Tech Stack
About
Here is a description of all the software and hardware I use, notes and suggested alternatives, and the corresponding download/product links. This section is accurate as of November 2023 (#BrownieVAL Arena).
I hope the information below will be helpful to a producer out there who wants to stream their own tournament but wants to bring their stream to the next level without spending extra money.
In the future, I hope to add some guides for specifics regarding this tech stack.
List of Software/Hardware (click to open)
Below is the technology stack from BrownieVAL Arena.
OBS 29.1.3: Broadcast software
Live broadcast
[1] Use Game Capture to capture the gameplay in solo-observer mode via in-game follow
[2] Use Game Capture and Video Capture Device (second VALORANT game capture via physical capture card) to capture the gameplay and switch between observers in duo-observer mode via in-game follow on both VALORANT instances
Use Instant Replay lua script (included in OBS) for instant replay support via replay buffer
By manipulating the audio tracks, you can use replays without caster audio while also saving the main stream audio track in the same recording. So, you can use instant replay AND record your full stream if you desire.
Use Text Extents (a toggle in text sources in OBS) to make sure the text labels will always fit in a certain place on the scene especially when the text is meant to be centered
Use Elgato Stream Deck 6.4.1.x on PC for OBS scene video and audio control
Use StreamLabs CloudBot for stream chat information
Use Sery_Bot for automatic moderation
Team comms recording
Use Game Capture and OBS Application Audio (Beta) to capture gameplay
Use Replay Buffer to capture replays
VoiceMeeter Banana 2.0.6.8 with OBS Application Audio (Beta): Audio routing
Use VB-CABLE Virtual Audio Device(s) for virtual audio tracks for audio routing
Feed the OBS Feedback track through a CABLE to a hardware output to monitor stream audio
Feed the Discord audio through a CABLE, and capture it through OBS and to a hardware output to monitor caster audio
Use OBS Application Audio (beta) to capture the VALORANT game itself
Sheets.io (SheetsIO) 0.7.3.1 / Google Sheets: OBS text and image labels using online interface
Use the free Google Sheets API to edit OBS text and media labels using Google Sheets
Google Drive: Clip storage
Store clips for the video editor to compile and play later on stream / post on social media.
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile App: OBS scene video and audio control
Available on iOS and Android
Pair with Elgato Stream Deck 6.4.1.x on PC
BrownieVAL uses the paid 5 x 3 layout on the iPad mobile app
The 3 x 2 mobile Stream Deck Mini layout is free
Discord PC App: On-air talent and director's audio
On the primary account, feed the casters Discord audio through a CABLE (see Voicemeeter section above)
On a second account, use Discord to communicate with observers away from casters call
Use Discord Reactive Fugi for on-air talent avatars
VDO.ninja: Live OBS feed for on-air talent
Use OBS Virtual webcam to funnel live stream preview to casters and observers
Use Voicemeeter to feed casters audio from casters call to VDO.ninja to observers
Change default parameters to optimize preview quality and latency
Miscellaneous: Other cool sources
Valorant-API, to bring in in-game assets to OBS (nice when paired with SheetsIO)
Snaz, to use as an easy timer with multiple features
Notes and Alternate Methods (click to open)
For StreamLabs users, an alternative to using instant-replay.lua is to use the Instant Replay plugin from the StreamLabs marketplace: Link
VDO.ninja can be fully utilized for video and audio to replace Discord visual and audio software. But, make sure your computer can handle the extra CPU and bandwidth power. If you have money, I have heard that it would possibly interest you to use a vMix license and use vMix Calls for your casters and observer feeds. You can also use Parsec or NDI to share your OBS live feed / observer feeds.
VoiceMeeter can be replaced by purely using OBS Application Audio Beta (now included in OBS) or simply capturing Desktop audio altogether, albeit with less control over audio routing and balancing. The simplest OBS-only solution is to use two OBS Application Audio Beta sources to capture VALORANT and Discord. The simplest overall solution is to use the basic Desktop audio and Microphone audio sources. A paid solution would be to use a hardware-centric mixer like BEACN.
Google Sheets and Sheets.io are not required to set text labels manually. You can edit all the OBS texts and images yourself manually. Personally, having admins help me change the OBS labels for me via Sheets.io saved me a lot of time as a streamer.
Toggling on the text extents feature for common text labels is recommended. This way, changing a text label in OBS in one place (like a team name) will change in all places, and text extents will ensure that the text labels fit in the same position and scaling. You definitely do not want to be editing the positions of a dynamic text element that was meant to be centered in one spot for the entire stream.
The Elgato Stream Deck app is subscription-based, but they now have a free tier that is free forever, as long as you can deal with the 3 x 2 layout. It can also be replaced with alternate macro-based software, which relies on OBS websockets (now included with OBS). A good alternate is Macro Deck. The simplest method is to go without macro-based software; it would require you to alt-tab out of VALORANT to change scenes, etc. StreamLabs Prime also has a remote, which to my knowledge is a paid feature.
Other streaming software can be used, but instant-replay.lua and OBS websockets most likely cannot be used with it.
Download Links
Elgato Stream Deck
Mobile app has free tier
Can also use physical Deck
Google Sheets Powered Text/Image Label Changer
Requires scoped Google Cloud API (free)
Stream Chat Bots
Browntul's preferences for BrownieVAL, but any chat bot would do
Virtual Audio Routing
Manage your virtual audio devices and take control of audio output
Discord Visual and Audio
Go get that caster's audio!
PNGs are manually uploaded to Reactive Fugi, but it defaults to Discord profile pictures
Miscellaneous
This stuff is pretty cool. Maybe it will be helpful to you too.