[Feature Request] Allow Recording Devices as Desktop Audio

[FerretBomb]

Just ran into an issue helping get someone set up with OBS and a shiny new mixing board; apparently the Desktop Audio Device will ONLY allow output devices to be assigned to it.

Would it be possible to alter this to allow microphone/recording inputs to be assigned to the DAD channel as well, rather than forcing the Desktop Audio Device to be an output device only?

His setup:
Desktop-(speaker out)->Mixer Input-(USB mic device)->Desktop, with a separate mic on the onboard audio mic-in.

I know it's probably best to run everything through the mixer, or to work around this with VAC or its freeware alternative to pipe the recording input from the mixer straight to a virtual-out. But having it built-in would eliminate the cruftiness of that, and still allow independent mic/system audio muting.

 

[dodgepong]

Re: [Feature Request] Allow Recording Devices as Desktop Aud

While this isn't an unreasonable request, I'd like to reiterate that sending all your audio through the mixer is certainly the best option. You would retain independent system/mic muting, but that would be moved to the mixer, rather than OBS itself.

Audio features will be a lot more expanded and flexible in the rewrite, of course.

 

[FerretBomb]

Re: [Feature Request] Allow Recording Devices as Desktop Aud

True, but some small-format mixers are missing certain features. Like a mute/alt button for a given channel, needing to twist the level pot down to 'mute' it, then back up (and re-find the correct level afterward). And some may be lacking enough channels to run the mic through them as well... such as a small 2-track mixer to balance system audio and a console, or system audio and a separate music source.

Or in the case of a mixer that can't assign enough gain to the mic (or outright doesn't have a mic gain/boost function), running it through the PC's onboard to allow separate boost (or multiplier in OBS) would be a much more viable solution, and pull in the mixer output via USB or a secondary line-in.


My own works fine for sending everything through it. Nice preamps, compression, linear pots, the works. But I'm sure a lot of people don't have the cash (or space) to devote for anything more than a cheap (or super-compact) my-first-mixer. Having this as a workaround would allow those just starting to make the transition to a proper rig just a little bit easier.
Of course, I'm only guessing that it'd be a small change to add a radio button switching between recording and playback devices, if a unified list could not be populated by the OS.

And as good as the rewrite will (eventually) be when it gets here, I know there are quite a few (myself included) who will hang back on the 'old version' for a good little while, to let the alpha/beta bugs get shaken out by other people.

 

[dodgepong]

Re: [Feature Request] Allow Recording Devices as Desktop Aud

It's unlikely that this feature will ever come to the current version of OBS. I wouldn't expect many more features in the current OBS beyond what already exists, as most development work is being put into the rewrite.

 

[Lain]

Re: [Feature Request] Allow Recording Devices as Desktop Aud

Actually I will implement it in the current version, it's not that big of a deal, but I will have to add extra UI for it

In the mean time, I made you a little hard-coded version if you wish to use it. Try this (note: won't auto-update): http://obsproject.com/temp/audio_redirect.zip

 

[FerretBomb]

Re: [Feature Request] Allow Recording Devices as Desktop Aud

Thanks much; really do appreciate it Jim!
Not for me though, was helping someone else get their setup working with their new mixing board and ran into the issue.

Oh, a potential 'gotcha'; Behringer mixers' USB interfaces label both the input (recording interface from the mixer) and output (speaker device to the mixer, for 2-channel mix-in and recording on the main-outs) as 'USB Audio CODEC'. Not sure if Windows' audio subsystem automatically differentiates those in a unified list, if there will have to be a radio-button to swap between rec/playback devices, or so on. But better to address it early while stuff is getting added.

Also turns out that it was their mic causing most of the noise issues we were trying to nail down as well; plugging it in directly and switching the mic device over to the onboard audio mic-in caused the same hiss as going through the mixing board, so he's looking at grabbing a new mic and just running everything through the board.
Still, a useful function to have available for others, adding versatility to the configuration options, and might fix someone else up. :)