In OBS, set the listening output at Settings → Audio → Monitoring Device, then choose how each source is routed in Advanced Audio Properties. Use Monitor and Output when the source needs to reach both the operator’s headphones and the stream; use Monitor Only when it is already reaching the stream through another capture path. Rehearse and listen to a recording: a second capture path can make the stream sound doubled even when the operator’s monitor sounds right.
How OBS monitoring fits into a church audio setup
OBS audio monitoring is a local listening route. The selected monitoring device determines where OBS plays sources that are monitored; it does not, by itself, determine whether those sources are included in the outgoing stream. That depends on the source’s monitoring mode and the rest of the audio signal path.
For a typical service, microphones and instruments may reach OBS from a mixer or audio interface, while a prerecorded video may be a Media Source or VLC Video Source. The computer may also capture its own output as desktop audio. Before changing settings, trace each signal: what enters OBS, what OBS sends to the stream, and where the operator listens. Routing advice depends on those connections, so labels and behavior can vary with the operating system, OBS version, interface, and mixer.
Set the monitoring device and source modes
- Map the current routing. Note whether worship audio comes into OBS through an interface or mixer, whether computer playback is captured as desktop/output audio, and where headphones or monitor speakers are connected.
- Choose the listening output. In OBS, open Settings → Audio and select the intended device under Monitoring Device. This might be the computer’s headphone jack, the interface’s headphone output, or a connected mixer/monitor output.
- Set monitoring for each needed source. In the Audio Mixer, open the menu for Advanced Audio Properties and choose a monitoring mode for each relevant source:
- Monitor Off: OBS does not play that source through the monitoring device.
- Monitor Only: OBS plays it locally, but does not send it to the stream through that monitored route. This can suit a source that is already entering the stream mix elsewhere.
- Monitor and Output: OBS plays it locally and sends it to the stream output.
- Check for duplicate capture. If you use a scene-specific Audio Input Capture or Audio Output Capture, check that the same device is not also selected globally under Settings → Audio unless you intentionally need both routes. OBS warns that configuring the same device in both places can cause echo. The guide lists these capture sources for Windows and macOS; for Linux it directs users to ALSA/PulseAudio sources.
- Check meters and channels. Speak, sing, and play representative audio while watching the OBS meters. The OBS guide says its default channel configuration is stereo, so check left and right assignment and listen for a source coming through only one side. Meters show level, not whether speech is clear or the mix is balanced.
- Record and audition a rehearsal. Use the actual scenes and playback cues, record a representative segment, then listen to the file before going live. This checks what the stream mix contains, including missing playback, doubled computer audio, and uneven levels.
Choose the mode that matches the signal path
| What you need | OBS mode | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Hear the source locally and send it to viewers | Monitor and Output | Listen through the selected monitoring device and check the recording or stream mix. |
| Hear the source locally; it already reaches OBS’s stream mix by another route | Monitor Only | Confirm the other route is active. If OBS also captures the monitored output as desktop audio, the stream may contain the sound twice. |
| No local monitoring is needed for this source | Monitor Off | Check separately that the source is routed to the stream if viewers need to hear it. |
A church-streaming forum answer illustrates the distinction: for a Media Source or VLC Video Source, it recommends Monitor Only if the computer’s room/output audio is already being recorded by OBS as desktop audio, and Monitor and Output if OBS is not capturing that output. Treat this as setup-specific guidance, not a universal rule; verify the path with a recording.
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Prevent echo, doubling, and clipping
Echo or doubled playback
First look for two active paths carrying the same signal: a scene-specific capture and a global device selection, or a source sent to the stream through monitoring while the same computer output is also captured as desktop audio. Disable or change one path only after confirming which one is needed. Listen to the recording, not just the headphones, because the local monitor and outgoing mix can differ.
One-sided or unclear audio
Check the source’s channel assignment and OBS’s stereo configuration. Speak and play music during the rehearsal, then listen to the recording on headphones or speakers. A meter can show that audio is present while failing to reveal an unintelligible speech mix or missing left/right channel.
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Levels at the digital ceiling
Keep streamed and recorded peaks below 0 dBFS, the digital maximum described in OBS’s technical guide; audio at or above it can clip. OBS’s meter model identifies -20 dBFS as the Alignment Level and -9 dBFS as the Permitted Maximum Level. Those are meter references, not universal loudness targets for every platform or a substitute for listening. The OBS meter’s peak indicator holds its loudest reading for 20 seconds, so a displayed peak may reflect an earlier moment.
Continuous-stream preflight and troubleshooting
For a continuous worship stream, include media playback and scene changes in the rehearsal. Make a recording and audition it before the broadcast; no configuration alone guarantees uninterrupted operation over a long stream.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The operator hears a source, but viewers do not | The source is monitored locally without being routed to the stream, or the stream capture path is missing. | Check its mode in Advanced Audio Properties and confirm the outgoing mix in a recording. |
| Viewers hear doubled playback or an echo | The same output is captured through more than one route. | Check global audio devices, scene-specific captures, and whether desktop audio is capturing a source also sent through Monitor and Output. |
| The operator cannot hear monitored sources | The wrong monitoring device is selected, or the source is set to Monitor Off. | Check Settings → Audio → Monitoring Device, the source mode, and the physical headphone/interface connection. |
| A source appears on only one side | Channel assignment or stereo routing is incorrect. | Inspect left/right assignment and audition a rehearsal recording. |
| The recording sounds distorted | Digital peaks may be reaching or exceeding 0 dBFS. | Watch peak levels during the loudest representative part and reduce the relevant source or mix level before broadcasting. |
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