Question / Help Launching OBS decreases audio quality

[msuhotstuff]

I recently started testing OBS to record (not stream) video game videos. What I've found is that launching OBS, even if I'm not recording, automatically decreases my computer's audio quality, almost as if through a high-pass filter. Closing OBS immediately fixes the audio. The filtered sound is also what is recorded in my videos. I was wondering if it was specific to the games I was trying to record, but it's also happens when I watch YouTube videos and OBS is open. Is there a workaround for this or is it a "feature" of OBS?

 

[koala]

If you experience the quality loss through a bluetooth headset, this is due to OBS initializing your mic, which makes a bluetooth headset switch to voice mode (instead of music mode), and voice mode has much lower quality. This is a bluetooth specialty, not a bug or flaw in OBS.

To prevent OBS from initializing any mic, go to Settings->Audio and set all the Mic/Audio from default to disabled. Keep Desktop Audio of course, since you want to record your game audio.

 

[msuhotstuff]

Thanks! That fixed it.

 

[Grum]

If you experience the quality loss through a bluetooth headset, this is due to OBS initializing your mic, which makes a bluetooth headset switch to voice mode (instead of music mode), and voice mode has much lower quality. This is a bluetooth specialty, not a bug or flaw in OBS.

To prevent OBS from initializing any mic, go to Settings->Audio and set all the Mic/Audio from default to disabled. Keep Desktop Audio of course, since you want to record your game audio.

THANK YOU SO MUCH I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR MONTHS

 

[drewbluefoo]

If you experience the quality loss through a bluetooth headset, this is due to OBS initializing your mic, which makes a bluetooth headset switch to voice mode (instead of music mode), and voice mode has much lower quality. This is a bluetooth specialty, not a bug or flaw in OBS.

To prevent OBS from initializing any mic, go to Settings->Audio and set all the Mic/Audio from default to disabled. Keep Desktop Audio of course, since you want to record your game audio.

Solid help. I remember doing that when I first bought an Hp Omen 15 laptop, but had it stolen & when I got it back, I had to factory reset the laptop again as well as re-download OBS. Had a hard time figuring out what I did last time but saw you post & remembered again.

I made a youtube video covering it since I didn't see anything related to the issue while browsing. Much appreciated.

 

[LuckyNoob3223]

If you experience the quality loss through a bluetooth headset, this is due to OBS initializing your mic, which makes a bluetooth headset switch to voice mode (instead of music mode), and voice mode has much lower quality. This is a bluetooth specialty, not a bug or flaw in OBS.

To prevent OBS from initializing any mic, go to Settings->Audio and set all the Mic/Audio from default to disabled. Keep Desktop Audio of course, since you want to record your game audio.

Thanks a lot. I've been dealing with issue for so long.

 

[mvstelle]

If you experience the quality loss through a bluetooth headset, this is due to OBS initializing your mic, which makes a bluetooth headset switch to voice mode (instead of music mode), and voice mode has much lower quality. This is a bluetooth specialty, not a bug or flaw in OBS.

To prevent OBS from initializing any mic, go to Settings->Audio and set all the Mic/Audio from default to disabled. Keep Desktop Audio of course, since you want to record your game audio.

My ideal would be to be able to continue listening to audio at full quality on my bluetooth headset with OBS open while recording on a different mic. It sounds like this would require a way to tell OBS not to initialize the mic from my bluetooth headset, meaning it would not be an available source to record from. Is there any way to make that happen so I can have my cake and eat it too?

 

[AaronD]

My ideal would be to be able to continue listening to audio at full quality on my bluetooth headset with OBS open while recording on a different mic. It sounds like this would require a way to tell OBS not to initialize the mic from my bluetooth headset, meaning it would not be an available source to record from. Is there any way to make that happen so I can have my cake and eat it too?

Getting rid of *all* the mics, is just to guarantee that you don't have *that* one, regardless of what it might be called or how confused you might be. If you can keep things straight and make sure to not have *that* one, *anywhere*, then you can use others.

