Question / Help Recording for Youtube: Can't get audio tracks to work, only records mic or desktop, not both?

[Taiine]

Before it's brought up. I have google searched and watched many a video on how to do this. Thus far, nothing at all has worked. I've tried on and off for three months now, looking, hunting for an answer. Nothing has worked, so please don't just tell me to look it up on google because it's been 'asked before'. Because I don't understand why everything I've tried, has not worked.

So yes, I am trying to use OBS to record for youtube. Yes, I am trying to get it to record mic and desktop on their own tracks. But it only wants to record one or the other, not both, and when I bring the video into an editor, it shows only a single track.

When recording I can see the audio mixer picking up both my mic, and desktop sounds. But on playback, it only picks up one or the other, and it seems it's randomly picking which one to pick up each time I hit record. Sometimes it's just the mic, others its just the desktop. All without touching the settings each time.

I have not been able to find an answer to why this is. https://i.imgur.com/9HluEuq.png This is my audio settings. I've tried several setups, It doesn't matter if I have track 1 recording, or have just a single track. No combo of checking tracks seems to have any effect on the outcome.
https://i.imgur.com/dALhUh4.png Output recording settings. I match the track with what I have in the audio settings, and it matters not.
https://i.imgur.com/zzQRtI2.png And audio settings.

No matter what I select, or how I have the tracks set up. Once I bring the file into any of my video editers, it's just a single track that I get.

So can anyone help me sort out why with all this, OBS is still only recording a single track, and only randomly picking up just the mic, or just the desktop when it shows clearly both? Because after all the google searches, video 'best settings for recording' tuts I've yet to sort out why it's not working.

Also sorry if I come off a bit flustered, but that's because I am. I've asked this on forums, reddit, and in some of the tutorials I've looked up and thus far the only answer I get is 'this has been asked, just google it' despite that I have said I have, or that I 'did something wrong' without pointing out what is wrong. Trust me I would love to know!

 

[Hudson555x]

Unless you have a specific reason, Just check Track 1 for everything, and only have 1 audio track.
Not sure why you don't have Track 1 marked anywhere.
Because you have not recorded anything on track 1, your video editors can't find it.
Unless you specifically tell your video editor which track all of your audio is on, which for you is Track 2, I'm surprised you hear anything at all.

 

[Taiine]

Unless you have a specific reason, Just check Track 1 for everything, and only have 1 audio track.
Not sure why you don't have Track 1 marked anywhere.
Because you have not recorded anything on track 1, your video editors can't find it.
Unless you specifically tell your video editor which track all of your audio is on, which for you is Track 2, I'm surprised you hear anything at all.

View attachment 41648

View attachment 41649

Because I want desktop audio, and mic audio to be on their own tracks so I can edit volume levels on each to be sure everything is heard proper, or mute my mic if someone walks in, or cut out any curses, or to clear away any white nouse in the mic part, etc, etc. If it's all on a single track, any sound cuts would cut the whole audio.

I don't have track 1 set up here as I followed yet another 'best settings for recording for youtube' and it had the tracks set up like that, marking track 1's for streaming, and since I'm not streaming, track 1 is unchecked.

Also I have tried setting it up as you show, but everything still only comes out with a single audio track. VLC confirms a single track, and even running the video through ffmpeg still gives me only a single track.

 

[Osiris]

How does VLC confirm a single track? Because with your settings there will be 3 tracks written to the file.
Tracks need to be selected manually through VLC.

 

[Taiine]

Because I can right click the video in vlc and it shows just the one track. Even running it through ffmpeg to split all the tracks just gives me a single one.