Can I play an MP3 player through OBS?

M

mikehende

New Member
Hello all, someone just referred me to this software. Would it be possible for me to route my Software MP3 player through OBS so I can apply VST effects over my music please? I have tried every other DAW and virtual cables options I can find but seems no one can figure out the outputs routing for this type of setup. My MP3 players Outputs can work with Asio and Wasapi.

If it cannot be done with OBS then any referrals please? Thanks.
 
Thanks but VirtualDJ does all of this and more and is free so if I had to switch payers then that is what I would use. I am looking into streaming softwares.
 
mikehende said:
Thanks but VirtualDJ does all of this and more and is free so if I had to switch payers then that is what I would use. I am looking into streaming softwares.
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I misunderstood your question, I assumed that you want to apply the VTS pre-OBS in your route with a DAW like Reaper or something. You're aware you can apply VST effects directly to audio sources in OBS? When you say "no one can figure out the outputs routing for this type of setup", what exactly is the setup? I think that would help to know.
 
Sorry for confusing you guys. My first option is to find a way to have VST fx playing over the music while running my mp3 players like Mediamonkey. I simply want to have the playlist running and be able to trigger reverbs, delays e.t.c whenever I want.

Now, I have tried to get help from Reaper and other DAW's forums but no one can figure out how to have Mediamonkey play the music through or inside the DAW so I can apply the VST fx which is being hosted in the DAW. What is confusing everyone who have tried to help is how to use Mediamonkkey's Asio or Wasapi Outputs options to link it to a DAW or other utility which hosts the VST's.

Yes it sounds simple to say like Mediamonkey Asio Out-VAC-DAW input but it hasn't worked out so something is missing it seems in that configuration idea.
 
mikehende said:
Sorry for confusing you guys. My first option is to find a way to have VST fx playing over the music while running my mp3 players like Mediamonkey. I simply want to have the playlist running and be able to trigger reverbs, delays e.t.c whenever I want.

Now, I have tried to get help from Reaper and other DAW's forums but no one can figure out how to have Mediamonkey play the music through or inside the DAW so I can apply the VST fx which is being hosted in the DAW. What is confusing everyone who have tried to help is how to use Mediamonkkey's Asio or Wasapi Outputs options to link it to a DAW or other utility which hosts the VST's.

Yes it sounds simple to say like Mediamonkey Asio Out-VAC-DAW input but it hasn't worked out so something is missing it seems in that configuration idea.
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Sounds like a pretty straightforward audio route - it's worth noting (and sorry if this sounds condescending at all, I don't know your knowledge level) there's a few overhead issues related with using VACs, generally making sure that all the sample-rates/channels/bit-depths/etc match on all of your software, I've found this to be a real nightmare. Also I've noticed in the last few years of recommending the VAC software, although not free, found HERE, and people were Googling the name and finding THIS almost useless software full of bugs.

I've never used mediamonkey but just downloaded it and routed from MM to VAC cable 1, in Reaper use cable 1 as input and cable 2 as output, then in OBS use "audio input capture" cable 2, and you can either use windows to "listen to device" or OBS's audio monitoring (windows might be a tad bit faster plus audio won't cut out if OBS crashes), then apply Reaper's VST effects, it's a great DAW so there's loads of effects to choose from.

Regardless it seems the major issue is that you want to listen back to the VST'ed audio in realtime. If you just have your headphones as the output in MM and then apply VST effects over the top directly in OBS you won't be able to actually hear the effect, just the recording/stream output, so that's out of the question unless you just skip Reaper and still use a VAC MM and OBS (from MM to VAC cable 1, then use that as an input in OBS, apply VST and monitor) - there's lots of possibilities here.

Let me know if you need more info :)
 
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mrlewismharris said:
Sounds like a pretty straightforward audio route using a virtual audio cable -

Regardless it seems the major issue is that you want to listen back to the VST'ed audio, corrent? If you just have your headphones as the output, and then apply VST effects over the top directly in OBS you won't be able to actually hear the effect, so that's out of the question unless you just skip Reaper and still use a VAC, from MM to VAC cable 1, then use that as an input in OBS, apply VST and monitor... there's lots of possibilities here.

Let me know if you need more info :)
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Regarding my knowledge level, tbh I do a lot of research on my own first and only then do I seek out help when I can't get any further so while I may not be as technically sound as the other guy I try my best but sometimes I may need a step by step help for certain things. Since I have been getting help from developers themselves who could not find the solution for this then this is suggesting to me that it might be a futile venture.

