Virtual camera and microphone for Meet and Zoom

Step-by-step guide — March 2026

Sevatra does not ship its own drivers. For Google Meet, Zoom, or similar apps to show the interpreter and hear the mix (your voice + translation), you need OBS Studio (virtual camera) and a virtual audio cable: VB-CABLE on Windows or BlackHole 2ch on macOS. Follow your platform below, then configure the meeting app and Sevatra.

Before you start

You need admin rights to install software and reboot if an installer requires it.
Quit Meet/Zoom before installing drivers; reopen them when finished so new devices appear.
In Sevatra, pick your physical mic for the interpreter — never CABLE Output or BlackHole — to avoid feedback loops.

Windows

1. Virtual microphone — VB-Audio Virtual Cable (Windows)

VB-CABLE adds CABLE Input (where Sevatra sends audio) and CABLE Output (what Meet/Zoom select as the microphone).

Download from VB-Audio Virtual Cable (Download → Windows).
Run VBCABLE_Setup_x64.exe as administrator.
Complete the wizard (Install Drivers). Reboot if Windows asks.
Open Settings → System → Sound → More sound settings → Recording/Playback. You should see CABLE Input and CABLE Output.

Note: If devices are missing, reinstall as admin or reboot. VB-CABLE alone is enough; Voicemeeter is optional.

2. Virtual camera — OBS Studio (Windows)

Download from obsproject.com/download or run winget install OBSProject.OBSStudio in PowerShell.
Install with defaults and open OBS once.
Menu: Tools → Start Virtual Camera. This registers OBS Virtual Camera in Windows.
You may Stop Virtual Camera and quit OBS. When you tap Start live in Sevatra, the app publishes to OBS Virtual Camera without OBS running.

Note: Avoid leaving OBS virtual camera running while Sevatra is live — only one publisher should use it.

macOS

1. Virtual microphone — BlackHole 2ch (macOS)

BlackHole is loopback audio: it shows as both input and output. Meet/Zoom use the input; Sevatra writes to the output.

Option A — With Homebrew: install Homebrew, then run brew install --cask blackhole-2ch
Option B — Download the BlackHole 2ch .pkg from existential.audio and install.
Reboot or log out if macOS requires it. Check System Settings → Sound for BlackHole 2ch on input and output.

Note: In the meeting, choose BlackHole as the mic; in Sevatra, choose your physical Mac microphone.

2. Virtual camera — OBS Studio (macOS)

Install: brew install --cask obs or download from obsproject.com/download (Apple Silicon or Intel build).
Open OBS once and allow camera/microphone permissions if prompted.
Use Start Virtual Camera. If blocked, allow «OBS Virtual Camera» under System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Stop Virtual Camera and quit OBS before going live in Sevatra to avoid conflicting with pyvirtualcam.

3. Configure Google Meet or Zoom

Setting	Windows	macOS
Camera	`OBS Virtual Camera`	`OBS Virtual Camera`
Microphone	`CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)`	`BlackHole 2ch`

Device names must match exactly in the meeting app’s camera and microphone menus.

4. Inside Sevatra

Select your physical microphone in the interpreter panel — not CABLE Output or BlackHole.
Tap Start live before the call. Status should confirm virtual camera and mic for Meet.
Join Google Meet or Zoom and pick the devices from the table. If they are missing, fully quit and reopen the meeting app.

Troubleshooting

Meet/Zoom do not list OBS Virtual Camera: Start virtual camera once in OBS. Close other apps using it. Fully restart the browser or meeting app. On macOS, check Privacy → Camera.
Participants do not hear translation: Set meeting mic to CABLE Output (Windows) or BlackHole 2ch (Mac) and tap Start live in Sevatra. Check output volume for the virtual cable in system sound settings.
Echo or weird audio: Do not select the virtual cable as Sevatra's input mic. On Windows, disable «Listen to this device» on CABLE if you enabled it manually.