SUGGESTION: Audio Mixer Feedback | Razer Insider
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I wanted to post in the Suggestions forum, but there was no "New Thread" button there? TL;DR :: Suggestions listed below, scroll down.



Anyway, I have some feedback about the Audio Mixer. It assumes a lot about a person's set up and actually ends up bottle necking more than it helps combine.



My set up, for example, is probably a typical, but not particularly complex.



I have a PC from which I run an HDMI to a Sony AV Receiver, which powers my surround sound and my 55" screen as a large, tertiary monitor for streaming (it's perfect for having multiple windows open at once snapped to the corners). I use a FiiO DAC to power my headphones. So, functionally, I have two audio outputs that have independent volume control. In Windows, my System audio outputs to my DAC, and I have my browser mapped to my SONY AV in the Windows Mixer. The volumes are output at 100%, whereby I use the AV and DAC volume dials to control the levels that *I* hear.



Inside of OBS, the primary audio output is set to system default, meaning it captures everything being output to my DAC. The primary audio input is set to my XLR mic - a RODE NT-1 using an AI-1 USB interface. Finally, within each of my scenes in OBS, there is an object audio source that is mapped to SONY AV, so it captures everything being output to my stereo. Then, of course, the mixer faders within OBS are how I currently control volumes. Within OBS I have the ability to output my music to my stream, but not my Twitch VOD, as a totally separate track.



The last piece is Razer THX Spatial Audio. Within the THX app, you map the output to a particular audio device (the DAC), and then set THX Spatial to the system default. So, my game audio uses spatial audio this way.



So that points out the first problem. You can't use THX Spatial Audio as your primary system output when using the Razer Mixer, because the Mixer takes over the primary output. In effect, in order to gain the full advantages of the Mixer, you are required to use the 3.5mm headphone jack as your listening device. This is exacerbated by the need to manually map each app in windows to a specific ghost channel provided by the mixer.



Now, in some set ups, this is a fantastic concatenation of functions and provides exceptional usability. But in a more complex set up like mine, it removes the unique features already built in to the system by making assumptions about how I want to control the audio.



So, I have three suggestions for the next iteration of the Razer Audio Mixer, two of which are potentially software problems we can fix now without needing new hardware.



SUGGESTION 1: Allow us to map your ghost channel to an existing audio device in addition to allowing us to map individual apps to the ghost channel should the user desire.



SUGGESTION 2: Create a Synapse-OBS integration that allows the ghost channels to be mapped directly to audio sources within OBS, effectively turning the faders in to the OBS audio mixer.



SUGGESTION 3: Add a minimum of an ES9038Q ESS DAC and a 1/4" headphone jack to the audio mixer. This doesn't solve the issue of multiple output devices, but allows the user to combine the DAC and USB XLR input in to one device and makes the audio output capabilities of the Mixer far more appealing. It also resolves the THX Spatial issue.



The Audio Mixer is great, but it's just not there yet.



Thanks for listening to the wall of text! If you know how I can get this added to the Suggestion forum, please reply! I would very much like to post this in the proper place.



Peace and love,



Jared