OBS to set up online instrument teaching all "in the box" - an alternative use of the Desktop audio stream? Other tried and tested setups?

EmanTheMirror

New Member
I have currently set up OBS to provide all the sources to Zoom for my online bass guitar lessons: the video part is quite straightforward (single wide-angle camera plus logo) while audio is a bit more complex, as OBS controls and mixes all sources and sends them to Zoom via VB-Audio virtual cable, where "original audio" is obviously turned on.

- My voice is captured directly from the webcam's mic (simple but effective and clear enough, the mic is ok)
- The instrument goes in my Toneport UX2 input (ASIO) and has a OSB audio channel with a VST2 amp modeler inserted as filter to enhance the tone. I also keep a VST host open in Windows as monitor for myself with the same plugin and amp settings, since the audio from OBS goes to the virtual cable and not to my headphones.
- The desktop audio (to play tracks or else from my programs besides my instrument, eg: Spotify, a metronome...) has its own OSB channel and goes to the virtual cable too. I compensated the offset of both sources in the Advanced Audio Properties so that they are in sync with each other while testing the virtual cable signal in Zoom and, to a degree, with the video.

This setup is great for streaming lessons or similar to live casts with text-based interaction. However, when it comes to Zoom/Skype/etc live lessons and video calling, the other person is live too and communicates via their mic. This way, I have to keep the Desktop audio source muted within OBS most of the time, otherwise they will hear themselves back as echo after a few seconds, since their audio goes to my desktop too. If I need it on, I have to ask them not to speak/play or mute their mic for a short period.

It's not the end of the world and I'm actually quite grateful to OBS and its capabilities, but I was wondering whether there are other tried and tested solutions keeping everything in the box, without having to resort to external players blended with the instrument by an outboard, physical small mixer - OBS doesn't see all the interface inputs at once, just the instrument port. Besides, using players "in the box" is handy as they can be screen-shared too within Zoom easily, if needs be.

One thing that came to my mind was to assign the audio output from the chat in Zoom's settings to my laptop's speakers or external speakers and not the UX2's audio output. This way, their voice/audio is delivered separate from mine and doesn't go to the Desktop channel in OBS, assigned to "my" desktop UX2 audio. TBH, I'd rather not have their audio sent to other speakers and keep everything in my cans, if there's a better option.
 

myrddin64

New Member
how about headphones? sorry, I know it's an old post... What did you do to get this concept to work 100% I worked on a similar idea and since I don't have a license to zoom (or anything) it just times out after 30 min or so. Plus, when I hooked into Zoom the Zoom window would glitch up some. I would like to set something like this up so me and a friend can practice together and invite others if we want.

thoughts?
 
Top