How to Control the OBS Audio Mixer with Stream Deck
Practical steps for connecting Stream Deck to OBS and controlling audio mixer sources such as microphones, desktop audio, and capture sources.
Before you start
This workflow runs locally on the computer where OBS and Stream Deck are installed. Both applications need to be running on the same machine, and the OBS websocket connection must be enabled in Stream Deck before the audio mixer controls can work.
Check that the sources you want to control are already visible in the OBS Audio Mixer. Common examples include a microphone input device, desktop audio output device, and capture sources such as a video capture card. If a source has not been added in OBS, it will not appear as an option on the Stream Deck.
Keep the work reversible. If you change a button assignment or audio setting and do not like the result, remove the action or restore the previous OBS input level before making further adjustments.
Step-by-step instructions
The exact labels can vary slightly between Stream Deck versions, but the general procedure is the same.
1) Open OBS and confirm that the audio sources you want to manage are present in the Audio Mixer.
2) In Stream Deck, select the profile or folder where you want to place the audio controls.
3) Drag an OBS Studio action onto an empty button.
4) Open the action settings and choose the OBS connection that points to the local OBS instance.
5) Select the audio mixer action or source control option. This may appear as a volume, mute, or audio source action depending on the Stream Deck plugin version.
6) Pick the audio source you want to affect, such as a microphone or desktop audio device.
7) Choose the behavior for the button. A common setup is a toggle for mute, but some versions also allow a dial or key press to adjust volume in steps.
8) Assign a clear title or icon to the button so you can identify it while recording or presenting.
9) Repeat the process for each source you need to control.
Check the output
Open OBS and watch the Audio Mixer while you press the Stream Deck button. The correct source should mute or unmute, or its input level should change in the way you configured.
If you are preparing a recording or stream, do a short local test with a low input level first. Listen for unexpected background noise, distortion, or a source that remains audible after being muted.
Audio quality also depends on OBS settings such as sample rate, bitrate, encoding, and recording format. Those settings are not changed by the Stream Deck buttons, but they can affect the final file or stream.
Common problems and next steps
If the button does nothing, check whether the OBS websocket connection is enabled in Stream Deck and whether OBS is running. Restarting both applications can clear a connection problem, but only change one setting at a time while testing.
If a source is missing from the action list, add it in OBS first. A source that is not in the Audio Mixer cannot be controlled from Stream Deck.
If the volume control moves too far with one press, check whether the action supports smaller steps or use a mute toggle instead. When a microphone is too quiet or too loud, adjust the input level in OBS or in the operating system sound settings before changing stream bitrate or other encoding options.
A mismatch between sample rates on different devices can cause audio problems, but this should be diagnosed separately from the Stream Deck control setup. Frame rate and recording format also affect the video output, not the behavior of the audio mixer buttons.