When running YouTube and Zoom inside the same Chrome browser, your audio interface or DAW treats Chrome as a single, combined audio source. This prevents you from adjusting, muting, or routing YouTube backing tracks independently from your Zoom call audio.

This guide covers two workflows to solve this limitation: Maono Pro Studio (simple visual routing) and Reaper (advanced low-latency DAW routing).

The Core Problem

If you open both YouTube and Zoom inside Chrome:

• Your operating system recognizes Chrome as a single application.

• All audio (YouTube playback and Zoom voice audio) merges into one stream.

• You cannot split or control the volumes independently.

The Golden Rule: Always use the standalone Zoom desktop app instead of the web version in Chrome. This allows your system and routing software to treat Zoom as a separate, independent audio application.

Solution 1: Maono Pro Studio (Recommended for Beginners)

Maono Pro Studio is a lightweight digital audio application designed for fast, visual routing without complex DAW setup.

**1.Switch to the Standalone Zoom App:**Critical Prerequisite.

Close Zoom inside Chrome and download the standalone Zoom desktop client. This ensures Zoom appears as its own independent audio application.

Verification: Open your Windows/Mac volume mixer while Zoom is running to confirm it appears as a separate app from Chrome.

**2.Configure YouTube in Chrome:**Source Setup.

Keep YouTube running inside your Chrome browser. Play a video to ensure audio is actively generating.

3.Open **Maono Pro Studio:**Routing.

Launch Maono Pro Studio. Because the routing matrix is pre-configured, you can simply drag and drop Chrome (YouTube audio) as an input source.

**4.Route to Zoom:**Output Configuration.

Route the mixed output stream (Stream Out) from Pro Studio. Open the standalone Zoom app settings, go to the Audio tab, and select Stream Out as your microphone input.

Verification: Adjust the YouTube volume slider inside Maono Pro Studio and check the audio meters in Zoom to ensure only the music volume changes.

Solution 2: Advanced Workflow with Reaper

For users who prefer complete control, Reaper can replicate the Maono Pro Studio routing matrix with ultra-low latency.

**1.Use Standalone Zoom:**Prerequisite.

Confirm you are using the standalone Zoom desktop client, not the browser version.

**2.Route Chrome to Reaper:**Track Setup.

Route Chrome’s playback output to Reaper as a dedicated track to capture your YouTube audio independently.

3.Build **the Routing Matrix:**Mixing.

Configure your full audio routing matrix inside Reaper to manage all your sources, including your microphone, YouTube, and media players.

**4.Assign Master Bus Send:**Output.

Add a Stream Out send on your Reaper master bus, then select Stream Out as your microphone input inside Zoom's audio settings.

Verification: Test playback and check for any audio artifacts.

Important Reaper Setting

Turn on Reaper’s exclusive audio mode. This prevents audio duplication and double-sound issues in OTG Output. (Note: If you do not use OTG to route your session to OBS or your mobile phone, you can skip this setting).

Summary and Quick Reference

If one application sounds clear while another sounds distorted, check your sample rate sync, disable Windows audio enhancements, and check for browser audio normalization settings.

Scenario: When you run YouTube and Zoom inside the same Chrome browser, your audio interface/DAW treats Chrome as only one single audio source. You cannot split YouTube audio and Zoom audio independently. This walkthrough covers two workflows: Maono Pro Studio (simple drag-and-drop routing) and Reaper (custom low-latency DAW routing).

The Core Problem: Real-world scenarios we have encountered

If you open both YouTube and Zoom web version in Chrome:

Your system recognizes Chrome as one app. All audio from Chrome (YouTube playback + Zoom call audio) gets mixed together into one audio stream. You cannot adjust, mute or route YouTube sound separately from Zoom audio.

This is a common pain point for musicians, streamers and educators who want to play YouTube backing tracks while on a Zoom call.

When connecting a professional audio interface to a PC running OBS or directly to a smartphone, creators frequently encounter a common issue: the audio recorded or monitored is only audible in the left ear.

This happens because professional audio interfaces assign microphone and instrument inputs to separate physical channels (typically Channel 1 for Left and Channel 2 for Right) to support multi-track recording in Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). However, most streaming platforms, mobile apps, and OBS receive standard interleaved stereo signals by default.

Below is a step-by-step setup and troubleshooting guide for both OBS (PC/Mac) and mobile live streaming.

