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First, identify where the noise enters
Listen to a local recording and check the microphone selected in OBS. If you use a noise-removal app, OBS may be receiving its virtual microphone rather than the physical mic. Make sure you are adjusting the input that actually reaches the stream; otherwise, a filter can be enabled without affecting the audio viewers hear.
Also distinguish continuous noise beneath speech—such as a fan—from sound that is mostly noticeable while you are silent. Noise Suppression is intended for mild background or white noise. A gate or expander responds to the signal level and is most useful when the mic level falls between phrases.
Reduce steady background noise with OBS Noise Suppression
OBS says its Noise Suppression filter can remove mild background or white noise, including PC fan and environmental noise, but is generally not effective when there is a large amount of noise in a loud room. The filter is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. See the OBS Noise Suppression Filter documentation.
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- In OBS, open the microphone source’s audio filters and add Noise Suppression.
- Compare the sound with the filter enabled and disabled while speaking at your usual volume.
- Try RNNoise or Speex. OBS describes RNNoise as higher quality but more CPU-intensive than Speex; Speex has a configurable suppression level.
- Listen for a voice that becomes muffled, metallic, or unnatural. If that happens, reduce the processing or disable it rather than increasing suppression further.
OBS also lists NVIDIA Noise Removal as a method; it requires the NVIDIA Broadcast SDK redistributable. This is distinct from routing audio through the NVIDIA Broadcast app described below.
Reduce noise between phrases with a gate or expander
Noise Gate
A gate lowers or cuts the mic when its level falls below a threshold. It can reduce room noise during pauses, but it does not remove noise that remains audible while you are speaking. OBS recommends setting the close threshold above the room-noise level and the open threshold slightly below the voice input. The right levels depend on your room and mic, so do not treat default values as universal. See the OBS Noise Gate Filter documentation.
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- Add Noise Gate to the microphone source.
- Set the close threshold just above the level of the room noise.
- Set the open threshold a little below the level of your voice.
- Test quiet words, breaths you want to keep, and sentence endings. If the gate chops them off, lower the thresholds or remove the gate.
Expander
An expander reduces quieter sounds below its threshold, rather than abruptly shutting the mic off. OBS gives fans and keyboard clicks as examples of sounds it can lower. A lower ratio makes the reduction lighter; if the threshold is too high, speech can be cut off. See the OBS Expander Filter documentation.
- Add Expander to the mic source.
- Set its threshold with your normal voice and room noise in mind.
- Use a moderate setting and listen for quiet words or sentence endings disappearing.
- Adjust gradually, comparing a recording after each change.
For a concise explanation of OBS filter roles, see its Filters Guide.
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Route audio through NVIDIA Broadcast
NVIDIA Broadcast offers microphone Noise Removal and Room Echo Removal. Noise and room reverberation are different problems; removing one does not necessarily solve the other. NVIDIA names OBS as a compatible application. Its published FAQ lists Windows 10 64-bit and an RTX 2060, Quadro RTX 3000, TITAN RTX, or higher; hardware, driver, and software requirements can change, so check the current NVIDIA Broadcast FAQ before installing.
- In NVIDIA Broadcast, select your physical microphone and enable Noise Removal.
- In OBS, go to Settings > Audio > Mic/Auxiliary Audio and select Microphone (NVIDIA Broadcast).
- Record a sample with background noise, then compare with the effect on and off. NVIDIA recommends this before relying on the effect; its OBS setup guide explains the routing.
- Avoid stacking overlapping noise-removal effects in Broadcast, OBS, or the microphone device. NVIDIA’s troubleshooting guide advises disabling overlapping processing. It also notes that combining Noise Removal and Room Echo Removal can reduce Noise Removal efficacy while Room Echo Removal is in beta.
Consider Krisp as another virtual-microphone option
Krisp documents a workflow in which its virtual microphone filters the voice before it reaches OBS. This is the vendor’s setup guidance, not an independent comparison showing that it is better than OBS or NVIDIA processing.
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- Set up Krisp to use your physical microphone.
- In OBS, add or select an Audio Input Capture source and choose Krisp Microphone.
- Make a local recording and listen before streaming. Check both speech and pauses for artifacts or cut-off words.
See Krisp’s streamer and gamer setup guide, last updated August 21, 2026.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When software filters are not enough
OBS limits its Noise Suppression guidance to mild noise and says it is generally ineffective in a loud room. If noise remains prominent, reduce the source at its origin where practical, then test the mic again. The cited software documentation does not quantify how much a particular room change will help, so judge the result with a recording rather than assuming a filter or physical change will eliminate the problem.
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- Check whether a fan or other steady source can be turned off or moved farther from the microphone.
- Verify that OBS is using the intended mic and that an external app’s virtual microphone is selected when needed.
- Use suppression for noise under speech; use a gate or expander for noise that is most apparent when you are not speaking.
- Make one change at a time, then compare a sample at realistic speaking volume.
Common problems and fixes
| What you hear | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Noise is still audible under speech | A gate only reduces the mic between phrases, or the noise is too strong for mild suppression. | Try Noise Suppression for mild continuous noise; reduce the source itself if the room is loud. |
| Words or sentence endings disappear | The gate or expander threshold is too high. | Lower the threshold and test quiet speech and sentence endings. |
| Voice sounds muffled or unnatural | Suppression is too strong or multiple noise-removal effects are stacked. | Reduce or disable processing and compare a clean sample. |
| NVIDIA Broadcast has no effect in OBS | OBS may be using the physical mic instead of the Broadcast virtual mic. | Select Microphone (NVIDIA Broadcast) under Settings > Audio > Mic/Auxiliary Audio. |
| Noise gets worse with several filters enabled | Overlapping processing can interfere with the result. | Disable duplicate noise removal in OBS, Broadcast, or the device, then test one processing path at a time. |
| A filter seems enabled but the recording does not change | The filter may be attached to a source that is not the stream’s active microphone. | Check the selected input and record a short test after changing it. |
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