Microphone monitoring without echo

[DutchMango]

Hi! I've been using OBS for YEARS but I have never found a way to monitor my mic without having it echo on my desktop audio capture. I know I can just change it to mute output: "Monitor Only (mute output)" and route my mic through my desktop audio but I want it to be independent so that if I need to mute my desktop audio on OBS for whatever reason, I can do so without also muting my mic. I know I could always change my mic settings whenever I need to mute the desktop but I would rather be able to simply mute the desktop audio capture and get back to the stream.

 

[FerretBomb]

Unfortunately this is one reason that a lot of people go with professional audio gear after a while, including proper mixing desks.

I'd recommend using something like Voicemeeter as a workaround. Create a default device for all your desktop audio. Have OBS monitor that device for your Desktop channel.
Also create a playback device, and set it as your Monitoring device inside OBS. Then enable 'monitor and output' in AAP.
Run virtual cables from the virtual desktop and virtual monitoring devices to your actual speaker output device. Bam, you have both sound sources coming out of your speaker output, but avoid baking them together in OBS.

The big drawback to this is that it will increase the delay already present in OBS' software monitoring even further, potentially to the 'speechjamming' point (if it wasn't already).
The only actual fix is to go with a real mixing desk. Preferably one with ALT channel and/or audio group support. Then you get true realtime mic monitoring, with channel separation.

 

[DutchMango]

So, thought of a pretty simple fix without downloading any extra apps and it seems to be working so far. All I have to do is change the device that I am hearing audio through so a speaker that I don't actually use, then monitor that device through my headphones, this then changes my desktop audio to a different platform and I have a clean area where I can monitor my mic on my headphones and they can't hear it so it doesn't echo. Thank's for the suggestions!

 

[the_duke]

So, thought of a pretty simple fix without downloading any extra apps and it seems to be working so far. All I have to do is change the device that I am hearing audio through so a speaker that I don't actually use, then monitor that device through my headphones, this then changes my desktop audio to a different platform and I have a clean area where I can monitor my mic on my headphones and they can't hear it so it doesn't echo. Thank's for the suggestions!

Hello, I'm trying to understand what you did because it's not very clear. Do you need extra audio cards for this?

 

[FerretBomb]

Hello, I'm trying to understand what you did because it's not very clear. Do you need extra audio cards for this?

Most likely they already had a different audio output device. Most people do, if nothing else the audio output to their display.

So as an example, you'd:
1. Be listening on Speakers.
2. Set your default Audio Output Device (in Windows) to your display's audio output. Mute or turn down the display's speakers to zero.
3. Set the display audio as your Desktop device in OBS.
4. Set your Speakers as the 'monitoring device' in OBS.
5. Set the Desktop audio to 'monitor and output' in the advanced audio properties in OBS.
6. Set your Mic to 'monitor and output' in the AAP as well.

You won't hear any audio at all if OBS isn't running, unless you switch your default Windows audio output device back to Speakers, and will still have a small amount of audio delay on your microphone due to capture/digitization/playback delays.

It'd really be better to just use Voicemeeter though; at that point it would 'just work', no switching things back and forth before/after each streaming session. The mic delay will still be there though.

 

[DutchMango]

Most likely they already had a different audio output device. Most people do, if nothing else the audio output to their display.

So as an example, you'd:
1. Be listening on Speakers.
2. Set your default Audio Output Device (in Windows) to your display's audio output. Mute or turn down the display's speakers to zero.
3. Set the display audio as your Desktop device in OBS.
4. Set your Speakers as the 'monitoring device' in OBS.
5. Set the Desktop audio to 'monitor and output' in the advanced audio properties in OBS.
6. Set your Mic to 'monitor and output' in the AAP as well.

You won't hear any audio at all if OBS isn't running, unless you switch your default Windows audio output device back to Speakers, and will still have a small amount of audio delay on your microphone due to capture/digitization/playback delays.

It'd really be better to just use Voicemeeter though; at that point it would 'just work', no switching things back and forth before/after each streaming session. The mic delay will still be there though.

Yep, this is a pretty good explanation of what I was doing, except the only thing is that there was actually very minimal delay, and in the end, it fixed a few of my problems. This solution fixed a problem where when I streamed for a little the mic delay would grow more and more, which I'm glad it fixed, but it also fixed the main problem which I posted about here.

 

[the_duke]

So, if I want to have the microfone feedback, which is the cheapest interface or mixer that let me hear both the mic and the PC audio? I'm using a condenser mic connected to cheap usb audio card.

 

[floral_p1xii3]

if anybody wants a simpler explanation,
1. get headphones, mandatory for this method.
2. files, then settings (or just find your settings.)
3. head to audio and then scroll until you find advanced!
4. change default device to your headphones (not speakers)
5. exit settings
6. head to audio!
7. audio settings (not regular obs settings)
8. change audio monitoring to audio and output.
you're done.

by the way, make sure to test it first! it works for me but might not be for all.