Getting audio from your digital audio workstation (DAW) into OBS can be a tricky task. You might be experiencing latency, or maybe you’re not willing to pay for plugins that claim to solve the problem. Lucky for you, in this post, we’ll show you how to get audio from any DAW into OBS for free and without any hassle.
First things first, you’ll need a VST plugin that can work with OBS. The good news is that OBS now supports VST plugins, which means you can use the same VSTs in your DAW on OBS. The plugin we’ll be using is called ReaPlugs from Reaper, which you can download for free on their website. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the plugin, you’ll need to select the “ReaStream” option during installation.
Now, in order for OBS to detect the plugin, you’ll need to install it in a specific directory. If you have your plugins set up on a different hard drive, you’ll need to copy the plugin files to the directory OBS is looking for. Once the plugin is installed and visible in OBS, you can place it on the master track and route the audio from your DAW into the plugin.
To capture the audio from your DAW in OBS, add an audio input capture source, name it as desired, and add the ReaStream plugin as a filter. From here, you can send the audio output to a specific server or simply do a local broadcast. The audio should be in sync with zero latency, although there may be some subtle latency that’s hard to detect.
One issue you may run into is that the audio source will capture both your microphone and any computer sounds coming from your desktop. To fix this, you’ll need to add a gain filter and turn the gain all the way down. Then, move the gain filter above the VST plugin. Finally, add another gain filter and bring it all the way down, then move it up to the top. This should effectively mute your microphone while capturing the audio from your DAW.
Now you’re ready to stream Ableton on Twitch, or any other DAW for that matter! With this setup, you can ensure a clean feed with nothing else interfering with your audio. As always, make sure to give the video a thumbs up if you found it helpful, share with your friends, and hit that notification bell to stay up-to-date on future videos. Until next time, keep making music!