Question / Help Grainy audio from Primary audio device

New to streaming, not to computers or audio. I've been in the IT industry as a career, and ran my own Recording studio for several years. Worked in the Live Sound business also. Just to give some background.

I've had someone watch and listen to my live steam and I've been told it sounds fine "out there", the stream...

After I click my hotkey to go live, the in game audio becomes grainy. I have 3 sound output devices to allow me to route sound to the location(s) I need.
My primary device (MOTU 828, firewire) sends in-game audio to my front L & R speakers. almost as soon as I go live the engine sounds become very grainy... not quite "lo-fi" but getting there. Scratchy almost. If I dont open OBS I dont have a problem. Not sure if its actually opening OBS or the engage streaming, but I do believe its when I start streaming that the sound falls away.

Of my other two sound devices the Realtek (onboard audio) is only used for Discord or Teamspeak, and VoiceMeeeter software is used only for crew chief apps (Simracing apps and Voice attack). These apps don't get grainy, but the get "pitched down" a bit.

I
m sure the probelms are related, just not sure where to look. I've tired to optimize the audio, lowered bit rate, mono everything.

Looking for suggestions....
Thanks in advance
M/Ir
 
Not being one to Be able to sit still on an issue (Occupational hazard I guess :-D ) I did resolve my grainy audio issue. Turned out it was a different sampling rates somewhere. My primary audio device defaults to 48K, and I made every effort to get every thing at that rate. I knew I was missing something somewhere when I came across a change in pitch between apps. I downleveled everything to 44.1, mono'ed what I could, and rebooted. In the Voice Meeter s/w I also change rate to INTL32FSB, and that seemed to be the magic I was looking for.

TX for reading
M/Ir
 
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