Choosing a sound output device in Video by Zaweba

By default, a video editor plays its sound through whatever Windows is set to use: the laptop speakers, a headset, the monitor's speakers. Often that's fine. But if you have a proper audio interface, studio monitors, or a surround setup, you'll want to send the mix there directly and choose exactly which outputs carry which channels. Video by Zaweba lets you do this from Playback > Sound output.

The choices

There are three kinds of output. Windows' default plays through the device Windows itself is set to, so the app follows whatever you change in the Windows sound settings. Any Windows playback device can be chosen directly, using WASAPI, the standard Windows audio system for programs that need it. And there's ASIO, a driver type used by many audio interfaces for low delay and direct control.

The README is honest that ASIO support is untested. It's there for people who need it, but if anything behaves oddly, switching to the interface's WASAPI device is the sensible fallback.

Why pick a device directly

Choosing a specific device means the editor keeps playing where you want even if Windows' default changes, say when you plug in a headset for a call. Editors often keep a dedicated pair of monitors for judging sound, and pinning playback to them avoids surprises.

Routing channels to outputs

Each channel of the mix can be routed to any output on the device. For a stereo mix, that might simply mean left to output one and right to output two. With an interface that has more outputs, you can choose which pair carries the mix, for example the outputs your monitor speakers are wired to.

This matters most for surround and spatial work. With the project set to 5.1, routing lets each of the six channels reach its own speaker on a multi-output interface, so you can hear the real surround placement while you edit instead of the stereo downmix.

Getting a reliable setup

Set the output before you start a session, not halfway through a listening pass. Play a short clip with sound you know well to check everything comes from the right place: left from the left, right from the right, centre from the centre if you're in surround.

Keep levels sensible on the hardware. The mixer's meters measure the mix, not how loud your speakers are, so set your monitor volume at a comfortable level and leave it there. Judging a mix at a steady listening level makes comparisons fair.

If you hear crackles or drop-outs, try a different output type. WASAPI is the safe default for most setups.

It also helps to close other programs that play sound while you edit. A notification chime or a browser tab bursting into life can grab the same device, and it's easy to mistake that for a fault in your mix. A quiet machine makes the preview a fair guide to what the export will sound like.

Do you need to change it

For most people editing on a laptop or with headphones, Windows' default is the right answer and nothing needs touching. Reach for the other options in Video by Zaweba when you've invested in better speakers or an interface, or when you're mixing in surround and need each channel to land on its own speaker.