Multiple Instances

The Virtual Audio Mixer discussions and support...
xcasxcursex
Posts: 173
Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2020 12:04 am

Re: Multiple Instances

Post by xcasxcursex »

Vincent Burel wrote:restart audio engine (in voicemeeter menu) should reset app list normally.
Unfortunately not. I still see firefox there twice - once in the default (VAIO) and once in the redirected device (VAIO3) which is actually playing the audio.
xcasxcursex
Posts: 173
Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2020 12:04 am

Re: Multiple Instances

Post by xcasxcursex »

A behaviour note that may be of assistance in working around this Windows flaw:

If I start my browser, even if it is not using audio at all, say I have a tab opened with a PNG file in it, then I will see the browser in the windows default audio device (VAIO) list in VM.

It is only once I begin to actually play audio from firefox, say I open a youtube video and play it, then I will see the browser also appear in the redirected output (VAIO3) in VM.

So, it seems that the new option in windows will redirect a stream of playing audio, but does not redirect device open.

I would guess how this is how another app might only show the one (redirected) device - it is only showing apps with active playing audio streams, as opposed to apps with opened devices. Personally, I would prefer to be able to see either (as either list could be relevant depending on circumstance) so I guess having an 'advanced' option like mentioned earlier, is a good idea.

....Until Microsoft actually have it work properly..... Probably never ;)
Vincent Burel
Site Admin
Posts: 2008
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:01 pm

Re: Multiple Instances

Post by Vincent Burel »

if firefox is present twice after a restart audio engine, it means it's alaso present twice in Windows Volume Mixer... please ask to Microsoft.
xcasxcursex
Posts: 173
Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2020 12:04 am

Re: Multiple Instances

Post by xcasxcursex »

Vincent Burel wrote:if firefox is present twice after a restart audio engine, it means it's alaso present twice in Windows Volume Mixer... please ask to Microsoft.
Yes, as I mentioned earlier, we can simply use sndvol32.exe to show that this is not a VM bug, it is a windows bug.
Or, strictly, it is a "feature" since it is working as intended, they just intend for it to work badly.

Still, we can talk to Microsoft but everyone knows they are not listening.... It took them TWENTY-FOUR YEARS to add the feature to assign default audio devices per-application, :lol: and they still did it wrong, and still we have to pay for third party software to get re-routing.

Anyway, enough bashing microsoft, it is too easy ;)


As OP says, the problem is that because of the duplicated entries, and even without that "feature" it is possible, that a list of applications using a device can become so long that it is not possible to see them all in the VM UI.

So, that is why we talk about workarounds from other applications such as showing playing streams instead of open devices, or of scrollable application lists.
SMERKIN5000
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:46 am

Re: Multiple Instances

Post by SMERKIN5000 »

I just experienced a similar issue. Was watching two streamers on Twitch in separate windows using Firefox (something I do daily). Then this other streamer I opened in another window I couldn't hear. Then opening a fourth window for another separate streamer worked fine. No matter what I did (including reboot) this one specific streamer I couldn't hear (although in Chrome they were fine). Eventually I connected Firefox to virtual Cable-C and everything worked.
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