 

[mvstelle]

Getting rid of *all* the mics, is just to guarantee that you don't have *that* one, regardless of what it might be called or how confused you might be. If you can keep things straight and make sure to not have *that* one, *anywhere*, then you can use others.

Thanks for the quick reply! When you say "anywhere", do you mean anywhere in Windows or anywhere in OBS? For example, I Disabled every audio input except for the one I want to use in the Global Audio Device Settings, but that wasn't sufficient. I don't know how to go about removing the headset mic "anywhere it shows up in Windows", if that's what you meant, while still retaining the ability to use the headset for sound output

 

[AaronD]

Thanks for the quick reply! When you say "anywhere", do you mean anywhere in Windows or anywhere in OBS? For example, I Disabled every audio input except for the one I want to use in the Global Audio Device Settings, but that wasn't sufficient. I don't know how to go about removing the headset mic "anywhere it shows up in Windows", if that's what you meant, while still retaining the ability to use the headset for sound output

Yes, it is "anywhere in Windows", not just in OBS. It's the OS that matters, and OBS is one of any number of things that can request that mic. You might need to go on a witch hunt to find whatever else wants it.

 

[Seyfert]

If you experience the quality loss through a bluetooth headset, this is due to OBS initializing your mic, which makes a bluetooth headset switch to voice mode (instead of music mode), and voice mode has much lower quality. This is a bluetooth specialty, not a bug or flaw in OBS.

To prevent OBS from initializing any mic, go to Settings->Audio and set all the Mic/Audio from default to disabled. Keep Desktop Audio of course, since you want to record your game audio.

Mine were already all disabled, yet does that?

 

[soulofthewhiteaunt]

If you experience the quality loss through a bluetooth headset, this is due to OBS initializing your mic, which makes a bluetooth headset switch to voice mode (instead of music mode), and voice mode has much lower quality. This is a bluetooth specialty, not a bug or flaw in OBS.

To prevent OBS from initializing any mic, go to Settings->Audio and set all the Mic/Audio from default to disabled. Keep Desktop Audio of course, since you want to record your game audio.

Hi @koala
Thanks for posting this solution. It solved my audio output problem, but I'm using my bluetooth headphones to record voice and now I can't.
How can I record BT without it destroying the audio output quality? I tried adding a new audio capture source, but predictably it did the same as the default Mic/Aux source.
I'm on a MacBook Air M2, OS 13.5. I went back to OBS 29 because I couldn't get Desktop audio to work at all in 30. I'm using Blackhole to solve the Desktop Audio issue (even though Ventura shouldn't need this).
I would appreciate advice!

 

[koala]

I'm using my bluetooth headphones to record voice and now I can't.
How can I record BT without it destroying the audio output quality?

To avoid low audio quality, and at the same time being able to use the bluetooth mic, the app from which you want the audio recorded must not output its audio to the bluetooth headset. Instead, it must be set to output to the desktop speakers or to some virtual audio device. Or some other audio device that's not set to some low quality mode. Then capture that audio output device with OBS instead of the bluetooth output audio device.

 

[AaronD]

I'm using my bluetooth headphones to record voice and now I can't.
How can I record BT without it destroying the audio output quality?

To summarize and agree with what koala said, you don't. You can't.

Recording BT necessarily destroys the BT output quality, at least for that device, regardless of the apps involved. Using different dedicated devices for each direction might work...

But then we have the other standard warning against using any wireless devices at all. Radio is weird, and can fail in ways that require a Ph.D. to really understand. Consumer stuff is especially bad, but even the pros that use expensive licensed channels that are illegal for anyone else to interfere with, still have problems on occasion. If you can possibly use a wire instead, USE A WIRE INSTEAD!

(Power-line extenders are effectively radio in every way except the antennas, and have the same problems. Avoid them too, and run a dedicated wire, even if it's ugly.)