Question / Help ATEM Mini - No audio option when adding Video Capture Device

[jparm1]

New to OBS, but, I recently got the ATEM Mini, and attempted to add it as a source in OBS. When adding, I created a new device for "Video Capture Device." It successfully adds the video, but with NO option for audio.

In reading the forum, I see that when many others add this device, and other video capture devices, there are also options for audio, which I'd like to have! Even when scrolling down, there are only options to configure the video.

I can, however, add a separate audio capture input, but, the sources are very out of sync, and inconsistently so (so I can't just set the offset under advanced audio properties.)

I'm on a Macbook Pro, 10.15.3, OBS 25.0.7, ATEM Mini using USB 3.0. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[movingwater]

Same here, can't find the option to turn on audio for the ATEM mini, as Video capture card.

 

[clayneh]

Even when adding it as a separate Audio Input Capture device, I get no audio at all. I've also noticed that within Audio MIDI Setup and System Preferences, I get no signal even though I show signal within the ATEM Software. Within Audio MIDI Setup, the "Master Stream" sliders are all the way down at zero and greyed out.

 

[athem001]

Same Here

 

[haube]

I am having the same issue. I am on the latest version of OBS 25.0.8 and running Catalina 10.15.6

No sound option when using the Video Capture Device and very out of synch sound when adding the ATEM as a separate Audi Input Capture device (audio is much slower than video - up to 1300ms delay from video to audio).

I have checked the permission settings and OBS has access to the ATEM as a microphone. No changes.

I can add the ATEM in the sound settings to be the source for Desktop Audio 2 but again - I have delay issues.

Thank you
Michael

 

[InteractiveDNA]

Try this!

1. Delete the source and add again
2. Check on the mini if you have audio output enabled. See if all levels works on the mini. Make sure that the problem in not on the mini first. Connect the mini to a hdtv and check if there is audio.
3. Check if you have the audio device installed on the computer.
4. If you do have audio on the mini, try VoiceMeeter. see how is done on my YT channel. Also how to change camera angles with OBS and not touching the mini there as well.

I hope this helps
InteractiveDNA

 

[haube]

Try this!

1. Delete the source and add again
2. Check on the mini if you have audio output enabled. See if all levels works on the mini. Make sure that the problem in not on the mini first. Connect the mini to a hdtv and check if there is audio.
3. Check if you have the audio device installed on the computer.
4. If you do have audio on the mini, try VoiceMeeter. see how is done on my YT channel. Also how to change camera angles with OBS and not touching the mini there as well.

I hope this helps
InteractiveDNA

Thank you for the hints - yes, all levels are there when checking with Software Control. Audio is not an available option when adding the source - I also tried on a windows PC with OBS 26 - same thing.

I appreciate your tips though

 

[Bill Z]

Stubbled on this and found the fix (for me)...
1- In OBS Sources window, double click on on your ATEM. This will bring up the properties window.
2- Scroll down - you will see two audio options
3 - Select "Use Custom Audio Device"
4 - Select "Microphone (Blackmagic Design)"

 

[Ilmars.s]

Same problem here!
When video is running - no sound.
When sound is active -video freezes.
No way that i can get both sound and video from ATEM MINI.
Not sure if black magic device is crap or OBS have some software issues.
Please let us know if someone figure this out.
Thanks!

 

[Acousticdrum]

I have tried all the above. If I reset my macbook pro I sometimes get the audio back. When I stop recording and restart recording, no audio again . Has anyone found a real answer to this problem. I am usinf an ATEM Mini Pro to macbook pro. I have atem and obs software. All signals are good at ATEM, video good at OBS but rarely do I get audio to stay connected.

 

[Acousticdrum]

Guys and gals, I have discovered if I unplug anything from the usb ports or plug anything into the usb ports while the system is connected, this knocks out the audio. I do not know why. When I restart the macbook I then get audio back. I am now doing a recording test to see if the audio drops out while recording. Will do a 3 hour test.

 

[rifaterdemsahin]

after going to the audio settings
I was able to add it ...most were disabled... now I can record an iPad output

 

[kroe761]

Guys and gals, I have discovered if I unplug anything from the usb ports or plug anything into the usb ports while the system is connected, this knocks out the audio. I do not know why. When I restart the macbook I then get audio back. I am now doing a recording test to see if the audio drops out while recording. Will do a 3 hour test.

I CANNOT believe how much this helped. We had a setup that's ATEM > OBS and hadn't changed anything for for months, but the audio just stopped working. 2 weeks later, I stumble upon this comment and simply restart my computer and the audio is back. Our OBS levels indicated audio was being outputted and everything, but it wasn't being streamed or recorded. Thank you for your help!

 

[AaronD]

Guys and gals, I have discovered if I unplug anything from the usb ports or plug anything into the usb ports while the system is connected, this knocks out the audio. I do not know why. When I restart the macbook I then get audio back. I am now doing a recording test to see if the audio drops out while recording. Will do a 3 hour test.

