Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

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Wayned

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Sep 02, 2020 8:23 pm

Hi, just setting up an AMP.
Can I check, does the 1 hour drift issue start from when the unit is turned on, or when it is started to be used for Zoom etc?

Does it drift on embedded HDMI sound or only on a separate audio feed?
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James_Anderson

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Sep 02, 2020 10:17 pm

I've not experienced it drifting when recording to the external disk, and I can be doing that on and off for many hours. I only use the embedded HDMI, so couldn't comment on seperate audio feeds. My experience is that it happens around 1 hour after streaming to zoom. (some times a bit longer, occasionally much sooner)
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dave.j

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostThu Sep 03, 2020 2:17 am

Wayned wrote:Hi, just setting up an AMP.
Can I check, does the 1 hour drift issue start from when the unit is turned on, or when it is started to be used for Zoom etc?

Does it drift on embedded HDMI sound or only on a separate audio feed?


My experience is the drifting starts from when the recording or streaming is started...it may well happen from when the unit is powered on...but I've not tested for that!
How soon the issues start seems to be effected by the frame rate...my tests at 25fps took up to 1hr50mins for the clicking to start, 60fps started around 20 minutes...so the higher the frame rate, sooner the issues start.

It seems to need an audio signal coming through the unit to trigger the drifting, my guess is that it's some kind of processing/buffer issue with the audio...it reaches a point where the amount of audio data passing through the USB connection exceeds the amount that can be processed, it starts to cache the extra data (this is where the clicking starts, little overruns roughly once a second)...after struggling with the overflow/clicking for 15-30 minutes it 'crashes' (hence the static/distortion/delayed signal) for about 30 seconds, then resets and the clicking is gone, except the audio is now 1 second behind.
That's just my best guess at what's happening...whether that processing is done/struggling within the ATEM unit or in the computer I don't know. The fact it happens across a range of old/new/windows/mac machines & the ATEM is the common factor suggests it's something with the processing inside the ATEM when sending the signal out via USB?

On the question about embedded HDMI drifting, I don't know. I've tested the Mic1/2 inputs alone, and together with audio from HDMI inputs, but not the HDMI inputs alone.

The workaround for now is to stream direct from the ATEM, I've run test for 2hrs 15mins without issues with the stream...and pretty sure I was recording USB to SSD during that test too.
Last edited by dave.j on Thu Sep 03, 2020 3:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Steve Kanefsky

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostThu Sep 03, 2020 2:45 am

Has anyone experienced the issue when recording the webcam output in QuickTime that the recording simply stops at random times with a "recording stopped" error dialog? That's what's happening to me on my new ISO. I wonder if it's just a different manifestation of a similar issue with the webcam output not keeping up somehow, and QuickTime bails out on the recording rather than letting things get out of sync. On the other hand it doesn't take anywhere near an hour. I've had it happen sometimes after 30 seconds, other times after several minutes and other times not at all (but I haven't tried letting the recordings run longer than about 15 minutes so far).

For now I'm sending the HDMI output to a Web Presenter which avoids the problem and keeps the USB port free for recording to disk (which is the main reason I got the ISO anyway).
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dave.j

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostThu Sep 03, 2020 3:08 am

Steve Kanefsky wrote:Has anyone experienced the issue when recording the webcam output in QuickTime that the recording simply stops at random times with a "recording stopped" error dialog? That's what's happening to me on my new ISO. I wonder if it's just a different manifestation of a similar issue with the webcam output not keeping up somehow, and QuickTime bails out on the recording rather than letting things get out of sync. On the other hand it doesn't take anywhere near an hour. I've had it happen sometimes after 30 seconds, other times after several minutes and other times not at all (but I haven't tried letting the recordings run longer than about 15 minutes so far).

For now I'm sending the HDMI output to a Web Presenter which avoids the problem and keeps the USB port free for recording to disk (which is the main reason I got the ISO anyway).


No, I only recorded to Quicktime once for testing...the test went for 2.5 hours, recording worked fine & the audio issues/glitches/drift didn't happen during the test.
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npozar

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Sep 09, 2020 1:38 pm

Steve Kanefsky wrote:Has anyone experienced the issue when recording the webcam output in QuickTime that the recording simply stops at random times with a "recording stopped" error dialog? That's what's happening to me on my new ISO. I wonder if it's just a different manifestation of a similar issue with the webcam output not keeping up somehow, and QuickTime bails out on the recording rather than letting things get out of sync. On the other hand it doesn't take anywhere near an hour. I've had it happen sometimes after 30 seconds, other times after several minutes and other times not at all (but I haven't tried letting the recordings run longer than about 15 minutes so far).

