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To stop clipping, find the first point in the audio chain that overloads and lower the level there; then put an OBS limiter last in the source’s filter chain to catch peaks that remain. A limiter cannot repair thunder that is already distorted upstream. Test the loudest passage in a recording before leaving the stream unattended.
Find where the clipping starts
Digital audio reaches its maximum representable level at 0 dBFS. If the signal clips before it reaches OBS, turning down an OBS fader later may make the distorted audio quieter, but it will not restore the missing detail. OBS also cautions that its internal floating-point processing can exceed 0 dBFS; that does not make an over-level stream or recording safe. OBS Project’s audio guide explains its meter and clipping guidance.
- In OBS, identify the audio source carrying the thunder and rain loop. Watch its mixer meter through the loudest thunder passage and note the peak-hold marker. OBS’s peak-hold indicator retains the highest level for 20 seconds.
- Listen to the source or device monitor before OBS, if available, and then listen through OBS audio monitoring. If distortion is already audible before OBS, the overload is upstream; if it first appears at OBS, check the OBS source level and filter chain.
- Reduce gain at the earliest stage where the signal is too hot. Depending on your setup, that may be the audio file or player, interface, mixer, operating-system control, or application level. Monitor again as the signal reaches OBS.
OBS documents -9 dBFS as the permitted maximum reference for its sample peak meter, with allowance for meter and alignment uncertainty. Treat that as a meter reference—not as an average-loudness target for rain or a required thunder peak. The exact gain reduction depends on where distortion begins and on your recording and equipment; there is no single safe adjustment that fits every setup.
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Put a limiter last
Add a Limiter filter to the thunder-and-rain source and place it last in that source’s filter chain. OBS says a limiter prevents peaks above 0 dB and should be the final filter. Its documented defaults are a -6.00 dB threshold and 60 ms release; use them as a starting point to evaluate with your loudest real storm passage, not as guaranteed ideal settings. Listen for flattened thunder or pumping as you adjust. See OBS Project’s Limiter Filter documentation.
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Use compression only if the dynamics need it
A compressor reduces signal above its threshold, so it can help control broader loudness swings in a recording. For ambient storm audio it is optional: aggressive compression can take the natural impact out of thunder. OBS places a compressor near the beginning of the chain. Its documented defaults include a 6 ms attack, 60 ms release, and -18.00 dB threshold; these are filter defaults, not a prescription for this soundtrack. Compare the result with the compressor bypassed and keep the version that sounds more natural. Details are in OBS Project’s Compressor Filter documentation.
Do not use an expander as a clipping fix
An expander can attenuate low-level unwanted computer noise, but it will not prevent clipping. OBS places it after compression and other effects, but before the limiter. A threshold set too high can also reduce the quieter rain you want to keep. See OBS Project’s Expander Filter documentation.
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Choose the right control for the problem
| Control | Use it for | Placement or limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Source or device gain | Stopping overload where it begins | Adjust at the earliest hot stage; lowering a later control cannot repair distortion that has already occurred. |
| Compressor | Reducing broader dynamic swings above a threshold | Usually near the beginning of the chain; too much action can flatten thunder. |
| Limiter | Catching brief peaks that remain | Last in the filter chain; cannot undo upstream clipping. |
| Expander | Reducing low-level unwanted noise | After compression and effects, before the limiter; an overly high threshold may attenuate wanted rain. |
Record and listen before leaving the stream unattended
- Play the loudest thunder segment while monitoring the signal in OBS.
- Make a representative recording and listen back for distortion, abrupt flattening, or pumping. Meter readings and monitoring are useful checks, but they do not replace listening to the delivered recording.
- Repeat the check whenever you replace the loop, change gains or filters, or reroute audio. A new file or signal path may peak differently.
Headphones can help you listen at the source and through OBS monitoring, but they are an optional diagnostic aid, not a clipping fix. OBS recommends checking both points in the chain and reviewing a recording before going live; see its audio guide.
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