Question / Help Monitor mic audio level through headphones while streaming?

[flashkube]

My goal is to hear all the audio that streams to my audience (game sound, mic, music, etc.) through my headphones to monitor levels in real-time as I stream. For audio coming from the devices listed under Sources this is no problem because there is an "output audio to desktop" option. The challenge is with mic audio because there is no such option that I can find for mic audio.

The only workaround is to enable monitoring of the mic in the mic driver settings, but this has huge limitations that defeat my purpose. First, the mic level I hear with this method is not the same as my audience hears from OBS. Second, this bypasses the noise gate feature in OBS so I can hear ambient sounds in the room even though my audience can't.

Is there a way for OBS to "output audio to desktop" for mic audio?

Thanks

 

[FerretBomb]

If this was possible, you'd get looped audio as the mic was put out on the system audio output, and then brought back in again on the System channel. You'll get the same thing if you use Listen to this Device... it'll also bypass the noise gate, and loop (subtly or obviously).

Before you ask, no, there's no way to split this audio out from the System channel.

Really, this is why most go to a mixing desk and use the monitor port from there. You can't really keep tabs on your final mix unless you run system audio through it as well (which is its own can of worms there; you do NOT want to do this if possible). Some streamers will have their cast playing on a laptop and wear an earbud under their headset, unmuting it now and then to spot-check their levels.

Really, best realistic option is to just keep your mic audio hovering around the last pip on the graph when talking (without ever hitting the end of the meter), and the game audio at around half. Do local recordings to get a feel for just how loud everything is, relative to each other.

 

[flashkube]

No looped audio because I don't include any PC audio in my stream (Xbox One streamer). "Listen to this Device" works fine I just don't get to hear streamed level and noise gate. This would also work fine for PC streamers if they had a dedicated streaming PC.

Ideally, microphone input would be a source like any other with the same audio settings available as in the audio section of video capture properties. OBS should also have an option to play stream audio through playback device on the streaming PC. I'll add these as a feature request.

 

[Clintus]

Did you figure this out? I can get my desktop audio and game audio to come through headphones but not my microphone. Microphone is being picked up in stream though.