🤌 How to get PERFECT stream audio using ONLY OBS effects! (OBS 29 Upward Compressor & 3-Band EQ)

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide to optimizing audio for live streaming using OBS Studio 29. It covers new features like expanded frame rate options and audio filters, including a three-band EQ and upward compressor. The guide walks through setting up a Neat King B2 microphone with an audio interface, without relying on external software. It explains the importance of gain staging, EQ adjustments for voice clarity, compression for dynamic range control, and using a limiter to prevent clipping. Additionally, it explores noise suppression techniques and auto-ducking for balancing game audio with voice, ensuring a clear and professional streaming audio experience.

Takeaways

• 🎥 OBS Studio 29 is a significant update, primarily focusing on video features but also including some audio enhancements.
• 🔊 New audio features in OBS 29 include default audio support for capture cards and the addition of a three-band EQ and an upward compressor.
• 📈 The three-band EQ allows for basic customization of microphone sound, helping to improve voice clarity and reduce unwanted frequencies.
• 🔧 The upward compressor is used to manage game or background sound, ensuring quiet sounds are still audible to viewers without overwhelming the main audio.
• 🎤 The video discusses using the Neat microphones King B2, a large diaphragm condenser microphone, praised for its performance in streams.
• 🔉 The importance of gain staging is highlighted, ensuring audio comes into the computer at a quiet level to prevent clipping and is then amplified in post-production.
• ⚙️ The process of applying audio effects in OBS is detailed, including the use of filters like the three-band EQ for correction and a second instance for flavor enhancement.
• 🔄 The use of a compressor to normalize voice dynamics is explained, with recommended settings for voiceover to maintain a natural sound while controlling loud peaks.
• 🚫 A limiter is introduced as the final filter in the chain to prevent clipping, ensuring the audio never exceeds a certain decibel level.
• 👂 The script emphasizes the importance of microphone placement and technique, noting that poor physical setup cannot be fixed with software settings alone.
• 🔍 Additional audio processing options such as noise suppression and noise gating are discussed, along with their appropriate placement in the audio processing chain.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of OBS Studio 29 update?

OBS Studio 29 is primarily a video-focused update, with expanded frame rate options for capture cards, AV1 support for Intel and AMD graphics cards, and HEVC and ProRes encoders for macOS.

What new audio features were introduced in OBS 29?

OBS 29 introduced more default audio support for capture cards and two new audio filters: a three-band EQ and an upward compressor.

What is the purpose of the three-band EQ in OBS 29?

The three-band EQ allows users to customize the sound of their microphones or other audio sources by adjusting high, mid, and low frequencies to improve sound quality.

How is the upward compressor filter used in OBS 29?

The upward compressor is used to reduce the dynamic range on the quiet side of audio, such as game sound or background noise, ensuring that viewers can still hear it even when the main audio source is quiet.

What microphone is being reviewed in the script?

The script reviews the King B2, a large diaphragm condenser microphone from Neat Microphones.

What is the recommended gain staging for microphones in OBS?

The recommended gain staging is to set the microphone input at around minus 12 dB for its peaks, and then amplify it in post-production with processing settings.

What is the purpose of the noise gate and noise suppression in OBS audio processing?

The noise gate turns off the microphone below a certain threshold to eliminate consistent background noise, while noise suppression continuously removes background noise from the audio signal.

How does the auto-ducking feature work with the compressor in OBS?

Auto-ducking uses the side-chaining capability of the compressor to reduce the volume of the game sound or background audio when the microphone input is above a certain threshold, making it quieter when the user is talking.

What is the role of the limiter in the audio processing chain in OBS?

The limiter acts as a compressor with an infinite ratio, preventing audio from clipping and peaking by reducing the volume when it approaches the set threshold, ensuring a consistent output level.

How can the upward compressor help with game audio in streaming?

The upward compressor increases the volume of quieter parts of the game audio, such as footsteps or small details, ensuring that these sounds are still audible to viewers even when the main audio is quiet.