In OBS Studio, open Audio Mixer → your microphone’s three-dot menu → Filters and add only the filters that solve a problem you can hear. A practical starting chain is noise suppression for mild, steady background noise, a gate or expander if noise is distracting during pauses, compression for uneven speech peaks, and a limiter last to cap output. Make a short test recording as you adjust: no single chain or setting suits every microphone, room, and voice.
Before you add filters: set up a useful test
Filters work on the microphone audio source in OBS. First confirm that the intended microphone is active in the Audio Mixer and that its meter responds when you speak. Record a short sample with your normal speaking volume, including a pause, a quiet phrase, and a louder phrase. Listen back on headphones if available; the meter alone will not reveal whether processing makes your voice sound thin, distorted, or abruptly cut off.
Add a filter only when the recording shows a problem it can address. OBS’s official Filters Guide documents these controls, but it does not prescribe a universal voice preset. The filter articles were published January 11–12, 2022, so names and click paths can vary slightly by OBS version; the current Filters panel is the best reference for the installed version.
Choose a filter for the problem you hear
Noise suppression for mild, steady noise
Use suppression to reduce a relatively constant low-level sound such as computer-fan noise. The OBS Project documentation says, “The Noise Suppression filter can be used to remove mild background noise or white noise that may be in any of your audio sources.” It is generally not effective in a loud room. OBS describes RNNoise as higher quality and more CPU-intensive than Speex; Speex provides a suppression-level control. Start gently, then listen to a recording before increasing suppression: stronger removal may filter parts of the voice and make it sound distorted. See the OBS Noise Suppression Filter guide.
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Gate or expander for noise during pauses
A gate cuts off sound when the microphone signal falls below its threshold, which can make silence cleaner but may clip the beginning or end of quiet words. OBS’s documented gate defaults are close threshold -32 dB, open threshold -26 dB, attack 25 ms, hold 200 ms, and release 150 ms. Treat these as software defaults, not recommended settings for every voice. Set the close threshold above the background-noise level and the open threshold slightly below your voice input, then tune by listening for chopped syllables and unnatural tails. The OBS Noise Gate guide explains these controls.
An expander also reduces quiet sounds, but its adjustable ratio can sound smoother as the microphone opens and closes than a fixed gate. OBS recommends RMS detection and describes 4:1 as one possible balance, not a universal choice. Adjust the threshold so pauses are quieter without suppressing soft speech. Compare the result with a gate using the same test phrases. See the OBS Expander guide.
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Compressor for uneven speech peaks
A compressor reduces louder microphone peaks; it does not remove room noise. OBS says it is typically placed at or near the beginning of the filter chain. Its documented defaults are threshold -18 dB and ratio 10:1, which are product defaults rather than personalized recommendations. Adjust while monitoring both normal and loud speech: if levels surge and dip unnaturally, or the voice sounds heavily squeezed, back off and record another test. The OBS Compressor guide also documents sidechain ducking: a compressor on desktop audio can use the microphone as its sidechain source to lower desktop sound while you speak. Its example starting values are ratio 32:1, threshold -36 dB, attack 100 ms, and release 600 ms.
Limiter last to cap peaks
A limiter prevents output from exceeding its threshold. Put it last in the chain so it can catch peaks after other processing. OBS documents a default threshold of -6 dB and release of 60 ms; use these as reference values and check the loudest parts of a test recording for abrupt level changes. The OBS Limiter guide describes the controls.
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Build and tune the chain in OBS
- Open the microphone filters: In the Audio Mixer, open the microphone’s three-dot menu and choose Filters. In the Filters window, use the add control under Audio Filters to add the processing you need. If your version uses slightly different labels, use the filter names shown in the installed OBS interface.
- Address steady noise first: Add Noise Suppression only if the test recording has mild, constant background noise. Choose a method available in your version, begin conservatively, and listen for voice distortion before strengthening it.
- Control pauses only if needed: Add either Noise Gate or Expander when noise remains distracting while you are silent. Tune against both the quietest words and the actual room noise; do not simply copy the documented defaults.
- Even out speech if peaks vary: Add a Compressor if loud phrases are much stronger than ordinary speech. Keep the setup modest enough that the voice remains natural.
- Place a limiter at the end: Add Limiter last if you need a ceiling for sudden peaks.
- Record and compare: Capture the same short passage after each meaningful change. Listen for noise reduction, complete quiet-word syllables, natural phrase endings, and loud peaks that remain controlled without pumping or abrupt changes. Disable a filter if it makes the recording worse.
Noise suppression, gate, expander, compressor, and limiter are documented for OBS on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The available controls and performance can still depend on the OBS version and system. OBS’s documentation does not establish an objectively best preset, and the settings above should be treated as tuning references rather than targets.
Troubleshoot common filter problems
- Voice sounds watery, metallic, or thin: Suppression may be too strong or the room noise may be beyond what it handles well. Reduce suppression or disable it for comparison; address loud environmental noise at its source where practical.
- Quiet words disappear or syllables are clipped: A gate may be closing too soon, or an expander threshold may be too high. Lower the threshold and test soft words and phrase endings; adjust gate timing if needed.
- Noise remains audible during silence: A gate’s close threshold may be below the background-noise level. Raise it carefully, while checking that quiet speech still opens the gate. An expander is another option if a hard cutoff sounds unnatural.
- Speech volume still jumps: Confirm the compressor is on the microphone source and adjust it while speaking at ordinary and loud levels. Do not use a limiter as a substitute for controlling normal speech dynamics.
- Audio changes abruptly or pumps: Revisit compressor or limiter adjustments and make a new recording. Listen to loud peaks as well as the quieter parts; overly aggressive control can make level changes conspicuous.
- Filter changes do not affect the intended microphone: Check that you opened Filters for the microphone source that is actually active in the Audio Mixer, rather than another audio source.
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