Question / Help Using audio interface to capture audio. OBS only allows single input?

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RenaissanceMan

New Member
Hey folks-

I use OBS to teach a live bass guitar masterclass weekly and I'm running to into an issue. Since I combine my shotgun mic, my bass guitar, and the audio output from my MacBook Pro, I use an external audio interface to plug in all sources and then select my audio interface as the input device from OBS. What I have noticed is that OBS will only grab the first input from my interface, and ignore the rest. For example, if I have my mic plugged into channel 1 on the interface, my bass in channel 2, and my computer audio into channels 3/4, the only audio that is captured to OBS is the mic input from the interface. I have attempted to use different audio interfaces with the same results, so I know it's not a driver issue with the interface. Is there a parameter that can be changed that will allow OBS to recognize all of the interface's inputs? Right now my workaround is to run everything through a submixer into channel 1 on the interface, but this is not ideal as I can't broadcast a stereo feed. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Narcogen

Narcogen

Active Member
What interface are you using and how is it connected?

Can you post a log?

OBS used to be stereo only but now supports multichannel audio.

I generally use the Loopback software on MacOS to get virtual channels, and this could function as a workaround for you as it allows for manual routing of channels. So you could make a virtual device for each separate instrument and route audio from your input device to them.
 
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RenaissanceMan

New Member
Narcogen said:
What interface are you using and how is it connected?

Can you post a log?

OBS used to be stereo only but now supports multichannel audio.

I generally use the Loopback software on MacOS to get virtual channels, and this could function as a workaround for you as it allows for manual routing of channels. So you could make a virtual device for each separate instrument and route audio from your input device to them.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I am using a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 interface connected via usb. I just assumed that if I chose the Focusrite as the device from OBS it would by default "see" anything connected to the interface's inputs. How do I create a log? I don't think I've done that before.
 
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RenaissanceMan

New Member
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pkv

Developer
ps: multichannel devices with less than 8 inputs will be recognized with all their inputs if you select in Settings > Audio a channel layout with enough channels (ex: 7.1 if the device has 8 channels, which would record and stream in 7.1).
This doesn't apply to your device obviously since you have more channels.
This doesn't apply for a second reason: you seem to want to be able to use all your inputs as independent sources; and my guess is that you want to record / stream in stereo (or mono).
The only way on mac to do that is use a virtual driver like loopback.
On windows, the asio plugin for obs would allow direct capture of all your inputs as independent sources directly without any virtual driver.
 
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pkv

Developer
RenaissanceMan said:
Thanks a bunch. Just seems like a huge limitation to not be able to choose the interface as the audio source and not automatically process/pass through what it has summed... Am I missing something here?
Click to expand...

obs is not a daw. Don't expect daw capabilities.
 
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RenaissanceMan

New Member
pkv said:
This doesn't apply to your device obviously since you have more channels.
This doesn't apply for a second reason: you seem to want to be able to use all your inputs as independent sources; and my guess is that you want to record / stream in stereo (or mono).
Click to expand...

Yes, that is exactly what I'm trying to do. Sum all of the channel inputs I am using (in my case 4) and broadcast in stereo. Thank you very much for the clarification!
 
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