this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2025
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It sounds like your issue is that each microphone is picking up the other person's voice. If your software is insufficient to handle this, I'd move or change the microphones.
We have a setup that works fine with Windows, so I refuse accept that we cannot make it work the same way with Linux. I feel like a lot of people here are not focusing on the main questions we had about how we can achieve a goal.
We figured out how to merge the mic inputs into a single sink, but it's an output. We used this post to achieve it. This helps us, and works for Discord. On Discord the echo is not a problem, but it's using the built in Krisp to do noise suppression, so that might be part of it.
On Windows, as described in OP, we used VoiceMeteer to combine the inputs. It's possible this was achieving some kind of noise suppression too, but I don't see how or why that would be the case. Either way, in Windows, there is no echo problem. We use the same exact setup to be on Discord and record our inputs through OBS without any echo.
You need to understand exactly what voicemeteer was doing before making assumptions
You're right, that would help. I am not 100% sure that it was not applying some kind of echo/noise filtering. If you're aware of any software that can do this on linux, we will try that.
No software can handle that kind of audio pollution in real time. At best you get “not a voice” so it kills or “voice” so it triggers.
That's not true, our phones, ms teams, discord, etc do this real time all the time. Audio isolation is one of the most widespread audio processing.
You do this with 2 people cross chattering into 1 combined input? Your phone can take 2 mics?
I can think of some commercial audio processors that can help with that, but they are super pricey.
I can't think of a linux application that has this capability. If there is something out there that offers AEC (acoustic echo cancellation) on linux with two mic inputs, id also be interested.
One way to help with this as far as inexpensive hardware is to make sure you're using cardioid dynamic microphones, and not omnidirectional condenser microphones. Cardioid dynamic mics generally pick up audio directionally, like from the "front". You have to be right up on the mic in order to have it record any type of audio. They generally wont pick up environmental sound from anything more than a few feet away. You can just point them away from noise you don't want to pick up.
Yes, I'm sure there are multiple professional software solutions that are expensive but can do it. Reconfiguring the equipment is much cheaper.
Even basic stuff like teleconferencing software can do it, like do y that when Zoom is playing audio it doesn't pick it back up through a desk mic, unless the feedback is really bad.
Hardware isn’t the same as software so I feel like my point largely stands lol. There’s no way their room is treated either.
I’ve regularly run 2-5 person talking head recordings for years. Mic placement is everything. If they’re too close together there’s no solution. They need to be 180 to each other with hyper cardioids
The room is not professionally treated for sound, but we do have one wall (behind the mics) 90% covered with 2" sound dampening foam. Lots of stuff on the other walls, rugs, etc. It is not a bare-bones room. Our mics are good quality cardioid mics and while our setups are not 180° back-to-back, the mics point away from each other when in use. I don't know if I can explain well enough with words, but we sit side-by-side with the mics between us on arms. They swing down between us, stretch out towards us, and point away from each other. They are about 1.5 to 2 feet apart from each other, pointed away, when in use.
Then it’s not echo you’re getting, it’s bleed. Y’all should look into kill switches for each mic. There are really great set ups that allow you to kill the mic whenever you are releasing a button or pedal, so as long as you get used to the habit of only pressing down when you’re speaking (very doable) that is also an option. Discord also support push to talk if you want the free/more hassle version.