I CANNOT believe how much this helped. We had a setup that's ATEM > OBS and hadn't changed anything for for months, but the audio just stopped working. 2 weeks later, I stumble upon this comment and simply restart my computer and the audio is back. Our OBS levels indicated audio was being outputted and everything, but it wasn't being streamed or recorded. Thank you for your help!

Are you using the Default setting for your audio device(s)? That setting defers the actual choice of device to the operating system, which can and often will change it based on plug/unplug events.

NEVER use Default! ALWAYS choose a specific device *in OBS*, so that it doesn't change on you.

 

[Messor1981]

Stubbled on this and found the fix (for me)...
1- In OBS Sources window, double click on on your ATEM. This will bring up the properties window.
2- Scroll down - you will see two audio options
3 - Select "Use Custom Audio Device"
4 - Select "Microphone (Blackmagic Design)"
View attachment 62030

I watched this too, but the problem with this is that it cancels the stereo signal, which is stereo in the Atem mini software control.
Is there a solution to the problem that the video capture device's signal comes in as stereo in the sound mixer and goes to the stream?

My chain

PS5 -> Atem mini (stereo signal visible in software control) -> OBS picture is there but no sound

 

[AaronD]

I watched this too, but the problem with this is that it cancels the stereo signal, which is stereo in the Atem mini software control.
Is there a solution to the problem that the video capture device's signal comes in as stereo in the sound mixer and goes to the stream?

My chain

PS5 -> Atem mini (stereo signal visible in software control) -> OBS picture is there but no sound

Are you sure it's actually stereo? Or is it two copies of the same mono signal?
Do the two meters dance differently? Or are they always identical?

If it's two copies of the same mono signal - if the meters are always identical - then that allows the possibility that they're actually opposite each other. When one pushes, the other pulls by the same amount. There's no audible difference at all, but if you mix them, they cancel and you get silence.

That usually happens when people don't realize that the same plug can carry several different types of signals that are not compatible with each other. It sorta works - you do get sound, sometimes - but it's not reliable in all situations, as it would be if the standards were actually matched all the way through.

So, what are the connectors? And what specific signal standard does each one give or expect to receive?

 

[Dihelson Mendonca]

Same problem here, in 2024 - When I connect Atem Mini Pro as a capture device in OBS, either I get no sound, or a very bad sound that is unusable to record through OBS. My Laptop runs Windows 10 latest version, Atem Software latest version, version after 9.... I listen perfectly well sound on HDMI output of Atem Mini Pro, excellent quality. When I add a new device capture, the image is fine, but the audio is terrible. Why ?

 

[AaronD]

Same problem here, in 2024 - When I connect Atem Mini Pro as a capture device in OBS, either I get no sound, or a very bad sound that is unusable to record through OBS. My Laptop runs Windows 10 latest version, Atem Software latest version, version after 9.... I listen perfectly well sound on HDMI output of Atem Mini Pro, excellent quality. When I add a new device capture, the image is fine, but the audio is terrible. Why ?

Just "terrible" could mean anything. Absolutely anything at all.

