Windows audio route · real mic + recorded callouts

DotaSense Voice Relay Setup Guide for Dota 2

Route your real microphone and selected DotaSense timer or manual callouts into one Dota voice input. The reliable setup is a complete chain: compatible relay pair, real mic, relay output, Dota input, push-to-talk, and an end-to-end test.

Setup boundary: DotaSense can detect and use compatible audio pairs, bridge the selected real mic, play selected recorded callouts, and hold a configured mic key when desktop support is available. It does not guarantee Dota’s pinned input, teammate volume, Windows permissions, driver health, or an echo-free open-mic route.

Reviewed August 29, 2026 for public Windows v1.4.58. The version is read from the same release configuration as the download page. Device labels, driver packaging, Windows permissions, Dota or Steam input behavior, desktop capabilities, and Voice Relay controls can change; use the current app status and live device names.

Before you start

Check whether your installer can prepare the virtual audio pair

Check the Windows v1.4.58 release evidence on the download page for its bundled driver status. If it includes VB-CABLE, approve the Windows administrator prompt when DotaSense installs or repairs it, then confirm that the complete virtual input/output pair appears in Audio settings.

VB-CABLE is a VB-Audio Software product from www.vb-cable.com. It is donationware; all participations are welcome. If you find it useful, you can donate or obtain a license from VB-Audio.

Open DotaSense Audio settings and read the Voice Relay status. If the app offers Repair relay or a setup action, follow that exact path and approve only the Windows change you intended. If no healthy pair is detected afterward, keep Voice Relay Off and continue using local reminders until the device path is fixed.

Understand the route

Three selections must describe one audio path

Real mic

Your physical headset or microphone is captured by DotaSense while Voice Relay is enabled.

DotaSense Relay Output

DotaSense sends your mic bridge and selected recorded callouts into the virtual output.

DotaSense voice input

Dota or Steam listens to the matching virtual capture endpoint shown by the app and receives the combined stream.

Routing rule: never choose the virtual relay input as Real mic. The physical mic is the source; the virtual input is what Dota listens to.

Setup checklist

Configure Voice Relay in seven observable steps

Check the Voice Relay statusOpen Audio settings in DotaSense. If the relay pair is missing, use Repair relay or the setup action shown by the app, approve any intentional Windows prompt, then refresh devices.
Choose Timers or Manual modeTimers relays selected spoken timer reminders. Manual exposes recorded callout buttons. Leave Voice Relay Off until the device path and Dota input are ready.
Select your real microphoneSet Real mic to the physical microphone or headset you speak into. Never select the virtual relay capture endpoint as the real microphone.
Confirm the relay outputUse the detected DotaSense Relay Output or the matching output side of your compatible virtual cable. Auto selection is preferred when it identifies the complete pair.
Set Dota or Steam voice inputChoose the DotaSense relay capture input shown by the app. Windows may label it DotaSense or DotaSense Voice Input. If the friendly name has not applied, select CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable), then confirm that choice in DotaSense.
Match push-to-talkMic-key automation is optional and disabled by default. If you accept the disclosed risk, enable Push-to-talk key input in Advanced Automation and choose the same key used in Dota. Otherwise, hold the Dota voice key yourself during a manual test or callout.
Run the end-to-end testStart Steam microphone test or Dota voice test, speak into the real mic, click Test relay, and confirm the same selected game input receives both sources.

Choose the job

Off, Timers, and Manual are different operating modes

Off

Keep team relay disabled

Use local reminders only. Choose Off while installing or repairing devices, changing the Dota input, diagnosing echo, or playing without a verified voice route.

Timers

Relay selected timer callouts

Use the spoken reminders you deliberately enabled. A timer test may fall back to audio-only when full Windows mic switching or key automation is unavailable; that is not the same as an end-to-end Dota voice verification.

Manual

Send recorded callout buttons

Manual mode exposes the app’s recorded event callouts. Each uses the same relay output and Dota mic-button path as timer audio, so the device and push-to-talk test still matters.

Friendly device names

What to select when names are applied

Real mic: Your physical microphone or headset mic.
Relay output: DotaSense Relay Output
Dota or Steam input: DotaSense or DotaSense Voice Input, matching the app.

Compatibility labels

What to select before a friendly rename applies

Relay output: CABLE Input (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)
Dota or Steam input: CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)
DotaSense confirmation: Confirm that Dota uses the matching capture side shown by the app.

Mic key

Match Dota’s push-to-talk behavior before sending callouts

Optional automation

In Advanced Automation, read and accept the risk disclosure, enable Push-to-talk key input, choose the key configured in Dota, and use Test configured key. This feature is disabled by default, and DotaSense cannot guarantee that automated interaction is safe for your account.

Without automation

Leave mic-key automation disabled and hold the Dota push-to-talk key yourself while clicking a Manual callout or running a manual audio test. Automatic timer callouts cannot press the key while the feature is off.

Open Mic is not considered ready. Continuous bridging and local monitoring can create echo. Keep Also play relayed lines locally off during matches unless you are deliberately diagnosing the route.

