The Tool Desk
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Set up push-to-talk in OBS
- Confirm which microphone OBS is using. Open the Audio Mixer and speak. The meter for the intended microphone should move. If it does not, go to Settings → Audio and select the correct device. OBS’s Quick Start Guide recommends checking the meter and choosing devices manually when needed.
- Enable push-to-talk for the microphone. Open Settings → Audio, find the microphone or audio input you intend to use, and enable its Push-to-talk option. OBS configures this per microphone or auxiliary device; see the OBS Studio Overview Guide.
- Assign a key to the PTT action. Open Settings → Hotkeys, locate the same microphone source, and assign a key to Push-to-talk. Choose that action, not the separate mute or unmute actions. OBS supports keyboard keys for hotkeys.
- Check the source’s mixer state. In the Audio Mixer, make sure the microphone source is not muted. The mixer mute button silences or restores that source in the output; it is separate from the PTT hotkey. See OBS’s Audio Mixer Guide.
- Test before using it live. Record a short clip while holding the key, release it, then listen back. Confirm that speech comes through only while the key is held. OBS’s Quick Start Guide recommends a test recording or stream before relying on a setup.
Choose one microphone capture path
OBS can capture a microphone as a global device under Settings → Audio, or as an Audio Input Capture source attached to a scene on Windows and macOS. Avoid capturing the same physical microphone through both paths at once: OBS warns that duplicate capture can cause echo. Disable one path if you hear doubled audio.
OBS’s Audio Sources guide, published 2022-01-11, lists Audio Input/Output Capture for Windows and macOS, and points Linux users to ALSA/PulseAudio sources instead. Labels and behavior can vary by installed OBS release, so check the source options available in your version.
Fix common push-to-talk problems
The microphone meter does not move
Check that OBS has the intended microphone selected under Settings → Audio, then speak while watching that device’s mixer meter. If it still does not move, check that the operating system and microphone are receiving input.
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The assigned key does nothing
Verify that PTT is enabled for the same microphone source listed in Settings → Hotkeys, and that the key is assigned to Push-to-talk rather than mute or unmute. Test again while speaking.
No audio comes through, even while holding the key
Look at the microphone’s Audio Mixer mute button. A muted source will not reach the output even if the hotkey is configured. Unmute it, then repeat the recording test.
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The recording has an echo or doubled voice
Check whether the microphone is active both as a global device under Settings → Audio and as an Audio Input Capture scene source. Disable one of the duplicate capture paths.
The setup seems correct, but you are unsure whether it works
Make a short recording and listen to it. Check both states: speech while holding the key and silence after release. A moving meter alone does not confirm that the PTT action and recording output behave as intended.
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