Recording Discord and Game Audio Separately in OBS: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you tired of struggling to record your Discord conversations and game audio separately while using OBS? As a seasoned gamer and content creator, I understand the frustration of trying to achieve that perfect audio balance. But fear not, because in this article, I’ll be sharing my tried and tested method for recording Discord and game audio separately using OBS. By the end of this guide, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to produce high-quality recordings with crystal clear audio. So, let’s dive in and discover the secrets to achieving professional-grade audio recordings for your gaming content.

Why Separate Discord and Game Audio in OBS

When it comes to recording gameplay or streaming on platforms like Twitch or YouTube, having clear and balanced audio is essential for delivering a high-quality experience to your audience. One common frustration that many content creators face is the challenge of recording Discord conversations and game audio separately while using OBS.

So why do I recommend separating Discord and game audio in OBS? Well, there are a few key reasons:

1. Enhance Audio Clarity

By recording Discord and game audio separately, you have more control over the individual audio levels. This allows you to fine-tune and balance the audio to ensure that both your voice and the game sounds are clear and easy to hear. If you’re playing a multiplayer game and communicating with teammates on Discord, having separate audio sources ensures that their voices don’t get drowned out by the game’s sound effects or music.

2. Flexibility in Post-Production

Recording Discord and game audio separately gives you greater flexibility in post-production. With separate audio tracks, you can easily adjust levels, apply filters, or even remove any background noise or unwanted sound effects. This level of control allows you to create a more professional and polished final product for your audience.

3. Highlight Important Moments

Separating Discord and game audio allows you to highlight important moments in your recordings or streams. For example, if there’s a particularly funny or intense conversation happening on Discord, you can boost the audio of that specific track to ensure that it’s more pronounced in the final edit. This helps to create a more immersive experience for your viewers and adds an extra layer of entertainment value to your content.

4. Maintain Audio Quality

Lastly, by separating Discord and game audio, you can ensure that the overall audio quality remains high. This is especially important if you’re using dedicated microphones and audio equipment to capture your voice. By keeping Discord and game audio separate, you can avoid any potential quality loss that may occur if everything is recorded on a single track.

Understanding the Basics of OBS and Audio Inputs

When it comes to recording Discord and game audio separately in OBS, it’s important to have a good understanding of the basics. OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a popular streaming and recording software that allows content creators to capture their gameplay and stream it to platforms like Twitch or YouTube.

One of the key features of OBS is its ability to capture multiple audio sources simultaneously. This means that you can record not only your gameplay audio but also any other audio sources, such as Discord conversations, separately. This feature gives you more control over your audio and allows for a more polished final product.

To set up OBS for recording Discord and game audio separately, you need to configure your audio inputs correctly. OBS provides different options for capturing audio, including desktop audio and microphone audio. You can designate specific audio sources for each of these inputs.

Here’s how it works:

1. Desktop Audio: This refers to any audio that is playing on your computer. It could be your game audio, music, or any other sound effects. OBS allows you to capture this audio separately so that you can have full control over its volume and quality during editing.
2. Microphone Audio: This is the audio from your microphone. When recording gameplay, it’s essential to have clear and crisp voice communication with your teammates on Discord. By recording the microphone audio separately, you can easily adjust the volume levels and eliminate any background noise or disturbances.

By understanding how to configure these audio inputs in OBS, you can ensure that you record Discord and game audio separately and maintain control over the audio quality in your recordings or streams. This way, you can deliver a more professional and immersive experience to your audience.

Step 1: Setting Up Audio Devices in Windows

When it comes to recording Discord and game audio separately in OBS, the first step is to properly set up your audio devices in Windows. This will ensure that OBS can recognize and capture each audio source independently.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Open Sound Settings: Go to the Windows taskbar and right-click on the speaker icon. Select “Open Sound settings” to access the audio settings menu.
2. Select Output Device: In the Sound settings, under the “Output” section, choose the device you want to use for your game audio. This could be your speakers, headphones, or any other audio output device.
3. Select Input Device: Next, navigate to the “Input” section in the Sound settings. Here, select the microphone or input device you’ll be using for your Discord conversations.
4. Set Default Devices: To ensure that OBS captures the correct audio signals, it’s important to set the output device and input device as the default devices. To do this, click on the “Manage sound devices” link, and for both the output and input devices, click on the device you want to set as default, and then select “Set as Default Device.”
5. Adjust Volume Levels: It’s crucial to make sure both the game audio and Discord conversations are audible. In the Sound settings, under the “Output” and “Input” sections, adjust the volume levels accordingly.

