Obs just wont take mic audio

[HittingZeroes]

i dont have an external mic, i use micraphone array and it works fine for skype and discord, my audio quality is fine and everything works as normal, but when it comes to obs there is nothing, i did my best to give permission to obs to use mic but for some reason it wont appear in the list to even give permission in settings, i attempted a test stream and checked if it would appear but it just didnt, what else could i do?

https://obsproject.com/logs/v02FJ9svgZhSx5Uo

log if it helps

 

[AaronD]

It's not in here?:

 

[HittingZeroes]

It's not in here?:
View attachment 93220

it is and i chose it, for some reason still not picking up sound, i have tried 1 through 4 and even put all of them on, nothing worked

when i said it doesnt appear i meant it doesnt appear in mic privacy settings windows has, supposed to come up in there when i begun a test stream but nothing so far

 

[AaronD]

it is and i chose it, for some reason still not picking up sound, i have tried 1 through 4 and even put all of them on, nothing workedView attachment 93224

That I don't know then. It's always "just worked" for me. Maybe someone else does?

(my screenshot is on Linux because I already had it handy, but I also have a Windows rig)

 

[HittingZeroes]

That I don't know then. It's always "just worked" for me. Maybe someone else does?

(my screenshot is on Linux because I already had it handy, but I also have a Windows rig)

oh wow you reply fast, i was busy trying to edit the post to add a second image, might want to look it over if you didnt see, i am quite slow in text

 

[AaronD]

oh wow you reply fast, i was busy trying to edit the post to add a second image, might want to look it over if you didnt see, i am quite slow in text

I've used Windows since Win3.1 as a kid. (the computer would boot to DOS, which is command-line only, and then a memorized (short) command would start Windows) The permissions thing (and the Store and blatant privacy invasion) came at the same time and are both fairly new. I think they might have started with Win10, which is still supported. I switched back to Linux again for new stuff, but I still support some people on Windows.

Anyway, I think only the stuff that is tied to Microsoft respects those permissions. Everything else is allowed, always. At least that's how it seems to be on Win10. Win11, or perhaps a recent update, might have changed the opt-in idea to test the tech but not break anything, to opt-out or always which actually makes it worth something. But it also breaks anything that doesn't know how the new system works. So that might be what happened for you.

Again, I really don't know. It looks like Micro$haft has completely abandoned user-sovereignty, and so I don't think I'll come back to their stuff for a long time. It might make Winblows cheap or free, compared to the $100 per seat that I paid for WinXP when it was current, but if you're comparing free to free with equal functionality (only different ways to get there), I think Linux is the clear winner. For media stuff, I'd recommend Ubuntu Studio:

Ubuntu Studio – A free and open operating system for creative people.

ubuntustudio.org

And if you're not paying for support anyway, even that is not a problem:

Ask Ubuntu

Q&A for Ubuntu users and developers

askubuntu.com

 

[HittingZeroes]

I've used Windows since Win3.1 as a kid. (the computer would boot to DOS, which is command-line only, and then a memorized (short) command would start Windows) The permissions thing (and the Store and blatant privacy invasion) came at the same time and are both fairly new. I think they might have started with Win10, which is still supported. I switched back to Linux again for new stuff, but I still support some people on Windows.

Anyway, I think only the stuff that is tied to Microsoft respects those permissions. Everything else is allowed, always. At least that's how it seems to be on Win10. Win11, or perhaps a recent update, might have changed the opt-in idea to test the tech but not break anything, to opt-out or always which actually makes it worth something. But it also breaks anything that doesn't know how the new system works. So that might be what happened for you.