However, yes my intent is to listen back to the VST'ed audio as you put it. If what you wrote:

"unless you just skip Reaper and still use a VAC, from MM to VAC cable 1, then use that as an input in OBS, apply VST and monitor... there's lots of possibilities here."

can work and you might be able to give me some guidance I am very willing to give it a shot? Let me know please?
 
mikehende said:
Regarding my knowledge level, tbh I do a lot of research on my own first and only then do I seek out help when I can't get any further so while I may not be as technically sound as the other guy I try my best but sometimes I may need a step by step help for certain things. Since I have been getting help from developers themselves who could not find the solution for this then this is suggesting to me that it might be a futile venture.

However, yes my intent is to listen back to the VST'ed audio as you put it. If what you wrote:

"unless you just skip Reaper and still use a VAC, from MM to VAC cable 1, then use that as an input in OBS, apply VST and monitor... there's lots of possibilities here."

can work and you might be able to give me some guidance I am very willing to give it a shot? Let me know please?
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That's all too relatable to me and most people on this forum. I find myself patch-working together multiple fixes for a very specific issue I'm having in a much broader customised setup that ultimately fails - then go and try ask for help somewhere and everyone's wondering why I've DIY'ed together all these obscure bits of software, usually figure it out in the end. Anyway...

So I'm assuming you have at least some working virtual audio cable software? Change the output in mediamonkey to the cable like:
1628088429381.png

Then add the audio cable in OBS:
1628088594502.png

1628088620904.png

If you start playing music in mediamonkey you should start to see the VU meter jumping in OBS:
1628088723867.png

Click the gear icon and click "advanced audio properties":
1628088768075.png

Then enable audio monitoring by selecting "Monitor and Output" (will monitor out the default audio device set in OBS and the stream/recording output, this is the one you want):
1628088821983.png

If you can't hear anything, explicitly set your audio output in OBS settings:
1628088918784.png

Now to add VST effects, go to the audio source's filters:
1628088975631.png

Add the VST plugin:
1628089001936.png

Then you can add VSTs from the dropdown:
1628089098090.png
 
Thx, I have my preferred VST's. Ok ready to try this out but trying to install OBS I am having trouble with this screen which is asking for a streaming key, what should I do here please? Twitch is the default option.

obs2.png
 
mikehende said:
Thx, I have my preferred VST's. Ok ready to try this out but trying to install OBS I am having trouble with this screen which is asking for a streaming key, what should I do here please? Twitch is the default option.

View attachment 73902
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Yeah so if you're wanting to livestream on Twitch go here: link.twitch.tv/myChannelSettings click "Stream" under settings on the left, and copy the Primary Stream key into OBS, when you click "Start streaming" it should go live.
 
Hmnn, I am confused, I had thought only MM, VAC and OBS would be involved in this. So does this means that I will need to use a streaming software in the mix for this to work as I don't see that in your instructions?
 
Yeah MM, VAC and OBS is all you need, even if you want to livestream and record you don't need to install anything else, just sign up to the services - I thought you meant you wanted to use Twitch.

If not, at the beginning of the auto-wizard thingy just click "Optimize just for recording" and you don't have to input any stream keys or anything.
 
Are you freakin' kidding me!! Do you have ANY idea of how many weeks I have been trying to get this done, how much time, effort and frustrations I have had to go through and you got this done so very quickly and easily? I am flabbergasted, don't know what else to say other than when God doesn't come himself he sends a man!

Ok so 2 more steps for me, right now I am hearing "trial" every few seconds, any way to turn this off until all of this should be working and I can purchase OBS?
 
Oh wait, the trial prompt stopped on it's own when I started playing a track, might be happen only during inactivity.

Also, I am not seeing how to trigger the fx? I have hearing the delay fx being applied on the old "trial" only?
 
mikehende said:
Are you freakin' kidding me!! Do you have ANY idea of how many weeks I have been trying to get this done, how much time, effort and frustrations I have had to go through and you got this done so very quickly and easily? I am flabbergasted, don't know what else to say other than when God doesn't come himself he sends a man!

Ok so 2 more steps for me, right now I am hearing "trial" every few seconds, any way to turn this off until all of this should be working and I can purchase OBS?
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That is such a nice compliment, and I'm glad to help :)

So, the loud TRIAL voice is Virtual Audio Cable, not OBS. OBS is a completely free software so you'll never have to buy it, but VAC is paid software - and quite expensive. If you scroll down the download page there's the "lite" version, as far as I know it doesn't have the TRIAL voice, but is limited to 48Khz rate and 1 total virtual cable. I have looked for alternative software but couldn't really find any unfortunately.
 
mikehende said:
Oh wait, the trial prompt stopped on it's own when I started playing a track, might be happen only during inactivity.

Also, I am not seeing how to trigger the fx? I have hearing the delay fx being applied on the old "trial" only?
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You can toggle them on and off with the buttons on the list:
1628098992661.png

You might want to play around with it until you notice it's working.
 
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