How to Separate Discord Audio From Desktop Audio in OBS Studio
Learn how to separate Discord audio from desktop audio in OBS so you can control and isolate your voice chat during streaming or recording sessions. This provides greater control over your audio mix, allowing you to adjust volumes and apply effects independently.
Why Separate Discord Audio from Desktop Audio in OBS?
Separating Discord audio from your desktop audio in OBS Studio offers numerous advantages for streamers and content creators. By isolating these audio sources, you gain granular control over your audio mix, leading to a more polished and professional final product.
- Improved Audio Quality: Isolate and individually adjust Discord voice volume, preventing it from being too loud or quiet relative to your game audio.
- Enhanced Privacy: Mute or remove Discord audio (if someone says something inappropriate) from your recording without affecting your game sound.
- Custom Audio Mixing: Apply different audio filters (noise suppression, EQ, etc.) to Discord and desktop audio independently, optimizing each source’s quality.
- Flexible Editing: Easily adjust the balance between Discord and game audio during post-production.
Methods for Separating Discord Audio in OBS
Several methods exist to separate Discord audio from desktop audio within OBS Studio. The most common and reliable approaches include using virtual audio cables or dedicated audio routing software.
- Virtual Audio Cables: Software-based audio routers that create virtual inputs and outputs, allowing you to redirect audio streams.
- Voicemeeter Banana: A more advanced audio mixer application that provides robust audio routing and mixing capabilities.
- OBS Audio Filters & Application Audio Capture: Using OBS’s built-in filter and application capture features.
Separating Audio Using Virtual Audio Cables (VBCable)
This is a popular method, often seen as the “classic” way to handle audio routing.
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Download and Install VBCable: Download the VBCable driver from VB-Audio’s website (vb-audio.com). Install it following the provided instructions. Restart your computer after installation.
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Configure Discord Audio Output: In Discord’s settings, navigate to “Voice & Video.” Under “Output Device,” select “Cable Input (VB-Audio Virtual Cable).”
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Configure OBS Audio Inputs: In OBS Studio, add a new “Audio Input Capture” source. Select “Cable Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)” as the device. Rename this source “Discord Audio.”
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Configure Desktop Audio: Ensure your default audio output device (e.g., your speakers or headphones) remains your primary listening device. OBS should be set to capture your desktop audio via the default audio device as usual in the Audio Mixer panel, where you also see your microphone input.
Now, Discord audio will be captured through the “Discord Audio” source in OBS, separate from your desktop audio.
Separating Audio Using Voicemeeter Banana
Voicemeeter Banana offers more advanced control and customization compared to Virtual Audio Cables.
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Download and Install Voicemeeter Banana: Download Voicemeeter Banana from VB-Audio’s website and install it. Restart your computer after installation.
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Set Voicemeeter Input and Output Devices: In Voicemeeter Banana, set Hardware Input 1 to your microphone. Set Hardware Output A1 to your primary listening device (headphones or speakers).
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Configure Discord Audio Output: In Discord’s settings, set the “Output Device” to “Voicemeeter Input (VB-Audio Voicemeeter VAIO).”
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Route Discord Audio in Voicemeeter: In Voicemeeter Banana, find the Discord audio stream on the VAIO input. Route this stream to a separate virtual output (e.g., VAIO3).
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Configure OBS Audio Inputs: In OBS Studio, add two “Audio Input Capture” sources. One should be “Voicemeeter Output (VB-Audio Voicemeeter VAIO)” for your main desktop audio and the second should be “Voicemeeter Aux Output (VB-Audio Voicemeeter VAIO3)” for Discord audio. Rename them accordingly.
Separating Audio Using OBS’s Application Audio Capture (Beta)
This new feature allows for simpler application audio isolation within OBS itself.
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Add an Application Audio Capture Source: In OBS, click the “+” button in the Sources dock and select “Application Audio Capture (Beta)”.
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Select Discord: In the properties window, select Discord.exe from the dropdown menu.
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Configure Discord Audio Output: In Discord’s settings, ensure the output device is your default sound device (e.g., your headphones or speakers). This is crucial for the capture to work correctly.