For now I'm sending the HDMI output to a Web Presenter which avoids the problem and keeps the USB port free for recording to disk (which is the main reason I got the ISO anyway).


I just got a new ATEM Mini and have the same issue with QuickTime capturing the webcam output. Software version 8.4, ATEM Mini firmware 8.2.3, MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports), 2.3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5.

I did manage to record one 30 min session without an error, but then following attempts error out after 1-3mins.

I seem to be having issues with other applications like Skype or OBS too. There the recording at least works, but there is visible stuttering in the video. It appears like there are skipped frames, but OBS Stats do not report any skipped frames... But I haven't experienced any audio issues though.

The stuttering does not appear while recording with QuickTime, but the recording errors out usually so that is useless...

I would really like to know whether the unit is defective.
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Steve Kanefsky

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Sep 09, 2020 6:40 pm

I'm still experiencing the issue as well. I even tried a different computer and OS version (iMac Pro with Mojave versus Mac Mini with Catalina). Since I already had a Web Presenter and UltraStudio 4K mini I've just gone back to using those for webcam and capture (via the HDMI output on the ATEM) and I leave the USB port free for ISO recording. I haven't played with ISO recording enough yet to see if there are any problems with that.
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npozar

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostThu Sep 10, 2020 1:18 pm

Steve Kanefsky wrote:I'm still experiencing the issue as well. I even tried a different computer and OS version (iMac Pro with Mojave versus Mac Mini with Catalina). Since I already had a Web Presenter and UltraStudio 4K mini I've just gone back to using those for webcam and capture (via the HDMI output on the ATEM) and I leave the USB port free for ISO recording. I haven't played with ISO recording enough yet to see if there are any problems with that.


Unfortunately I do not have an HDMI capture device. The HDMI output seems fine the whole time but I was hoping to use atem mini webcam feature directly for recording my lectures in the upcoming semester.

I did some more testing since I thought that the problem happens only after the device is on for some time, and all I can say is that it is probably random. I turned the device on, and then let QuickTime record for 2h30m with no error. But after stopping the recording, I found that the video file is corrupted from 1h50m mark. Basically the picture is stuck from that time. The file then cannot be saved because QuickTime shows Could not open file error while saving... And this is even though the picture seemed ok in the QuickTime preview while quicktime was recording... This kind of silent error is even worse than a hard stop... Anyway, tried couple more times for 10-30 min slots and I got only one Recording Stopped error, but multiple corrupted video files from random times.

Then I turned on ATEM mini late at night after 6 hours off with a different camera and bam, Recording Stopped after 1 min.

I never had a problem with QuickTime recording with built-in FaceTime camera or screen recording. I will try to contact BMD support...
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amazingaljay

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostThu Sep 17, 2020 12:25 am

I am having the exact same problem as documented here. I've been using ATEM Mini Pro to send video to Zoom via the webcam output, with a Canon Vixia HF R800 as the video input source. After about 20-30 minutes, my Zoom audience started to hear hissing/buzzing sounds for 15 or so seconds, and then after that, the video and audio were no longer in sync, off by about 1 second or so.

I have previously been using the ATEM Mini Pro for the past three weeks with absolutely no problems, but that's because I was feeding audio directly to Zoom on a Windows PC, bypassing the ATEM.

The problem started when I connected the Vixia HF R800, and used its audio to feed the ATEM, and then feeding both video and audio to Zoom on a PC via the ATEM's webcam output.

During my "broadcast" once the audience reported the problem, I had Zoom switch to a separate mic for audio, and then everything was fine.

Bottom line is that my experience seems to rather conclusively point to the ATEM as the source of this audio issue.
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Raffaele Mariotti

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostThu Sep 17, 2020 4:08 pm

same problem here.
any sign of an update from BM?
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James_Anderson

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostFri Sep 18, 2020 12:11 am

I spoke to BM support here in AU today.

They tell me that the issue is well known and being worked on. They believe it to be something to do with the USB chip set in some computers (particularly new macbook pro and IMAC, but have seen it in some PC's as well.

They could not give me an exact time line, but suggested that a week - a month might be expected.

Hopefully will get this resolved soon. As a professional speaker delivering all of my work via zoom, this is VERY frustrating.
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mrzzzap

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostFri Sep 18, 2020 2:07 pm

I see same problem.

This years 16" macbook, using the USB webcam with a mini Pro delivered last week
Sound is always lagging in my case regardless if I use mic1 or get the sound through HDMI from camera.

I have also had a OSX crash 3 times since I connected the Mini, and I rarely had crash before.

Have a standard webcam and a elgato cam link 4k, neither give me such problems.