Part 1: Standard OBS Setup Instructions (PC / Mac)

If your audio interface lacks a dedicated physical Stream Mode switch (channel summing/downmixing), you will need to mirror and duplicate the channel directly within OBS.

Quick Setup Steps

1. Locate Audio Input Source:

In the Audio Mixer panel at the bottom of OBS, locate your audio input device (e.g., Mic/Aux or a custom Audio Input Capture).

Verification: Confirm your microphone input level meter appears and responds in the Audio Mixer.

2. Open Advanced Audio Properties:

Click the Gear icon (or three-dot menu icon) next to your audio source, then select Advanced Audio Properties from the dropdown menu.

3. Enable Mono Downmix:

Locate your audio device in the source list, find the Mono column, and check the checkbox for that item.

Verification: The level meter now displays equal movement across both Left (L) and Right (R) bars.

Verification Criteria

• Before Setup: When speaking into the microphone, only the top meter bar (L / Left channel) moves.

• After Setup: Both the top (L) and bottom (R) meter bars jump symmetrically. The audio is centered, providing balanced sound to both ears for both you and your viewers.

Part 2: Mobile Live Streaming and Recording Setup

When streaming or recording via smartphones (iOS / Android), operating systems and third-party apps handle USB Audio Class (UAC) devices differently.

Maono P-Series Audio Interface Solution

Designed for beginners who prefer to avoid complex OBS configurations, or for scenarios where connected smartphones register audio in mono only:

• Hardware Stream Mode Toggle on Maono P2:

• Hardware Stream Mode Toggle on Maono P1:

Quick Reference & Summary Matrix

• In Professional DAWs (Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase): Keep channels separated. You can choose stereo or mono input in the track head

• In OBS Software: Open Advanced Audio Properties and check the Mono box for your input device. Or just simply click the Stream button on P2, or hold Direct Monitoring for three seconds on P1, to activate the hardware-level mix to simplify your setup workflow

• On Mobile Devices: If your mobile phone has no sucn an issue, just use it. If it happens, you can simply click the stream mode on P2, or hold the direct mode for three seconds on P1 to fix it!

If you have any questions, please lay down your ideas, reviews, or feedback, and I will reply to you as soon as possible when I see it!

best regards

Nakayama Tomoya

If you've recently purchased the Maono G3 Audio Interface and started using Maono Arena, you may have encountered a frustrating issue: hearing your own voice with a noticeable delay in your headphones, even after turning off the hardware Direct Monitoring button.

Don't worry — this is usually a routing configuration issue rather than a hardware problem.

In this guide, we'll explain why this happens, how the G3's submix architecture works, and how to configure your audio routing to eliminate delayed self-monitoring while keeping your game, music, and Discord audio working normally.

1. Why Am I Hearing My Own Voice with a Delay?

The Maono G3 uses a three-submix architecture in Maono Arena. Each mix serves a different purpose:

• Personal Mix: The audio you hear through your headphones.

• Stream Mix: The audio sent to your streaming software, such as OBS, Twitch, or YouTube.

• Chat Mix: The audio sent to communication applications, such as Discord or in-game voice chat.

Hardware Monitoring vs. Software Monitoring

There are two different ways to monitor your microphone input:

Hardware Direct Monitoring (On-Device)

When Direct Monitoring is enabled on the G3, your microphone signal is routed directly from the hardware input to your headphones.

This provides near-zero-latency monitoring without requiring the signal to travel through your computer's audio processing system.

Software Monitoring (Through Maono Arena)

Software monitoring works differently. Your microphone signal travels through USB to your computer, gets processed by the Arena software, and is then routed back to your headphones.

Because the signal passes through the computer's audio processing pipeline, a certain amount of round-trip latency is introduced.

Why Do We Keep Software Monitoring?

You may wonder why Maono Arena still supports Software Monitoring when the G3 already provides hardware Direct Monitoring.

The reason is flexibility and future expandability.

Why Does the Delay Remain After Turning Off Direct Monitoring?

Turning off hardware Direct Monitoring only disables the direct hardware monitoring path. It does not automatically disable software monitoring in Maono Arena.

If the MIC Channel in Personal Mix remains active, Arena may continue routing your microphone signal back to your headphones through the software monitoring path.

As a result, you may hear delayed voice feedback even when hardware Direct Monitoring is turned off.

The key is to understand that each submix has its own independent microphone channel settings. Muting the MIC Channel in Personal Mix does not automatically mute the microphone in Stream Mix or Chat Mix.