Again, I really don't know. It looks like Micro$haft has completely abandoned user-sovereignty, and so I don't think I'll come back to their stuff for a long time. It might make Winblows cheap or free, compared to the $100 per seat that I paid for WinXP when it was current, but if you're comparing free to free with equal functionality (only different ways to get there), I think Linux is the clear winner. For media stuff, I'd recommend Ubuntu Studio:

Ubuntu Studio – A free and open operating system for creative people.

ubuntustudio.org

And if you're not paying for support anyway, even that is not a problem:

Ask Ubuntu

Q&A for Ubuntu users and developers

askubuntu.com

yeesh that is a hefty answer, i didnt expect this much but thank you anyways for getting out of your way to write that much
i am afraid that what you wrote didnt really help my situation, while i feel linux is superior to windows (i have switched between them twice before finally giving up and staying on windows, linux was always a breath of fresh air until i remembered most windows stuff just isnt going to work without some time spent to get it working) i dont think i can change operating systems or boot into linux just for streaming, i sadly have to stay on windows because that is the os i am most familiar with

back to topic with obs for some reason refusing audio, like i said changing a whole operating system isnt efficent to do right now, perhaps i might delete this thread and make a new one to wait for someone who knows more about windows to swing by and help or just keep it up and simply wait, maybe you are right and permission stuff is useless to make the mic work but it is the only thing that i know would even cause an issue, its not requesting permission therefore its not trying to use the mic correctly or something?

i am not the sharpest tool in the shed, speaking of the first thing that came to my mind, maybe some driver is iffy or some hole deeper down faulty whatever settings has my pc's panties in a twist, whatever it may be, thank you for your answers

 

[AaronD]

linux was always a breath of fresh air until i remembered most windows stuff just isnt going to work without some time spent to get it working

That is quickly getting better. For casual desktop use, Ubuntu is already identical or possibly even easier than Windoze. For media, it still has a little ways to go, but it feels like it's really close!

The reputation for being a pain to do anything is long dead, except for Slackware, but that's designed specifically for people who want to build and self-support their own highly custom rigs. We're not doing that!

I think the only real hangup left in Ubuntu is the audio subsystem, or rather, subsystems plural. PulseAudio is meant to make casual desktop use easy, and it does, and JACK is meant for a completely free-form professional workflow. But since some apps only use one or the other, it gets to be a mess to make them talk to each other and to all the hardware. PipeWire fixes that by replacing and emulating both at the same time, but it's new enough that the latest Long-Term-Support release of Ubuntu just missed it. So I'm excited to see what the next LTS release does! End of April 2024.

For reference, I have this going on, between two simultaneous copies of OBS, all on the same machine:

My audio path stays in there, not OBS, except for things that *must* be in OBS, like playing videos and recording. The only audio processing that OBS does is to turn a generated sinewave on or off, that is used as a control signal in there. Once the Advanced Scene Switcher plugin gets OSC (Open Sound Control, and it's presently being worked on), then I won't need that either.

It took a few threads in different forums to get there, since I'm working with the two old audio systems cobbled together, but that's not much different from your asking here. My point is, you don't have to know anything. Use the forums. No different from Windows in that sense.

And I REALLY like cross-platform stuff. Don't spring for the flashy advertised thing that only works on Windows, and then insist that that app specifically must be part of your workflow. Look at what else is available that does the same thing. LibreOffice instead of M$ Office, for example. Shotcut for a video editor. OBS. Etc.

 

[AaronD]

maybe some driver is iffy or some hole deeper down faulty whatever settings has my pc's panties in a twist, whatever it may be

Yeah, there's probably *some* way to make it work, but as far as I'm seeing, it's supposed to as-is. You might try a driver, or fiddling with Windows' settings and rebooting often, but it's pretty much a "shotgun approach" at that point.

 

[HittingZeroes]

That is quickly getting better. For casual desktop use, Ubuntu is already identical or possibly even easier than Windoze. For media, it still has a little ways to go, but it feels like it's really close!

the more time passes the more linux will slowly improve, i dont know if it will ever be a windows killer like how most mmorpgs say they will be the WoW killer, but unlike those mmorpgs linux actually has a decent chance to get PRETTY close to windows, maybe in a few years we will get more developers making stuff for linux first, windows second

but i should also let you know that i live under a rock, i might be about 4-5 years behind in everything, so i need to be more up to date in order to form a better opinion

My audio path stays in there, not OBS, except for things that *must* be in OBS, like playing videos and recording. The only audio processing that OBS does is to turn a generated sinewave on or off, that is used as a control signal in there. Once the Advanced Scene Switcher plugin gets OSC (Open Sound Control, and it's presently being worked on), then I won't need that either.

spoilers, big haha happened and i at the end managed to like you said ''shotgun approach'' my way through to the answer, and the answer to my issue was ''turn the permissions off and on until it appears lmao'' funny huh? and when i say it appears i dont mean it appeared in the settings so i could tick it to take audio, no no no, that would be too simple, of course, a random amount of closing and re-opening while turning random stuff off and on and suddenly seeing that obs takes more than enough audio? yeah, that seems like windows indeed

i have 1 audio track that works now, actually takes audio, it has horrible fan sound in it though, and obs's noise gate and stuff doesnt really seem to help, it is a bandaid fix until i find something better, but its better than having nothing yea?

