Prevent clipping by lowering excessive gain before it reaches OBS’s final output, controlling occasional peaks with dynamics filters, and checking a recording made with realistic content. In OBS, find and correct the hottest point in the signal chain first; use a compressor for uneven source levels and a limiter last as a ceiling. Then listen to a test recording before relying on a continuous stream.
What clipping is—and where it can happen
OBS identifies 0 dBFS as the digital full-scale ceiling. Its audio can exceed that level during internal floating-point processing, but the stream or recording output must remain below 0 dBFS to avoid clipping. A low OBS fader alone does not establish that the signal was clean earlier in the chain.
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 clipping at capture, inspect the input indicator and listen to the source before and after OBS. Temporarily disabling source filters can help isolate where the level is changing.
Trace the signal chain before changing filters
- Check the source. For a microphone, inspect its gain control; for a mixer or interface, check its channel and master controls and manufacturer settings. Listen as early in the chain as possible.
- Check levels between the device and OBS. Operating-system input controls and application volume controls can affect the signal OBS receives.
- Check OBS. Watch the source input indicator and output peak meter, then adjust the OBS source fader only after addressing excessive upstream gain.
- Listen at each point. Use OBS Audio Monitoring where appropriate, and compare the incoming source with what OBS produces. A low fader cannot undo distortion already introduced upstream.
OBS’s Audio Mixer Technical Details (2022) describes -20 dBFS as an alignment level and -9 dBFS as a permitted maximum in its discussion of meter conventions and safety margins. These are technical metering explanations, not a universal target for every source or a YouTube loudness specification. OBS’s 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 meters do not tell you whether sources sound equally loud to viewers.
#1 Best Overall
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Choose the right OBS filter for the problem
| Filter | What it does | Where to place it | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compressor | Reduces louder sections when a source crosses its threshold, then allows the level to return as the sound falls. | Near the beginning of the relevant source’s filter chain. | Threshold, ratio, attack, release, and output gain. Check that output gain does not push peaks too high downstream. |
| Limiter | Acts as a fast, high-ratio compressor to prevent a signal from exceeding its threshold. | Last in the filter chain, as the final peak ceiling. | Threshold and release, plus audible pumping or distortion. OBS documents defaults of -6.00 dB threshold and 60 ms release; these are defaults, not ideal settings for every stream. |
Use a compressor for uneven source levels
Add a compressor to a microphone or other source that has occasional loud spikes. Its threshold is the level where reduction begins; ratio, attack, and release shape how that reduction behaves. Adjust the controls against the loudest realistic material, and listen rather than assuming a particular setting will suit every voice or recording.
Use a limiter as the last ceiling
Add OBS’s Limiter filter last on the source whose peaks need a ceiling. Its documented defaults—-6.00 dB threshold and 60 ms release—are a starting point to evaluate, not a universal recommendation. Test representative loud material and listen for pumping or audible distortion while ensuring the output remains below 0 dBFS.
Rank #2
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Duck desktop audio when it competes with speech
OBS documents compressor sidechain/ducking as a way to lower a desktop source while the microphone is active. For that specific 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.
Check channel layout and routing
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 audio on one side; that can sound broken without being a clipping problem. OBS provides Downmix to Mono in the advanced mixer audio options if mono output is appropriate for the source.
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Rank #3
- PLUG IN AND HEAR SOUND IN SECONDS - USB Type-A connector with a 3.5mm stereo headphone output and a separate 3.5mm mono microphone input. No drivers, no software, no external power - the adapter is USB bus-powered and is recognized as a standard USB audio device.
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- TWO JACKS, TWO JOBS - The green jack is stereo OUT for headphones or powered speakers; the pink jack is mono microphone IN for a 3.5mm mic. It does NOT support 4-pole headsets on a single combo plug, it does NOT power passive speakers, and it does NOT add surround sound - it is a stereo 2-channel adapter.
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Record and listen before leaving a stream running
- Build a test session with representative material, including the loudest voice, alerts, music, gameplay, or other sound likely to occur.
- Record normally in OBS and listen to the file. Monitor the source in OBS as well; a meter reading is diagnostic, not a substitute for listening.
- Repeat the test after changing a source, scene, filter, device, or gain setting.
- For a long-running stream, arrange a practical way to notice if audio disappears or becomes unexpectedly high. OBS’s peak-hold marker retains the loudest recent level for 20 seconds according to its 2026 Audio Mixer Guide; OBS documentation does not specify a 24/7 alerting system or required monitoring interval.
OBS also documents automatic reconnect as an Advanced setting for stream continuity. Reconnection does not prevent audio clipping.
Troubleshoot the symptom at the point it occurs
- Output sounds distorted even with the OBS fader low: inspect source, interface or mixer, operating-system, and application gain. Listen before OBS and check the input indicator; reduce excessive gain as early as practical.
- Only sudden loud sounds distort: lower the upstream level if it is excessive, then try a compressor near the beginning of the source filter chain and a limiter last. Test the loudest expected material.
- Audio is audible on only one side: check whether the source is stereo with only one channel active. Consider Downmix to Mono in advanced mixer audio options when appropriate.
- Speech is hard to hear over music or desktop sound: try compressor sidechain/ducking on the desktop source, with the microphone selected as the sidechain source. Treat OBS’s suggested ducking values as a starting point for that purpose only.
- Peaks appear controlled but the recording still sounds wrong: listen to the source before OBS and the recorded output. Meter similarity does not guarantee perceived loudness balance or clean sound.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want the YouTube stream to keep running without leaving a computer on, StreamNeo loops uploaded videos from the cloud. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. For documentaries, check that you have the rights to stream every video and audio track; continuous looping does not change YouTube’s copyright or reused-content rules.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The new generation of the artist's interface: Connect your mic to Scarlett's 4th Gen mic pres. Plug in your guitar. Fire up the included software. Start making your first big hit
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- Never lose a great take: Scarlett 4th Gen's Auto Gain sets the perfect level for your mic or guitar, and Clip Safe prevents clipping, so you can focus on the music
- Find your signature sound: Air mode lifts vocals and guitars to the front of the mix, adding musical presence and rich harmonic drive to your recordings
- With Scarlett 4th Gen, you have all you need to record, mix and master your music: Includes industry-leading recording software and a full collection of record-making plugins
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