Merging multiple audio sources into a multi-channel virtual source

I'm doing a multilingual livestream using OBS Studio. OBS can detect and stream these multiple languages, provided they are all available as channels of one audio source. We would then add this source into OBS and go ahead with the stream.

The issue here is that the commentaries in various languages are coming in through different audio sources, for eg. a Scarlett 2i2, 2 channels embedded on the SDI with the video signal etc.

Is there anyway to club these various audio sources into a single "virtual source" with 8 channels, and map each physical source into it? Then I could add this "virtual" source into OBS.

Have been trying to do this in Windows, but the results have been all over the place. I read somewhere (not sure if it's true) that this would be easier in Linux. I know MacOS has the aggregate source option. Is there anything similar in Linux? Or are there any other options to merge multiple audio sources into one?

Thanks

I'm not shure, if i understood you correctly, maybe you should have a look on jack.

Originally Posted by lambo69 I'm not shure, if i understood you correctly, maybe you should have a look on jack.

Could you elaborate what you mean by jack. Not sure I follow.

Originally Posted by regstuff Is there anyway to club these various audio sources into a single "virtual source" with 8 channels, and map each physical source into it? Then I could add this "virtual" source into OBS.

this does indeed sound like a perfect use case for jackaudio, available from your distro's repositories.