Desktop Audio Capture Not Working

[verychillyfingers]

As of now, I have tried seven different tutorials. Seven. Not one has worked. I have used IShowU, SoundFlower, GroundControl, and Blackhole. Each and every time, I follow the tutorials click-for-click, yet OBS picks up nothing. It does not even give an indication of working, none of the volume slider-looking things light up when sound is being played through the Multi-Output device. I am currently using Blackhole as IShowU was getting iffy on newer versions of MacOS.

Alright. So each and every time, this is what I have done: Download and install whichever Audio Router is being suggested by the tutorial (and uninstall any others from past attempts). Make a Multi-Output device with Built In Output on top and both Built In Output and the Audio Program selected. Choose Multi-Output Device as computer audio output device from audio settings. Go into OBS settings and select Desktop Audio to either [insert audio program here] 2ch or Multi-Output device (tried both options on each attempt). Add a new sound output capture (and input capture when that doesn't work). Play sound on my Mac. As of yet, not a single noise has been picked up.

Is there anything immediately wrong with the logs? Am I doing something blatantly wrong??

 

[verychillyfingers]

Oh, and another important detail: I have been doing this across two computers. One, a Mac laptop running Big Sur, and the other (this one) a desktop running Catalina. OBS does the same thing on both computers.

 

[tinusriyanto]

Here is what I do.
1. Choose a program to play the audio, in my case VLC.
2. Install a Virtual Sound Card software, in my case Soundflower.
3. Create a Multi-Output Device containing both Soundflower and my built in output since I will listen via earphone
4. In OBS Scene, create an input device. I choose Soundflower as the input source.
5. Open VLC, change the output setting in VLC to Multi-Output Device. Then load an audio file and hit play
6. Go back to OBS scene, the audio meter should indicate that there is an input.

 

[verychillyfingers]

My VLC does not seem to have an output setting, but I tried running a game and still nothing was picked up.

 

[tinusriyanto]

In VLC goto menu Audio -> Audio Device. It should list all of your output device. You can change to Multi-Mode there.
The point is, you need to "redirect" the output of your software to Multi-Mode Output so that Soundflower / whatever software you use can pick the audio and then OBS can "hear" it.
Soundflower / whatever software you use cannot "automagically" pickup audio from built in output.

 

[verychillyfingers]

Just tested it twice. Even with that all done, OBS still refuses to do anything...

 

[tinusriyanto]

Let's try a few things to narrow the problem down.
Before doing this, please make sure that you have setup Multi-Mode Output and redirect the output of your player to Multi-Mode Output.
First in OBS Preferences, Audio section please disable both Desktop Audio and Desktop Audio 2.
Second, in the scene please make sure that you choose Audio Input Capture (with the mic icon). Then choose Soundflower/ whatever software you install.
Third, check via the audio mixer panel, make sure there is an Audio Meter for that Audio Input Capture (not hidden and if the meter react when you play audio.

 

[verychillyfingers]

After following all the steps, the same result occurred. There is an Audio Meter, but it does not react when sound is played.

 

[tinusriyanto]

I don't suppose that you have a mic or other input source to compare with ? This is to make sure that your OBS Input capture is working.
Unfortunately I don't know how to analyse Soundflower etc to make sure that sound is routed out properly from there.

 

[verychillyfingers]

Alright, it seems like the default mic input (Audio Input capture - > Built-in Microphone) is working, the Audio Meter is moving and recording input. It's just using any of the Audio routers with any desktop audio that isn't. So I guess that's a start...

 

[verychillyfingers]

Any other ideas for fixes?

 

[tinusriyanto]

The only idea I could come up with is to test just your player with Multi-Output Device. Assuming that the Multi Output contain your built in output then you should hear sound from your speaker.

 

[verychillyfingers]

Sound does come out of the speaker, yet OBS still does not pick it up. Interestingly, I use Audio Hijack to record sound occasionally (fiddly as all heck to get working with video though) and it picks up sound fine, so I wonder if this is a problem with the audio routers themselves...

 

[louvanstone]

I am having exactly the same problem at the moment. I am researching it, I will let you know if I manage to solve it. I have found this thread very helpful too. Many thanks

 

[verychillyfingers]

All good! And let us know if you find anything substantial, even if it doesn't work totally.

 

[verychillyfingers]

Anyone else have other ideas?

 

[Sl3vin]

I wanted to record a meeting and had the same problem. My mistake was that I created the Multi-Output Device in Soundflower, but did not activate it :D Maybe this will help someone. Right click on the Multi-Output Device -> Use This Device For Sound Output

 

[mstafford]

I came here searching because my desktop speakers were not outputting sound from OBS. I found a solution for myself that may help others. Under Audio Mixer select the sprocket/settings icon next to the audio input you have choosen (it should have a moving sound bar), select Advance Audio Properties from the pop up menu, Select Audio Monitoring and choose "Monitor and Output." I selected it for "Audio Input Capture" and my speaker output came back. I'm on OSMonterey 12.6

 

[caliobs]

@verychillfingers: FWIW...I had same problem and at last, I gave in and reinstalled OBS Studio on my mac and that enabled desktop audio to play -AND- record. It was a lucky shot in the dark as I had no other path that worked. Worth a try if you haven't and at least in my case; some of my settings were retained with scenes and sources. I am not sure where those settings were persisted.

 

[jcarlies]

I tried it all and nothing works, audio matters shows audio from desktop but when I go live no audio is played