Question / Help Recorded game volume affected by current system volume?

[zombieroboninja]

I recently built a computer. I downloaded OBS and started recording and noticed my game audio was extremely low in the recordings. After tinkering a bit, I noticed a correlation between what my system volume is at when I record and the recorded video's audio level. Why is it doing this? It's extremely annoying having my computer's volume affect what viewers will hear on the stream. I want my audio levels consistent, regardless of what I have my own volume set to. Desktop audio is set to 100 in obs. I'm fairly experienced with obs and I can't figure this out. Please, if anyone could help I would be super grateful.

Here's some relevant information:
Windows 8.1
asus monitor plugged in hdmi port on msi r9 390 video card
updated audio drivers
most recent version of obs, fresh install

If there's anything else I can post to shed some more light on this, please let me know.

 

[DEDRICK]

Think about it this way. OBS @ 100% is recording your desktop/game at your Windows Volume(lets say 50%), which makes perfect sense. Now when you play that back, you are hearing it at 50% of 50% (25%) volume because your windows volume is at 50%

The solution is to have your windows volume at 100% and turn everything else down. Windows has a built in mixer that makes this very easy, you can set it up so what you hear is EXACTLY what viewers hear assuming they also haven't turned down their windows volume.

You wouldn't want OBS to capture your desktop/game at a level different than your Windows Volume. Ingame sound @ 100% is loud as hell, if OBS were to record everything 100% regardless your windows volume settings you would kill viewers ears

 

[zombieroboninja]

I'm confused, I thought this was a bug. Is this the intended effect? I remember on my last computer when I would stream, game audio would be consistent regardless of my system volume. I thought I was experiencing some weird thing no one else was having an issue with -- is this just a result of me using a more recent version of obs and if I downgrade I can have it like I had it before?

 

[DEDRICK]

IIRC Vanilla OBS does do it the way you are describing which is why levels are staying "consistent" during playback.

It records at 100%, so when YOU play it back it sounds the same as when you were playing but it sounds way louder to the viewer. Play back a vanilla OBS recording and turn your windows volume up to 100 and you will hear it how they do.

No matter which you use, you have to balance your outputs so you don't blow their ears out

 

[zombieroboninja]

Alright, well this makes me feel better. I thought this was a driver issue or something. I really appreciate your responses, DEDRICK. As long as this is intended I'm fine with it even though it doesn't really change anything. I'm weird :P

 

[isocuda]

I'm having an issue where my Sound blaster card is recognized as "speakers" and OBS records the same level regardless of what I set my volume to with the windows ten slider (the hotkey one in the top left is whatever the master would be in the mixer).

However when running desktop audio out to the Focusrite Scarlett Solo; When I change my volume it also changes the level that's recorded to OBS. Which as an A/V guy, I don't want that at all.

With my SB card windows is treating it as a speaker configuration and regardless of desktop setting, OBS is being fed a reference level.

Now I have to go about figuring how to fix this so I can do direct mic monitoring haha.

 

[arismelachroinos]

IIRC Vanilla OBS does do it the way you are describing which is why levels are staying "consistent" during playback.

It records at 100%, so when YOU play it back it sounds the same as when you were playing but it sounds way louder to the viewer. Play back a vanilla OBS recording and turn your windows volume up to 100 and you will hear it how they do.

No matter which you use, you have to balance your outputs so you don't blow their ears out

I know this is an old thread but I cannot stand these answers..

Dedrick, just to know, this is not the intended behaviour. OBS should capture audio independently of the Windows master volume. Changing the volume of the recorded audio via altering the master volume IS a bug.

You have also stated that this is the default and intended behaviour because otherwise it will blow the viewer's ears. This is completely wrong. Youtube audio should be normalized. If you ask why, you have already given an answer previously, viewers do not have their volume to 100% (and they shouldn't do it). Audio should be always normalized to the max, and viewers should set the volume of their devices to whatever they want.

 

[jebarkas]

I have the same problem.

Just as arismelachroionos is saying, adjusting Master Volume should NOT have an effect on recorded/streamed volume, but it does :/ strangely, turning system volume all the way down (muting it) increases recorded/streamed volume to maximum volume (probably because then App Volume takes priority).

I can control heard volume with headphones buttons but it's not too convenient.