To mix audio in OBS, set each source’s level upstream first, balance it in the Audio Mixer while listening, add only the filters that solve a real problem, and make a test recording. For equalization, use a compatible VST 2.x plugin: OBS’s documented filter list includes a VST 2.x Plugin filter, not a native parametric equalizer. There is no universal EQ curve that suits every voice, room, game, or music track.
Start with clean, balanced source levels
Open the OBS Audio Mixer and identify the microphone, game or application audio, music, and other inputs you want in the final mix. Set levels in order: the source device or mixer first, then operating-system and application controls, then the OBS fader. OBS’s Audio Mixer Guide says, “Always start at the device in question.” Device controls vary, so consult the device documentation when needed. OBS Audio Mixer Guide (published April 3, 2026).
- Set the physical source. Adjust the microphone, interface, mixer, or other device. If it has a headphone or monitor output, listen there for clipping, hum, and room noise.
- Check operating-system and app levels. Confirm the input is correct and adjust the relevant system and application volume controls before compensating in OBS.
- Balance in OBS. Speak or play representative content and adjust the Audio Mixer fader while monitoring the result. Avoid treating the fader as a repair for an overloaded source.
- Check routing. If a stereo source lights only its first channel, the recording may be heard only on the left. Check the source’s channel configuration and downmix to mono if that suits the source and intended output.
OBS describes its meters as green, yellow, and red zones. Its broad guidance is speech reaching the lower end of red, gameplay or other content in yellow, and background music or alert effects in green. These are guides, not universal loudness targets: meter position does not always correspond to perceived loudness. Listen to the monitored mix and a recording rather than relying on color alone.
Monitor and record before processing
In OBS, use the source or device monitoring controls to listen while adjusting. Monitor each source on its own, then listen to the full mix. Make a recording of a typical session—normal speech, gameplay or other program sound, music, and alerts—and play back the captured file. If speech is masked or a source dominates, adjust that source or its fader and record another short test. A recording reveals the result viewers or listeners will actually receive more reliably than watching meters alone.
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Add filters for specific problems
Open the source’s filter controls to add processing. OBS lists Gain, Expander, Compressor, Limiter, Noise Gate, Noise Suppression, Invert Polarity, and VST 2.x Plugin among its filters. A filter is useful only if it improves the recorded result; adding several by default can create new problems. See the OBS Filters Guide for the filter list and controls.
Compressor: reduce level variation
A compressor lowers portions of the signal that rise above a threshold. It can help when a microphone is generally well set but speech sometimes gets much louder. OBS recommends placing the compressor 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 guaranteed voice settings. Adjust while listening and recording; compression that is too strong can make speech sound unnatural. OBS Compressor Filter (published January 12, 2022).
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Compressor sidechain: duck desktop audio under speech
To lower game or music audio when you speak, put a compressor on the desktop-audio source and select the microphone as its sidechain source. OBS gives a starting example of ratio 32:1, threshold −36 dB, attack 100 ms, release 600 ms, and output gain 0 dB. Treat these as starting recommendations, not fixed settings: tune the threshold and timing by ear so the background recedes during speech without pumping or remaining unnecessarily quiet. OBS Compressor Filter.
Limiter: catch peaks
A limiter acts as a ceiling to help prevent brief peaks from exceeding its threshold. OBS recommends placing it last in the filter chain. Its documented defaults are a threshold of −6 dB and release of 60 ms. A limiter does not replace proper input gain or a test recording; it cannot make an overloaded or poorly balanced mix sound right. OBS Limiter Filter (published January 12, 2022).
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Noise suppression: reduce mild background noise
OBS’s built-in suppression targets 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 a voice, and suppression is not a substitute for addressing a very noisy room. Compare the voice with suppression on and off in a test recording. OBS Noise Suppression Filter (published January 12, 2022).
Compressor or limiter?
| Filter | Use it for | Placement or note |
|---|---|---|
| Compressor | Reducing variation when a source’s loud portions rise above a threshold; it can also duck desktop audio from a microphone sidechain. | Generally at or near the start of a filter chain; tune for the source. |
| Limiter | Catching peaks at a ceiling. | OBS recommends it last in the chain. It does not replace sensible gain staging. |
Equalize with a compatible VST2 plugin
OBS’s documented filter guide does not list a built-in parametric equalizer. To equalize a source, add the VST 2.x Plugin filter to it and select a compatible VST2 equalizer. This gives you plugin-based EQ control, but introduces compatibility and CPU considerations that built-in filters do not. OBS’s VST filter guide says this filter supports VST2, not VST3. It also lists VST1.x, MIDI control or input, and shell VST plugins as unsupported; individual plugins may crash or use substantial CPU. Back up OBS settings and check that a plugin works in your setup before relying on it live. OBS names REAPER ReaPlugs and Melda Production as plugins used to develop and test VST support in its environments, not as a guarantee of current availability or compatibility with every system. OBS VST 2.x Plugin Filter (published January 12, 2022); see also the OBS Plugins Guide.
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Make EQ changes while monitoring the source and check them in a recording alongside the rest of the mix. The right adjustments depend on the actual microphone, room, voice, and other audio. OBS’s official guidance does not prescribe a universal EQ curve, so avoid applying a preset as though it were correct for every source.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Finish with a repeatable check
- Record a representative segment with all intended sources active.
- Listen to the file for speech clarity, relative levels, distortion, unwanted noise, and stereo balance.
- If one source is wrong, change that source or its upstream level first; use the OBS fader or a filter only when appropriate.
- Record again after meaningful changes. Keep the version that sounds balanced without relying on meters alone.
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