Quick take
To route app audio in ProStudio 2, assign the app to a virtual playback channel, set its level in the Stream or Chat mix, and select Stream Input or Chat Input in the destination app. This lets OBS, recording software, or voice chat capture computer audio together with the microphone.
ProStudio 2 app audio routing lets a MAONO P1 or P2 user place music, browser sound, game audio, and voice chat on separate virtual channels. The user can then decide what reaches the livestream, what reaches a call, and what stays in the headphones. Loopback is the part of this workflow that makes computer playback available as a recordable input instead of leaving it in the speakers only.
The setup is easier when it is treated as a signal path rather than a collection of switches. An app plays into a ProStudio 2 playback channel. That channel feeds the Stream mix, the Chat mix, or both. OBS, Discord, a recorder, or a connected phone then receives the selected mix.
This guide follows MAONO's ProStudio 2 tutorial for P1 and P2 and the current official routing guide. The names shown in the software may change slightly between versions, but the routing logic remains the same.
What you need before routing app audio
Start with a connected MAONO P1 or P2, the current ProStudio 2 software, and one application that is actively playing sound. ProStudio 2 shows hardware and virtual channels after it detects a supported interface. MAONO currently lists P1 and P2 as the hardware optimized for ProStudio 2.
- A MAONO P1 or P2 connected to the computer with a data-capable USB cable
- The current ProStudio 2 release from the MAONO download page
- An app to route, such as Spotify, Chrome, a game, Discord, or a media player
- A destination app, such as OBS, TikTok Live Studio, Zoom, Discord, or recording software
- Wired headphones connected to the interface for a clean monitoring test
Use Simple Mode for this workflow. DAW Exclusive Mode gives an audio workstation exclusive control of the driver and disables the ProStudio 2 internal mixer to prevent duplicated routes. That mode is useful for DAW work, but it is the wrong starting point for a basic Stream and Chat mix.
How app audio routing and loopback work
App routing chooses where each computer application enters the mixer. Loopback makes that playback available to a recording or streaming input. In ProStudio 2, the virtual playback channels and the Stream or Chat mix work together to provide the loopback path.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Source app | Spotify, Chrome, a game, or another app plays audio. |
| Virtual playback channel | ProStudio 2 receives the app on one of its virtual inputs. |
| Submix | The channel is sent to Stream, Chat, or both at an independent level. |
| Destination | OBS, a recorder, voice chat, or OTG receives the selected mix. |
MAONO documents three default virtual inputs for software audio and two submixes named Stream and Chat. This is enough to separate common sources such as background music, game audio, and a communication app without adding physical cables between the computer's output and the interface input.
Step 1: Connect P1 or P2 and choose Simple Mode
Connect the interface before building the mix, then open ProStudio 2 and select Simple Mode. A P1 normally shows one XLR input plus USB and OTG channels. A P2 shows two XLR inputs plus USB and OTG channels.
- Connect the interface. Use the main USB connection and wait for Windows and ProStudio 2 to detect it.
- Open ProStudio 2. Confirm that the device name and physical input channels appear.
- Select Simple Mode. Keep the internal mixer active for app routing, Stream, Chat, and OTG control.
- Check monitoring. Play a short sound and confirm that the headphone output is enabled before changing routes.
If the device does not appear, reconnect it with a known data cable and restart ProStudio 2. A charge-only cable can power the interface without carrying the data needed by the software.
Step 2: Assign an app to a virtual playback channel
Assign each application to one virtual playback channel, then confirm the channel meter moves. The application must be open and playing sound before it is easy to identify in the ProStudio 2 application list.
- Start the source app. Play music, a video, game audio, or a test sound.
- Open the app selector. Click the App Status Bar at the bottom of a virtual channel.
- Choose the application. Select the app from the list of active audio sessions.
- Verify the signal. Watch the virtual channel meter while the app continues to play.
- Set a starting level. Keep enough headroom so that music or game peaks do not overpower the microphone.
Some applications manage their own output device and ignore an external change until they restart. If the meter stays still, open Windows Volume Mixer, choose the same ProStudio playback device for that app, and restart the app. MAONO's release notes also warn that an application may need to reopen after a sample-rate or device change.
Step 3: Build separate Stream and Chat mixes
The Stream and Chat faders on each channel decide how much of that source reaches each submix. They do not have to match. A streamer can send music to the audience while keeping it out of a Discord microphone feed.
| Source | Stream mix | Chat mix | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microphone | On | On | The audience and call participants hear the creator. |
| Background music | Medium | Off | The audience hears music without sending it into voice chat. |
| Game audio | High | Low or off | The stream keeps game sound while the call remains clear. |
| Remote guest | Medium | Off | The guest reaches the stream without being sent back to the same call. |
Use the link control only when the Stream and Chat levels should move together. If the two audiences need different balances, leave the faders unlinked and adjust them separately. Always make a short test recording before a livestream because headphone monitoring confirms what the creator hears, not automatically what every output receives.
Step 4: Select Stream Input or Chat Input in the destination app
Choose Stream Input in livestreaming or recording software and Chat Input in communication software. These devices carry the submixes created in ProStudio 2. Selecting the physical microphone input alone can exclude the computer audio.
