# How to use live\_audio with virtual audio device on Windows 10

**URL:** <https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440>\
**Category:** Support, Help & Resources\
**Created:** [March 13, 2020, 6:26pm UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440 "2020-03-13T18:26:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pgloor](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/in-thread.sonic-pi.net/pgloor/32/1168_2.png) [@pgloor](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/pgloor)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 6:26pm UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/1 "2020-03-13T18:26:52Z")

</div>

Hello,

I’m currently trying to combine Sonic-Pi with HELM. What I want to achieve is to send MIDI data to HELM and feed the output of HELM back to live\_audio for input in Sonic-Pi. There is a [tutorial on Youtube demonstrating](https://youtu.be/OM94dbReLG4) how this can be done on a Mac. However, I’m using Windows 10 and cannot get this to work.

Googling around for an audio loopback device I found a [software called VB-CABLE](https://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/), which is a virtual audio device working as virtual audio cable. I downloaded and installed this software, but now I dont know how get live\_audio input from it.

I tried as follows:

```
# live_audio :voice, input: 1
live_audio :helm, input: 3

```

On input: I tried any number from 3 to 9. None worked. I also tried without the input: parameter at all.

The voice example works fine with input: 1 or input: 2 as well as without the input parameter at all.

Finally, to make sure I’m not completely wrong, I used the “CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)” for 2 Channel Stereo input for recording the output of HELM in Audacity. This worked perfectly well.

VB-CABLE is using PortAudio V19.5.0 and supports several interface types (MME, Windows WASAPI and Windows Direct Sound). It was easy to install and did not need any configuration. If possible I would like to stick with it.

What do I do wrong, or, in case this setup is not supported for some reason, what alternatives do exist? Every hint is welcome.

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**Author:** ![nlb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/in-thread.sonic-pi.net/nlb/32/997_2.png) [@nlb](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/nlb)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 6:39am UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/2 "2020-03-14T06:39:22Z")

</div>

**maybe** this video could help you ; i will try to get what you want because i’ve already met this situation and didn’t not yet how to do.

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**Author:** ![robin.newman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@robin.newman](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/robin.newman)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 8:35am UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/3 "2020-03-14T08:35:14Z")

</div>

I have used loopMidi which works well.  
[http://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software.html](http://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software.html)

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**Author:** ![Martin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/in-thread.sonic-pi.net/martin/32/157_2.png) [@Martin](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/Martin)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 11:18am UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/4 "2020-03-14T11:18:40Z")

</div>

@robin.newman, did you also manage/try to configure this with Jack (Linux/Raspberry)?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nlb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/in-thread.sonic-pi.net/nlb/32/997_2.png) [@nlb](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/nlb)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/7 "2020-03-14T12:23:49Z")

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i believe this is not what @pgloor wants. We want to get the audio from Helm into sonic pi via `liveaudio` to apply as example an echo fx. So loopmidi is just to send midi signals to Helm and has not audio capabilities.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nlb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/in-thread.sonic-pi.net/nlb/32/997_2.png) [@nlb](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/nlb)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/8 "2020-03-14T14:08:27Z")

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i manage to get what you want via [https://vac.muzychenko.net/en/](https://vac.muzychenko.net/en/)  
this software is not a freeware.

```ruby
# Audio from Helm and fx applied on it
# virtual-audio-cable "trial" version : trial trial women sings
# https://vac.muzychenko.net/en/download.htm

use_real_time
with_fx :echo do
  live_audio :fromHelm
end

live_loop :drums do
  sample :bd_ada
  sleep 1
end

# loopmidi to send midi notes to Helm
# after we can change the parameters from Helm and sonic pi is able to record them and
# apply an echo effect see above live_audio

live_loop :midiToHelm, sync: "/live_loop/drums" do
  midi [:e3, :e2].tick, port: "loopmidi-port-01"
  sleep 4
end

live_loop :hits_hats, sync: "/live_loop/drums" do
  sample :drum_cymbal_closed, amp: [0.5, 0.75, 0.45, 1].tick
  sleep 0.25
end

