Question / Help How to turn off built-in autogain in OBS?

[axl559]

hi all
I'm using OBS Studio 22.0.2 64-bit on windows 7 and EMU 0404 USB as soundcard.
When i trying to record video or translation all background noises from my harware mixer in quiet places became very loud. When the sound reappears the noises become barely audible. All filters are off.
I have already studied all the settings for 20 times.
What should I do to avoid this effec?. And others say that they have no such effect and there is no autogain in the OBS either.
I use other programs for recording and listening to sound, but this effect is only in OBS.
here is an example of this https://youtu.be/SPa_CjynhyU

Please help!!!

 

[Draco]

I'll just brain-dump on you to give some diagnostic steps first to gather idea's...

I've heard this issue before with some sound devices. It's almost like the card goes into a lower power mode when no (sound) data is being received which introduces a ton of line noise and whatnot (or it just picks up on that electrical noise instead since it has nothing better to do).

It has the same sound profile as a noisy USB bus or just simply dirty power from a device. Maybe the electrical feed powering the E-MU is also introducing noise? Maybe try putting it (and even the hardware mixer) on a power conditioner... or if you have a UPS, maybe roll it over to battery power temporarily by disconnecting it from the outlet and see if that noise still occurs.

But lets clarify:

The E-MU is being fed audio from the main outs on your "hardware mixer"? (What brand is your hardware mixer?) Does the noise go away when you disconnect those XLR (?) cables, separating your hardware mixer to your E-MU? When you leave the E-MU connected to the USB bus w/ power, does it still make the noise?

You also might also consider picking up a ground loop isolator for any connections going to the E-MU for whatever connections you're using if that's the initiator of this noise.

Either way, listen to it and try to find WHEN the noise occurs while connecting devices. Feeding a phone (that ISN'T charging) should be a clean signal for the most part, unless the phone or cables are just straight-up garbage. ;)

 

[axl559]

But the point is not where my noise comes from, but why he strengthens it. After all, music is also impossible to listen to, especially if it has a wide dynamic range. Quiet places are amplified, loud decrease.
The noise that is not heard on the recording during the music, it is simply amplified many times over. And after this amplification goes on and a sharp sound like landing a turntable needle on a record goes, there have been cases that the sound goes into some kind of endless overloading which is clearly software.

 

[Draco]

Well, thankfully it's not OBS and it all comes down to the audio interface/drivers/features.

With my experiences, it's just something that happens even on other input devices that I've come across. So minimize your noise floor, apply a noise gate/expander, or isolate its impact in other ways. Those are the best suggestions I have in regards to a fix.

 

[axl559]

But I every day record music in Adobe Audition on this equipment and there is no such effect.
For example, this audio recorded in Adobe Audiotion and mounted in the video in Sony Vegas: https://youtu.be/E0pXvIEIqMc
And this recorded in my beloved OBS: https://youtu.be/P0Y1PzsQ-F4
why such a difference though the equipment is one ?!
on the second, even the music floats, when in a quieter place a click from the vinyl passes

 

[Draco]

I see what you mean. It's quite a drastic difference indeed and I see how it's increasing in volume on OBS as opposed to Audition/Vegas... which again, makes no sense that it's happening like this.

Sounds like one of the developers would need to chime in at this point. Maybe one that has touched on the audio ingest subsystem code in some way. I'm sure, if anyone, Jim would be able to set things straight in knowing its behavior.

 

[axl559]

Sounds like one of the developers would need to chime in at this point. Maybe one that has touched on the audio ingest subsystem code in some way. I'm sure, if anyone, Jim would be able to set things straight in knowing its behavior.

Can you help to attract their attention?
Surprisingly, I know other people doing live music broadcasts in the OBS, including with noisy equipment (the equipment can't not to make noise, in fact) and they no have such problems. Therefore, according to the logic of things, I blame a bunch of OBS - EMU driver. But in order to give such an effect, some kind of forced sound processing must be built in, even if it is activated only when working with EMU (which is nonsense).

 

[Osiris]

OBS has no autogain. Did you check the windows audio settings yet? Specifically the Communication tab in your audio settings.

 

[axl559]

Yes thank you
there is a tick "do nothing"
I also looked at other settings, and sound card drivers
In general, I also have a suspicion that the capture of the input audio selects only a "Microphone {EMU 0404 USB]", while in other programs it is for example an "Analog Input". but it doesn't give anything else, "by default" gives the same effect

OBS has no autogain. Did you check the windows audio settings yet? Specifically the Communication tab in your audio settings.