Recording High-Quality Screen Captures with OBS

Part 1: Core Settings for High-Quality Recording

Before we tackle separating audio, let's establish a baseline for high-quality video. OBS offers a vast array of options, but we can achieve excellent results by focusing on a few key settings. If you haven't already, please download and install OBS Studio—it's free and open-source, aligning with your preference for cost-effective tools.

The following video provides a fantastic walkthrough of the optimal settings for a Mac. We will go through the key steps together.

Let's consolidate those settings into a step-by-step guide. Open OBS and navigate to Settings (usually in the bottom-right corner).

1. Video Settings

Go to the Video tab:

• Base (Canvas) Resolution: Set this to your MacBook Pro's native display resolution (e.g., 3024x1964 for a 14" model). This ensures OBS captures your screen at full quality.
• Output (Scaled) Resolution: Set this to 1920x1080. This is the standard Full HD resolution for web content (YouTube, etc.) and is a good balance between quality and file size.
• Common FPS Values: For a product walkthrough, 30 is perfect. 60 FPS is generally unnecessary unless you're recording fast-paced video games.

2. Output Settings (Advanced)

Go to the Output tab and change the Output Mode at the top to Advanced. Then, click the Recording sub-tab.

• Recording Path: Choose a folder where your recordings will be saved.
• Recording Format: Select MKV. This is crucial. If OBS or your computer crashes mid-recording, an MKV file will be recoverable, whereas an MP4 would be lost entirely.
• Video Encoder: Select Apple VT H265 Hardware Encoder (HEVC). Your M1 Pro chip has dedicated hardware for video encoding, and this option leverages it for maximum efficiency and quality without overtaxing your CPU. HEVC (H.265) provides better compression than the older H.264 standard.
• Rate Control: Choose CRF (Constant Rate Factor). This method adjusts the bitrate on the fly to maintain a consistent level of visual quality. A good starting point for the Quality slider is between 70-80. Higher numbers mean higher quality and larger files.
• Keyframe Interval: Set to 0 for auto.
• Profile: Main.

3. Audio Settings

Go to the Audio tab in the main settings window:

• Sample Rate: Set this to 48 kHz, the standard for video production.
• Channels: Stereo.

Now, go back to the Output tab and click the Audio sub-tab:

• For each audio track (1 through 6), set the Audio Bitrate to 320. This is the highest quality available in OBS and ensures your audio is crisp.

4. Automatic Conversion to MP4

Finally, go to the Advanced tab in the settings. Check the box for "Automatically remux to MP4".

With this enabled, every time you finish an MKV recording, OBS will instantly create an MP4 copy in the same folder. You get the safety of MKV and the compatibility of MP4 for use in DaVinci Resolve, with no extra effort.

Part 2: Isolating Audio with Separate Tracks

This is where the magic happens for your editing workflow. By recording your microphone and your application's sound on separate tracks, you gain complete control in post-production. You can remove a cough from your voiceover without silencing your product's sound effects, or adjust the volume of one without affecting the other.

Since you've taken video editing courses, you'll immediately recognize the value of having clean, independent audio tracks on your timeline in DaVinci Resolve.

The Modern Method: Application Audio Capture

Older OBS tutorials might instruct you to use the global "Desktop Audio" source, but this combines all system sounds into one track. A much more powerful, modern feature (available in OBS v28+) is the Application Audio Capture source. This lets you specifically target the audio from a single app, like Figma or Photoshop.

The following video demonstrates this process clearly.

Let's walk through this setup.

Step 1: Add Your Audio Sources
In the main OBS window, find the "Sources" panel.

1. Add your microphone: Click the + button, select Audio Input Capture, and choose your microphone from the device list.
2. Add your application audio: Click the + button, select Application Audio Capture (Beta). In the window that appears, select the application you want to record (e.g., [Chrome]: Google Chrome or [Figma]: Figma).

Step 2: Assign Sources to Tracks
Now, find the "Audio Mixer" panel. You should see sliders for the sources you just added.

1. Click the three-dot menu on any of the audio sources and select Advanced Audio Properties.
2. A new window will open with a grid of checkboxes. This is where you assign sources to tracks.

Here is a recommended setup for your product walkthroughs:

• Uncheck everything first to start with a clean slate.
• For your Microphone source, check the box only for Track 2.
• For your Application Audio source, check the box only for Track 3.
• (Optional) If you plan to use background music, you would add it as a "Media Source" and assign it exclusively to Track 4.

Step 3: Enable the Tracks for Recording
Go back to Settings > Output > Recording. Under the Audio Tracks section, make sure you have checked the boxes for the tracks you just configured (e.g., 2 and 3). This tells OBS to actually include these separate tracks in the final recording file.

Your Turn: Test Your Recording Setup

Theory is great, but practice is what solidifies learning. Let's do a quick test run to ensure everything is working correctly.

1. Configure OBS: Follow all the steps above to set up your video, output, and multi-track audio settings.
2. Set the Scene: In the OBS "Sources" panel, make sure you have:
   • A Display Capture or Window Capture source to record your screen.
   • Your Audio Input Capture (microphone).
   • An Application Audio Capture source pointed at an app that makes sound (e.g., play a YouTube video in Chrome, or use an app with UI sounds).
3. Record: Start the application you are capturing. Hit "Start Recording" in OBS. Record for about 30 seconds. While recording, speak into your microphone and ensure the application is also producing sound. Then, "Stop Recording."
4. Verify:
   • Find the MKV and the automatically generated MP4 file in the folder you designated.
   • Import the MP4 file into a new DaVinci Resolve project.
   • Look at the timeline. You should see one video track and two separate audio tracks. One track should contain only your voice, and the other should contain only the application's sound. Play them back to confirm.

If you see two separate audio waveforms, you've succeeded!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have just configured OBS into a professional-grade recording tool optimized for your Mac. This technical setup is a crucial foundation for creating all of your future "faceless" content.

Key Takeaways:

• For high-quality recordings on a Mac, use the MKV format with automatic remuxing to MP4.
• Leverage your M1 Pro's power by using the Apple VT H265 Hardware Encoder with CRF rate control.
• Separating audio sources (mic, app audio, music) onto different tracks using Application Audio Capture and Advanced Audio Properties is essential for a flexible and professional editing workflow.
• Always do a short test recording and verify the result in your video editor before starting a long session.

Preview of the Next Lesson

You now have a high-quality, multi-track recording based on the script you wrote. The next step in producing a polished video is to ensure your voiceover is clean and clear. In our next lesson, we will focus on the learning outcome: Edit voiceover audio in Audacity or a video editor's audio tools to remove noise and improve clarity. We'll take the microphone track from the recording you just made and learn how to make it sound broadcast-ready.