Help: Noise Gate Audio Filter to remove keyboard and mouse sounds

ZedFiles

New Member
I tried using a noise gate to remove the keyboard and mouse clicks in my audio recordings. It successfully removed the clicks when I am clicking separately from when I am speaking, however if I am clicking and speaking at the same time, the clicks can still be easily heard. Is there any fix to this? I’ve tried reducing the gain from my mic, putting it closer to my mouth, away from the keyboard and mouse, but I still can‘t solve the issue. Please help if you can!
 

konsolenritter

Active Member
What kind of mic do you have? If your expectations are so high, you should go for an podcaster like equipment, for instance directional microphone between you and your desk/key/mouse, so the mouse is behind the (directional) mic. Spatial separation is better than electronic declutter afterwards. Room acoustics shall be as dry as possible. If your mouse clicks can be heard all over the room, change the mouse model.

(Side note: Even in todays regional and commercial radiostations the mouse clicks by the host can be heard. Nasty. Overwhelming computer stuff today...)
 

ZedFiles

New Member
What kind of mic do you have? If your expectations are so high, you should go for an podcaster like equipment, for instance directional microphone between you and your desk/key/mouse, so the mouse is behind the (directional) mic. Spatial separation is better than electronic declutter afterwards. Room acoustics shall be as dry as possible. If your mouse clicks can be heard all over the room, change the mouse model.

(Side note: Even in todays regional and commercial radiostations the mouse clicks by the host can be heard. Nasty. Overwhelming computer stuff today...)
Thanks, I’ll try testing if I can hear the mouse from all over the room etc. I use a Blue Yeti microphone attached to a boom arm. I am also wondering if there is a setting I missed with the noise gate that helps to remove the clicks when combined with my voice.
 

koala

Active Member
A noise gate is a somewhat passive function that is made to cut a continuous noise floor from silent parts. Low quality mics emit such a noise, or the fan of your computer. If the volume of the source is below the noise gate threshold, the output ist turned off, so the noise isn't heard while you are silent. If you speak, the volume is above the threshold, and output is opened, so you hear the voice - and the noise, but since the voice is supposed to be much louder than the noise, that's usually not perceivable.

There are also noise suppression filters available in OBS, they process the audio to try to remove the noise floor with digital signal processing.
To split a click noise from your voice while you speak, advanced signal processing is required. The click has to be computed out of your voice. Such filter doesn't come with OBS. All these signal processing filters also distort your voice, so they are only last resort. Best practice is to not record mouse clicks in the first place. Your mic should be much nearer to your mouth than to the mouse.

The Blue Yeti is able to pick up in a directional pattern (cardioid mode), so make sure you activate the corresponding mode, and your mouth is within the pickup zone and the mouse isn't.
 

ZedFiles

New Member
A noise gate is a somewhat passive function that is made to cut a continuous noise floor from silent parts. Low quality mics emit such a noise, or the fan of your computer. If the volume of the source is below the noise gate threshold, the output ist turned off, so the noise isn't heard while you are silent. If you speak, the volume is above the threshold, and output is opened, so you hear the voice - and the noise, but since the voice is supposed to be much louder than the noise, that's usually not perceivable.

There are also noise suppression filters available in OBS, they process the audio to try to remove the noise floor with digital signal processing.
To split a click noise from your voice while you speak, advanced signal processing is required. The click has to be computed out of your voice. Such filter doesn't come with OBS. All these signal processing filters also distort your voice, so they are only last resort. Best practice is to not record mouse clicks in the first place. Your mic should be much nearer to your mouth than to the mouse.

The Blue Yeti is able to pick up in a directional pattern (cardioid mode), so make sure you activate the corresponding mode, and your mouth is within the pickup zone and the mouse isn't.

Thanks for the info Koala! This definitely helps. I will try pushing my mouse and keyboard further behind the mic, and yeah it’s already set on cardiod. I’ll have a go with some advanced signal processing as well.
 
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