Cutting off audio source early

CPDeMaris

New Member
I don't stream. I record narrated gameplay videos that I edit and upload to Youtube. I'm using Source Record to separate the files. The last few times I have recorded a session, I get done and drag the files into Premiere, and the feed with the webcam footage and the audio from the microphone is shorter. It just cuts off anywhere from 3-5 seconds before the gameplay finishes to sometimes up to 3 or 4 minutes. Then I have to play the gameplay and record another bit of narration to finish up and keep it current with the gameplay. Any reason it is doing this all of a sudden? This only started recently. Here's the log from the last recording.

 
I might have answered my own question. It seems that this happens when my hard drive is filling up. I always move finished projects to a NAS for storage and if I forget for a few days and my SSD starts to fill up, these kind of things start happening more often, so the key is to keep moving recordings to the NAS immediately and keep a few GB free on the SSD at all times.
 
1. Change the refresh rate on your Samsung monitor from 144 Hz to 120 or 60 Hz.
2. OBS is not running as Administrator. Because of this, OBS will not be able to Game Capture certain games, and it will not be able to request a higher GPU priority for itself -- which is the likely cause of the render lag you are currently experiencing. Run OBS as Administrator to help alleviate this problem.
3. Your GPU is maxed out and OBS can't render scenes and encode frames fast enough. Running a game without vertical sync or a frame rate limiter will frequently cause performance issues with OBS because your GPU will be maxed out. OBS requires a little GPU to render your scene.

Enable Vsync or set a reasonable frame rate limit (120, 60, 30) that your GPU can handle without hitting 100% usage.

If that's not enough you may also need to turn down some of the video quality options in the game. If you are experiencing issues in general while using OBS, your GPU may be overloaded for the settings you are trying to use.

Please check our guide for ideas why this may be happening, and steps you can take to correct it: GPU Overload Issues.
 
SSD maintenance on your rig is lacking. Keeping that drive with little to no available space will cause it to slow down & wear out far faster than it should.

Best Practices for SSD Longevity and Performance​

To ensure your SSD operates efficiently and lasts as long as possible, follow these essential practices:

Maintain Free Space​

  • Leave 10-30% Free: Keeping a portion of your SSD free helps maintain performance. As the drive fills up, it can slow down due to the way data is managed and written.

Enable TRIM Command​

  • TRIM Command: This command helps the operating system inform the SSD which blocks of data are no longer in use. Enabling TRIM can improve performance and longevity by allowing the SSD to manage unused data blocks more effectively.

Regular Firmware Updates​

  • Update Firmware: Keeping your SSD's firmware up to date can enhance performance and fix bugs. Check the manufacturer's website for the latest updates.

Monitor SSD Health​

  • Use Diagnostic Tools: Regularly check the health and status of your SSD using diagnostic software. This can help you catch potential issues early and maintain optimal performance.

Additional Tips​

  • Avoid Forced Shutdowns: Always shut down your device properly to prevent data corruption.
  • Backup Data Regularly: Regular backups protect your data in case of SSD failure.
  • Ensure Proper Cooling: Keep your SSD cool to prevent overheating, which can affect performance and lifespan.
By following these best practices, you can maximize both the performance and longevity of your SSD.
 
Well, I’ve done everything I can think to try to fix this. I have two SSDs in my PC and I set the recording path to the one with more space, over 500 gb. I’m closing all other software other than the game and OBS so nothing else is hogging memory. Still, I just got done doing 46 minutes and when I look at the two files, the gameplay file is 46 minutes long and the other file which is my webcam and audio from my mic came in at 40 minutes. That means I need to go in and record another six minutes to fit in there, or just trim the gameplay back. I’m at a loss here.
 
Something is lagging. Post the session log(s) like you did above in post 1.

Check your plugins too, there's at least (1) that's stale.
06:15:22.778: [obs-backgroundremoval] Plugin loaded successfully (version 1.3.7)
06:15:22.779: [obs-backgroundremoval] Failed to open config file C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\obs-studio/plugin_config/obs-backgroundremoval/config.ini
06:15:22.779: [obs-backgroundremoval] Failed to open config file C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\obs-studio/plugin_config/obs-backgroundremoval/config.ini
06:15:23.114: [obs-backgroundremoval] Latest release is 1.4.1
 
Rendering lag is GPU overload, plain & simple. We need to eliminate all of it & fine tune the encoding settings after. Sometimes only (1) recording is lagging while the other is fine. That would explain why the recordings aren't always the same duration.

