Recording multiple audio sources for videos

[Gilberreke]

I had a request from a few of the content makers on IRC to make this thread. I'll take MagikEh's use case as an example.

He wants to record audio in several different files, so that he can separate his voice from game audio, Skype conversations, a browser window and a music player. How do we do this? Well, most recording tools (be it DXTory, a DAW or multi-track recording software) do it by recording different audio devices as separate tracks.

The solution requires:
- a way to separate out programs into separate audio devices
- dummy audio devices
- a mixer to mix the audio together, so you can send any number of them to your headphones

Separating out to audio devices
It can be done with these two similar tools
CheVolume ($20)
Audio Router (free beta)

I use Audio Router. You need to play a bit with the tool to get it to route a program to a different audio device. Here's how I did it for Google Chrome:

- Make sure one tab in Chrome is playing audio for it to show up
- In Audio Router, click the arrow underneath Chrome, click "route..."
- Select the device to send it to
- The program now says (Routing Pending) for Chrome
- In Chrome, refresh the tab with audio playing
- Chrome is now switched over to the other device

Virtual audio devices
VB-Audio:
- VB-Cable is a simple dummy audio device, by donating you get three of these (regular, A and B)
- Hi-fi Cable is also a simple dummy audio device, which is a bit more sophisticated (you can do funky stuff with ASIO)
- VoiceMeeter is a mixer, but can also be used as a separate audio device if you want to

All of these are free, but I heard that there might be a nag screen after a while, if you don't donate for a license. If you count the mixer virtual inputs/outputs, there's 6 free audio devices here.

Your other option is Virtual Audio Cable:
- costs $25
- up to 256 audio devices

An example usage
- Install VB-Cable, Hi-fi Cable and VoiceMeeter Banana
- Using Audio Router, route your game to the Hi-fi Cable (sometimes the game allows you to set it too, which is better)
- Route Skype or Teamspeak using their audio settings to the VB-Cable
- Using Audio Router, route Chrome to VoiceMeeter Input
- Route VLC media player, using its advanced audio settings to VoiceMeeter Aux
- In VoiceMeeter, you can now set:
* IN1 to Mic (notice there's a Comp and a noise Gate)
* IN2 to KS: VB-Audio Hi-Fi Cable (game)
* IN3 to KS: VB-Audio Point (Skype or Teamspeak)
* IN4 will automatically be Chrome
* IN5 will automatically be VLC
- In the top right, click A1 to set your headphones
- Send all the channels to A1, mix as needed

For recording, there's a million different ways, but MagikEh uses DXTory, which can record up to 8 devices separately. If your recording program can't pick up VoiceMeeter Input and VoiceMeeter Aux Input, use VoiceMeeter to route just IN4 to B1 and just IN5 to B2. Your recording program should be able to pick up VoiceMeeter Output (B1) and VoiceMeeter AUX Output (B2) now.
Notice that separating out your browser and media player to different tracks is probably overkill and you can also get away with just sending your game to the default device instead of a separate device, but this is an overly complex example case :).

Ask a lot of questions and try this out and we can get this guide all tested and up to snuff. I wish you lots of recording pleasure :)