Virtual Microphone not being detected

adorabilis

Orion doesn’t expose the full list of audio input devices. Virtual microphones are missing. To reproduce:

Install Loopback from rogueamoeba.com/loopback/.
Create a new virtual device in Loopback (by clicking the button in the lower left corner of the main UI).
Go to System Settings > Sound and note that the new virtual device is in the Input list.
Navigate to (e.g. Discord) in Orion and open the voice settings.
Note that the new virtual device is missing in Orion.

System Settings > Sound:

Discord Voice Settings in Orion:

Discord Voice Settings in other browsers:

Orion/macOS:
Version 0.99.122-rc (WebKit 615.1.11.7)
macOS Ventura 13.1 build 22C65
MacBook Pro M1 Pro

VitoBotta

I am testing Orion again and am having this exact issue with my RODE microphone. It just doesn't show up in the devices with Google Meet, Nextcloud Talk or any website that allows me to use the microphone.

adorabilis

This bug is still present in Orion Version 0.99.125-rc (WebKit 616.1.22). It makes voice/video calling websites unusable for people with a custom microphone setup (virtual microphones are missing). For example, Discord voice settings page is laggy and beachballs in Orion. No other browsers (Safari, Firefox, Chromium) I tested have this problem.

Discord voice settings in Orion (40s clip):

Vlad

adorabilis Unfortunately number of such users is relatively small as seen by upvotes here, and fixing this probably requires going into the depths of WebKit which is the reason this hasn't moved much.

adorabilis

Consider merging this post reporting the same issue and its upvotes https://orionfeedback.org/d/1151-virtual-microphone-not-being-detected/9.

In that post, I mentioned I did not have problems with virtual microphones. A regression must have happened in the following months with newer builds. I can’t pin down which version exactly. Currently, Orion is the only browser I have tried on macOS that has issues with virtual microphones. Safari works just fine.

tohsig

This looks like it has been a tricky one to track down, so I'd like to chime in with my experience. I have an Audient iD4 audio interface hooked up to my mac studio via USB-C. Safari and Firefox detect that interface as a mic input without issue, but Orion can't see it at all. That's both with "Compatibility Mode" turned on, and with it turned off.

Versions:

macOS: 14.4.1 (23E224)
Orion: 0.99.128-beta
Webkit: WebKit 619.1.11.111.2

adorabilis

This issue still persists in Version 0.99.128.1.1-rc (WebKit 619.1.11.111.2). It makes video conferencing sites like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Discord, and Slack unusable for me within Orion. Please look into this as no other browsers (Safari, Firefox, Chromium) have this issue.

pencil

I'm running into the same problem with a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (USB-C audio interface).

Orion Version 0.99.128.2.1-beta (WebKit 619.1.11.111.2)
macOS 15.0.1 (24A348)

The device is recognized in Safari and Firefox but not in Orion.

Like others, I tried using a virtual loopback (VB-Cable) as a workaround but that isn't detected by Orion either.

mumu

Same issue here as tohsig and pencil with an AudioBox USB 96 audio interface:

Orion Version 0.99.128.2.1-beta (WebKit 619.1.11.111.2)
macOS 14.6 (23G80)

Safari, macOS System, and Zoom's desktop client all detect and show the interface as an input. Orion does not.

My steps:

plugin USB audio interface with mic attached to it
open System Settings and set that interface as output and input
open a Google Meet in Orion, interface mic isn't available, interface output (via "System Default Output Device") works. Try other audio web apps (https://webcammictest.com/check-mic.html, discord) to confirm it's not just Meet.
open the same Meet in Safari, interface mic is available and works

I think adorabillis reproduction steps to eliminate the need for a USB audio interface are likely the best way to approach the bug, if something fixes that it seems likely to fix both issues given how similar their expression is.

I haven't paid for Orion yet, I'm only trying it out to see if it would work for me as a replacement browser for Brave or Firefox. I do pay for Kagi and have for a few years now.

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