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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteIn OBS Studio, add filters to your microphone source and use only the ones that solve an audible problem. A sensible starting chain is mild noise suppression for steady background noise, a gate or expander if room noise is distracting during pauses, compression to control loud speech peaks, and a limiter last to cap the output. Record a short test while adjusting each filter: settings that work depend on your voice, microphone, room, and recording level.
Apply filters to the microphone source
OBS’s audio filters work on an audio source. Apply voice-processing filters to the microphone source rather than adding them indiscriminately to desktop audio or the finished recording. In OBS, open the microphone source’s Filters window and add the filter you want to test. Interface details can vary by OBS version and operating system; the official OBS filter documentation covers Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Open the Audio Mixer and locate the microphone source you use for narration.
- Open that source’s Filters window.
- Add one filter at a time, then make a short recording that includes normal speech, quieter words, pauses, and your loudest expected delivery.
- Listen to the recording on headphones. Change one control at a time and keep the change only if it improves the voice without creating a new problem.
The OBS Project’s filter guidance is documented in its Filters Guide. The filter pages cited below were dated January 11–12, 2022, so confirm labels and behavior in the OBS version you have installed.
Choose filters by the problem you hear
Noise suppression for mild, steady noise
Noise suppression is suited to mild, relatively constant sounds such as computer-fan or white noise. The OBS Project says the filter is generally not effective when the room itself is loud. Its Noise Suppression Filter documentation describes RNNoise as the higher-quality, more CPU-intensive default method compared with Speex. Speex provides a suppression-level control.
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Start with the default method and listen before making suppression stronger. With Speex, increase suppression only as far as needed: stronger suppression also filters more of the input and can distort the voice. If the recording still has prominent noise, do not assume that more suppression will fix it; the filter is not a reliable remedy for a loud room.
Gate when pauses are noisy
A noise gate reduces or cuts microphone sound when you are not speaking. It is useful when the background is distracting in pauses, but a threshold set too aggressively can cut off quiet words or the beginnings and ends of phrases.
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OBS’s documented gate defaults are a close threshold of -32 dB, an open threshold of -26 dB, attack of 25 ms, hold of 200 ms, and release of 150 ms. These are software defaults, not recommended settings for every room. The OBS Project’s Noise Gate documentation advises setting the close threshold above the background-noise level and the open threshold slightly below the voice input. Use a test recording to find those levels in your own setup; listen especially for clipped quiet speech and abrupt cutoffs.
Expander for a less abrupt reduction
An expander reduces quieter sounds without behaving like a simple on/off gate. Its adjustable ratio can make the transition into and out of pauses sound smoother. OBS recommends RMS detection and describes a 4:1 ratio as a possible balance, not a universal preset. Set the threshold so the background is reduced while quiet speech remains audible. The OBS Project’s Expander documentation explains its controls.
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Choose between a gate and an expander by listening to quiet phrase endings and pauses. If a gate sounds abrupt, try an expander; if you use an expander, verify that it reduces the noise enough for your recording without making low-level speech disappear.
Compressor for unusually loud peaks
A compressor reduces louder microphone peaks. OBS describes it as typically placed at or near the beginning of the filter chain. Its documented defaults are a threshold of -18 dB and a ratio of 10:1; these are product defaults, not personalized recommendations. Adjust while recording both ordinary narration and your loudest expected speech, listening for unwanted level changes or pumping. See the OBS Project’s Compressor documentation.
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The compressor can also be used for sidechain ducking on desktop audio: put a compressor on the desktop-audio source and use the microphone as its sidechain source, so desktop sound is lowered while you speak. OBS documents an example starting point of a 32:1 ratio, -36 dB threshold, 100 ms attack, and 600 ms release. Those values describe the documented example, not a required mix setting.
Limiter last to cap peaks
A limiter prevents output from exceeding its threshold, so place it last in the microphone filter chain. OBS’s documented defaults are a -6 dB threshold and 60 ms release. A limiter is a ceiling, not a substitute for setting a sensible recording level or controlling peaks earlier in the chain. Details are in the OBS Project’s Limiter documentation.
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Build and tune a practical filter chain
There is no universal voice preset established by the OBS documentation. Start with the smallest chain that addresses what you hear, then expand it only if a test recording shows a specific need.
- For steady, mild background noise: add noise suppression and listen for voice distortion.
- For audible room noise during silence: add either a gate or an expander. Set its threshold using the actual noise and voice levels, then check quiet words and phrase tails.
- For excessive loudness variation: add a compressor near the beginning of the chain and listen to both normal and loud speech.
- To cap the final peaks: add a limiter at the end of the chain.
- Record and review: make a short sample after each meaningful change. If the voice becomes unnatural, speech is clipped, or levels move abruptly, back off the relevant filter or remove it.
Noise suppression, gating or expansion, compression, and limiting do different jobs; using every filter is not a requirement. Compare suppression methods by the type and level of noise, CPU use, control available, and whether the voice remains natural. Compare a gate and expander by how pauses and quiet speech sound. Judge compression and limiting by listening for controlled peaks without pumping or abrupt changes.
Troubleshoot common filter problems
- The voice sounds watery, muffled, or distorted: reduce noise suppression, particularly if using a stronger Speex suppression level. Suppression may be too aggressive, or the room noise may be beyond what it can handle.
- Quiet words or syllables vanish: the gate or expander threshold may be too high. Retune it against the actual voice and background levels, then test soft speech and phrase endings.
- The room is audible between sentences: try a gate or expander and tune its threshold. Suppression is intended for mild steady noise, not necessarily silence between phrases.
- Speech volume still varies too much: review compressor behavior against both ordinary and loud delivery. Its documented defaults are not tailored to your microphone or voice.
- Peaks remain too high: check that the limiter is last in the chain and assess the threshold in a test recording. A limiter caps output; it does not make all speech levels uniform.
- Desktop audio does not dip while you speak: sidechain ducking requires a compressor on the desktop-audio source with the microphone selected as its sidechain source. Check the compressor’s routing and settings.
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