I keep my system volume around 20% and dislike that when I watch OBS recordings they are much quieter than what I heard while recording. Can I override this behavior? I just want my videos to record at 100% volume so that the recording plays back with the same volume I heard when recording. I don't want to just add a gain filter in OBS because as soon as I adjust my system volume the recording will be off again.
Question / Help Record at full volume ignoring Windows 10 volume?
- Thread starter Eso
- Start date
DEDRICK
Member
Recordings do record at 100%, OBS completely ignores the Windows master volume, you can mute the master and OBS still records audio
Reverse your gain staging if you don't want to have to deal with taking this into account. Set Windows to 100%, turn everything else down In-app or using the Volume Mixer, that way what you hear is exactly what OBS hears/records.
Reverse your gain staging if you don't want to have to deal with taking this into account. Set Windows to 100%, turn everything else down In-app or using the Volume Mixer, that way what you hear is exactly what OBS hears/records.
Hmm. I just realized this behavior only occurs while I'm using my bluetooth headphones. While recording I can see the Desktop Audio dB level visualizer in the Mixer section going up and down as I adjust system volume, and it goes to full when system is muted.
However when I disconnect them and just use my laptop speakers the system volume doesn't seem to affect my recording. It also works fine with ear bud headphones plugged in.
Any idea why it's happening with my bluetooth headset then?
Here is a video showing what is happening. At 0:48 I disconnect my bluetooth headset.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwd8bF2N5sI&feature=youtu.be
I'm also kinda confused now because the replies in this thread say that system volume affecting the recording is always expected behavior:
https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/recorded-game-volume-affected-by-current-system-volume.40169/
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DEDRICK
Member
Hah I even replied on that thread, wow 3 years ago.
OBS Classic functions like that, system volume affects Recording level
OBS Studio ignores the master level typically, but it seems it doesn't for some audio devices like your Bluetooth
In order to hear your old recordings at the correct volume you would need to be at 100%, because OBS was recording at your system level with your Bluetooth, you're listening to your recordings at 20% of 20%, instead of 100% of 20%.
It's best to avoid all this non-sense by just running at 100% and turning stuff down, it's way easier to balance audio. 100% isn't bad, it doesn't add gain, it's Unity level meaning Input is equal to Output.
Sure it's not as handy as turning down the master volume, but considering OBS ignores that you should get used to turning down everything else instead of the master.
Gain Staging 101, limit variables.
A Gain stage is any time in your chain the volume level changes. Volume knobs, inline volume controls, digital volume controls. Windows Volume is the easiest to fix, 100% gets rid of it and ensures what is playing is exactly the level it was meant to play at. 0dB = 0dB. Use the volume mixer or in application volume sliders to bring individual levels down.
Next is your volume control on an interface or an in-line cable volume control, typically analog, these change the level you hear it in your headphones/speakers. Way harder to take into account, that is why meters exist.
TL;DR
Run at 100% so what you hear is what OBS hears. Balance your audio per application so that is is comfortable for you, take into account if you have analog volume control on your headphones you might not be hearing it at unity (input = output)
It's easier for a viewer to turn you down, than it is for them to turn you up. It's easier for you to turn up music or game audio if you run them at 20% in app, than running at 100% in app and turning up master(which doesn't work anyways)
OBS Classic functions like that, system volume affects Recording level
OBS Studio ignores the master level typically, but it seems it doesn't for some audio devices like your Bluetooth
In order to hear your old recordings at the correct volume you would need to be at 100%, because OBS was recording at your system level with your Bluetooth, you're listening to your recordings at 20% of 20%, instead of 100% of 20%.
It's best to avoid all this non-sense by just running at 100% and turning stuff down, it's way easier to balance audio. 100% isn't bad, it doesn't add gain, it's Unity level meaning Input is equal to Output.
Sure it's not as handy as turning down the master volume, but considering OBS ignores that you should get used to turning down everything else instead of the master.
Gain Staging 101, limit variables.
A Gain stage is any time in your chain the volume level changes. Volume knobs, inline volume controls, digital volume controls. Windows Volume is the easiest to fix, 100% gets rid of it and ensures what is playing is exactly the level it was meant to play at. 0dB = 0dB. Use the volume mixer or in application volume sliders to bring individual levels down.