Remember, these steps are specifically for Windows. If you’re using a different operating system, the process may vary slightly, but the concept remains the same.

Step 2: Configuring Audio Settings in OBS

Now that we have set up our audio devices in Windows, the next step is to configure the audio settings in OBS. This will ensure that OBS recognizes and captures both the Discord audio and the game audio separately.

1. Open OBS and go to the “Settings” tab.
2. In the left-hand menu, click on “Audio”.
3. Under the “Recording” section, you will find the “Devices” section. This is where you can select the audio devices you want OBS to capture.
4. For the Desktop Audio Device, choose the audio output device that corresponds to your game audio. This could be your headphones, speakers, or any other audio device that outputs the game sound.
5. For the Microphone/Auxiliary Audio Device, select the audio input device that corresponds to Discord. This could be your microphone or any other device that captures your voice.
6. Make sure that both the Desktop Audio Device and Microphone/Auxiliary Audio Device are enabled. You can check this by ensuring that the checkboxes next to their names are ticked.
7. Adjust the Volume Slider for each device as needed. This will allow you to control the relative volume levels of the game audio and the Discord audio in your recording.
8. Once you have selected your desired audio devices and adjusted the volume levels, click on the “Apply” button to save the changes.

That’s it! You have now successfully configured the audio settings in OBS to record Discord and game audio separately. It’s important to note that if you are using any other audio software or virtual audio cables, you may need to make additional adjustments to ensure that OBS can capture the audio sources correctly.

Now that we have configured the audio settings in OBS, let’s move on to the next step: setting up the audio sources in OBS.

Step 3: Capturing Game Audio in OBS

When it comes to recording game audio in OBS, there are a few key steps to follow to ensure everything goes smoothly. Here’s how you can capture the game audio separately in OBS:

1. Open OBS and navigate to the “Audio Mixer” panel. This can be found at the bottom of the OBS window. In the Audio Mixer, you will see a list of audio sources that OBS is currently recognizing.
2. Add the game audio as a separate audio source. To do this, click on the “+” button at the bottom left corner of the Audio Mixer panel and select “Add Audio Input Capture”. Give it a name that you’ll easily recognize, such as “Game Audio”.
3. Select the appropriate audio device. In the properties of the newly added audio source, click on the dropdown menu for “Device” and select the audio device that is connected to your game audio. This will ensure that OBS captures the audio coming from your game.
4. Adjust the audio levels. By default, OBS sets the audio level for the new audio source to 0 dB. You can control the volume level of the game audio by adjusting the slider in the “Audio Mixer” panel. This allows you to balance the game audio with other audio sources.
5. Test the setup. Before you start recording, it’s a good idea to test your setup. Open a game and OBS and check if the audio levels are coming through correctly. Make any necessary adjustments to the audio levels to ensure everything sounds just right.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to capture the game audio separately in OBS. Remember, it’s important to properly set up the audio devices and adjust the audio levels to achieve the desired result. In the next step, I’ll explain how to configure Discord audio settings in OBS.

Step 4: Capturing Discord Audio in OBS

Now that we’ve successfully captured the game audio in OBS, let’s move on to capturing the Discord audio. This is an important step if you want to record your gameplay along with your conversations on Discord.

1. Add Discord as an Audio Source: Start by adding a new audio source to your OBS scene. To do this, click on the plus icon under the “Sources” section in the OBS main window. From the dropdown menu, select “Audio Input Capture” or “Audio Output Capture”, depending on your setup.
2. Select the Discord Audio Device: After adding the audio source, a new window will open. From the “Device” dropdown menu, choose the audio device that is connected to Discord. This is usually your headset or microphone, but it may vary depending on your setup.
3. Adjust the Audio Levels: Once you’ve selected the correct audio device, you can adjust the audio levels to ensure that the Discord audio is balanced with the game audio. You can do this by right-clicking on the audio source in the OBS main window and selecting “Filters”. In the Filters window, click on the plus icon and choose “Gain” from the dropdown menu. Adjust the gain slider to increase or decrease the volume of the Discord audio.
4. Test the Setup: It’s always a good idea to test your setup before you start recording or streaming. To do this, play some audio in Discord and check if it is being captured in OBS. You can do this by monitoring the audio levels in the OBS main window or by listening to the audio output in your headphones or speakers.