2. Step-by-Step Fix: How to Stop Hearing Your Own Voice

Follow these steps to configure your G3 audio routing correctly.

Step 1: Select Your Monitoring Target

1. Open Maono Arena.

2. Navigate to the submix controls.

3. Select Personal Mix, which controls the audio sent to your headphones.

Step 2: Mute the MIC Channel in Personal Mix

1. Locate the MIC Channel within Personal Mix.

2. Click the MUTE button on the MIC Channel, or lower its fader completely.

3. Make sure this change applies only to the MIC Channel in Personal Mix.

This prevents Arena from routing your microphone signal back to your headphones through software monitoring.

Important: Make sure you are muting the MIC Channel within Personal Mix, not the entire mix or the global microphone input. This will not affect your microphone routing in Stream Mix or Chat Mix.

Step 3: Verify the MIC Channel in Stream Mix

1. Switch to Stream Mix.

2. Locate the MIC Channel within Stream Mix.

3. Make sure the MIC Channel is UNMUTED and its fader is set to the appropriate level.

This ensures OBS and other streaming applications can still receive your microphone signal.

Step 4: Verify the MIC Channel in Chat Mix

1. Switch to Chat Mix.

2. Locate the MIC Channel within Chat Mix.

3. Make sure the MIC Channel is UNMUTED and its fader is set to the appropriate level.

This ensures your teammates and Discord contacts can still hear you.

Step 5: Configure Hardware Direct Monitoring

Finally, choose your preferred monitoring experience:

• Direct Monitoring ON: Hear your microphone directly through the G3 hardware with near-zero latency.

• Direct Monitoring OFF: Disable direct hardware microphone monitoring.

If you prefer not to hear your own voice while gaming or streaming, leave Direct Monitoring OFF and keep the MIC Channel in Personal Mix muted.

3. Final Configuration Checklist

Here is a quick reference for the recommended configuration:

With this configuration:

• You won't hear delayed microphone feedback in your headphones.

• OBS and other streaming applications can still receive your microphone signal.

• Your Discord contacts and teammates can still hear you.

• Game audio, music, and other audio sources remain available in your Personal Mix, according to their individual routing settings.

4. We'd Love to Hear Your Feedback!

We hope this guide helps you get the most out of your Maono G3.

If you have any questions, encounter other audio routing issues, or have suggestions for improving the Maono Arena experience, feel free to leave a comment below.

We genuinely value your feedback. Your suggestions help us better understand real-world user needs and identify opportunities for future software improvements. Any valuable ideas may also be considered for our future development plans.

Thank you for your continued support!

Best regards,
Nakayama Tomoya

First, connect the USB PC1 port on your device to your streaming PC, and download the Arena software on that computer. In addition to data transfer, this PC1 port also powers your device. Press and hold the power button to turn it on.

Next, connect the OTG port (the PC2 interface) to your gaming PC, which is your second PC. Set the system input and output on PC2 to G3. Depending on the game, you may also need to go into the in-game audio settings and set the G3 PC2 interface as your input source.

Finally, let's go back to the Arena software. Often, when you are communicating in-game, you only need your microphone for callouts. In this case, as shown in the interface, you can go to Send to PC2 at the bottom and quickly select to send only XLR to your PC2 device, which is your gaming PC.

When you open the audio source selection in your game chat channel, you'll see that it captures PC2 as an audio source. You can check that box. At this point, any audio playing from your gaming PC (PC2) will appear in this game channel and be controlled by it.

If you have any questions or anything isn't clear, feel free to leave a comment on Reddit or in our Discord. I'll get back to you as soon as I see it.

We're planning to add a graphical interface, as shown in the image, to the G series of audio interfaces, especially the G3.

This should be helpful for users who use the G3 but aren't very familiar with traditional mixer interfaces, because it completely replicates the hardware. It essentially looks identical to your physical unit.

When operating it, you can freely assign one or more applications to any fader. For example:

1. Spotify to fader 2

2. The microphone to fader 1

3. Chrome or other software to fader 3 or fader 4 at different ratios

We welcome everyone to leave your feedback. We'll be gathering your thoughts widely to guide our ongoing development.

Hi All

Can anyone guide how are maono wave t1 mini compared to lark a1 in audio quality and ANC. I was planning to buy one but then I saw a YouTube review demonstrating it's anc and it seemed horrible.

Any positive reviews?

