Record 2 videos using the same microphone
06 Mar 2021
On Windows, there’s no rule saying multiple running programs can’t make use of the same “microphone” at the same time. They can! You can produce 2 separate outputs that share 1 input audio track.
Want to livestream over Zoom while capturing your high-fidelity sound for posterity?
You can simultaneously record into Audacity / Reaper / OBS and pipe the same microphone into Zoom. No problem!
Doing the same party trick with virtual mixing from multiple “microphone” inputs might involve some software somersaults & messy virtual “wiring,” but it’s the same idea.
If you have an ordinary consumer computer, it might even be powerful enough to simultaneously make multiple simultaneous uses of a single video input (such as a webcam). For example, maybe you perform over Zoom, but you also record a backup video with OBS.
That said, if you have a lower-end computer, why chance crashing it? Most streaming services (Zoom, Twitch, Facebook Live, YouTube, etc.) can take care of capturing a recording for you. Don’t overengineer your recording technique beyond your actual needs.
Posts In This Series
- Part 1 - Intro to streaming and recording concepts
- Part 2 - Recording an Audient iD14's sound in Windows
- Part 3 - Listening to computer sound through an Audient iD14
- Part 4 - Using a Behringer UCA202 with Windows, Android, or iOS
- Part 5 - This Article
- Part 6 - PiP webcam + screen sharing
- Part 7 - Using your phone or iPad as a webcam
- Part 8 - Using OBS as a virtual webcam for Zoom conference calls
- Part 9 - What's a docking station?