And I REALLY like cross-platform stuff. Don't spring for the flashy advertised thing that only works on Windows, and then insist that that app specifically must be part of your workflow. Look at what else is available that does the same thing. LibreOffice instead of M$ Office, for example. Shotcut for a video editor. OBS. Etc.

i know shotcut, might use it for video editing if i ever plan on editing instead of only streams, cross platform stuff are pretty nice to see, whenever i am finding an obscure program for my 1 spesific need and it says ''for linux download click here'' right under its main download, feels my cold heart with warm joy, having mac under that is just a cherry on top the already perfect vannila cake
also, thank god i never had to use microsoft office
obs is also a default i go to, never heard of it before i tried going into streaming, saw how widespread it was, gave it a try, was happy, kept using it

if it aint broke dont fix it except today it decided to break, haha

dont know the rules of this forum, i only glimpsed over it, so i suppose tomorrow i will delete the thread so it doesnt make clutter, thanks for the nice talk and help mate, you're a pretty cool person!

 

[AaronD]

i have 1 audio track that works now, actually takes audio, it has horrible fan sound in it though, and obs's noise gate and stuff doesnt really seem to help, it is a bandaid fix until i find something better, but its better than having nothing yea?

You might try the Noise Suppressor. It's not perfect either, but it can work well with low-level constant noise. For a while, I used that, followed by a Noise Gate, both in OBS, but now I have better versions of both in Ardour...and that noise suppressor is good enough that I don't need the gate anymore.

What often trips people up about a gate, is that it can't unmix. I've seen a question on a different forum about how to get a screaming guitar amp out of a violin mic, and the hard answer to that is MOVE ONE OF THEM!!! You can't unmix. Similarly, if the guitar amp itself is noisy (they often are), a gate can't remove that noise while the guitarist is playing. Same for a fan while you're talking. It's all or nothing; you can't unmix.

The closest you can get to an "unmixer" is either a noise suppressor (bad studio) or an echo canceller (speakerphone), which are different variations on:

• Automatic EQ
• Subtracting a synthesized recording of what it thinks is noise
• Real-time FFT, pattern removal, and then inverse FFT

The FFT part (Fast Fourier Transform) converts what physically exists (bottom left) to something more like what we hear (top right):

I've had some classes that describe the math required to do that, and did a few by hand as part of the classwork, but it's still fascinating to me. Here's a better look at that math than what my classes did:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

For a different rig, I intentionally disable the low-level gate during the show (make it always open), that kills some analog cable noise, because when the room gets quiet, it's more distracting to have the cable noise come and go with the room rustle than to keep it all there. During the leader and trailer, before and after the show itself, when we're not listening to the room, I have it enabled so that the cable noise goes away too, but it's still easy to get something in there if I need to.

dont know the rules of this forum, i only glimpsed over it, so i suppose tomorrow i will delete the thread so it doesnt make clutter

No, leave it up so that someone else can find it and solve the same problem. :-)

You might reiterate though, in its own post, so it's easy to find.

 

[Interacdiv]

i dont have an external mic, i use micraphone array and it works fine for skype and discord, my audio quality is fine and everything works as normal, but when it comes to obs there is nothing, i did my best to give permission to obs to use mic but for some reason it wont appear in the list to even give permission in settings, i attempted a test stream and checked if it would appear but it just didnt, what else could i do?

https://obsproject.com/logs/v02FJ9svgZhSx5Uo

log if it helps

Just to go back to first principles
- can you use the device to record in other software (e.g. Audacity). This will help work out if the issue needs to be solved at the Windows settings level, or in OBS.
- without wanting to insult you, is the slider for the Audio Device in the Audio mixer set to unmute and with the volume up: