Question / Help External Audio Interface As Desktop Audio Device

[Dave Parang]

Hello,

I am using and getting acquainted with OBS-MP on both Windows and Mac. A lot of my audio is done through hardware, since I already have that equipment in my studio for traditional recording.

On the Windows version, I can set the Desktop Audio straight through my audio interface and let it handle everything (which is preferred). No need for VAC or anything else.



On OS X, I can't seem to make it an option. At least not directly, I would have to use Soundflower, but I personally am trying to avoid convoluting my setup with a lot of digital routing.



Any idea what I could do to resolve this? Thanks for any input!

P.S.: On a second note, I understand that Soundflower (and, I guess, WavTap) shows up as an option, but I am messing around with a copy of Loopback which I would expect to just run out of box as well considering it does the same thing. However, it does not appear in the list...

 

[Harold]

For "Desktop Audio Device", Soundflower or Wavtap are REQUIRED. Blame Apple.

 

[Dave Parang]

Well I am not looking for anyone to blame for anything. I was hoping for a better understanding as to what the technical reason causes the hurdle.

This doesn't explain why Loopback wouldn't work though, since it is ostensibly a Soundflower replacement and works similarly (but tacks on a GUI as well).

 

[dodgepong]

Apple does not provide an API to capture desktop sound like Windows does. The only way to do it is to add a kernel extension that adds an intermediate sound device, which is what WavTap/Soundflower are.

I don't have any experience with Loopback so I couldn't say why it doesn't work, or maybe it does work and just needs to be configured properly.

 

[Dave Parang]

Thanks dodgepong! That was exactly the kind of answer I was hoping for.

Essentially, Loopback is a Soundflower replacement. In fact, Rogue Amoeba hosted Soundflower 1.6 on their website when the developer abandoned it. The exact same webpage was converted to their new Loopback program when the original took it back and created v.2.

http://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/soundflower/

 

[Atomsk12]

I've been using Audio Hijack to route and EQ all my audio and then have it output to Sound Siphon. But I think Loopback looks really promising.

 

[amsyar ZeRo]

Thanks dodgepong! That was exactly the kind of answer I was hoping for.

Essentially, Loopback is a Soundflower replacement. In fact, Rogue Amoeba hosted Soundflower 1.6 on their website when the developer abandoned it. The exact same webpage was converted to their new Loopback program when the original took it back and created v.2.

http://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/soundflower/

Try putting it inside Mic/Aux.It sometimes recognises things wrongly.

 

[nollege]

forgive me for copy and pasting this but i just posted it in another thread. here you go

"
Im not sure if this will help but i use an "external sound card" aka a fiio DAC. Thats what i plug my headphones and speakers into.

You can open the "Audio Midi Setup" and your mac and create and aggregate device.

add your sound card and sounder flower ch2. call it something obvious if you'd like "USE THIS" and then set that aggregate device as your sound output.

It works for me, I haven't tried only making the aggregate device with the fiio, i don't even have sound flower open anymore but it works with the ch2 selected so i leave it.

I also have "drift correction" checked off for both, no real idea what that does, but again, it all works the way I want it to.

Only downside to this is you cannot change your volume using the OSX volume controls anymore, I adjust my headphone levels on the DAC itself and my speaker levels on the speaker volume knob.
"