Audio Basics

Good audio is 80% filters and 20% mic hardware. You can make a $40 USB mic sound like a studio broadcast setup just by applying the right filter chain in OBS.

Here is a quick, step-by-step guide to setting up essential audio filters—along with the exact order you need to put them in so they don't mess each other up.

⚠️ The Golden Rule: Filter Order Matters

OBS processes audio filters from top to bottom. If you put a Limiter above your Noise Suppression, you'll amplify background noise before trying to clean it up.

Always arrange your filters in this exact stack:


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1. Noise Suppression   (Cleans background hum/fans)
2. Noise Gate          (Mutes mic when you stop talking)
3. Compressor          (Balances loud & quiet speech)
4. Equalizer / EQ      (Optional: Shapes vocal tone)
5. Limiter             (Prevents clipping/ear-raping)


The Filter Setup Guide

To open your filters: Click the three dots ⋮ next to your Mic/Aux in the OBS Audio Mixer $\rightarrow$ select Filters $\rightarrow$ click the + icon at the bottom left.

1. Noise Suppression

  • What it does: Removes constant background hums like PC fans, air conditioners, and ambient room noise.

  • Which method to choose:

    • RNNoise (Good Quality, More CPU): Uses AI to block background noise while keeping your voice clear. Best for most modern PCs.

    • Speex (Low CPU usage): Traditional suppressor. Use this if you are running OBS on a low-end or single-PC setup with high CPU usage.

  • Recommended Setting: Keep RNNoise selected. If using Speex, start at -30 dB.

2. Noise Gate

  • What it does: Automatically mutes your mic when you aren't talking, keeping keyboard clicks, desk bumps, and breathing out of your stream.

  • Key Settings:

    • Close Threshold: The level where the mic turns OFF. Set this ~3–5 dB above your room's resting noise level (usually -32 dB).

    • Open Threshold: The level where the mic turns ON when you speak. Set this ~3 dB below your normal quiet speaking volume (usually -26 dB).

    • Attack / Hold / Release: Leave at default (10ms / 200ms / 150ms).

3. Compressor

  • What it does: Automatically turns down your audio when you get excited or shout, and slightly boosts quiet whispering so your overall volume stays consistent.

  • Recommended Settings:

    • Ratio: 3:1 or 4:1 (Standard vocal compression).

    • Threshold: -18 dB to -22 dB (Where compression starts kicking in).

    • Attack: 6 ms (Fast response).

    • Release: 60 ms.

    • Output Gain: 0 dB to 3 dB (Only boost if your compressed voice feels too quiet overall).

4. Limiter (The Ear Protector)

  • What it does: Acts as a brick wall to prevent your mic from clipping/distorting or blowing out your viewers' ears if you yell or scream.

  • Recommended Settings:

    • Threshold: -2.0 dB or -3.0 dB (Ensures your audio never hits 0 dB red-lining).

    • Release: 60 ms.

🎯 How to Test Your Mix

  1. In the OBS Audio Mixer, click the gear/dots icon and open Advanced Audio Properties.

  2. Find your Microphone row and change Audio Monitoring to Monitor and Output.

  3. Put on headphones, talk at your normal volume, laugh loudly, and listen for background fan noise.

  4. Tweak thresholds until your voice sounds natural and your audio meter stays cleanly in the Yellow zone (-15 dB to -6 dB), only touching the low Red when shouting.


Audio Settings Guide

LAS Curry goes over mic settings to optimize your stream audio.

Advanced Audio

Separate audio routing used to require clunky virtual cables (like VB-Cable) or complex third-party software. Now, OBS Studio has Application Audio Capture built directly into it, making it super easy to isolate game sound, Discord, and Spotify/music into completely separate audio tracks.

Here is how to set it up step-by-step.

Step 1: Disable Global Desktop Audio

First, you need to turn off the default "Desktop Audio" source in OBS. If you don't do this, OBS will capture all system sound twice (once through Desktop Audio and once through your isolated captures).

  1. In OBS, go to Settings $\rightarrow$ Audio.

  2. Under Global Audio Devices, set Desktop Audio to Disabled.

  3. Set Desktop Audio 2 to Disabled.

  4. Click Apply and OK. (Your Audio Mixer should now only show your Mic).

Step 2: Add Individual Audio Sources

Now you'll create dedicated sources for each application inside your primary scene (or a global "Audio" scene).


1.Add Game Audio:Captures your active game only.

  1. Open your game.

  2. In OBS, go to your Sources dock $\rightarrow$ click the + icon $\rightarrow$ select Application Audio Capture (BETA/WIN).

  3. Name it Game Audio and click OK.

  4. Set Mode to Capture specific window.

  5. Under Window, select your running game executable.

  6. Click OK.

2.Add Discord / Voice Chat:Isolates your friends' voices.

  1. Make sure Discord is open (and ideally joined to a voice channel or call).

  2. Click + under Sources $\rightarrow$ select Application Audio Capture.

  3. Name it Discord.

  4. Set Mode to Capture specific window.

  5. Under Window, select [Discord.exe]: Discord.

  6. Click OK.

3.Add Spotify / Music:Isolates background music.

  1. Launch Spotify (or your music player of choice) and play a song.

  2. Click + under Sources $\rightarrow$ select Application Audio Capture.

  3. Name it Music.

  4. Set Mode to Capture specific window.

  5. Under Window, select [Spotify.exe]: Spotify.

  6. Click OK.


Step 3: Level Your Audio in the Mixer

Now that all three sources appear in your Audio Mixer, adjust their sliders so your voice always cuts through clearly.

Audio Source Target Mixer Range Why
Microphone -15 dB to -6 dB (Yellow Zone) Primary focus; must be loudest.
Discord / Voice -20 dB to -12 dB (High Green / Low Yellow) Clear enough to hear friends, but softer than you.
Game Audio -25 dB to -18 dB (Mid Green) Balanced so game sound effects don't drown out speech.
Music -35 dB to -28 dB (Low Green) Subtle background ambiance only.

💡 The Superpower: Separate Twitch VOD Track (DMCA Protection)

The best part about separating music into its own source is preventing DMCA strikes on your Twitch VODs or clips by sending music only to your live stream, not your saved VOD.

  1. Go to Settings $\rightarrow$ Output.

  2. Change Output Mode to Advanced.

  3. Under the Streaming tab, check the box for Twitch VOD Track and set it to Track 2 (Keep Track 1 as your main Audio Track).

  4. Click OK.

  5. In the Audio Mixer, click the gear/three dots icon $\rightarrow$ select Advanced Audio Properties.

  6. On the right matrix grid:

    • Leave Tracks 1 and 2 checked for Mic, Game Audio, and Discord.

    • On the Music row, CHECK Track 1 (Live Stream), but UNCHECK Track 2 (VOD Track).

Result: Your live stream viewers hear the music fine, but when the stream ends, Twitch saves the VOD without the music track attached—completely eliminating copyrighted music mute warnings!