Balance your microphone, game audio, music, and alerts by setting levels at their sources first, adjusting them in the OBS Audio Mixer, and listening to a test recording. Add filters only to solve a specific problem. For equalization, OBS’s documented route is a compatible VST2 plugin; its VST filter does not support VST3.
1. Set source levels before adding filters
- Identify each input in the Audio Mixer. Speak into the microphone, play game audio, and trigger any music or alerts you expect to use. Watch which mixer channels respond so you know what you are adjusting.
- Adjust the source first. Change the microphone or mixer controls, then check the operating-system input level and the individual game or application volume. OBS’s Audio Mixer Guide says, “Always start at the device in question.” Device controls vary, so consult the device documentation if a control is unclear. OBS Audio Mixer Guide
- Use the OBS fader for the final balance. After upstream levels are set, adjust each source’s mixer fader while listening. Avoid trying to compensate for a badly set input solely with the OBS fader.
- Check the meters, then listen. OBS’s broad guidance is speech reaching the lower end of the red region, gameplay or other content in yellow, and background music or alert effects in green. These are guides, not universal targets: meter color does not reliably tell you how loud a sound will seem to a viewer. Monitor the mix and review a normal recording.
- Check channel routing. If a stereo source lights only one channel, it may play only on the left. Check the source’s channel setup and whether it should be downmixed to mono. Confirm the result by listening to the recording.
Listen at more than one point in the chain when possible: through the device’s own headphone or monitor output, and in OBS using Audio Monitoring. Closed-back monitoring headphones can help you hear changes while adjusting, but they are optional; no particular model is required.
2. Add filters only when they solve a problem
Open the filters for the relevant audio source or device and add a filter there. OBS’s filter list includes Gain, Expander, Compressor, Limiter, Noise Gate, Noise Suppression, Invert Polarity, and VST 2.x Plugin. Filter availability and labels can vary with the OBS version. The OBS Filters Guide describes the built-in filter options.
Compressor: reduce speech-level swings
Use a compressor when a microphone is generally at a suitable level but gets much louder at times. It reduces louder portions above a threshold; it does not make an unsuitable input level or poor recording disappear. OBS recommends placing it at or near the start of a filter chain. Its documented defaults are ratio 10:1, threshold -18 dB, attack 6 ms, release 60 ms, and output gain 0 dB. These are interface defaults, not recommended voice settings for every microphone or room. Change settings while monitoring and judge the recorded result. See the OBS Compressor Filter guide.
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Compressor for ducking: lower game or music under speech
To have desktop audio fall when you speak, add a compressor to the desktop-audio source and set the microphone as its sidechain source. OBS gives this starting example: ratio 32:1, threshold -36 dB, attack 100 ms, release 600 ms, and output gain 0 dB. Treat those as starting recommendations from OBS, not fixed values. Adjust the threshold and timing by ear so speech is clear without the game or music dropping too abruptly or staying quiet too long. The compressor guide explains its controls and sidechain use.
Limiter: catch peaks at a ceiling
Use a limiter as the last filter in the chain when you want to prevent brief peaks from exceeding a ceiling. OBS documents a default threshold of -6 dB and release of 60 ms. A limiter is not a substitute for sensible input gain or a test recording: it addresses peaks, not the overall balance. See the OBS Limiter Filter guide.
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Noise suppression: reduce mild background noise
OBS’s built-in Noise Suppression filter is intended for mild background or white noise, such as fan noise. RNNoise is described as higher quality but more CPU-intensive; Speex is configurable, with a documented default suppression level of -30 dB. Stronger suppression can distort your voice, so compare the processed sound with the original and back off if speech becomes unnatural. Suppression is not a repair for a very noisy room. See the OBS Noise Suppression Filter guide.
EQ: use a compatible VST2 plugin
OBS’s filter guide does not list a native parametric equalizer. To equalize a source, add the VST 2.x Plugin filter and select a compatible VST2 equalizer installed on your system. The filter’s VST format support does not include VST3. OBS’s documentation names REAPER ReaPlugs and Melda Production among plugins used in developing and testing VST support in its environments; that is not a guarantee of current availability or compatibility on every system. The OBS VST 2.x Plugin Filter guide lists further limitations: VST1.x, VST3, MIDI control or input, and shell VST plugins are unsupported by this filter. Individual plugins may crash OBS or use substantial CPU. Back up your settings before experimenting, and test the plugin in a recording before relying on it live.
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There is no universal EQ curve established by OBS for gaming voice. The useful adjustment depends on the microphone, room, game, music, and listening context. Make a change only when you can identify what you want to improve, then compare the recording with the change enabled and bypassed.
3. Compare the right tool for the problem
| Choice | Best suited to | Placement or trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Compressor | Reducing variation when speech sometimes gets much louder; ducking desktop audio under speech | OBS recommends it at or near the start of a filter chain. Threshold and timing need listening-based adjustment. |
| Limiter | Catching occasional peaks above a chosen ceiling | OBS recommends it last in the filter chain. It does not set the overall mix balance. |
| RNNoise suppression | Mild background noise where higher suppression quality is the priority | OBS describes it as higher quality but more CPU-intensive; judge whether the voice remains natural. |
| Speex suppression | Mild background noise where configurable suppression is useful | Configurable, but stronger suppression can distort speech; compare results on your voice. |
| Built-in OBS filters | Common level control, dynamics, and noise-reduction needs | No separate plugin installation is needed for the listed built-in filters. |
| VST2 equalizer | Equalization beyond the documented built-in filter set | Requires a compatible VST2 plugin; VST3 is unsupported by this filter, and plugins may crash or use substantial CPU. |
4. Record and review the mix
- Monitor each source in OBS while you speak and play representative game audio, music, and alerts.
- Make a short recording with the settings and activity you expect in a real session.
- Listen to the captured file, not just the live monitor. Check whether speech is intelligible over the game, whether music and alerts are distracting, and whether any source is missing from one stereo channel.
- If something is off, adjust the relevant source or OBS fader; change a filter only when it addresses the problem. Record and review again.
A recording is essential because meter appearance and live monitoring alone may not reveal how the captured mix sounds. OBS’s Audio Mixer Guide covers mixer monitoring and level guidance.
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5. Troubleshoot common audio problems
- Microphone is too loud or too quiet: check the microphone or mixer first, then operating-system and application input controls, and adjust the OBS fader last. Monitor and make another test recording.
- Speech changes too much in volume: try a compressor on the microphone. Adjust it by listening; the documented defaults are not universal voice settings.
- Game or music masks speech: lower the desktop-audio level, or try sidechain ducking with the microphone as the sidechain source. Refine the threshold and timing so the background does not pump unnaturally.
- Unexpected peaks: check the source level and overall gain first. A limiter last in the chain can catch peaks, but it cannot fix a consistently unbalanced mix.
- Noise filter makes the voice sound damaged: reduce suppression or disable it and address the noise at its source. OBS cautions that stronger suppression can distort speech; the filter is aimed at mild background noise.
- VST filter fails, crashes, or slows OBS: confirm the plugin is VST2 rather than VST3, since this filter does not support VST3. Individual plugins can still be incompatible or CPU-intensive; remove the plugin or use a built-in filter for a simpler setup.
- Stereo audio comes through only on one side: inspect the source’s channel routing and mono/stereo handling. Verify the correction in a recording.
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