I did not check sound out from the hdmi port, but just looking at the sound level bar and multiview output, I suspect it is a lot more in sync inside the Mini.
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Steve Kanefsky

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostFri Sep 18, 2020 3:09 pm

There's a well-known issue with some USB 2.0 audio interfaces on newer Macs with the T2 security chip, but the ATEM is USB 3.0 and I'm not sure if the ATEM issue is related to that one. The list of Macs with the T2 chip includes:

    iMac introduced in 2020
    iMac Pro
    Mac Pro introduced in 2019
    Mac mini introduced in 2018
    MacBook Air introduced in 2018 or later
    MacBook Pro introduced in 2018 or later

Is anyone having the issue on Macs not on this list? Also make sure that your ATEM is connected at USB 3.0 speeds (5Gbps) by going to the Apple menu and choosing About This Mac -> System Report -> USB. It can easily connect at USB 2.0 speeds (480 Mbps) depending on which cable you use, which USB port you use, whether you're going through a hub, what other devices are connected to the same USB bus, etc.
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dave.j

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostSat Sep 19, 2020 12:17 am

Steve Kanefsky wrote:There's a well-known issue with some USB 2.0 audio interfaces on newer Macs with the T2 security chip, but the ATEM is USB 3.0 and I'm not sure if the ATEM issue is related to that one. The list of Macs with the T2 chip includes:

    iMac introduced in 2020
    iMac Pro
    Mac Pro introduced in 2019
    Mac mini introduced in 2018
    MacBook Air introduced in 2018 or later
    MacBook Pro introduced in 2018 or later

Is anyone having the issue on Macs not on this list? Also make sure that your ATEM is connected at USB 3.0 speeds (5Gbps) by going to the Apple menu and choosing About This Mac -> System Report -> USB. It can easily connect at USB 2.0 speeds (480 Mbps) depending on which cable you use, which USB port you use, whether you're going through a hub, what other devices are connected to the same USB bus, etc.


Steve,
Yes, MacBook Pro mid 2014, 16GB ram, 2.5 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2 GB running Catalina 10.15.5
Using USB 3, direct connection ATEM Mini Pro to MacBook Pro.
Also seen reports of it happening on Windows machines.
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Steve Kanefsky

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostSat Sep 19, 2020 12:21 am

dave.j wrote:Yes, MacBook Pro mid 2014, 16GB ram, 2.5 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2 GB running Catalina 10.15.5
Using USB 3, direct connection ATEM Mini Pro to MacBook Pro.
Also seen reports of it happening on Windows machines.


Yeah not the T2 chip then.
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SimonCS

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostSat Sep 19, 2020 11:32 am

We use Zoom for our parish church service pre-recorded and sharing the YouTube Livestream (using an ATEM Mini feeding into a MacBook that's creating the YouTube feed, and another offsite PC replaying/sharing that in a Zoom session), and have noticed video delays, i.e. audio/video disconnect. I believe it's Zoom, which sends the audio and video on different UDP streams, and tries to maintain continuous audio in preference to video, so the video may lag at times.
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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostSun Sep 20, 2020 6:31 pm

We have an ATEM mini, running OBS on a Windows PC, via the USB connection. Audio-video sync is all over the place, and very variable. Sometimes it's OK, sometimes its a second or more out. The HDMI program out seems OK.

We are using a PC to feed video into HDMI 1, and 2 cameras on HDMI2 & 3. All the audio is fed into the mic1 input. We're not using any of the audio on the HDMI inputs.

Other than "wait for a firmware update", does anyone have any other ideas?
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fr4nkle

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostSun Sep 20, 2020 10:38 pm

Steve Kanefsky wrote:Is anyone having the issue on Macs not on this list?


Yes.
MacBook Pro 15" 2015 (i7-4870HQ / Radeon R9 M370X)
iMac 27" Late 2015 (i7-6700K / Radeon R9 M380 2GB)
Razer Blade 14 2016 (i7-6700HQ / GTX 1060 6GB)
Custom PC (i9-9900 / Intel UHD 630)
Custom PC (i9-9900 / GTX 1650 4GB)

These issues do not happen on CamLink 4K ... they don't even happen on the cheap and cheerful $20 special HDMI to USB capture card that I got for S&G's.
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OEPCCTS1

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostMon Sep 21, 2020 2:47 pm

dave.j wrote:
My experience is the drifting starts from when the recording or streaming is started...it may well happen from when the unit is powered on...but I've not tested for that!
How soon the issues start seems to be effected by the frame rate...my tests at 25fps took up to 1hr50mins for the clicking to start, 60fps started around 20 minutes...so the higher the frame rate, sooner the issues start.

