Reliable High-Quality Audio for Online Piano Lessons (OBS + Reaper setup)

[garthsm]

Hi everyone,
I’m trying to streamline my setup for high-quality online piano lessons using OBS Studio instead of Zoom (since Zoom’s noise suppression keeps cutting in and out).

Current setup:
   •   Mac + Reaper + Pianoteq (and sometimes acoustic piano)
   •   Audio interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
   •   Mics: Rode M5 stereo pair (for acoustic piano)
   •   Virtual routing: BlackHole
   •   OBS installed and working

What I’d love input on:
   1.   Routing: The cleanest way to send both piano and mic audio into OBS for live streaming or real-time lessons (so students hear the full dynamics and pedaling).
   2.   Platform choice: Has anyone had success using YouTube Live (unlisted/private) or Facebook Live (private group/event) for teaching, and how’s the latency?
   3.   Student side: How do your students receive the feed—are they watching a private stream, or have you found another low-latency option outside Zoom?
   4.   Acoustic setup: Any tips for mic placement or gain staging when using a small stereo pair (like the M5s) through a 2i2 for live streaming?

Any advice, routing diagrams, or screenshots would be hugely appreciated! I’m aiming for a stable, realistic piano sound—no more compression or cutoff mid-phrase.

Thanks in advance,
Matthew 🎹

[lelle]

Piano Street posted an article about how to set up online lessons back when the pandemic hit. It also links to other articles for further reading. It may guide you to something useful so it's worth checking out: https://www.pianostreet.com/blog/articles/crash-course-how-to-teach-piano-online-10384/