Please help me setup for a live instrument + mp3 backing into Zoom

InTheDark

New Member
Hello.
I hope I can get a little help.
I have a Windows 10 laptop.
A Focusrite audio interface.
OBS already set up with a virtual cable to feed audio to Zoom.
I want to be able to set OBS so I can play a live instrument (through the audio interface) over the top of an mp3 being played on my laptop and have it all fed into a Zoom meeting. I wonder if I will need a mixer with USB connector - I do not have one.
Many thanks for any help offeerd.
 

InTheDark

New Member
Hello.
Update and a repeated request for help as I am going round in infuriating circles.
I now have a Yamaha AG06 (mixer / interface).

I still do not know how to reliably have a microphone and a live instrument (going through the AG06) and an mp3 backing track all to play together through OBS and into Zoom.

Thanks
 
Unless I've missed something, you'll be happy to hear most of this is covered in introductory guides to OBS and you shouldn't need to complain about having to make a "repeated request" again. Bear in mind this is a community-led open source project and as far as I know nobody is paid to provide individualised support here.

1) Add your MP3 as a source in your scene. Set its output in advanced audio properties to be monitor or monitor and output.
2) Set your interface as an input in your scene. Set its output in advanced audio properties to be monitor or monitor and output.
Set your monitoring device to be the virtual cable.

If you need to hear everything going through to Zoom, go into Windows sound properties, head to recording devices (iirc - haven't used Windows in a good few months. Could be the output devices but I don't think so), select the virtual cable, and check "listen" on whatever tab that option appears on. Have that output to your headphones/speakers/interface/whatever works in your setup.

If you need to be able to play multiple MP3s, you can either add multiple media sources with one for each file, or there's another approach: capture your desktop audio. I'll use a suggested setup below which you may have to rejig for your particular circumstance, and please bear in mind this suggestion is the simplest version possible, not the most robust.

1) Have VLC or another music app playing through your regular desktop speakers. Turn the speakers down to nothing.
2) Add desktop audio as an input in OBS.
3) Go to advanced audio properties. Set desktop audio to monitor or monitor and output.
4) Set your monitoring device to be your virtual cable.
5) Go to Windows sound properties and, as roughly described above, listen to your virtual cable through your headphones on a DIFFERENT output, which could be your audio interface. You might have to change your default output device in Windows to be that interface or whatever.
 

InTheDark

New Member
Thanks @CattoRayTube
I will go back through my approach in line with your suggestions and try again.

I find I am getting wholly confused by the juggling between inputs here, outputs there, sound settings in Windows etc.

I do have my interface successfully set up as audio capture.
I have tried adding mp3 from my laptop as both media source, VLC video source and audio output capture bit none worked. I could see the sound mixer showing an mp3 playing but no sound came out - even with advanced audio properties set to 'monitor and output'.
I have and use virtual cable also I should add.
 

InTheDark

New Member
Update ...

I am still unable to get an mp3 source to be heard in Zoom. I have added to OBS and can see the level on the mixer rise & fall but no output is going through to Zoom.

Also, a major pain in the neck ... now the video feed from OBS is completely freezing and causing me to have to end Zoom calls, close it down, end Virtual Camera, close down OBS, open everything back up again and start a new Zoom meeting.
I have checked for drivers (all up to date).
I have uninstalled / reinstalled OBS and Zoom.
I am using an integrated webcam plus 2 Logitech usb webcams for video plus a Yamaha AG06 for audio.

For any help, please treat me like the novice OBS user I am - I don't really know what I am doing or understand how the various settings interact.
Thanks
 

koala

Active Member
You miss a bit of understanding of how OBS works.
For audio, you find audio can either be output or monitored or both or none.
Output means it's being sent to the stream or recording.
Monitored means it's being sent to the monitoring device defined in Settings->Audio->Advanced->Monitoring device.
Audio that's output only is sent to the stream or recording only, nowhere else. You will not hear it on your Windows PC, because it isn't being sent to any Windows audio device. It's only on the stream/recording.
Audio that's monitored only is sent to the monitoring device only, nowhere else. If you listen to the monitoring device, you can hear it on that device, but it isn't being sent to the recording/stream.
Audio that's both monitored and output is sent to both.
So if you want to listen to your mp3 you include as media source, you need to activate monitoring in Edit->Advanced audio properties and make sure you don't also capture the monitoring device with OBS and output that to the recording/stream, because that would mean this audio is output twice or even creating a feedback loop.
If you activate monitoring for any source, it's best you don't capture the "default" audio device and don't capture the Windows desktop audio (speakers) of your PC, otherwise you might capture some audio twice - once directly and twice as byproduct with these devices.
Headphones for monitoring exclusively and never captured are a good choice.
 

InTheDark

New Member
You miss a bit of understanding of how OBS works.
Thanks for helping out koala.

you are so right - I feel like I am fumbling around in the dark to be honest. The whole thing is baffling me and I'm sure it is due to missing something simple.

My set up is:
1656592604021.png


Guitar / Microphone into Yamaha AG06.
Headphone monitoring out through AG06.
OBS to Zoom using Virtual Camera and a downloaded Virtual Cable.

Within OBS:

Video settings:

1656592767737.png


Audio settings:

1656592816698.png


Audio Mixer:

1656593122928.png


Advanced Audio Properties:

1656593162119.png

Within Windows 10 audio settings:

1656593011801.png


Within Zoom audio settings:

1656592971987.png


I have tried several combinations of settings (input / output) within the audio settings of Zoom, Windows 10 and am just confused about which to use.
 

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Love the screenshots – detailed and easy to work from.

1) you need to set your Zoom input microphone to CABLE Output so it can hear your monitoring coming from OBS. Presently it's set to take audio straight from the mixer.

2) If you wish to hear audio back from OBS through your mixer, you'll need to "listen" to the CABLE Input using the Windows sounds settings. Instructions on how to do that here: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/126383-listen-microphone-through-playback-device-windows.html
 
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