It seems to need an audio signal coming through the unit to trigger the drifting, my guess is that it's some kind of processing/buffer issue with the audio...it reaches a point where the amount of audio data passing through the USB connection exceeds the amount that can be processed, it starts to cache the extra data (this is where the clicking starts, little overruns roughly once a second)...after struggling with the overflow/clicking for 15-30 minutes it 'crashes' (hence the static/distortion/delayed signal) for about 30 seconds, then resets and the clicking is gone, except the audio is now 1 second behind.
That's just my best guess at what's happening...whether that processing is done/struggling within the ATEM unit or in the computer I don't know. The fact it happens across a range of old/new/windows/mac machines & the ATEM is the common factor suggests it's something with the processing inside the ATEM when sending the signal out via USB?

On the question about embedded HDMI drifting, I don't know. I've tested the Mic1/2 inputs alone, and together with audio from HDMI inputs, but not the HDMI inputs alone.

The workaround for now is to stream direct from the ATEM, I've run test for 2hrs 15mins without issues with the stream...and pretty sure I was recording USB to SSD during that test too.


Hi everyone,

Hope you're all well!

As Dave J has suggested, 1hr 50 seems to be crucial, at 25fps anyway... makes sense that it would happen sooner at higher frame rates...

I can confirm for me that it happens from when the unit is powered on, it doesn't have to be streaming or recording etc....

(EDIT: thinking about this now, I guess the unit could be powered on but no USB connected for a while and I bet this wouldn't then be an issue... I bet it is from the moment the USB is connected and it's actually sending something on the USB video and audio etc IE, when I connect it to the laptop and open vMix, it is then, from that point on, sending a signal down the USB to the computer, so the buffer will start filling etc… so it’s not specifically from when it is “streaming or recording”, as at the time you might not be doing that, it’s more from when it is capturing and sending information down the USB…)

We had the unit powered on at a location recording, recording into vMix, and luckily noticed the audio had gone out of sync just before we hit record on the next thing they wanted to film, I then re-booted the ATEM during problem solving which obviously fixed it... at that time I had no idea what the issue had been, but now I know that it had been on for more than 2hrs at this point... and it was just by chance I hadn't had headphones on when the USB audio would have been crashing then resetting out of sync...

This issue being something to do with the audio USB buffer makes total sense, I agree!

I ran the following test yesterday which confirmed the issue:

1. MacBook Pro - 2x HDMI Outputs into ATEM 3/4 and 1x MiniJack Audio Output into Mic/Line 2
2. Atem Mini Pro - USB C to USB A
3. RazerBlade 6 Core 9th Gen 2.6GHz / 16GB RAM / 256GB SSS running vMix

I played videos back to back from YouTube on one of the outputs of the MacBook Pro, TED talks or similar etc so that I could see if they sync went out...

Test timeline went as follows:
0:00:00 - Turned on the laptop, ATEM Mini Pro and MacBook Pro from fresh
0:02:00 - Set the Youtube video running on input 4 of the ATEM and the audio level in Mic/Line 2
0:05:00 - Pressed record within vMix
0:05:00 to 1:52:00 - Everything ran fine... no issues of video or audio
1:52:00 - Started to hear ticking / clicking noise in the background (monitoring audio while it was recording through the laptop speakers)
2:15:30 - Ticking noise had continued from 1:52 getting worse... but at this point started it really loosing it's sh*t, sounding robotic, static, interference etc Effectively crashing the audio coming from the ATEM Mini Pro as others have said...
2:17:00 - Audio corrected itself after a lot of interference / breaking up... but... now the audio is out of sync with the video by 1 or more seconds, ie, very obvious....

Here is a link to the file where you hear the audio crashing, it's from the 2:00:00 onwards mark, so you can already hear ticking / clicking when it starts... but then at 15:30 into the video (so 2:15:30 actual time) you can hear the crash... (I obviously don't own the rights to the video at all, it was just whatever played next from YouTube etc!) https://1drv.ms/u/s!AovxfgeFQlF3gplf8rK ... Q?e=R6caa8

I then ran another test... This ran for just over 3 hours, just to make sure I was well past the 2hrs 15min mark, which was absolutely fine with no issues. This was using an external soundcard (Presonus 44VSL @ 48K, highest buffer setting, just in case, but it would probably be ok with a lower buffer setting) to bring the audio into vMix... So this is the workaround for now... Use an external soundcard... as the video stays in sync thorough out, it's the audio that has the issues...

It seems that the USB audio bus is the issue within the ATEM Mini Pro, which would also make sense if others have had success streaming directly from the ATEM Mini Pro itself... as this wouldn't need / use the "webcam USB interface" ie, the USB audio buffer...

I hope they fix this soon, but, for now, external soundcard is the way!


