The Tool Desk
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What clipping is—and where it can happen
0 dBFS is the digital full-scale ceiling for delivered audio. OBS can process floating-point audio above 0 dBFS internally, but the stream or recording must be below that ceiling to avoid clipping at output. Distortion can arise earlier in the chain too: lowering a fader after an input stage has clipped does not undo the damage.
OBS’s technical documentation describes -20 dBFS as an alignment level and -9 dBFS as a permitted maximum in the context of meter conventions and safety margins. These are metering explanations, not a universal target for every source or a YouTube loudness specification. The OBS mixer guide offers practical color-zone guidance—speech toward the lower red range, voice in the upper yellow range, and background music or effects in green—but meter readings do not guarantee that sources will sound equally loud to viewers.
Trace the signal before changing filters
- Start at the source. Check the microphone’s gain, mixer channel and master controls, or audio interface controls. Listen as early in the chain as practical, then listen again in OBS using Audio Monitoring.
- Check controls between the device and OBS. Operating-system input levels and application volume controls can affect what OBS receives. Adjust the stage that is actually too hot rather than compensating with a very low OBS fader.
- Compare OBS input and output meters. OBS distinguishes the input-level indicator from the main output peak meter. The input indicator is before the source fader but after source filters. If you suspect the capture input, inspect it with filters temporarily disabled as needed; listen to the source before and after OBS.
- Use the fader for final balance. Once the earlier stages are clean, adjust the OBS fader to balance the source in the mix. Watch the output meter as all active sources play together.
The OBS mixer’s peak-hold marker retains the loudest recent level for 20 seconds, according to the OBS Audio Mixer Guide. It can help reveal a transient you might otherwise miss, but it is diagnostic—not a substitute for listening.
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Choose the right combination of compressor and limiter
A compressor and a limiter solve related but different problems. A compressor reduces louder portions of a source more generally; a limiter acts as a final ceiling. OBS places the compressor typically near the beginning of a filter chain and says the limiter should be last.
| Control | Compressor | Limiter |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Reduces a source when it crosses a threshold, helping control variable or spiky levels. | Prevents the signal from exceeding a chosen ceiling. |
| Typical position in OBS filters | Near the beginning of the relevant source’s chain. | Last in the chain. |
| Key controls | Ratio, threshold, attack, release, and output gain. | Threshold and release. |
| Setting guidance | Choose values for the source and verify with representative audio; OBS does not prescribe one universal setting. | OBS’s documented defaults are -6.00 dB threshold and 60 ms release. These are defaults, not universal recommendations. |
Use a compressor for occasional spikes
For a microphone or other source with occasional loud peaks, add a compressor to that source’s filters. When the signal crosses its threshold, the compressor reduces it; as the sound falls, it returns toward its prior level. Adjust ratio, threshold, attack, and release for the material. Be cautious with output gain: raising the average can also push downstream peaks higher, so check the final output meter and listen after making changes.
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Use a limiter as the last safety ceiling
Add OBS’s Limiter filter last in the relevant filter chain. OBS describes it as a fast, high-ratio compressor that prevents a signal from exceeding its threshold. Its documented defaults are -6.00 dB threshold and 60 ms release. Treat them as starting defaults, not the right values for every stream. Test the loudest realistic source material and listen for pumping or audible distortion while confirming that peaks remain below 0 dBFS at output.
Duck desktop audio under a microphone only if that is the problem
If music or desktop audio competes with speech, OBS documents compressor sidechain/ducking as a way to lower the desktop source while the microphone is active. For this specific ducking use, OBS suggests ratio 32:1, threshold -36 dB, attack 100 ms, release 600 ms, 0 dB output gain, and the microphone as the sidechain source. These are suggested ducking values, not general compressor or limiter settings.
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Check channel routing as well as level
OBS defaults to stereo. A mono source is heard in both left and right channels, while a stereo source follows its channel assignment. If only one stereo meter is active, viewers may hear the source on only that side—a routing issue that can be mistaken for broken or unbalanced audio, not clipping. OBS offers a Downmix to Mono setting in the advanced mixer audio options if mono output is appropriate for the source.
Test the full mix before leaving it live
- Record a normal OBS session with representative content: speech, alerts, music, gameplay, or any other source expected to run.
- Include the loudest material that could reasonably occur. Watch the input and output indicators while it plays.
- Listen to the recording and, where useful, monitor the source in OBS. Check for harsh distortion, pumping, unexpectedly loud transitions, missing audio, or sound isolated to one stereo channel.
- Repeat the check after changing a source, scene, filter, device, or gain setting.
OBS recommends making a normal session recording and listening before going live. For a 24/7 setup, arrange a practical way to notice if an expected audio source disappears or becomes unexpectedly loud. OBS documentation describes peak hold and automatic reconnect, but does not specify a required continuous audio-monitoring interval or provide a 24/7 audio-alerting rule. Automatic reconnect is a stream-continuity setting, not a clipping fix.
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Troubleshooting: match the symptom to the stage
- Audio still sounds distorted with the OBS fader turned down: the input may already be clipping. Check source, interface or mixer gain, then operating-system and application levels. Listen before OBS and inspect the input indicator; temporarily disable source filters if needed to isolate the stage.
- The meter looks safe, but the recording sounds harsh: listen to the recording rather than relying on meter color alone. Check the loudest transients, device controls, and every filter that can change level. Confirm the limiter is last and review any compressor output gain.
- The limiter is constantly working or the mix sounds as if it is pumping: reduce excessive gain earlier in the chain, then retest. A limiter is a ceiling, not a substitute for sensible source levels; adjust its threshold and release based on realistic material.
- Voice and music fight each other: balance their source levels, or use the microphone sidechain to duck desktop audio. The OBS ducking suggestions above apply to that use case only.
- Audio is audible on just one side: inspect whether the source is mono or stereo and how its channels are assigned. Consider Downmix to Mono in advanced mixer audio options when suitable.
- A source vanishes during a long stream: verify the device, application, scene, and routing that feed OBS, and make a recording that exercises the expected setup. Automatic reconnect may help restore a dropped stream, but it does not detect or repair every audio-source failure.
These checks do not imply that new equipment is required. Diagnose the existing signal chain first; consider replacing or adding hardware only if the input stage proves unsuitable or defective.
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