VB Audio Router

One of the biggest advantages that consumers have nowadays over the previous decades when it comes to using desktop operating systems is the sheer amount of flexibility and openness of their hardware and software frameworks, allowing any interested third-party programmers to create programs designed to satisfy very specific needs of the user-base that first-party developers may not have the time or manpower to do so.

An example is VB Audio Router, an experimental way of mixing multiple sources for playback on singular or varied output devices for DJs, conference speakers or professors teaching in a primarily online-focused environment.

Once installed, booting up the application greets users to a clean interface that follows closely in the footsteps of Microsoft’s latest iteration of the Fluent Design language, with rounded corners and modern minimalist layouts that fit in with Windows’ native programs. The screen real estate is maximized thanks to the implementation of a horizontal tab-based navigation system which includes a WebView-based rendering of the program’s instruction sets, meaning that users will be able to retrieve the most up-to-date variant of documentation to match the latest version of the app’s functions and features.

Right-clicking anywhere on the canvas brings up a context menu containing a variety of widgets to match the context of your usage scenario, with every item providing entry and exit points for interlinking with one another in a mind-map-like structure that also happens to make for a touchscreen-friendly interaction pattern thanks to the built-in support for multitouch gestures. Moreover, DJs can access a number of audio mixing interface components, such as the “Reverb” panel, featuring virtual dials and a special slider to adjust the intensity according to the size of the event’s room.

Professors creating audio lessons that students can listen to multiple times to facilitate the learning process have the option of recording their microphone input alongside a faint background instrumental song for a better playback experience, with the additional volume adjustments courtesy of loudness limiters and input gains that depend on the distance between the speaker and recording device. Unfortunately, at the time of reviewing, the program cannot save the user-made configurations locally, thus requiring screenshots for those who want to recreate older structures manually before quitting the app.

Whether you are a lecturer looking to assign background music and microphone input to different individual stage speaker devices or you want to adjust the audio quality and loudness levels of your songs as a DJ, VB Audio Router may be a good choice, considering its ability to run in multiple concomitant instances and neat way of organizing its widgets, as long as saving configurations is not a crucial part of your workflow.