Cheers,
Chris
Last edited by OEPCCTS1 on Mon Sep 21, 2020 11:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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driftwoodplayers

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostMon Sep 21, 2020 5:24 pm

We have the same experience with an iMac from 2012. 40-60 minutes in, garbed audio, then we are out of sync. We are routing audio from actors wearing microphones thru a mixer into the Mini Pro.
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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostMon Sep 21, 2020 7:10 pm

It's very interesting that you all are talking about a 1-2 second delay as "Massive." First, I am not someone with any experience before COVID. I owned a couple of Nikon cameras and suddenly I was needing to record YouTube Video and then run Zoom Worship Services. I am a pastor who doesn't have much tech support but felt I could do better than what I had seen others doing.

I have had out of sync issue as long as 19 seconds. (That is not a typo.. 19 seconds.) I use the ATEM Mini with 2 Nikon cameras. Currently a Z50 mirrorless and a D3200. This issue has also happened using a D7100. I do 2 Zoom services that are about an hour each with a 1/2 hour in between. Sometimes I have to relocate between the 2 services. After that I record in 4 small parts to put together a YouTube video. In April, I did all of this from my bedroom and experience my first delay in sound. It was a few seconds off. I had to fix it in editing (which was a first for me and I had to upgrade my software to do it.) I have not heard reports from my Zoom users about any sync issues using Zoom. It is possible my audience doesn't notice or thinks it is because of their internet connection.

I have had these ridiculously long delays when recording with OBS. The very long delay of more than 15 seconds has happened at least 2 times. Strangely I noticed that at the beginning of the recording there was 19 seconds of sound recorded that was before I pushed the Record button in OBS. Of course at the end of the video the sound cut off 19 seconds before the video.

I am not using a lot of extra equipment. 2 cameras. 1 mic plugged into the Nikon Z50. 2 HDMI cords with adapters to micro and mini to attach to the cameras and the ATEM Mini. (not Pro or Pro ISO) I use OBS because it worked. Before that I was just recording directly to the Camera.
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Katstreamer

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostTue Sep 22, 2020 3:13 am

I have two units - a mini pro and mini pro ISO. I use the mini pro for church services to stream two 60 minute services a week with two cameras and wireless mics into a xa50. No problems noticed since I purchased it back May.

I use my mini pro ISO for teaching school via Zoom. My Zoom session each day is typically 3 to 5 hours continuous, depending if I let my Zoom session time out at lunch. Note: the meeting stays open all day and students come and go. No issues.

Sound input to the ISO unit is via the camera mics through hdmi to the switcher. I use the camera handle mics since it is so close to my face. The camera that I am using is a c100ii as my main web cam so the handle mics are really good for my needs. I do have a couple of Vixia cameras that are connected but I only turn them occasionally as needed. I also play video through an input channel from another computer to avoid screen sharing on Zoom for longer videos and I have not noticed any latency or drift issues doing that.

The only thing I can see that is different from everyone here is my computer and sound input. I am using an old Dell Inspiron laptop with a Intel i5 8th gen chip and 8gb of ram with both machines. When I purchased the ISO unit I had to update the ATEM firmware which did make my mini pro connect quicker and eliminated a small ethernet connection issue that I had been experiencing since it was new.

On the church services with the mini pro I stream directly to YouTube with the ATEM software and on the ISO unit I use for teaching it is connected as a web cam via the usb C connection, however the switcher is also connected to Ethernet so I can control my sound. Note: I guess I don't really need to do that, just force of habit because the sound controls work just connected by usb.

Both switchers are connected to ethernet via identical Netgear switches.

Even though my ISO is always on and connected to an active Zoom meeting I do turn my sound off at the switcher when I not engaged with students or taking a phone call. This apparently, according to one of the earlier comments on this thread ,may reset and eliminate the latency / drift?

I am now going to watch my systems much more closely to see if in fact I do have problem and have not noticed it. I am describing the details of my ATEM set ups to help those of you with more knowledge than me to figure out this problem. I am a little concerned since I am using these switchers over 20 hours a week and need them to work well. Please keep this thread updated with your findings.
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Raffaele Mariotti

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostFri Sep 25, 2020 7:12 am

an update is out, let's hope it fixes this drifting problem!

What's new in ATEM 8.5
Support for the new ATEM Streaming Bridge.
Improvements in A/V sync for all ATEM Mini models.
General performance and stability updates.
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Michael_Andreas

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostSat Sep 26, 2020 9:01 pm

Has anyone who's had the problem tried out the new firmware? Did it solve the audio sync problem?
_________________________________________________
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RTX 2070 8GB, "Studio" driver 472.39
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OEPCCTS1

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostSat Sep 26, 2020 9:23 pm

Raffaele Mariotti wrote:an update is out, let's hope it fixes this drifting problem!

