Audio Sources

Applications that produce audio:

• Application Audio: Games, music players, browsers, voice chat
• System Sounds: Windows notifications, alerts
• Virtual Outputs: Jyv Desktop-created audio sources

Audio Destinations

Where audio can be routed:

• Physical Devices: Speakers, headphones, monitors with audio
• Virtual Cables: Internal audio pipelines between apps
• Recording Inputs: Send to OBS, Audacity, etc.
• Network Streams: Send to remote devices (coming soon)

Routing Rules

Rules that determine audio flow:

{
  "source": "discord.exe",           // Audio source
  "destinations": [
    {
      "device": "Headphones",         // Where to send
      "volume": 100,                  // Volume level (0-200%)
      "enabled": true
    },
    {
      "device": "Virtual Cable 1",    // Can have multiple destinations
      "volume": 75,
      "enabled": true
    }
  ],
  "priority": 1,                      // Rule priority (higher = first)
  "conditions": {                     // When to apply (optional)
    "profile": "Gaming",
    "time": "always"
  }
}

Virtual Audio Cables

Internal audio pipelines that route audio between applications:

• Purpose: Send one app's output to another app's input
• Zero Latency: Direct memory transfer, no encoding/decoding
• Example: Send game audio to Discord so friends hear your gameplay
• Unlimited: Create as many virtual cables as needed

Multi-Destination Routing

Send one application to multiple outputs simultaneously:

{
  "source": "spotify.exe",
  "destinations": [
    {
      "device": "Headphones",
      "volume": 100,
      "enabled": true
    },
    {
      "device": "Speakers",
      "volume": 60,              // Lower volume on speakers
      "enabled": true
    },
    {
      "device": "Virtual Cable - Stream Mix",
      "volume": 80,
      "enabled": true            // Also send to OBS
    }
  ]
}

Use Case: Listen to music on headphones while also sending a quieter version to speakers for room ambiance, and a controlled mix to OBS for stream.

Conditional Routing

Apply routing rules based on conditions:

{
  "conditionalRouting": [
    {
      "source": "discord.exe",
      "destination": "Headphones",
      "conditions": {
        "profile": "Gaming",         // Only when Gaming profile active
        "time": {
          "start": "18:00",          // Only during evening hours
          "end": "23:00"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "discord.exe",
      "destination": "Speakers",
      "conditions": {
        "profile": "Work",           // Different routing for Work profile
        "time": "always"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Audio Mixing

Combine multiple audio sources into one virtual output:

{
  "virtualMixer": {
    "name": "Stream Mix",
    "sources": [
      {
        "app": "csgo.exe",
        "volume": 70,              // Game at 70%
        "enabled": true
      },
      {
        "app": "spotify.exe",
        "volume": 30,              // Music at 30%
        "enabled": true
      },
      {
        "app": "discord.exe",
        "volume": 100,             // Discord at 100%
        "enabled": true
      }
    ],
    "output": "Virtual Cable - OBS",
    "masterVolume": 100
  }
}

Use Case: Create a balanced audio mix for streaming with game, music, and voice chat, then send the combined mix to OBS.

Routing Chains

Route audio through multiple processing stages:

Creating Virtual Cables

1. Open Virtual Cables Manager

   Settings → Audio → Virtual Cables

2. Create New Cable

   Click + New Virtual Cable

   Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Game Audio to Discord")

3. Configure Cable

   Set audio format (sample rate, bit depth, channels):

   Virtual Cable Settings

   {
     "name": "Game to Discord",
     "sampleRate": 48000,      // 48kHz recommended
     "bitDepth": 24,           // 24-bit for quality
     "channels": 2,            // Stereo
     "bufferSize": 480         // Low latency (10ms)
   }

4. Use the Cable

   The cable now appears in device lists as both an output and input device.

   Send audio TO cable: Select it as app output

   Receive audio FROM cable: Select it as app input

Common Virtual Cable Setups

Gaming + Voice Chat

Goal: Game audio to speakers, Discord to headphones

Setup:

{
  "routing": {
    "csgo.exe": {
      "output": "Speakers",
      "volume": 85
    },
    "discord.exe": {
      "output": "Headphones",
      "volume": 100
    }
  }
}

Result: Immersive game audio from speakers while keeping voice chat private in headphones. No audio mixing or interference.

Content Creation

Goal: Record gameplay, music, and commentary as separate tracks

Setup:

• Create 3 virtual cables: "Game Track", "Music Track", "Voice Track"
• Route game to speakers + Game Track cable
• Route music to speakers + Music Track cable
• Route microphone to Voice Track cable
• In OBS, add each cable as separate audio source
• Adjust individual track volumes in post-production

Work From Home

Goal: Meeting audio to headphones, notifications to speakers

Setup:

{
  "routing": {
    "zoom.exe": {
      "output": "Headphones",
      "volume": 100
    },
    "teams.exe": {
      "output": "Headphones",
      "volume": 100
    },
    "System Sounds": {
      "output": "Speakers",
      "volume": 50
    }
  }
}

Result: Focus on meetings via headphones while still hearing important system notifications from speakers.

DJ / Music Production

Goal: Preview track in headphones, master output to speakers

Setup:

• Route DAW master output to speakers/monitors
• Route DAW preview/cue output to headphones
• Route reference tracks to speakers for A/B comparison
• Keep Discord/communication apps on headphones only

Routing Not Applied

Symptoms: Audio still goes to default device despite routing rules

Solution:

1. Check App Detection

   Verify app appears in Audio Routing panel with active audio meter

2. Verify Rule Priority

   Ensure routing rule has higher priority than conflicting rules

3. Restart App

   Some apps cache audio devices - restart the app to apply routing

4. Check Exclusive Mode

   Disable exclusive mode in Windows sound settings for that device

Virtual Cable No Audio

Cause: Cable not properly connected or wrong format

Solution:

• Verify cable is enabled in Virtual Cables manager
• Check sample rate matches source and destination (48kHz recommended)
• Restart both source and destination applications
• Use cable monitor in Jyv Desktop to verify audio is flowing
• Check cable isn't muted in Windows volume mixer

Audio Cutting Out

Cause: Buffer underruns from small buffer size or high CPU load

Solution:

• Increase virtual cable buffer size (Settings → Virtual Cables)
• Recommended: 480 samples (10ms) for low latency, 960 (20ms) for stability
• Close unnecessary applications to reduce CPU load
• Disable audio processing features if not needed
• Update audio drivers to latest version

Routing Resets After Restart

Cause: Routing not saved to profile

Solution:

• After configuring routing, click Save to Profile
• Enable "Auto-activate profile on startup" in profile settings
• Or enable "Remember last routing" in Settings → Audio