Only 1
07:46:02.608: [ffmpeg muxer: 'Source Record'] Output of file '//ls210d4cb/Share/Youtube/OBS recordings/2026-08-03 07-45-56-webcam.mkv' stopped
07:46:02.608: Output 'Source Record': stopping
07:46:02.608: Output 'Source Record': Total frames output: 225
07:46:02.608: Output 'Source Record': Total drawn frames: 276
07:46:02.652: warning: 2 frames left in the queue on closing
07:46:04.642: [ffmpeg muxer: 'adv_file_output'] Output of file '//ls210d4cb/Share/Youtube/OBS recordings/2026-08-03 07-45-55.mkv' stopped
07:46:04.642: Output 'adv_file_output': stopping
07:46:04.642: Output 'adv_file_output': Total frames output: 344
07:46:04.642: Output 'adv_file_output': Total drawn frames: 496 (528 attempted)
07:46:04.642: Output 'adv_file_output': Number of lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls: 32 (6.1%)
07:46:04.642: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 326/369 (88.3%)

Both
09:57:13.128: [FFmpeg aac encoder: 'Source Record'] bitrate: 128, channels: 2, channel_layout: stereo, track: 6
09:57:13.128:
09:57:13.142: [ffmpeg muxer: 'Source Record'] Writing file '//ls210d4cb/Share/Youtube/OBS recordings/2026-08-03 09-57-13-webcam.mkv'...
09:57:58.051: [ffmpeg muxer: 'Source Record'] Output of file '//ls210d4cb/Share/Youtube/OBS recordings/2026-08-03 09-57-13-webcam.mkv' stopped
09:57:58.051: Output 'Source Record': stopping
09:57:58.051: Output 'Source Record': Total frames output: 2665
09:57:58.051: Output 'Source Record': Total drawn frames: 2680 (2695 attempted)
09:57:58.051: Output 'Source Record': Number of lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls: 15 (0.6%)
09:57:58.052: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 31/2686 (1.2%)
09:57:58.085: warning: 2 frames left in the queue on closing
09:57:58.372: [ffmpeg muxer: 'adv_file_output'] Output of file '//ls210d4cb/Share/Youtube/OBS recordings/2026-08-03 09-57-12.mkv' stopped
09:57:58.373: Output 'adv_file_output': stopping
09:57:58.373: Output 'adv_file_output': Total frames output: 2692
09:57:58.373: Output 'adv_file_output': Total drawn frames: 2705 (2725 attempted)
09:57:58.373: Output 'adv_file_output': Number of lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls: 20 (0.7%)
09:57:58.373: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 25/2717 (0.9%)
09:57:58.374: ==== Recording Stop ================================================
09:57:58.408: warning: 2 frames left in the queue on closing

 
I would update the Source Record settings to match your advanced output below. You should save space & get a better recording.

Try zeroing B Frames too. They are the lowest quality frame type & will be replaced with P frames. You may see some improvement in quality.

07:50:44.168: [texture-amf-h264: 'advanced_video_recording'] settings:
07:50:44.168: rate_control: CQP
07:50:44.168: bitrate: 6000
07:50:44.168: cqp: 16
07:50:44.168: keyint: 120
07:50:44.168: preset: speed
07:50:44.168: profile: high
07:50:44.168: level: 4.2
07:50:44.168: b-frames: 2
07:50:44.168: width: 1920
07:50:44.168: height: 1080
07:50:44.168: pre-analysis: false
07:50:44.168: params: (none)
 
While you're testing/troubleshooting, set the refresh rate to 60HZ (OBS closed). See if any of the rendering lag remains. Might be enough load reduction to get rid of most or all of it.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. The problem seems to be solved for the time being. I'm still being careful not leaving too many other memory hogging applications open while I'm recording, but everything I did yesterday was smooth as can be, just slightly larger file sizes, but I'm offloading the completed files to a NAS for permanent storage anyway and not leaving them on the SSD after recording.
 
Cool!

The slightly larger file size is from eliminating the B Frames. They do use less space than the P frames that replaced them but hopefully you can see the bump in quality without them & the tradeoff is worthwhile.
 
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