What's new in ATEM 8.5
Support for the new ATEM Streaming Bridge.
Improvements in A/V sync for all ATEM Mini models.
General performance and stability updates.


I’m going to try this out tomorrow, will let you know if I have any issues within the 5hr + mark!

Cheers,
Chris
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motionmanager

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostSun Sep 27, 2020 6:36 pm

I have tested it after the update and audio remained in sync for a bit longer than 60 minutes - I didn´t have time for a longer test - what are your experiences?
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OEPCCTS1

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostMon Sep 28, 2020 12:04 am

Hi all,

I ran a test today for 5hrs with the same setup as my previous post.

MacBook Pro (2 HDMIs and 1 MiniJack for Audio) -> Atem Mini Pro (1080p @ 25fps) -> USB C to A into Razer Blade -> vMix

Atem Mini Pro had been updated to firmware 8.5

I’m happy to say, I had no issues at all with the audio!

So I’d say, for me at least... updating to 8.5 has fixed the audio issue, yep!

A side note, I noticed when I stopped playing keynote speakers from YouTube for the test and switched to more cinematic footage that it seemed a little jerky in places... I then noted that I’d had the MacBooks 2 video outputs at 1080p/60 so the Atem would also have been working on converting them to 1080p/25 too. I switched the MacBooks outputs to 1080p/25 and it did seem to help a lot... normally we use this with cameras which are all set correctly already but it is just worth noting to free up processing power on the Atem and save a frame or two you would assume, by not having the Atem deal with the conversion too etc


Cheers,
Chris
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fr4nkle

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostTue Sep 29, 2020 4:28 pm

I’ve downloaded 8.5 and will test on each machine with known issues. Report back later in the week!
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James_Anderson

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostTue Sep 29, 2020 10:23 pm

Sad to say that I've upgraded and still encountering the same issue on my new Macbook Pro. Around an hour after the zoom call starts, ticking sound begins, sound goes weird and comes back well out of sync.

If this issue persists for much longer I'm going to have to return this mini pro. As a professional speaker I can't have this happen. It's a shame, because otherwise this is a wonderful device, but this is a deal breaker for me.
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dave.j

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Sep 30, 2020 3:20 am

Firmware 8.5 testing results:

The Good...
Tested firmware 8.5 with same settings as previous tests, the audio issues did not happen during the 2.5 hour test, so it appears 8.5 has resolved those issues. My longest previous test was approx 2.5 hours also.

The Not So Good...
However, there is an audible click when pressing play/pause on my audio source (iPhone) connected to Mic 1 if Mic 1 is set to Microphone...ATEM defaulted to Microphone after the update to 8.5. After changing setting to Line the clicks didn't occur. This may be completely unrelated to the reported clicking/static/drift issue but it was still disappointing.

The Ugly...
There is a quiet electrical buzz coming from the unit itself which I don't remember hearing prior to the firmware update.
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Michael_Andreas

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Sep 30, 2020 4:02 am

Often a firmware update will reset any settings in its non-volatile memory that normally is maintained. BM should have put a note reminding the user that this could happen.
_________________________________________________
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Walter Sonius

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Sep 30, 2020 3:45 pm

dave.j wrote:Firmware 8.5 testing results:
The Ugly...
There is a quiet electrical buzz coming from the unit itself which I don't remember hearing prior to the firmware update.


Is it the FAN that is making more noise (better cooling), or other low frequency hums / high frequency chirps?
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Walter Sonius

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Sep 30, 2020 3:56 pm

James_Anderson wrote:Sad to say that I've upgraded and still encountering the same issue on my new Macbook Pro. ....


Do you have a macbook pro with a T2 chipset and do you have a Atem Mini or Atem Mini PRO? The later might give you an option to use a real USB-3 to USB-C instead of using USB-2 to USB-C.
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dave.j

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Sep 30, 2020 4:21 pm

Walter Sonius wrote:
dave.j wrote:Firmware 8.5 testing results:
The Ugly...
There is a quiet electrical buzz coming from the unit itself which I don't remember hearing prior to the firmware update.


Is it the FAN that is making more noise (better cooling), or other low frequency hums / high frequency chirps?


Most likely the fan, it's a constant noise, low pitch. I've not encountered any issues with overheating before & I don't remember a noise like that before I updated the firmware.
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James_Anderson

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Sep 30, 2020 9:55 pm

Walter Sonius wrote:
James_Anderson wrote:Sad to say that I've upgraded and still encountering the same issue on my new Macbook Pro. ....


