Question / Help Blackmagic Intensity Audio Sync Issue - HELP!

[Kearstin]

This has been bothering me for the longest time...

I use the Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle Thunderbolt with my Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Because of apparent audio issues in the first place for Xbox One outputs and using the Shuttle, right now I have my set up with two:
- Desktop Audio
- Blackmagic Audio

(Now with the March 2016 Xbox update, I changed the party chat output to both headset and tv, so now thankfully party chats come through "as" game audio)

When I have my computer's headphones on, I can hear my desktop audio and the game's audio just fine. No latency.
The problem is, the game's audio when *recording*, when *streaming* and *within* the Mic/Aux 2 (Blackmagic audio), is a solid 1.5 second delayed. But I can *hear* it just fine in real time?

I have no idea what the issue is or what setting I missed. It's driving me nuts.

If I remove the Mic/Aux 2, it doesn't come through in recording at all, but I can still *hear* it on desktop.
If I keep it, it comes through, but delayed. Again, still can *hear* it in real time though along gameplay.

What's wrong!?

 

[Kearstin]

I also wanted to add that it doesn't always do this.
I had streamed on Saturday, and there was no audio delay in stream (again, all real time no latency on my computer).
But yesterday, there was.

Is this a drifting thing?
Known audio issue?
Can I do anything to fix or avoid it?

 

[Narcogen]

Curious, what are you using to get the audio from the Blackmagic to your headphones? I use LineIn. I've also noticed some latency from time to time, but on my end, it's usually in the headphones, and not OBS. Unfortunately it doesn't happen all the time, and I usually resolve it by power cycling the device or the computer. I also tend to use Black Syphon to talk to the device, and then use game capture in OBS (this makes OBS' use of the device non-exclusive and I can use other apps-- for instance, OBS to livestream and Syphon Recorded to record, simultaneously.

 

[Kearstin]

I do RCA out into a headphone splitter, since I have to do the whole Soundflower thing. This let's me actually hear what's going on on my desktop, and my music, as opposed to Soundflower's silence as it outputs into OBS. I also definitely also use Black Syphon and game capture, but for whatever reason, without the RCA, it doesn't bring the audio over in the HDMI.

 

[Narcogen]

You might want to try LineIn, which is free.

https://www.rogueamoeba.com/freebies/

It lets you forward audio from one device to another. For instance, I set the default output to SoundFlower, tell OBS to capture that device, and then set LineIn to forward audio from SoundFlower to my headphones for monitoring.

In OBS you may need to add the BlackMagic as a separate audio device source, I know I did. You should be able to test whether you're getting audio over HDMI by plugging in the BMI, opening Black Syphon, and then running LineIn and set it to forward from "BlackMagic Device" to your headset or speakers.

 

[Kearstin]

I feel like I did add BM as its own audio but could you kindly walk me through how to do that, just in case?

 

[Narcogen]

Sure!

First with the Black Magic plugged in, I open up Black Syphon and turn on the Xbox so it produces a signal. I choose 720p59.97 from the drop down and test that I get a preview image.

Open OBS.

I'll start by creating a new Scene and call it BMI Test.

Add a source Game Capture (Syphon). Add existing. (If there are none just add a new one, but since you're already using Black Syphon there should already be one there.

Click the gear on the Game Capture source in the source pane to open properties, and choose [Black Syphon] Device Name from the Source dropdown. Since Syphon is video only, you need a separate audio source.

Now... you can add audio two ways, and I'll admit that things sometimes seem to get goofy, and if they don't work, I try the other way until they work. I'm not sure if there's actually a problem with OBS or if I'm just not getting things, but here goes...

Click Settings and go to the Audio tab. Black Magic won't be available under Desktop Audio Device or Desktop Audio Device 2, but starting with the 1st Mic/Auxiliary Audio Device you should have Black Magic available as an option. Pick the first one that's free, and then use the rest to add whatever other audio sources you have (microphone, etc).

The device should now show up under the Mixer and you can do a test in your console's interface to make sure it's getting the audio. Although sometimes, even though I see the VU meter move, and I have the proper audio devices selected both in Settings/Audio and in Edit/Advanced Audio Properties (where you can change the mix, downmix to mono, change the balance, or add an offset and choose which audio sources to output to which tracks)... sometimes the stream just gets no audio.

I have no idea why. When that happens I usually start over, and if I tried selecting the audio device from Audio/Settings, I take the other route-- I delete the devices from the Mixer panel in the main window, and then try adding them again.

Once I have the two sources added and I've verified that they work by starting streaming and testing the stream (since I can't hear the audio yet) then I open up a copy of LineIn, tell it to forward audio from BlackMagic to my headset so I can monitor, and then test for latency-- see whether the audio I'm hearing is in sync with the OBS preview window, view the stream again to make sure the video and audio on the stream are in sync.

 

[Kearstin]

So I redid essentially everything to start over and see what's up. I'm still getting that audio delay in the stream itself from gameplay. But still zero latency in what I hear on my headphones.
This is driving me insane!

 

[Narcogen]

The only answer for you then might to capture the Black Magic directly as a capture device, without Black Syphon. If you do that, even if you still get the delay, you should be able to add buffering to it and correct for the delay. You won't be able to do that with the Syphon capture.

 

[Kearstin]

I thought it doesn't capture the audio when you do just as a capture? And it's why you have to add it to your multi audio source?

 

[Narcogen]

Yes. But you should be able to add it directly as a device both for video and audio, rather than going the Syphon route for video and the direct route for audio. It's possible this is the source of your delay.

 

[Ant D.]

I registered just now because I have also had problems with Black Magic Intensity (PCI Card) as of late with a delay in audio. I think this might be an issue bigger than people are thinking.

 

[Zeros.81]

Wich version of OSX have you?

I've read in Telestream forums and also in the blackmagic forums that the most stable drivers are "Desktop Video 10.4.3" so you could give a try.

 

[Kearstin]

Yes. But you should be able to add it directly as a device both for video and audio, rather than going the Syphon route for video and the direct route for audio. It's possible this is the source of your delay.

That's an issue though. It does *not* for me carry over audio when it's its own source only.

 

[Kearstin]

Wich version of OSX have you?

I've read in Telestream forums and also in the blackmagic forums that the most stable drivers are "Desktop Video 10.4.3" so you could give a try.

Oh gosh 10.4.3 seriously? Haha, I'm on the latest, which his El Capitan 10.11.5. And Sierra was just announced at this week's Keynote, so I'll be doing that OS as soon as it rolls out, too.

 

[Kearstin]

Has anybody used the Sound Blaster X-FI HD USB? Or a USB line-in in general? Currently I'm doing RCA to 3.55 from the Thunderbolt into my iMac's headphone jack, that's actually through a headphone jack splitter first because I need my headphones plugged in to hear since output audio can't come through the computer's speakers...

 

[BOWSERMOUTH]

Kearstin, I have the same problem with the same hardware. Did you find a fix yet?

 

[Kearstin]

Kearstin, I have the same problem with the same hardware. Did you find a fix yet?

I'm still having and issue. I just got myself a USB line-in, and there's still a delay. Now with this USB line-in, I can't even hear that audio at all, I just see the mixer in OBS move for it... which is still delayed.

I just want a perfect Mac setup, that's all lol

 

[Kearstin]

So, I've got a mixer that I want to try but I assume I need to do an audio line-in to the iMac as well, either the splitter into my headphone jack or the USB line-in, right?
My iMac does not have an audio in on this model :(

 

[Kearstin]

Just an update, while utilizing a mixer, I still get that split second audio delay between game audio and video still :/
This is driving me crazy!