Output audio monitoring

[OVSO]

I can’t monitor a source file using my computer while it is playing. I’ve changed the Audio Monitoring properties to “monitor and Output”. The VU meter is moving to the yellow. I can hear sounds directly from my operating system, but not through OBS. I’m new to OBS. Any suggestions?

 

[AaronD]

Settings -> Audio -> Advanced (might need to scroll a bit) -> Monitoring Device
Set that to whatever your headphones are plugged into.

Also, while you're there, make sure that you don't leave the Desktop and Mic/Aux on "Default". It comes that way on a fresh installation, and it's the best way to see that things work at all. But beyond that, "Default" is going to cause problems. Specifically, something is going to stop working all of a sudden when you haven't done anything...because the operating system decided to switch to a different device and the "Default" setting in OBS followed that.

So never have anything on "Default" - change it away from the "factory fresh" default setting - unless you really do actually want that auto-switch and understand what it really means for it to do that. For the vast majority of people, either set it to "Disabled" if you're not going to use it, or to a specific device right here in OBS. That way it won't switch on you, and suddenly keep a stream from working.

 

[AaronD]

Another thing to watch for, is if you have a Desktop source pointing to the same device that you send the Monitor to, then that Desktop source will include a slightly delayed (usually by a second or less, but still noticeable) copy of the Monitor. Most people don't want that, so don't make those two things equal.
The Audio Output Capture source that you can put in a scene, works the same way, so watch for that too.

It's not OBS that does that, but the operating system. The OS only gives OBS one possible feed for each selection, which is after it's mixed everything into it, even if it came from the same app.