Hello, I hope everyone is fine.
FIRST NOTE:
OBS doesn't use Audio DAWs jargon in its UI and Settings panels.
This is a big problem, because it creates confusion, especially in the Settings window and its sub panels,
to people coming from an analogue Mixer or Industrial DAW Software.
OBS AUDIO NATURE
- OBS is a 6 BUS MATRIX.
- Each Bus can be a Mono, Stereo or Surround one.
- Go to OBS "Settings/Output" and change "Output Mode" from "Simple" to "Advanced".
You will notice, in the Audio sub tab (to the right of Recording tab) that all of the 6 channels now appear.
If you chose a video recording format that supports it, you will record up to a "7.1 Surround Sound" video.
- Now go to "Settings/Audio" and you will notice that in "Devices" section there are "6 AUDIO INPUTS", but their names do not help you.
Even "Devices" wold be better be called "MAIN INPUTS", "SUB MIXES" or even "INPUT TRACKS".
In a DAW or Mixer those 6 inputs single names would be: SUB MIX 01, SUB MIX 02, SUB MIX 03... et cetera.
- In the "Advanced" section you'll find "Monitoring Device": that's the only one self explanatory.
- Now go to "Settings/Output/Recording Tab" and you will notice you could check 0 to 6 of these "6 SUB MIX".
All those that are checked will be auto "Down Mixed" by OBS into "ONE SINGLE REC MAIN OUT".
- There are 3 MAIN OUTS "built" from those "6 SUB MIX":
1) The REC MAIN OUT (you chose what to record or not)
2) The MONITOR MAIN OUT (you can listen to something will never be recorded)
3) The STREAMING MAIN OUT (you need to chose which one of the 6 will be streamed)
- ALL MAIN OUTS follow the topology you decide in "Settings/Audio/General/Channels": from Mono to 7.1 Surround.
That topology will be used by OBS to decide how to mix down those "6 SUB MIX" (each one from mono to 7.1).
If you decide for a 7.1 topology, it's better to have a 7.1 capable Monitoring Device.
The same for the service which receives your Streaming.
TO RECORD AUDIO IN A VIDEO
- For each and every single Audio present in the "Audio Mixer" user interface section,
you need to control its "advanced properties" (right click on cog wheel icon) and assign SUB MIX (here they're called TRACKS!!!).
- Route these audios to a previously "Record Enabled" (rec-checked) SUB MIX.
- Do the same for each and every single "Audio Capture" source (input or output) present in a Scene (it must be there in the Mixer).
- Every single Audio to record must be in "monitor and output" mode.
- You need in "Settings/Audio/Devices" section to have at least 1 SUB MIX "active (not Disabled) and rec-checked".
FINAL NOTES
- Not always OBS Audio Matrix is enough for useful routing. At that point you will need to install 1 or more virtual Audio Devices
in your Operative System (WIN, OSX, LNX) to do a virtual patch-bay cabling, otherwise you need an Audio Digital Interface
which has hardware, drivers and software to manage its internal Matrix.
- EXAMPLE: you want to route OBS Audio (your voice + differnt video-audio sources) to Zoom,
but Zoom doesn't "see" OBS Audio MAIN OUT.
You need to route OBS Monitoring Device to a Virtual Audio Interface or specific channel out of a multichannel audio interface.
Then tell Zoom to use as Mic (listen) that specific Virtual or Hardwired out. You will lose the possibility to monitor yourself and OBS.
So you will need to create 2 SIMULTANEOUS MIXES:
1) capture your mic, videos and music in OBS and from there send it to Zoom.
2) capture your mic, videos and music in from the App which will serve them to your "headphones".
This App needs to capture audio from a Virtual Hub.
- Other case: if you want to manage in scenes specific App audios independently from one another (audio player and browser),
you must route each App to a virtual interface. Then in the scene you want, you will capture only that specific virtual out.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Maybe merging Spout (Syphon in OSX) and JACK in OBS Studio could be the solution.
Using the strong jargon and metaphores already proven in decades in DAWs it's a must.
The Audio Mixer section needs to be like that.
Using nodes... could be a dream...
OBS is amazing... it deserves to be recognized as a professional tool.
I hope in the future they will fix all these things.
And so on...
If I misunderstood something about OBS, I beg your pardon.
Everything is working for me, so maybe I couldn't explain correctly the matter.
