OBS Archives

Using OBS Virtual Camera with delayed audio in an external app like Zoom, Skype or Discord

by

Since version 26 of OBS we have that wonderful built-in Virtual Camera option. This lets us use the OBS video output with external apps that do the streaming for us, like Zoom, Skype and Discord to name a few. Video processing takes a small amount of time, and as a result our audio arrives too … Read more

OBS NDI: Quick Setup Guide for Dual PC Streaming

by

I’ve been experimenting with OBS NDI recently, and although it may not be as relevant in 2020 as it once was, I thought it best to take some notes on how to make a dual-PC streaming setup work before I forget. It’s pretty straightforward. Here’s what we need:

  • two computers on the same network (wired for best results)
  • two installations of OBS, one on either computer
  • the OBS-NDI plugin installed on both systems

I should mention that this will with a wireless network, but it can lead to lower frame rates due to data throughput. Essentially the main PC will send its entire OBS scene more or less uncompressed over the network, at a very high data rate, only to be properly compressed on the second PC that will do the actual streaming. However, we can still switch scenes on the main PC in OBS just as we always do.

Let’s get this going!

Read more

How to use Sidechain Compression in OBS

by

OBS has a super neat feature that works great if you’re narrating over an existing audio track. It’s called Sidechain/Ducking, and it will automatically lower the audio of one source if an audio level is detected on another source. For example, when you’re playing a game, the audio would be lowered when you speak, and … Read more

Adding Compression and Noise Reduction to your Microphone in OBS

by

Most voice recording sounds better with a little bit of compression applied. It’ll make the quieter bits louder, and make the louder bits quieter. In addition, there’s usually a little bit of noise that is picked up even with the best of microphones. It’s just a fact of audio life.

Thankfully OBS has two great filters that can be used in combination to great effect, first compressing your voice, and then adding a bit of noise reduction afterwards. I’ll show you how to do it, and the values that work well for me in this article.

Read more

Routing and monitoring Audio Sources in OBS

by

I’ve been struggling to route and monitor some of my audio sources in OBS. Thankfully I’ve found two essential tools that make this possible, and I thought I’d jot down some notes in case I forget.

I’ll also touch on how to monitor audio properly without causing an endless loop by recording what you’re monitoring.

The tools we need for ultimate success are:

In principle, we use the latter to route a source into the VB-Cable (a virtual destination), then we pick up the VB-Cable output as a separate input in OBS. We can then adjust its levels independently from other sources or apply filters if necessary. This all sounds more complex than it really is, so let me illustrate this with an example.

Installation Notes

VB-Cable installs like a regular app on Windows, and does not need to be started. It’s like a permanent audio device driver on your system. There are three versions in total: the free VB-Cable, as well as two donation ware items called VB-Cable A/B and C/D. We don’t need those, but if you ever require more than one routable audio destination, give them a try. Either one will get you two more destinations.

I took this screen grab so illustrate which download button to click for the regular VB-Cable:

Read more

How to pause recordings in OBS 24

by

A wonderful new feature in OBS 24 is the ability to pause you recordings. This can come in handy if you want to create a quick and rough recording, without taking multiple files into a video editor. It’ll speed up your workflow and increase quality for files you want to send away “as is”. Question … Read more

Using Scene Collections in OBS Studio

by

A while ago I made a video about how to use OBS Studio for Screen Recordings. If you’re new to OBS, I recommend watching it to see how this thing works. I’ve been meaning to make an update to this and explain how to switch from one scene to another, but since it’s a complex process I decided to write this article instead. It might be easier to follow in words and screenshots.

Scenes are collections of items that appear on your (captured) screen. They allow you to craft something you’d like to show to your viewers, for example your desktop and an inset of your webcam. From time to time you may want to show something else, such as a video, or your web cam in full screen, or a zoomed-in portion of your desktop. That’s where scenes can be helpful, because each scene can show something different. You can then seamlessly switch between them with ease.

Let’s take a look at how we can make such magic happen.

This one’s for you, Rod!

Read more