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Configure Desktop Audio: OBS should already be capturing the default desktop audio. Make sure you aren’t also capturing Discord with the desktop audio. Mute the application’s audio stream within the general Desktop Audio capture (speaker icon in OBS audio mixer) so you don’t have doubled Discord audio.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Even with careful setup, issues can arise. Here are some common problems and their solutions:
- No Audio from Discord in OBS:
- Double-check that the correct audio output device is selected in Discord.
- Verify that the corresponding audio input source is selected in OBS.
- Ensure the audio source is not muted in OBS.
- Echoing Audio:
- Prevent capturing discord audio on both the desktop audio and individual stream.
- Disable audio monitoring on any of the audio sources in OBS.
- Distorted Audio:
- Adjust the gain levels of the audio sources to prevent clipping.
- Experiment with audio filters (e.g., noise suppression) to improve clarity.
Comparing Methods
Here’s a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each method:
| Method | Advantages | Disadvantages | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Audio Cables (VBCable) | Simple to set up, Free | Limited routing options, May require trial and error. | Medium |
| Voicemeeter Banana | Advanced audio routing and mixing, More control over individual audio streams, More customization | Steeper learning curve, Can be overwhelming for beginners | High |
| OBS Application Audio Capture | Simplest setup, Built-in to OBS, No need for additional software. | Beta feature, May have compatibility issues, Limited control compared to other methods, Requires mute management | Low |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is separating Discord audio beneficial for streaming and recording?
Separating Discord audio is crucial for maintaining a professional and controlled audio mix. It allows you to independently adjust Discord voice volume, apply audio filters, and even mute or remove Discord audio during editing, without affecting your other audio sources. This significantly enhances the final quality of your stream or recording.
What are virtual audio cables and how do they work?
Virtual audio cables are software-based audio drivers that create virtual audio inputs and outputs. They essentially act as bridges, allowing you to route audio from one application to another. This is useful for sending Discord audio to a separate OBS audio input.
Is Voicemeeter Banana a free program?
Voicemeeter Banana is donationware, meaning you can use it for free, but the developers encourage you to purchase a license to support their work. The free version is fully functional, but nag screens do appear.
Does the OBS Application Audio Capture feature work with all applications?
The OBS Application Audio Capture (Beta) feature may not work with all applications. Compatibility can vary depending on the application’s audio implementation and the OBS version. Always test to ensure it works as expected.
Can I use multiple virtual audio cables at the same time?
Yes, you can use multiple virtual audio cables simultaneously. This can be helpful for routing audio from multiple applications to separate OBS inputs. Each cable acts as a separate virtual audio device. VBCable comes with one. Multiple separate VBCables can be purchased separately.
How do I prevent audio feedback or echoing when separating audio?
Echoing can occur if the same audio is being captured multiple times. Disable audio monitoring on any of the audio sources in OBS. Also, ensure your audio source is not accidentally duplicated (i.e. capturing Discord audio on both desktop audio and a dedicated stream).
What audio filters can I use in OBS to improve Discord audio quality?
Common audio filters for Discord include noise suppression, noise gate, compressor, and EQ. Noise suppression helps remove background noise, while a noise gate eliminates audio below a certain threshold. A compressor reduces dynamic range, and EQ adjusts the tonal balance.
How do I adjust the volume of Discord audio separately from my game audio in OBS?
Once you’ve separated the audio sources, you’ll see them as individual audio meters in OBS’s audio mixer. Adjust the volume slider for the Discord audio source to control its loudness relative to your game audio and microphone.
What if I don’t see Discord in the Application Audio Capture dropdown in OBS?
Make sure Discord is running and is actively playing audio (e.g., someone is talking) for it to appear in the dropdown. Ensure Discord’s audio output isn’t explicitly set to a different device that bypasses the system audio routing. Restart OBS or Discord.
Can I use this method to separate audio from other applications besides Discord?
Yes, these methods can be applied to any application that allows you to select a specific audio output device. Simply adjust the settings in the target application to output audio to the appropriate virtual audio cable or Voicemeeter input.
Are there any performance considerations when using virtual audio cables or Voicemeeter?
Virtual audio cables and Voicemeeter consume minimal system resources. However, on very low-end systems, they might introduce a slight increase in CPU usage. OBS itself usually consumes more resources than either of these programs.
How do I ensure my audio settings are persistent across OBS sessions?
Save your OBS profile after configuring your audio settings. This will ensure that your input device selections, audio filters, and volume levels are retained when you reopen OBS. The scene collection also saves the set of sources you’re using.