Weird echo delay on audio

[JohnyBoy]

Hi. Hope someone has had this issue and knows a fix.

I am using OBS to stream audio (no video) to Mixcloud. My setup is as follows

Windows 11
OBS 31.1.1 (64bit)
Pioneer FLX4 Connected to Rekordbox (7.0.8)
Tonor Microphone (connected via FLX4)

When I go into OBS I have to add a new Input source of 'Audio Input Capture' and point this to 'Default' as the source so that the music and Mic both work (if I leave it as the system default which is the 'Desktop Audio', the Mic does not work at all, even though music streams, wierdly).

I disable the 'Desktop Audio' leaving the 'Audio Input Capture' running. Music and the Mic are now both active in the stream, but in my speakers here I get a weird delay as if the music is playing locally, and then maybe a 1/4 or so of a second later I here it again. It's like having two items of the same music playing, with one just a fraction out of sync with the other.

I have checked the settings and the setting to Monitor is "OFF". However, the sound still comes through the speakers here. There is no wierd 'echo' effect on the stream though (checked on a seperate phone, and it's fine and clear).

Is there any way to configure OBS using the outlined setup above and to stop this clattering noise of the sound, please? I have gone through so many Google searches and yet nothing provides and answer.

To note I cannot use an audio convertor (such as a UCA222) as I am using that at the same time to stream to TikTok via my mobile phone (need to do this as I use the phone camera).

Thanks for any and all help!

 

[KBru99]

Hi. Hope someone has had this issue and knows a fix.

I am using OBS to stream audio (no video) to Mixcloud. My setup is as follows

Windows 11
OBS 31.1.1 (64bit)
Pioneer FLX4 Connected to Rekordbox (7.0.8)
Tonor Microphone (connected via FLX4)

When I go into OBS I have to add a new Input source of 'Audio Input Capture' and point this to 'Default' as the source so that the music and Mic both work (if I leave it as the system default which is the 'Desktop Audio', the Mic does not work at all, even though music streams, wierdly).

I disable the 'Desktop Audio' leaving the 'Audio Input Capture' running. Music and the Mic are now both active in the stream, but in my speakers here I get a weird delay as if the music is playing locally, and then maybe a 1/4 or so of a second later I here it again. It's like having two items of the same music playing, with one just a fraction out of sync with the other.

I have checked the settings and the setting to Monitor is "OFF". However, the sound still comes through the speakers here. There is no wierd 'echo' effect on the stream though (checked on a seperate phone, and it's fine and clear).

Is there any way to configure OBS using the outlined setup above and to stop this clattering noise of the sound, please? I have gone through so many Google searches and yet nothing provides and answer.

To note I cannot use an audio convertor (such as a UCA222) as I am using that at the same time to stream to TikTok via my mobile phone (need to do this as I use the phone camera).

Thanks for any and all help!

This question is similar to what I asked Leo ai and got this answer:

What you are hearing is audio feedback (a loop where the mic picks up sound from your speakers, then feeds back into the mic). This is not a "weird noise"—it is a physical audio loop.

The Fix: Use Headphones or Turn Off Speaker Playback​

You have two options. Choose one:

Option 1 — Use headphones (Recommended)​

• Plug in any headphones (wired or Bluetooth).
• In Windows Sound Settings → Output, select your headphones as the playback device.
• In OBS → Settings → Audio, set Desktop Audio to your headphones.
• Why this works: The video sound goes to your ears, so the mic cannot pick it up and create feedback.

Option 2 — Mute your speakers during testing​

If you do not have headphones:

• Click the speaker icon in your taskbar → slide the volume to 0 (mute).
• Keep your mic on.
• This way, you can watch the OBS meters to confirm audio is being captured, but no sound comes out of the laptop speakers to feed back into the mic.
• Remember to unmute when you actually start recording if you want to hear the video yourself while doing it (though for a procedure video, you usually want to use headphones anyway).

Quick Test​

1. Select headphones as output in Windows.
2. Set Desktop Audio in OBS to those same headphones.
3. Play a video.
4. Watch the Desktop Audio meter in OBS—it should move, but you will hear no feedback noise.

If you do not have headphones and must use speakers, keep them muted during recording. You can always turn the volume back up after the clip is saved.

 

[Chris2027]

Good news first: since the stream sounds clean on your phone, OBS is doing its job. The doubling is only happening locally, which almost always means the same audio is reaching your speakers twice via two different paths. One is the FLX4's direct hardware output (instant), and the other is the same signal looping back through Windows a fraction of a second later. That small latency gap is exactly the echo you're describing.

A few things to check. In Rekordbox's audio preferences, look for the PC MASTER OUT option and turn it off. With Pioneer controllers this is a classic cause: it sends the master output to the computer's playback device as well as the controller, so you hear both. Also open Windows Sound settings, go to Recording, open the properties of your mic/FLX4 input, and make sure "Listen to this device" is unchecked on the Listen tab. And in OBS, open Edit > Advanced Audio Properties and confirm each source is set to Monitor Off, plus check Settings > Audio for the monitoring device, since the global toggle alone doesn't always cover it.

Quick test: mute your speakers and just watch the OBS meters. If they're moving, the stream is getting everything and the local clatter is gone.

Separate note: if you ever record a set and find real room echo baked into the file, that can't be fixed by routing. A cleanup tool like Denoisr (full disclosure: I built it) can reduce recorded echo in post, but your issue is purely monitoring.