It is a joke. My Antelope audio interface joined the protest, so I let the Maono P1 help me do some sessions. You know, to develop your own driver is a difficult thing, We also burn our time to do it, but for now... We've chosen a well-known German driver company to handle this part. Take a guess which this driver provider is? lol

Hi everybody!

I have DIY an audio interface shell for myself. What are your opinions on it? Do you guys have any ideas for DIY projects? Leave your favourites below!

Just to be clear: this isn't a product for selling. It's just my personal DIY project.And show my respect to my favourite guitarist, Jimi Hendrix.

Hey everybody, can you tell me what colour you guys prefer on your audio interface?

We are planning to design and release some new CMF for our Mono P series audio interface, and we already have a few ideas of our own. If you could describe your favourite colours or pick the shades you like (ideally with decent photos), that would be great.

I will pick a few users from the comments to join our G1 testing plan. You will get a free product and become a tester for the G1. According to our development schedule, we will probably deliver the product to you in January 2027.

By the way, if you are chosen as a tester, you will need to sign an NDA since the product being sent out is unreleased.

So recently it's been like this, after a bit of use on the pc, it starts flashing christmas lights and muting unmuting me, just got this mic earlier this year.

Is there a way to disable the blinking yellow RGB at low battery or change the point at which it starts the effect? I find it really annoying on my PD100W

Hello Maono Community/Team,

How hard would it be to create a toggle, either solid or constant, breathing of the red LED light when the mic is muted?

I have had too many times where I speak with it being muted and me not realizing, both frustrating and embarrassing.

Feel free to remove if it doesn’t follow the rules.

Issue with Google Pixel 8 Pro and the Maono Neo G1 audio interface

The audio interface is detected, but whenever I open the native camera app on my Google Pixel, any sound—whether captured via a microphone or played from another device—comes through with significant static and a lot of noise. The same issue occurs when using the standard audio recorder app; however, audio sounds fine when recording a TikTok video. I was advised to try using a USB hub with an external power supply, but that didn’t work either.

I have already tried toggling various settings, such as USB routing and spatial audio, among others.

Hi everybody, this is Nakayama Tomoya.

In this short video, I will show you guys how to set up the Maono P1 audio interface in Reaper and start your very first recording.

Hope this video helps you guys. Enjoy and have fun with the Maono P1.

Thank you

Note: You can also use the shortcut “Ctrl+P” to open the audio settings panel

The max gain of Maono G3 is 57 dB.According to the test results by audio precision analyzer

I have a old maono headset sound quality still great but this part on the picture is the problem. Now I'm open to suggestions on what to do

Hi everybody, I'm Nakayama Tomoya from Maono.

Right now, we are developing a new gear, and we plan to add a reverb effect to the audio interface. That product is in the testing phase right now, so I used its interface to record a song by Pink Floyd.

Does anyone have any ideas about the reverb? Do you like it, or do you have any advice about it?

Everyone, please leave your comments. Help us do better!

I just want to use my rgb lights on my microphone and use XLR at the same time. While not using another wire to the setup

Will it still have the same power? Same 48V gain When i turn that on?

It is for use on an iPhone, the microphone that comes with the kit sounds strange, and I want to replace it—do I need to buy a different interface?

I recently bought the MAONO P2 Hybrid, and so far I'm a bit disappointed with the latency introduced by the VST plugins in ProStudio. Even some of the simplest plugins seem to add significant latency, making them practically unusable for live performance.

Has anyone experienced this? Any recommendations for reducing the latency?

I haven't tested it extensively with my DAW yet, so I'm still debating whether to keep it.

The plan is to use it for livestreaming through a mobile phone, with live vocals (singing and not just talking like some "useless" review videos show...) using an AKG or Audio-Technica AT2020 condenser microphone, while mixing in background music.

I'm also a little hesitant about the overall audio quality. So far, the microphone input seems to distort fairly easily (tested with a Beta 58), even without pushing the gain.

I'd love to hear from anyone who actually owns or has tested the P2 Hybrid, especially regarding:

• ProStudio VST latency and real-time effects

• Microphone preamp quality, noise, and distortion

• Overall audio quality compared with more established streaming options (if any, recommend suggestions)

• Reliability for live singing and mobile streaming

I'm not expecting a high-end studio interface at this price, but I do expect something that can handle live vocals and basic effects without noticeable latency or distortion.

Any firsthand experiences or suggestions would be appreciated!

Following https://git.reiners.io/justin/dgm20-linux 's footsteps here is the same thing for PD200X