Why does G35 headset mic-> obs die?

[mtheoryx]

Unfortunate event that has happened several times

This really derails the pace and rhythm of the stream. It perplexes me, and I apologize to the team.

Things tried when this happens:

• Unplug headset, plug it back in. Has worked a few times
• Re-select mic input in Mac System Preferences, and in Loopback (my audio redirector I use primarily for Spotify music)
• Unplug and plug into new USB, then unplug and plug back into the source
• Edit the audio source in OBS

Observations:

The headset seems fine for audio. The mic is the likely fault when it comes to hardware. I worry most about the wear and tear and possibly a cable issue.

That said, I have used this headset for years, and even now, I've never run into the mic not working in any other context (video calls on 10+ conferencing solutions, voice recordings).

Viewers have pointed out a seemingly likely event that seems to cause this. StreamElements new follower overlay and audio notification.

However, we simulated this (with an unfollow, re-follow) and the alert was triggered but did not kill the mic. Perplexing.

Current hypothesis (TBD):

We still don't know exactly what is happening. We know a few things:

• Spotify is not disturbed when this happens.
• The G35 headset audio is not disturbed when this happens.
• OBS sharing audio sources as "copy and paste as a reference" could be triggering a bug I don't know about
• Alerts from OBS to my headset could be an edge case?
• Having the twitch streamer dashboard minimized in a chrome tab (so I can pop out chat) could be a confounding variable

Next Potential Steps

• Order new Mic for dedicated input
• Don't use source references in OBS, always use new ones in new scenes
• Disable audio alert for StreamElements new follower alert overlay

[mtheoryx]

I have take a few steps to fix this issue

• Purchase new headset - Steel Series Arctis 7 - for headphone only
• Purchase new mic - Blue Yetti - for mic only

So far, this has eliminated any issues of mic input dropping out, so I will close this.