How to detect which audio output device is being used by Windows

I can detect audio output devices with 'audiodevinfo', but is there a way to tell which of those devices is currently being used by Windows? I want to make sure that Windows is not outputing to the same device that I'm using in my MATLAB script.

Answer 1

[Jimmy Lapierre]

The best practice for Audio Toolbox users would be to use WASAPI mode (see audioDeviceWriter). It is WASAPI exclusive mode, so that might really what you want. Once you have aquired a device in that mode, no other apps can play on that device.

There might be a way to query the Windows registry for the current default device, but keep in mind that the default device can change at any moment. It is easy to change these days in the task bar by expanding the volume button up. There's also no guarantee that a user hasn't selected a different device in an app like Spotify.

Answer 2

[Mario Malic]

Maybe this will help

devWriter = audioDeviceWriter()
devWriter.getAudioDevices % Gets the available audio devices to output
devWriter.info % Gets the default device that is created by the first line

You can exclude the default device you get from the third line from the devices you get from the second line.

[Glenn Kubota]

Well, the second line (devWriter.getAudioDevices) shows me the available devices, but the third line (devWriter.info) always shows a DeviceName of 'Primary Sound Driver' even though I change my WIndows audio output to different devices, so that's not going to work.

[Mario Malic]

Unfortunately, I didn't find something that might work.