Best current verification

Test the same input Dota will use

Open Steam voice settings or the Dota voice test.
Select the exact DotaSense relay capture input shown by the app, or its fallback capture label.
Start the microphone test and speak into the physical real mic.
Confirm your voice reaches the selected game input.
Click Test relay while you hold the Dota mic key, or after separately enabling and testing mic-key input in Advanced Automation.
Confirm the recorded test line reaches that same selected input.

Hearing both sources in the same Steam or Dota test is the useful result. A moving Real mic meter alone proves only the source; local playback alone proves only local output; a successful mic-key press alone proves only the key command.

Troubleshooting by broken link

Fix the first failed stage instead of changing every device

Relay device missing

Use Repair relay or the setup action if available, approve the intentional Windows prompt, refresh devices, and verify that both input and output sides appear. One endpoint is not a complete pair.

DotaSense input missing in Dota

Look for CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable), reopen Dota or Steam voice settings after the Windows device change, and confirm the exact matching capture endpoint in DotaSense.

Real mic disappears

Re-select the physical mic, check Windows microphone permission and exclusive-device conflicts, refresh devices, and confirm you did not choose the virtual capture endpoint as Real mic.

Callout is local only

Turn attention to the game input and push-to-talk link. Local sound does not prove the relay output, matching capture endpoint, Dota selection, or mic key is correct.

Callout works but voice does not

Check the Real mic selection and meter, microphone permission, mute state, input gain, and mic bridge status. Keep the relay devices unchanged if the recorded line already reaches Dota.

Voice works but callout does not

Check the selected relay output, enabled Timers or Manual mode, callout readiness, output selection support, and Test relay result. The physical mic path may be healthy while recorded audio injection is not.

Push-to-talk never opens

In Advanced Automation, verify that the optional feature is acknowledged, enabled, and set to the same key used in Dota; then run Test configured key. If it remains off, hold the key yourself for manual tests and callouts.

Teammates hear echo

Disable local relay playback, avoid Open Mic, use push-to-talk, check monitoring in Windows or headset software, and retest with one microphone path. Multiple active monitoring loops can sound like a relay failure.

DotaSense can help

Automation under app and Windows control

Detect compatible complete input/output pairs.
Offer relay repair or setup when the packaged capability supports it.
Prefer a real microphone over the relay capture endpoint.
Select a compatible relay output.
Bridge the real mic and selected recorded callouts.
Set the Windows default capture endpoint when supported.
When separately acknowledged and enabled, hold and release a configured Dota mic key.

You still confirm

State outside reliable app control

Which physical microphone you intend to use.
Windows permission and any driver installation prompt.
The exact voice input pinned inside Dota or Steam.
The push-to-talk key and whether manual hold is required.
What the Steam or Dota end-to-end test actually receives.
Teammate volume, mute state, channel behavior, and echo.
Whether Voice Relay should remain enabled for this match.

Need another set of ears?

Share the first broken link, not just “voice relay failed”

Copy a six-field setup question, add the exact Real mic, Relay output, Dota input, mode, mic-key state, and first failed test, then open Discord for focused troubleshooting. No app reinstall is implied.

Copy setup question + open Discord ↗

Common questions

DotaSense Voice Relay FAQ

What is DotaSense Voice Relay?

Voice Relay sends selected recorded timer or manual callouts into a compatible virtual audio output while keeping the selected real microphone in the same voice path. Dota or Steam must listen to the matching relay input.

What should Dota voice input be set to?

Choose the matching DotaSense relay capture input shown by the app. Depending on the installed path, Windows may show DotaSense or DotaSense Voice Input. If the friendly name is missing, choose CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable), then confirm it inside DotaSense.

Should Real mic be set to DotaSense Voice Input?

No. Real mic must be the physical microphone or headset microphone you speak into. DotaSense Voice Input is the virtual endpoint Dota listens to.

Does the public Windows v1.4.58 installer include a virtual audio driver?

Yes. The current public Windows v1.4.58 installer includes the approved, signed VB-CABLE driver package used by Voice Relay. Windows still asks for administrator approval before installing or repairing the driver.

Why does the device name mention VB-Audio?

The compatibility path may use VB-CABLE’s signed audio interface. DotaSense uses friendly names when available, while the parenthetical vendor label helps you match the actual Windows device. Do not assume the friendly rename has applied on every machine.

Does Voice Relay work with open mic?

Open Mic is not considered a ready path because continuous bridging and local monitoring can increase echo risk. Use the same push-to-talk key as Dota. Mic-key automation is an optional, separately acknowledged feature; otherwise hold that key yourself for a manual test or callout.

Why can I hear the test locally but teammates cannot?

Local playback proves only that DotaSense can play audio on your machine. Recheck the relay output, the matching Dota or Steam voice input, input confirmation, push-to-talk key, mic-key automation availability, and the end-to-end Steam or Dota microphone test.

Does DotaSense automatically configure Dota or Steam voice input?

No. DotaSense can detect compatible devices and may set the Windows default capture endpoint, but Dota or Steam can keep its own pinned microphone. You must select and confirm the matching voice input.