And there you have it! You have now successfully configured OBS to record Discord audio separately from your game audio.

Remember, proper audio configuration is crucial when it comes to recording or streaming. Make sure to select the correct audio devices in Windows and adjust the audio levels in OBS for the desired result. Additionally, if you are using other audio software or virtual audio cables, you may need to make additional adjustments.

Now that we’ve covered capturing both game audio and Discord audio in OBS, let’s move on to the next step of our guide.

Step 5: Adjusting Audio Levels for Discord and Game Audio

Now that we have added Discord as an audio source and selected the correct audio device, it’s time to adjust the audio levels to ensure that both Discord and game audio are balanced and clear in the recorded video.

To do this, I’ll start by selecting the Discord audio source in OBS. I’ll make sure that the volume slider for the Discord audio source is at an appropriate level. I don’t want it to be too quiet where it’s barely audible, or too loud where it overpowers the game audio.

Next, I’ll focus on the game audio. I want the game audio to be clear and distinguishable while also allowing the Discord audio to come through properly. I can adjust the game audio by selecting the appropriate audio device and then adjusting the volume slider for the game audio source in OBS. I’ll make sure to play around with the volume slider until I find the perfect balance between the game audio and the Discord audio.

Once I have adjusted both the Discord and game audio levels, I highly recommend testing the setup by doing a quick recording and playback. I can play the recording back and listen for any discrepancies in audio levels or quality. If I notice any issues, I can go back and make further adjustments until I am satisfied with the results.

Remember, having the right audio levels is key to creating high-quality recordings. By properly adjusting the audio levels for Discord and game audio, I can ensure that both sources are captured accurately and enhance the overall viewing experience for my audience.

Troubleshooting: Common Issues and Solutions

When setting up your OBS to record Discord and game audio separately, you may encounter some common issues. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with some solutions to these problems.

1. No audio from Discord or game: If you’re not hearing any audio from Discord or the game in your recordings, make sure you have selected the correct audio devices in both Windows and OBS. Check that your headphones or speakers are plugged in and working properly. Also, ensure that the volume levels are not set to zero or muted.
2. Audio only recording from one source: If you’re experiencing the issue where only one audio source is being recorded, it’s likely that you haven’t properly configured the audio settings in OBS. Double-check that you have added both the Discord and game audio sources in OBS and that they are assigned to separate audio tracks. You can do this by right-clicking on each source in OBS and selecting “Properties.”
3. Audio levels are imbalanced: It’s crucial to find the right balance between the Discord and game audio levels to ensure a pleasant listening experience in your recordings. If one source is too loud or too soft compared to the other, adjust the volume sliders in OBS for each audio source separately until you achieve the desired balance. Keep in mind that the optimal audio levels may vary depending on the specific content you’re recording.
4. Background noise or echo: If you’re getting unwanted background noise or an echo in your recordings, it could be due to the microphone picking up the audio from your headphones or speakers. To avoid this, try using a headset with noise-canceling features or switch to a different microphone altogether. Additionally, make sure your microphone is properly positioned and adjusted for optimal recording quality.

Remember to test your setup after troubleshooting to ensure that the audio levels and quality are satisfactory in your recordings. By following these solutions, you can overcome the common issues that may arise while configuring OBS to record Discord and game audio separately.

Conclusion

Recording Discord and game audio separately in OBS is a crucial step for content creators and streamers who want to enhance their recordings and provide a better experience for their audience. By following the step-by-step instructions provided in this article, you can easily configure your audio settings and ensure that both Discord and game audio are captured accurately.

Throughout the article, we have discussed how to select the appropriate audio devices in Windows and adjust the settings in OBS to recognize and capture both audio sources. We have also provided troubleshooting solutions for common issues that may arise during the setup process.

Remember, finding the right balance between Discord and game audio levels is essential for optimal recording quality. Take the time to test your setup after troubleshooting to ensure satisfactory audio levels and overall recording quality.

With these tips and techniques, you can now confidently record Discord and game audio separately in OBS, allowing you to create professional-quality content that will captivate your audience. Happy recording!