Voicemeeter virtual audio mixer: set up and route audio

Before you start

Voicemeeter is a local virtual audio mixer for Windows. It creates extra virtual input and output devices that you can select in apps, then mixes or routes their audio inside the Voicemeeter window. The standard Voicemeeter edition has two physical or virtual input strips and two virtual inputs. Voicemeeter Banana and Potato add more strips and routing options, but the core workflow is similar.

Before installing, close apps that will use audio or restart them after installation so they can discover the new devices. You need a Windows account that allows driver installation. A reboot is often requested after the audio driver is installed.

Step-by-step instructions

After installation, set the default playback device to one of the Voicemeeter virtual inputs if you want normal system sound to pass through it. Open Windows Sound settings, choose the playback tab, select a Voicemeeter input, and set it as default. For video calls or recording apps, select the Voicemeeter output as the microphone or capture device instead of the physical microphone.

Open the Voicemeeter window and identify the hardware input strip that matches your microphone or other physical input device. Click the device selector above that strip and choose the microphone. If the selector is not visible or the device is missing, open the menu or system settings to confirm that the device is enabled. Use the strip fader and input level meter to set a working input level without hitting the red peak zone.

For each source you want to hear or record, confirm which virtual input or hardware input carries it. Video conferencing audio often uses the default system playback device, while a media player may have its own output selection. Set the player or call app to the same Voicemeeter input that is configured in the current scene.

Make routes deliberately. For a simple microphone-plus-system setup, enable the microphone strip toward the main output with the A or B bus button, and enable the virtual input strip for system sound. If a call app uses the Voicemeeter output as its microphone, do not also route the call's playback back into that same output in a way that creates a loop.

Keep the sample rate consistent across the Voicemeeter audio device and the Windows playback or recording device properties. Open the device properties in Windows Sound settings, then match the sample rate shown there with the setting available in Voicemeeter where supported. A mismatch can cause pitch changes or failed playback.

Check the output

Speak into the microphone and play audio in an application while watching the meters in Voicemeeter. The expected result is activity on the relevant input strip and on the selected output bus. In the call or recording app, confirm that the input meter also reacts when you speak.

Listen to the monitored output through headphones or speakers. If the microphone sounds clean at a moderate level but the call app receives silence, the app is usually using a different input device or the wrong Voicemeeter route is selected. If audio reaches the app but cannot be heard locally, check the A or B bus routing and the physical output device assignment.

Quality and format limitations depend on the selected devices and sample rate. Voicemeeter routes audio, but it does not remove loud background noise by itself; the microphone, room, and any additional processing determine how much noise remains. Check the meters after changing a device or route because an apparently silent setup may be the result of a disabled bus rather than a device fault.

Common problems and next steps

If no microphone appears in the hardware input selector, close and reopen the application or restart Windows after installation. New audio devices are sometimes not available to an app that was already running. Check Windows privacy settings only if the selected app still does not receive microphone audio; privacy restrictions can block microphone access independently of Voicemeeter.

For distorted microphone audio, lower the strip fader and the input gain on the physical microphone if one is present. Watch the strip meter while speaking at a normal distance. If the meter stays in the red area, reduce the source level before adding other processing.

Background noise is best reduced at the source: move the microphone closer, use a quieter room, or use a noise reduction tool in the recording app. Voicemeeter is a routing mixer, not a substitute for a properly positioned microphone.

If apps cannot use the virtual devices after an update, open Windows Sound settings and verify that the Voicemeeter playback and recording devices are still enabled. Reinstall the same major edition if the devices disappeared, and restart before testing again.