Do you have a macbook pro with a T2 chipset and do you have a Atem Mini or Atem Mini PRO? The later might give you an option to use a real USB-3 to USB-C instead of using USB-2 to USB-C.


I'm using the latest Macbook Pro (I've been told it has a T2 chipset, but I'm not an expert on that). The machine was purchased in the last 6 months. I'm using the ATEM Mini Pro. So connecting using a USB-3 / Thunderbolt to the ATEM's USB-C.
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Steve Kanefsky

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostThu Oct 01, 2020 12:41 am

You can't really tell if you're getting USB 3.0 speeds unless you actually check.
Go to the Apple menu ->About This Mac -> System Report -> USB and then look for your ATEM. It should say "Speed: Up to 5 Gb/s." If it says 480Mb/s then you're only getting USB 2.0 speeds. It can depend on what other USB devices you have plugged in, which ports everything is plugged into, and what cables you're using.

BTW the USB page will also show you if you have a T2 chip but that has nothing to do with getting USB 3.0 speeds.
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James_Anderson

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostThu Oct 01, 2020 2:28 am

Steve Kanefsky wrote:You can't really tell if you're getting USB 3.0 speeds unless you actually check.
Go to the Apple menu ->About This Mac -> System Report -> USB and then look for your ATEM. It should say "Speed: Up to 5 Gb/s." If it says 480Mb/s then you're only getting USB 2.0 speeds. It can depend on what other USB devices you have plugged in, which ports everything is plugged into, and what cables you're using.

BTW the USB page will also show you if you have a T2 chip but that has nothing to do with getting USB 3.0 speeds.


That's really interesting. Thank you. You're right. I'm only getting USB2 speeds of 480. Is that likely to be the issue behind all of these problems? Changing ports didn't seem to effect it. Cable issue? Do cables come at different speeds?

(and yes, I have the T2 chip)
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Steve Kanefsky

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostThu Oct 01, 2020 2:45 am

James_Anderson wrote:That's really interesting. Thank you. You're right. I'm only getting USB2 speeds of 480. Is that likely to be the issue behind all of these problems? Changing ports didn't seem to effect it. Cable issue? Do cables come at different speeds?


I can't say whether it fully explains the issue since I still have issues with the webcam output of my ATEM Mini Pro ISO even with a 5Gb/s connection and the latest firmware update. In my case the issue is that QuickTime will randomly stop recording. I've given up on using the USB-C webcam output and instead I send the HDMI output to a Blackmagic Web Presenter for web conferencing.

If there are any other USB or Thunderbolt devices connected you might try disconnecting those temporarily, since even devices connected to a different port on the computer can interfere. The System Report should show if there are any other devices on the same bus which might be affecting your speed. However the cable is also a strong possibility. USB-C is a real mess and many USB-C cables are intended primarily for charging and only support 480Mb/s data transfer. USB-C is also very limited in terms of cable length for high speed data transfers. Make sure the cable you're using is certified for USB 3.1 gen 1 or gen 2 data transfers.
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fr4nkle

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostFri Oct 02, 2020 3:31 pm

MacBook Pro (2015) 15" running Mojave 10.14.6, was having issues that can be seen earlier in the thread, update to 8.5 and Zoom meeting of over 2 hours was still in sync.

So far so good, will continue to test other configurations.
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santiagopilgrim

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostSat Oct 03, 2020 6:03 pm

I updated to 8.5 and it's now working flawlessly on Zoom and OBS, over 2 hour long tests.

Let's hope that's the end of it!
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James_Anderson

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostSat Oct 03, 2020 11:03 pm

[quote="James_Anderson"]Sad to say that I've upgraded and still encountering the same issue on my new Macbook Pro. Around an hour after the zoom call starts, ticking sound begins, sound goes weird and comes back well out of sync.
/quote]

Actually, I was wrong. This didn't happen on a zoom call. But it did happen on a restream event AFTER the upgrade.

I haven't yet had opportunity to test longer session on zoom.
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fr4nkle

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostThu Oct 08, 2020 2:29 am

Mixed results with Razer Blade 14", no actual audio drift but there may have been intermittent audio distortion (reports of audio going louder and distorting) over a 2 hour Zoom meet.

Will need further testing ... might need to revisit the MacBook Pro as well to make sure it was 100% ...
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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostFri Oct 09, 2020 5:01 am

Hey all,

Stumbled on this post and you all might have saved us from spending alot of money on a new computer without cause. I work for a church that has recently invested in all black magic cameras and streaming interfaces. We are currently using a 2013 IMac with 16gb of ram, streaming through livestream studio 6, and using an ATEM Mini pro for livestream studio to recognise the feed.

