Audio Routing with Voicemeeter

Master advanced audio routing for professional streaming setups

As you scale your production quality, routing audio cleanly between sources becomes critical. Voicemeeter is a virtual audio mixer that gives you precise control over your system's audio—perfect for managing game audio, mic input, alerts, Discord chat, music, and more.

What You'll Need

Software

  • Voicemeeter Banana or Potato
  • VB-Audio Cable (included or optional for extra virtual channels)
  • OBS Studio or Streamlabs Desktop

Hardware

  • Microphone (USB or XLR with audio interface)
  • Headphones (for monitoring)
  • Dual PC setup (optional but supported)

Setup Breakdown

Install and Set Voicemeeter as Default

  • After installing Voicemeeter and restarting your PC, go to:
  • Sound Settings > Playback > Set Voicemeeter Input as default device
  • For Recording, set Voicemeeter Output as the default input/mic.

Route Physical Inputs

  • Assign your microphone to Hardware Input 1.
  • Assign additional devices like USB mics, instruments, or line-ins to Hardware Input 2 or 3.
  • Adjust gain and noise gate settings for clarity.

Route Virtual Inputs

  • Voicemeeter includes two virtual inputs: Voicemeeter VAIO and AUX.
  • Use these to control:
  • Game Audio → VAIO
  • Music (Spotify, etc.) → AUX
  • Discord Chat or Zoom → Optional extra VB-Cable

Send Audio to Outputs

  • Use the A1–A5 buttons to send any input to your physical outputs (like your headphones or speakers).
  • Use B1–B3 buttons to send audio to virtual outputs (used in OBS).

OBS Configuration

  • In OBS, set your Mic/Aux input to Voicemeeter Output (B1) or Voicemeeter AUX Output (B2), depending on your routing setup.
  • Mute OBS desktop audio if you're routing it through Voicemeeter instead.

Example Use Case: Dual PC Streaming

  • Gaming PC runs Voicemeeter and routes all audio (game, Discord, mic).
  • Output is sent to Voicemeeter Output → NDI or physical cable → Streaming PC.
  • On your streaming PC, capture the audio source (e.g., virtual cable, line-in) in OBS.

Advanced Tips

  • Best to use EQ and Compressor inside Voicemeeter for vocal polishing.
  • Use VBAN (Voicemeeter Network Audio Protocol) to send audio wirelessly to another PC over LAN.
  • Create separate audio mixes: one for your audience, another for you (use different output busses).

Additional Resources

Recap

TaskVoicemeeter Feature
Route game, mic, music separatelyVirtual Inputs (VAIO, AUX)
Send different mixes to OBSB1, B2, B3 bus routing
Monitor your own audioA1 headphone routing
Eliminate echo & loop issuesDedicated input/output settings