OBS and TikTok Live Studio
Add an Audio Input Capture source and choose Stream Input. Speak into the microphone, then play the routed app. Both sources should move the same input meter. Disable any duplicate Desktop Audio source if it captures the same application a second time.
Discord, Zoom, and other voice chat apps
Set the microphone device to Chat Input. This lets ProStudio 2 control whether music, a sound pad, or another app reaches the call. Keep the remote guest out of the Chat mix to avoid sending that person's voice back to them.
Recording software
Select Stream Input when the goal is a ready-to-use stereo mix of the microphone and computer playback. Choose individual hardware or ASIO inputs when the session needs separate tracks for editing. A mixed loopback input is convenient, but it does not preserve each source as an independent track.
How to send routed audio to a phone through OTG
Enable the OTG output when a phone connected to the P1 or P2 should receive the processed mix. MAONO's ProStudio 2 FAQ states that the OTG switch sends processed audio, including VST effects and backing tracks, to the smartphone.
- Connect the phone to the OTG port. Use a compatible data cable or adapter for the phone.
- Keep the interface powered. Use the main USB connection for computer data and power during this workflow.
- Enable OTG output. Turn on the OTG destination at the bottom of ProStudio 2.
- Check the mobile app. Select the external USB audio device if the livestreaming app provides an input choice.
- Run a private test. Confirm voice, music, and effects from the phone's recorded result, not only the headphones.
How to prevent echo, doubled audio, and feedback
Echo usually comes from two monitoring paths or from sending a caller's audio back into the same call. Remove the duplicate route instead of trying to hide it with a lower fader.
- Turn off Direct Monitor when software monitoring with VST effects is active. MAONO identifies simultaneous hardware and software monitoring as a common cause of doubled voice.
- Do not capture both Stream Input and the same Windows Desktop Audio source in OBS unless the duplication is intentional.
- Keep Discord or Zoom return audio out of the Chat mix that feeds the same call.
- Use headphones instead of speakers during routing tests so the microphone cannot recapture the monitor output.
- Restart the source app after changing its playback device or the ProStudio 2 sample rate.
Troubleshooting ProStudio 2 loopback
The app does not appear in the channel list
Play audio in the app before opening the ProStudio 2 selector. If the app still does not appear, assign its output in Windows Volume Mixer and restart it. Some applications create an audio session only after playback begins.
The virtual channel meter does not move
The app is probably using a different playback device. Match the Windows app output with the ProStudio playback channel, then confirm the channel is enabled and not removed from the visible mixer.
The creator hears music but the audience does not
Headphone monitoring and the Stream mix are separate destinations. Raise or unmute the music channel's Stream fader, select Stream Input in the livestreaming app, and check that the Stream master output is enabled.
OBS receives the microphone twice
Remove one capture path. A common duplicate is Stream Input plus a second microphone or Desktop Audio source. Keep the route that provides the intended complete mix and mute or remove the other source.
ProStudio 2 loses routing after a device change
Close the affected source apps, reconnect the interface, reopen ProStudio 2, and then restart the apps. Confirm the Windows playback assignments again because a sample-rate change or reconnect can cause an application to return to the system default device.
A practical setup checklist
A routing test is complete only when the destination records the expected mix. Use this checklist before going live:
- P1 or P2 appears in ProStudio 2
- Simple Mode is active
- The source app is assigned to a virtual playback channel
- The virtual channel meter moves during playback
- Stream and Chat faders match the intended audiences
- OBS or the recording app uses Stream Input
- Discord or the communication app uses Chat Input
- OTG is enabled only when audio must reach a connected phone
- A short test recording contains one copy of every intended source
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Stream Input and Chat Input in ProStudio 2?
Stream Input carries the mix intended for livestreaming or recording. Chat Input carries a separate mix for Discord, Zoom, or another communication app. Each source can have a different level in the two mixes.
Can ProStudio 2 record Spotify, browser, or game audio?
Yes. Assign the application to a ProStudio 2 virtual playback channel, send that channel to the Stream mix, and select Stream Input in the recording software. The app may need to restart after its playback device changes.
Why can I hear an app in my headphones when OBS cannot record it?
The app is reaching the headphone output but not the Stream mix. Enable the channel's Stream route, check its Stream level, and use Stream Input as the OBS audio input.
Does ProStudio 2 loopback create separate tracks?
No. Stream Input and Chat Input are mixed outputs. Use individual hardware or ASIO inputs in a DAW when the microphone and application audio must remain on separate tracks.
Can ProStudio 2 send computer audio to a phone?
Yes. Connect the phone to the interface's OTG port, enable the OTG output, and send the required channels to the mix. Test inside the mobile livestreaming or recording app because phone and app behavior can vary.
Should I use Simple Mode or DAW Exclusive Mode for loopback?
Use Simple Mode for the Stream and Chat routing described in this guide. DAW Exclusive Mode disables the ProStudio 2 internal mixer so that the DAW can control routing without duplicate paths.
Related MAONO guides
- Download ProStudio 2 and find P1/P2 setup guides
- Set up a MAONO P1 phone livestream
- Compare MAONO P1, P2, and PS22 Lite