• Is it loud and distorted? Either clipping or a mismatch of digital formats.
  • If it's clipping, you might be able to make out something, and if it gets quiet enough, it clears up. In that case, you'll need to turn it down *before* the point in the chain that it's too loud for. If you "just turn it down", using a convenient control that happens to be after that point, it'll still be distorted but quieter, which is not what you want. If you turn it down enough (and early enough in the chain) to be clear, and it's too quiet, you can turn it back up *after* the problem point, so long as you don't create the same problem somewhere else. That's called "gain structure", and it's an important part of anything beyond a basic radio.
  • If it's a digital mismatch, then it likely won't sound like anything at all. Any input at all, no matter how quiet, can create instant loud harsh noise, because it's putting far too much weight on a set of bits that are not supposed to matter very much, and vice-versa. In that case, dig into the code somewhere (most likely a custom script that you or someone else wrote for this rig) and see if you can change an option.
  • One "hybrid" problem that I've run into too, on a Linux rig, is that an outdated version of a bridge between two different simultaneous audio systems (yeah, Linux audio is kind of a mess; it's in the process of cleaning up, but it still has a ways to go) took the 24-bit input from a professional interface and used only the least-significant 16 bits of it as if it were regular 16-bit audio. As long as I kept the physical preamp below -48dBFS or so, it sounded fine, but anything above that didn't technically clip, but "wrapped around" to sound far worse than normal clipping. Turned out that the fix for that was already done - it just hadn't trickled down to me yet - so all I had to do was grab the source code, and build/install it myself. Not hard - Linux is good about *that* - but still a bit more involved than just checking a box and then clicking the "Install" button.
• Does it waver in volume? Maybe it sounds good with two speakers but just one speaker is all over the place or silent? Probably a mismatch of analog formats.
  THIS is where people get all confused and turned around backwards, because, "The plug fits! It ought to work!" No, it doesn't, because the exact same 1/4" plug has been used for EVERYTHING historically, and still *is* often used for everything, none of which is compatible with each other.
  • Plug an amplified speaker output into a mic input? It fits!...and blows up the mic input.
    This could also blow up a *person* if they happen to grab the speaker end of a 1/4" cord while the amp end is plugged in and the amp is on. ALWAYS TREAT THE OUTPUT OF AN AMPLIFIER AS IF IT WERE A WALL SOCKET!!
  • Plug a stereo source into a mono input? It fits!...and it sounds weird because you only get the *difference* between the two stereo channels. The reason is that *that* mono input is actually "balanced", meaning that uses that exact same function to cancel noise from a long cable run. It doesn't expect stereo (two signals); it expects mono (one signal) that is presented to it as a *difference* between the two wires. (noise will be the same on both, so taking the difference makes the noise drop out)
  • "Okay, there's another 1/4" jack on the same channel strip, labelled 'INSERT'. Don't know what that means, but let's try it." You plug the stereo source in there, and it sounds better...but still not completely right for some songs that have more extreme stereo effects. That's because "INSERT" actually sends a signal OUT of the channel strip, usually raw from the preamp, AND brings it back IN, to continue processing in the board, all using the same jack! So, you've connected two outputs together, which risks blowing one up (usually the phone or computer in this case), and you still don't get the entire signal because the contested wire gets dropped.
  • "Maybe if I make or buy an adapter that connects the two stereo wires together to make a mono signal..." Ehh...*maybe*. Big *maybe*. Again, that connects two outputs together, which risks blowing one up, and if they have built-in protection, that protection can trigger independently for each one, as it should. So as one drives and the other "lets go", and vice versa, you get a wavering mix of the two channels when you really want them to always contribute equal amounts.
    • If you MUST mix stereo to mono, make your own adapter so you KNOW it's right! Don't trust a cheap one off the shelf. Put a 1k resistor in line with each, keeping them separate, and then tie the *resistors* together, not the raw signals. The resistors provide a "pad" of sorts, so that the output drivers are not stressed, even in the moments when they go opposite directions.

So, which problem do you have? Or is it still different? Posting a recording would help a lot, since most things tend to have a "signature sound" for those that have heard a few.

 

[Dihelson Mendonca]

Hello, thank you for trying to understand the problem.
I will try to describe:
I am an audio studio recording technician.
The sound I hear on OBS, which comes from Atem Mini Pro is not clipping, not distorted by high volume. I carefully adjusted audio source on Atem Software control and volume to "line" and plugged on my main mixer, where all other equipment of the studio is centered. When listening through the Atem Mini pro HDMI output, the sound is crystal clear for music, just like any piece of equipment. But the sound which goes to OBS ( through the USB-C to USB 3 laptop ) is distorted. I never heard something like that before. It looks like the sound is trembling, like we listened on old tape systems, ( wow and tremble ), it´s not stable, perhaps a bitrate or resolution issue changing constantly. In low passages of the music, practically, you can´t hear any sound, but in loud passages, it somehow pass through and reach almost 0 dB, but still distorted. The singers voice become almost uncognized. I wish I could ( Perhaps later ) send a sample of the sound. I tried to fix it for 48 hours already messing, and trying several things, uninstalling OBS and Atem software, reinstalling everything... installing an old OBS version... didn´t solve the problem. The image is ok, no problem whatsoever. OBS detect Atem correctly. I noticed that if I do not launch atem software first, I have no sound on OBS. After closing atem software, OBS, both, restarting windows again, then, the audio is played this bad, but most of the time, I get no audio on OBS from the atem source. I have to run one first, then, the other next. I don´t know what to do anymore. Thanks.

 

[AaronD]

In low passages of the music, practically, you can´t hear any sound, but in loud passages, it somehow pass through and reach almost 0 dB

Noise gate? OBS has its own set of filters/processors, and that's one of them. If you're right on the threshold of a gate, it might do that.

There's no processing at all by default. You or someone else would have had to add it at some point. I've seen a lot of cases where someone tried things, forgot and left some behind, and swore all over the place that they don't have anything. And of course, the problem turned out to be what they forgot and is still there. Almost everything in OBS can have filters on it - sources, groups, scenes, global audio, etc. - look at ALL of them.

but still distorted.

If the gate is set fast enough and you're right on the threshold, it might do that too. I've also heard of fast compressors being used to make a "crunch" sound on purpose. Both are because the response time is faster than an individual wave, and so it modifies the *shape* of the wave and not just its amplitude.

I wish I could ( Perhaps later ) send a sample of the sound.

That would be good.

I noticed that if I do not launch atem software first, I have no sound on OBS. After closing atem software, OBS, both, restarting windows again, then, the audio is played this bad, but most of the time, I get no audio on OBS from the atem source. I have to run one first, then, the other next.

That makes me suspect that Atem is doing something wrong. I've seen lots of rigs that use Atem gear, and that's fine, but I've never seen one yet that *required* it specifically. What's it doing in *your* rig, and can you replace it with something else?