OBS Plugin: Audio Monitor
Despite OBS being a powerful tool, it does come with certain limitations, particularly in the domain of audio monitoring and control. A highly sought-after feature among numerous streamers is the ability to establish a distinctive headphone mix, allowing users to monitor and route any source within OBS to their preferred audio device.
Over the course of time, several workarounds have surfaced, attempting to address these limitations. However, the Audio Monitor plugin for OBS takes a significant leap forward by offering a comprehensive solution within an intuitive interface. This plugin furnishes users with all the necessary functionality to overcome the challenges associated with audio monitoring and control in OBS.
The Audio Monitor plugin simplifies the process of directing audio from any OBS source to a designated audio device. By seamlessly integrating the Audio Monitor filter into the source, users gain the capability to effortlessly customize their headphone or monitor mix. This functionality extends even further, enabling the creation of a distinct mix tailored specifically for the headphones of hosts or guests, providing a versatile and user-friendly audio solution within the OBS environment.
Routing Audio in OBS
Audio Monitor can be shown as a dock inside the OBS interface.
Installing Audio Monitor
Audio Monitor can be downloaded for PC and Mac from the OBS website here. Download the version for your system. Depending on your system and the version you download, it may include a self-installer. Otherwise, follow the instructions to place the plugin files in the correct folder on your computer. Once you are done, restart OBS, and you will be ready to go.
Using Audio Monitor
- Select any source with audio in the Audio Mixer.
- Click on the settings icon at the bottom of the source in Audio Mixer.
- Select Filters.
- Under Audio Filters or Audio/Video Filters, press the + and add Audio Monitor.
- Select the device to which you wish to send the audio from that source. You can send it to any device connected to your system, including audio interfaces and virtual options like a Virtual Audio Cable.
- Adjust the volume levels. This level will only impact the level of the source to the selected device.
- Add as many Audio Monitor filters as you wish and send any source to as many devices as you want.
Adding the Audio Mixer Dock
Go to the View menu and click Docks, then select Audio Monitor. The Audio Monitor panel can be docked within the OBS interface just like any other panel. You can also move it to the same panel as the default mixer and use a tab to switch between them. While the two audio mixers look similar, the Audio Monitor panel has an extra gear icon and meter on the left. By pressing the gear icon, you can choose to display all available audio sources or just those available in the current scene.
Within the Audio Monitor panel, the sliders can adjust the output levels from that source to your selected audio device, unless you locked the level when you set up the filter. There are additional options within the settings menu. One handy feature is found by clicking on the gear icon and selecting Outputs. As OBS allows you to record up to six audio tracks, this feature will enable you to preview and control the output levels for each track.
