How to set up a virtual microphone for a voice changer

By the voicechange.io team · November 14, 2026

Discord, games and Zoom can only listen to a microphone. A virtual microphone is a pretend one that another app, like a voice changer, can talk into. Here is how it works and how to set it up on Windows, Mac and Linux.

How it works

Your real microphone sends your voice to the voice changer. The voice changer plays the new voice into a virtual audio cable. The other end of that cable shows up in every app as a microphone, so when you pick it in Discord, Discord hears the changed voice instead of your real one.

The cable adds a little delay of its own (in our tests every app's virtual mic added 130 to 140 ms end to end, even with no effect), which is why the voice changer itself needs to be fast.

The easy way

The free VoiceChange desktop app sets this up for you: click Set up virtual mic on first launch and it installs the right free driver for your system. Then skip to "Pick it in your app" below.

Windows: VB-CABLE

  1. Install VB-CABLE (free, from VB-Audio). Restart if the installer asks you to.
  2. In your voice changer, set the output to CABLE Input.
  3. In Discord or your game, set the microphone to CABLE Output.

The names are confusing on purpose: audio goes into CABLE Input and comes out of CABLE Output.

Mac: BlackHole

  1. Install BlackHole 2ch (free, from Existential Audio).
  2. In your voice changer, set the output to BlackHole 2ch.
  3. In Discord, Zoom or OBS, set the microphone to BlackHole 2ch too.

Linux: PipeWire or PulseAudio

Linux can make a virtual microphone without extra drivers. VoiceChange creates one for you; to do it yourself on PulseAudio or PipeWire (with pipewire-pulse), load a null sink and a remapped source:

pactl load-module module-null-sink sink_name=vc_sink sink_properties=device.description=VoiceChange_Sink
pactl load-module module-remap-source master=vc_sink.monitor source_name=vc_mic source_properties=device.description=VoiceChange_Mic

Send the voice changer's output to VoiceChange_Sink and pick VoiceChange_Mic in your app.

Pick it in your app

  • Discord: User Settings → Voice & Video → Input Device.
  • Zoom: Settings → Audio → Microphone.
  • OBS: Sources → + → Audio Input Capture.
  • Fortnite and Valorant: Settings → Audio → Voice Chat → input device.
  • Apps without a microphone setting (like Roblox): make the virtual mic your system's default input.

Troubleshooting

  • Nobody hears you: the app is still on your real mic, or the voice changer isn't sending to the cable.
  • You hear yourself echo: something is playing the cable to your speakers. Turn off "listen to this device" or monitoring.
  • Your voice cuts in and out: turn off aggressive noise suppression in the call app; it can mistake a changed voice for noise.
  • Other apps lost your mic: switch the system default input back to your real microphone when you're done.
Try it now: the voice changer is free and needs no account. Pick from all voices, or read the FAQ.

More guides