```

and i discover this [https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/topic/3519-odeus-asio-link-now-available-free/](https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/topic/3519-odeus-asio-link-now-available-free/) . It seems to be free now. but a bit more complex…

this conversation can be useful to find a solution

> **[r/Twitch - Routing audio from applications around your PC: a quick overview](https://www.reddit.com/r/Twitch/comments/7w0i2b/routing_audio_from_applications_around_your_pc_a/)**
>
> 24 votes and 14 comments so far on Reddit

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nlb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/in-thread.sonic-pi.net/nlb/32/997_2.png) [@nlb](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/nlb)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/9 "2020-03-14T14:41:47Z")

</div>

Ok a solution that works well (for me 🙂 )  
easy via [http://www.breakawayone.com/downloads/](http://www.breakawayone.com/downloads/) it’s free 🙂

```ruby
# Audio from Helm and fx applied on it
# 
# http://www.breakawayone.com/downloads/

use_real_time
with_fx :echo do
  live_audio :fromHelm
end

live_loop :drums do
  sample :bd_ada
  sleep 1
end

# loopmidi to send midi notes to Helm
# after we can change the parameters from Helm and sonic pi is able to record them and
# apply an echo effect see above live_audio

live_loop :midiToHelm, sync: "/live_loop/drums" do
  midi [:e3, :e2].tick, port: "loopmidi-port-01"
  sleep 4
end

live_loop :hits_hats, sync: "/live_loop/drums" do
  sample :drum_cymbal_closed, amp: [0.5, 0.75, 0.45, 1].tick
  sleep 0.25
end

```

 ![reglage-01](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/uploads/sonic_pi/original/2X/2/231d187fcce0260d6726675c26353d1c64073166.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pgloor](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/in-thread.sonic-pi.net/pgloor/32/1168_2.png) [@pgloor](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/pgloor)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/10 "2020-03-14T17:01:47Z")

</div>

First, thanks for your great answers. They sound very promising to me.

The video on YouTube about VB-Voice-Meeter was not of much help. I installed the software, but it did not solve the problem.

Next I will give Jack for Windows a try. I’ve already used Jack before with other audio configurations on Linux, so I’m somewhat familiar with it.

In case I wont succeed with Jack I’ll also give VAC a try. This was actually the first driver I found when I started to search for a software equivalent to LoopBack for the Mac.

It will take some time before I can give Jack or VAC a try, but as soon as I’m done I will let you know my results.

Sorry, I deleted two replies to @nlb and @robin.newman I wrote earlier today. I’m new to this forum software and wanted to combine my two answers into one, but then I was in a hurry and had to leave.

Peter 👋

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pgloor](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/in-thread.sonic-pi.net/pgloor/32/1168_2.png) [@pgloor](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/pgloor)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/11 "2020-03-14T19:18:22Z")

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@nlb: there must be something wrong with my Windows 10. After nothing worked for me, I tried the 30 minutes trial version of VAC. Still no success.

Tomorrow I’ll try breakawayone.

Everything I tried works with other software, like Audacity, except Sonic-Pi.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nlb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/in-thread.sonic-pi.net/nlb/32/997_2.png) [@nlb](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/nlb)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/12 "2020-03-14T19:22:10Z")

</div>

try with [http://www.breakawayone.com/downloads/](http://www.breakawayone.com/downloads/) and **download breakaway pipeline**. This is what i 've used this afternoon and try to set up as on screenshots.

by the way be careful with Jack and Spi 3.2. I 've met some issues under windows 10, supercollider didn’t launched so neither sonic pi (based on supercollider).

good luck

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pgloor](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/in-thread.sonic-pi.net/pgloor/32/1168_2.png) [@pgloor](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/pgloor)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 5:16pm UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-use-live-audio-with-virtual-audio-device-on-windows-10/3440/13 "2020-03-15T17:16:31Z")

</div>

@nlb: Thank you! 😃 With Breakaway Pipeline it works.

Except of choosing “Line 1 (Breakaway Pipeline)” for Output in HELM I didn’t have to do any configuration. None of the other solutions, inclusive VAC, worked for me.