Audio Input Not Working

[tomheist2]

Hi,

I've got an issue whereby I can select my audio input source, but the source is silent. I have tried 2 different machines with 3 different audio interfaces and i'm having the same issue. The source audio shows up in Ableton live's inputs and on my RME sound interface mixer, so there's no issue with the input itself.

I have tried the following both on my laptop and studio PC
Analogue input into my RME
Digital Input from my XDJ-XZ via USB
Analogue input into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

Both machines are running Windows 10 with latest updates. I have also tried rolling back to previous versions of OBS with the same issue.
The only audio that seems to show up on the meters is desktop audio or application capture, but upon trying to capture audio from Ableton
as a workaround, this didn't work either.

I'm really frustrated as OBS worked flawlessly 3 weeks ago when I last streamed. Can anyone help?

 

[AaronD]

What does the meter do in OBS?

If you have a meter, then OBS is in fact getting it, and the problem is probably in OBS's routing:

Also note that my Mic/Aux is muted in this screenshot. I'm pretty sure you would have noticed if yours was, but not everyone does.

If you don't have a meter, then it really is an input problem.

---

That said though, since you already have a VERY capable DAW, I'd be tempted to only look at how to get audio from *there* into OBS. Do *all* of your audio work in the DAW, and only give OBS the final soundtrack to pass through unchanged. OBS by itself, works for a casual bedroom streamer, but not much else.

If you have sound that originates in OBS, like a video or whatever, I'd also be tempted, like I actually did in one of my rigs, to send that audio out the Monitor to the DAW, not to the stream or recording, and the return the still-complete soundtrack back to OBS, which is not Monitored.

 

[tomheist2]

There is a meter, but it just sits at -inf in spite of there being audio incoming. It almost feels like there was a Windows update that came in the last few weeks and created an app permissions issue for OBS.

As far as I can tell, OBS can't get audio from Ableton. I have previously got this to work using ASIOlink in years gone by but recent updates of OBS rendered this no longer necessary as it was able to capture audio from Ableton just fine without it.

 

[tomheist2]

UPDATE : Still not working but I had something interesting happen

My crappy old laptop had version 28.1.1 of OBS on it and can recieve audio. Wierdly enough, the input listed is under MICROPHONE for the line category of input (With Scarlett 2i2 in brackets). When it was listed on my other laptop, it was listed as Analogue 1/2 (Scarlett 2i2)>

Old laptop has windows 22H2 also however which is the current update

 

[AaronD]

There is a meter, but it just sits at -inf in spite of there being audio incoming. It almost feels like there was a Windows update that came in the last few weeks and created an app permissions issue for OBS.

Yeah, so OBS isn't getting it in the first place. Or it's looking at the wrong device. What is that source set for?

As far as I can tell, OBS can't get audio from Ableton. I have previously got this to work using ASIOlink in years gone by but recent updates of OBS rendered this no longer necessary as it was able to capture audio from Ableton just fine without it.

VB-Audio Virtual Apps

VB-Audio Virtual Cable and App's

vb-audio.com

If you install the one at the top of the page, you get a single audio loopback. If you install two more farther down the page, you get another pair for each, for a total of 5 independent loopbacks. Each loopback is a virtual speaker that you can send audio to, and a virtual mic that you can pick it up from.

If you have sound that originates in OBS, like a video or whatever, I'd also be tempted, like I actually did in one of my rigs, to send that audio out the Monitor to the DAW, not to the stream or recording, and the return the still-complete soundtrack back to OBS, which is not Monitored.

That would use 2 independent loopbacks: one from OBS's Monitor to the DAW, and one from the DAW to OBS's only external source.

Wierdly enough, the input listed is under MICROPHONE for the line category of input (With Scarlett 2i2 in brackets).

The only difference between mic and line input is the analog signal level. That's normalized in the analog world before it hits the digital converter, so there's no difference at all in software. MIC and SPEAKER are just easy ways to keep straight which direction things are going, since a lot of people get ins and outs backwards and insist that they're right.

 

[tomheist2]

Ok I resolved the issue. The microphone thing on my old laptop was enough to clue me in.

As far as I can tell, there was a Windows update or some other installation event that reset microphone permissions for apps. You need to enable apps to use your microphone via the Microphone Privacy Settings as OBS (apparently) sees all incoming audio devices as Microphones, regardless of if they are line-in or not. This section is separate from other sound card settings.

Aaron to answer your post

1. The source was set to the same device, it was just labelled as a microphone on the old laptop as the permissions were allowing it
2. VB Cable has never functioned properly for me. ASIOlink was my previous solution (it's free also) but as said, you no longer need it to route audio into OBS or any other loopback solution for that matter.
3. "
4. Correct, but OBS only offers inputs in the input section and outputs in the output, unless you've got a more complex loopback setup

 

[dubdecember]

Ahhhh!!! I have been searching all over for hours how to fix this and your description of the microphone permissions solved my problem! Thank you so so much!