Question / Help Compressor Filter Sidechain Question - Set Activation Floor

[FerretBomb]

Hey, I know this is a bit esoteric, but I'm wondering if there's a way to set up an activation floor or range on the Compressor filter.

Normally I have good audio balance between myself and the game, but I've added a sidechain compressor filter to my Desktop audio with a gentle 1.2:1 ratio, just to make my voice stand out a little more clearly during loud moments.
Unfortunately, this activates ALL THE TIME when my mic is active, even when the game is quiet, making it almost inaudible rather than remaining as atmospheric background sound.

Is there a way to set up my compressor to ONLY activate on the Desktop source if the Desktop source is above a certain volume level, and ONLY drop the Desktop audio to that level and no further?

In short, when the mic is active, if Desktop dB <= -20dB, do not activate compression. If Desktop > -20dB apply 1.2:1 compression until >= -20dB

So if it's still louder than -20 after the 1.2:1 squish, that's fine (loud parts are LOUD). -20 is an arbitrary value, I'd like to be able to set this wherever for fine-tuning purposes.

 

[FerretBomb]

Bump

 

[Narcogen]

I do this outside of OBS in a VST host by putting a noise gate in front of the compressor-- so the compressor gets the output of the noise gate and doesn't trigger until the noise gate opens.

I'm unsure what OBS would do if you add a noise gate ahead of the compressor, but I can try it.

 

[Narcogen]

UPDATE:

I think this should work. If you apply a noise gate filter to your microphone and set the threshold high enough, a sidechain based on that input should not trigger until the noise gate does.

 

[FerretBomb]

That's what the sidechain threshold does already.
I want to set it up so that the Ratio is only active while the Desktop audio is above a given dB level threshold, AND the mic is above a given dB level.

So if the game music is quiet (below the Desktop threshold) and I talk, it doesn't get quieted further. But if it's loud, it gets dropped by the ratio until it hits the threshold dB point, then is not reduced further.

 

[koala]

You want to enable ducking the desktop audio only while it is louder than some threshold. If it is quieter, you don't want any ducking, since it is quiet enough.
I reproduced your issue in OBS and understand why you want this, but I don't know any way to make this happen with the existing filter features.

 

[FerretBomb]

Thanks for confirmation.

 

[carlmmii]

This may seem weird, but I think it might be possible by using a control tone. Basically get a source that's just a constant volume tone (call this "control").

On control, you add a sidechain compressor that has a threshold based on your desktop audio. This will result in the tone only being present at low volume.

On a duplicate mic audio source (call this "mic-control', selected to the same device as your mic), add a sidechain compressor that has a threshold based on the control tone. This will result in the mic-control audio only being present at high desktop volume.

Then on your actual desktop audio, use the mic-control as the source for sidechain compression. This should result in the ducking only happening at the higher desktop volume.

 

[Narcogen]

Interesting....

Can you approximate the effect you want by using a subsitute compressor, like ReaComp, and turning on the makeup gain?

I think the problem trying to do that within OBS is the lack of being able to route the sidechain device, which sort of necessitates moving the entire audio pipeline outside of OBS.

 

[Sparkle]

Want some help . I have split screen on obs studio which I don't want. I want a single screen. What to do. What is the setting needed to be done for SINGLE screen and if needed split screen. Please help.me.

 

[Narcogen]

Turn off studio mode. In the future please make a separate thread for your question, don't attach an unrelated question to an existing thread.

 

[FerretBomb]

Want some help . I have split screen on obs studio which I don't want. I want a single screen. What to do. What is the setting needed to be done for SINGLE screen and if needed split screen. Please help.me.

Please do not hijack other people's threads.