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How To Add and Set Up Microphone Audio as Input in OBS Studio

Setting up microphone audio as an input source in OBS Studio is an essential step for live streaming, recording videos, podcasting, and more. With a properly configured microphone input, you can ensure your viewers hear your voice clearly.

Add Microphone as Input Source

  1. Open OBS Studio and in the Sources section, click the “+” button to add a new source.
  2. Select “Audio Input Capture” from the list.
  3. Name your audio source (e.g. “Microphone”)
  4. Select your microphone from the Device dropdown menu. Make sure OBS Studio has access to your mic in your computer’s privacy settings.

Configure Microphone Settings

  1. In the Audio Mixer section, locate your microphone input source.
  2. Adjust the gain slider until the volume is suitable when speaking at a normal level. Avoid peaking in the red.
  3. Right-click on your mic source and select Filters to add effects like Noise Suppression, Gain, and Compressor to optimize sound quality.
  4. Click the gear icon next to your mic source to access advanced audio properties like mono/stereo, sample rate, sync offset fine tuning and listening to your mic input.

Select Microphone Track in Recordings

  1. Go to Settings > Output > Recording
  2. Set the Track 1 dropdown menu to your microphone input source
  3. You can set additional tracks to “Desktop Audio” if you want both mic and desktop sounds in recordings

Monitor Microphone Input

It’s important to monitor your microphone input to check levels and quality.

  1. Wear good headphones to accurately monitor your mic sound
  2. Speak at your normal presentation voice level and view levels in the Audio Mixer
  3. Listen for background noise you may need to suppress using filters
  4. Consider adding Visualization tools like the FFT Spectrum analyzer to monitor input

Microphone Recommendations

  • Blue Yeti – Versatile USB condenser mic perfect for beginners
  • Shure SM7B – Dynamic XLR mic for professional studio-quality sound
  • Audio-Technica AT2020 – Affordable large diaphragm condenser XLR mic
  • HyperX QuadCast S – USB condenser mic with built-in shock mount and visualizations

OBS Microphone Techniques and Tips

  • Speak close to the mic at a consistent volume and tone
  • Reduce background noises like computer fans with noise suppression
  • Use compressor to even out volume spikes and dips
  • Position the mic slightly off-axis to avoid plosives on p and b sounds
  • Record some test audio to check levels before going live
  • Monitor your input in headphones to check sound quality

Common Microphone Issues in OBS

No sound from microphone input:

  • Mic is muted in Windows sound settings or OBS Audio Mixer
  • Wrong mic selected as input device
  • Exclusive mode enabled preventing OBS access

Microphone sound is distorted:

  • Gain set too high clipping the audio signal
  • Microphone too close to mouth causing plosive pops

Microphone has background noise:

  • Room is not sound treated allowing unwanted sound
  • Microphone gain is too high relative to background noise floor

Microphone sounds muffled:

  • Mic positioned incorrectly
  • Pop filter blocked with dust or moisture

Microphone stops working:

  • USB mic unplugged accidentally
  • Mic selected as default device causing exclusive mode issues in OBS

Using OBS Virtual Audio Cables

Virtual Audio Cable software like VB-Audio VoiceMeeter and Cable can let you finely route audio between apps. This allows using OBS filters on your mic input while outputting only the optimized audio to other video call software.

To set this up:

  1. Install Virtual Audio Cable software
  2. In OBS, set your mic as input and VB-Cable as output
  3. In video call software, set VB-Cable as the microphone input
  4. Apply filters like Noise Suppression to your mic input in OBS
  5. The filtered sound will route through the virtual cable

This gives you full control over microphone audio optimizations through OBS before sending only the final sound to other software.

Conclusion

Configuring your microphone properly within OBS Studio ensures you provide quality audio to your viewers. Monitoring your levels, reducing background noise, setting an appropriate gain level, and applying optimization filters helps achieve great mic sound. With the right microphone settings dialed in, you can produce professional streams, videos, and podcasts.

I have over 5 years of experience live streaming using OBS Studio. The tips in this article come from extensive testing to achieve the best possible microphone audio quality for both streaming and recording. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions!

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