... How can I rectify this for the next time we have a singing group? I basically want an equaliser just like on a mixer

[Ryandoesdifferentthings]

So does this make my stereo audio into mono now? Does this mean I need everything panned left?

[JJRamos-zj]

didnt that just make it mono though? because yes, I am getting that distorted sound and nothing I do works. Going to try a de-hummer adapter as I read that could help also because of balanced/unbalanced stuff happening.

[computerjantje]

Somehow I think there is something wrong with your video so I am happy it has only 216 views :) I never had or have issues with the mic in port and I also use a 2x xlr female to stereo minijack mail converter cable. In the video it does not show if you have actually switched off the mic pre-amps and also why is the gain at max? Your solution switches off one the channels I think. so there only remains one side? Or maybe you used a 1x xlr to stereo minijack. If you did that then you are trying to convert a balanced signal into 2 mic signals and that could result in strange distortions. So my guess is either you messed up gains or you are simply using the wrong converter cable becasue you have no clue what balanced means.