Next is your volume control on an interface or an in-line cable volume control, typically analog, these change the level you hear it in your headphones/speakers. Way harder to take into account, that is why meters exist.
TL;DR
Run at 100% so what you hear is what OBS hears. Balance your audio per application so that is is comfortable for you, take into account if you have analog volume control on your headphones you might not be hearing it at unity (input = output)
It's easier for a viewer to turn you down, than it is for them to turn you up. It's easier for you to turn up music or game audio if you run them at 20% in app, than running at 100% in app and turning up master(which doesn't work anyways)
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Alright thanks for the help. Turning down each program individually seems like a hassle, and keeping master volume at 100% will deafen me when I open a new program. I even have master volume bound to my mouse button because I like to adjust it a lot in game (when playing PUBG I turn it down while there's a loud bombing zone for example, but that's just for my own comfort and don't want it affecting the recording). I'll probably just record using my other headphones, and hopefully someone replies eventually with a fix for the bluetooth behavior.
DEDRICK
Member
The Volume Mixer doesn't get ignored by OBS, so you can preemptively turn down new applications. It's usually best to setup levels before streaming so you can take your headphones off in case of rip ears lol.
The mixer doesn't always remember the level you set, so set it in game/app and put the mixer back to 100%
The mixer doesn't always remember the level you set, so set it in game/app and put the mixer back to 100%
axd
New Member
This is why you need output volume visualization · OBS Studio Ideas and Suggestions
OBS Studio records my volume *after* my system volume level, which is a major pain. (my capture device is a USB Focusrite 2i2) I never had this problem with the old OBS classic.. (and i'm pretty sure i was using the same USB sound device, though i'm not sure)
I'm not going to screw around with adjusting volume mixer levels for 25 apps running on my system that make sounds. No thanks. I use my normal system volume, through the media keys on my keyboard. Which is how it should be. OBS Studio recording volume-adjusting levels is the problem.
It's really weird, because if I mute the volume, OBS Studio records "full volume"... I just want it to do this all the time.
Additional_General
New Member
I had this problem on my laptop. The problem is with the Realtek audio drivers. Rolled them back to the one made by Microsoft, works perfectly now.
Explantion:
1) Open device manager.
2) Find "Sound, video and game controllers" and expand it.
3) Find your audio device. In my case it was Realtek(R) Audio
4) Open it and go to driver tab.
5) Click on Roll back driver.
6) If it's not present, I don't know. This was my fix.
Explantion:
1) Open device manager.
2) Find "Sound, video and game controllers" and expand it.
3) Find your audio device. In my case it was Realtek(R) Audio
4) Open it and go to driver tab.
5) Click on Roll back driver.
6) If it's not present, I don't know. This was my fix.
DayGeckoArt
Member
When I first started using OBS a couple years ago I read that desktop audio recording wasn't affected by the Windows 10 audio setting. Now it is. This isn't specific to any one computer, I have 5 computers that I use OBS on and all of them are that way. This is with Realtek, Nvidia HDMI, and even Creative sound cards.
When did this change? Why doesn't anyone talk about it? Why do people still insist that OBS ignores Windows volume? Is there an actual fix that works? Rolling back Realtek drivers isn't a solution if you don't have a Realtek sound card, and I'm skeptical because it doesn't seem to have anything to do with Realtek specifically
When did this change? Why doesn't anyone talk about it? Why do people still insist that OBS ignores Windows volume? Is there an actual fix that works? Rolling back Realtek drivers isn't a solution if you don't have a Realtek sound card, and I'm skeptical because it doesn't seem to have anything to do with Realtek specifically
Robot1me
New Member
I found this thread through Google. I fear it's because that in most cases it's not an issue for people, because unfortunately I can't confirm this issue on my end (using Realtek audio drivers through Windows Update). Since my reply will probably trigger a notification I like to add though, has anything changed for you 2 years later with the current OBS version?
DayGeckoArt
Member
With the current version this issue seems fixed, but I haven't tested extensively