We are having a simmilar issue, but I have not been able to pin point it down to an exact time in the stream, and I can only reproduce the problem 50% of the time. In Livestream studio I will see the audio begin to cut in and out until we are severly out of sync, then it will eventually fix itself. We were conviced it was the Mac until i saw this thread. Note that the Mac doesnt get above 30% CPU use while running Livestream studio.

Going to check if our ATEM is updated and hopefully that fixes the issue for us. I'll stay posted.

Here is a link to an example of the issue. Really starts going nuts at 21:50

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Luc Laflamme

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostMon Oct 12, 2020 12:36 am

We had a livestream today, a classical music concert. Using the Atem Mini Pro ---> USB ---> VMix ---> Restream.

The audio came in from our Sound Device interface plugged in at Mic In 1 on the Atem.

The audio delay started to be noticeable around 30 mins in. And got worst and worst until all hell broke loose and the robotic, distorted, weird sound overwhelmed the stream.

We toggled the Mic IN ON/OFF button for a few seconds and it went back to normal. No more weird sound and totally in Sync. The client is still pretty pissed off having lost at least 40 seconds of sound.

We are running the latest firmware on the Atem Mini Pro.

And honestly, I am also pissed off.

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MrHotter

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostMon Oct 12, 2020 5:04 pm

I had the same issue that has been described here. I'm not sure if the 8.5 update would have fixed it.

We had a Zoom session with a Zoom F6 feeding into mic one on the ATEM Pro and it was connected via USB-C to a Macbook Pro 2020. That looks like a similar setup to many in this thread.

It started with the ticking noise, followed by the garbled audio for a short period, and then the audio was a couple of seconds off for the rest of the stream.

I wish I had seen this thread first. I could have switched the zoom session to laptop mic and then back to Blackmagic input at a quiet moment after I started hearing the ticks.

Has anyone seen this issue with the regular ATEM Mini or the ISO version?
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manatane11

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostTue Oct 13, 2020 5:49 pm

I use the atem mini. I don’t believe it’s fixed! I tested last night past 2hrs 30mins and the delay drift kicked in. My work around is to disconnect the atem power adapter and reconnect. A/V went back in perfect sync. I have a 6hr live stream tomorrow hence the reason for the test beyond 2.5hrs. I use and Alien Area 51m laptop i7 9700, RTX 2070super 64ddr4. I had my Panasonic camcorder connected to HDMI input 1 and the rode wireless go transmitter in Mic 1 with a one, two frame audio delay. No issues up to 2.5 hours!
Has anyone gone past 3hrs without a delay?
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dave.j

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Oct 14, 2020 4:36 am

manatane11 wrote:I use the atem mini. I don’t believe it’s fixed! I tested last night past 2hrs 30mins and the delay drift kicked in. My work around is to disconnect the atem power adapter and reconnect. A/V went back in perfect sync. I have a 6hr live stream tomorrow hence the reason for the test beyond 2.5hrs. I use and Alien Area 51m laptop i7 9700, RTX 2070super 64ddr4. I had my Panasonic camcorder connected to HDMI input 1 and the rode wireless go transmitter in Mic 1 with a one, two frame audio delay. No issues up to 2.5 hours!
Has anyone gone past 3hrs without a delay?


Mark...I've sent you a direct message about this...am running a long test now, aiming for 8+ hours
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selsiusx

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Oct 14, 2020 6:54 am

Hi, I have the same issue,
yesterday I stremaed for 3 hoiurs and after 1h50 the drift started to happen. It was a premuxed video+audio signal over SDI which I converted to HDMI+audio and send to OBS with my ATEM mini pro.

I was monitoring the output directly in OBS. I heard some occasional dropped audio frames or I dont know how to describe it. At a certain point the audio was out of sync by more than a 2 seconds.
there was a monitor before going into the atem and there were no sync issues there.

I have firmware 8.5.. this is really annoying to say at the least... please fix this issue.
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Célio Ferreira

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Re: Massivos Problemas de deriva de áudio - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Oct 14, 2020 12:03 pm

Usei a Minha Atem mini Pró esse final de Semana durante 8H por dia. Não apareceu o problema. Acredito que foi resolvido esse problema.Pois anteriormente, com cerca de 30 min. aparecia o defeito. Usei 1 dia no Windows e um dia no IOS. Estou Satisfeito.
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Steve Kanefsky

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Re: Massive Audio Drift Issues - ATEM Mini Pro

PostWed Oct 14, 2020 1:11 pm

goran diffner wrote:I do not use usb for streaming but the hdmi output so that might be the reason why it works for me.


Well yes, of course. The USB webcam output is the central feature at issue here. That's almost like saying "I don't use an ATEM Mini so that might be why it works for me" :)
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