Question / Help Can I record to multiple files at once?

stebbinsd

Member
I am looking to record my audio output (aka speakers or headphones) in a separate file from my audio input (aka microphone). That way, I can edit the two audio files independently of one another.

I would ideally like the recording for both files to begin at exactly the same time, preferably by pressing a hotkey that activates both at the same time. That way, I won't have to worry about syncing the audio so that my commentary is actually on key with the audio output files; if they both started at the same time, I can simply place on on top of the other and they should be in sync with each other by default.

Does OBS allow me to do that?
 
Yes, that is exactly what the up to 6 audio channels in OBS are made for.
If you switch to Advanced ouput mode you can tick which of the audio channels you want to record(so if you want your desktop audio and microphone seperate you could just use the first 2) in the "Recording" Tab. In the "Audio" Tab you can set the bitrate and a name for each channel.
Now to tell obs which audio device should be sent where you just open up the Advanced Audio Properties and tick the channel(under Tracks) where you want the source to be routet.
 

stebbinsd

Member
You man like this?

OBS Settings #1.png
 

koala

Active Member
Yes, in your screnshot you are mixing Desktop Audio with Headpones and sending this to audio track 1. Mic/Aux and Microphone are also mixed and sent to audio track 2. In Settings->Output->Recording, you are defining which audio tracks you're writing to the video file. You should check at least track 1 and 2. In a video or audio editor, you can extract the 2 tracks and process them independently and create new mixes.
If you use 4 sources and want to postprocess all of them independently, don't mix them like in your screenshot but check each of them to a different audio track and write all 4 tracks to the video file.
 

Pudding

New Member
Hi, I would really like to do the same thing, however, my editing software doesnt recognize any audio tracks other than the first one. Is there any other plugin that can export the audio tracks into separate files?
 

stebbinsd

Member
Hi, I would really like to do the same thing, however, my editing software doesnt recognize any audio tracks other than the first one. Is there any other plugin that can export the audio tracks into separate files?
I personally like to do it this way:

First, dont' even use OBS to record the microphone at all. Instead, use the "voice recorder" app that comes standard with Windows to record your mic.

Then, at the start of each recording, do something on-screen that can be completed in a single frame, that isn't animated. My personal favorite is to start by recording the desktop and highlighting different files on the desktop.

You'll have two audio files (one from the gameplay recording from OBS, and another from the voice recorder app). However, since they started at different times, they'll be out of sync with each other. So what you need to do is this:

When you are highlighting different files on the desktop, say "Boom ... boom ... boom ... boom" every time you highlight a new file.

Then, when you enter your video editor, find the exact frame when you highlighted the first file (this is why it's important that the thing you do isn't animated, so you can easily identify the exact frame when it happens), and crop out everything that came before it.

Then, take your voice recorder file, and listen for when you first say the word "boom." Crop out everything in the audio file that comes before that.

Then align the two files together.

And viola! The video, audio output, and audio input are synchronized with each other, with only a 1-frame margin of error (aka a margin of error too small for your audience to notice)!
 
Top