Question / Help OBS peaking, is that an issue?

StuManDoo

StuManDoo

New Member
Hi,

So I have external audio equipment, XLR mic > Channel Strip > USB Audio interface.

At first I was trying to set my levels to -6 to -3 when recording, using Audacity to measure input levels, however I could clip doing that so I have no dialed back to -12. Even when I had my input levels to -3 on a local recording I would sound lower than other streamers that I watch.

So I enabled the Mic/Boost to 3 in OBS, this gives me a good level to where I am on par with what seems like the norm levels when watching other broadcasters. However on the audio bar in OBS my levels are peaking, they are not peaking in the external audio equipment and the recordings sound fine, however will this be affecting the audio in any way?

Should I use the mic level which is set to 100% and tone that down so that the bar in OBS is not peaking, or doesn't this matter?

Thanks and I hope this makes sense :-)
 
FerretBomb

FerretBomb

Active Member
Yes, you'll be clipping badly on-stream; OBS' mic multiplier is an internal gain setting.
Many streamers are dumb (or don't care) and just crank everything to 11, and clip like hell. Terrible practice.

Generally in OBS you want your mic level to be past the last tick-mark, without ever touching the end of the bar. I've found that system audio between 1/2-2/3 results in a good voice to game audio balance at that point, and produces the clean, non-clipping audio you really want.
 
StuManDoo

StuManDoo

New Member
Hi, Thanks for the input

After I posted this I have done some more testing via local recording in OBS, I have my channel strip set to -12db going into the PC to give me plenty of headroom and 0 added output gain from either the channel strip or the USB interface.

On my local recordings at 3 boost I do not audibly clip, even if I turn the gain down in OBS so that the mic meter is below the peak line I just sound lower. The quality does not change.
 
StuManDoo

StuManDoo

New Member
Further analysis,

I ran a test stream through the r-1.ch twitch analyzer and it came back that my audio was loud and close to peaking, maybe turn it down a little. My recorded levels were 0db, so I changed the mic boost to 2 and lowered the mic bar in OBS so that my voice was reaching around the last tick mark. However if I laugh or am otherwise really loud I can get the bar to go over.

My recorded voice levels at this volume were;

Your audio levels look good (level: -17.7942 dB, peak: -4.1187 dB).

This was at normal speaking volume, for me listening back I do sound lower than comparative streams, if I keep it like this am I asking for people to turn up their volume when listening to me ?

I am always looking to stay under 0db even if my volume is a little lower?
 
StuManDoo

StuManDoo

New Member
I have ended up going a little gain boost in both my mic and Windows audio after more tinkering around today. Only managed to record 30 mins due to amount of tinkering. The game I was playing, Mad Max crashed after 30 mins, not sure why as of yet.

I may have to lower game audio a little,

If anyone wants to take a listen and let me know what my levels are like I would appreciate it, still trying to get everything together settings wise.

http://www.twitch.tv/stumandoo/v/17073892
 
FerretBomb

FerretBomb

Active Member
Balance sounds fine, I'd actually say the game could be a bit higher if anything, but just a hair. It's at a good level and balance right now. You don't want the game to be whisper-quiet (like a lot of casters set it, to put the focus on their voice). Defeats a lot of the purpose of streaming a game, when you sledgehammer the audio design under the tank treads of a commentary.

More problematic is that your mic is picking up a serious acoustic bounce from something probably placed behind it. Why it sounds muddy and booms quite badly when your voice hits a resonance point with whatever it is. Also may be a reason you're peaking. You'll need to move it or the mic away and/or add some acoustic foam behind the mic to compensate. You can also try adding a low-cut filter, but that will mess with the mic's fidelity and is more of a band-aid than a fix.
 
StuManDoo

StuManDoo

New Member
Thanks a lot for the reply, really appreciate it.

It makes a lot of sense from what you are saying as I am sat in an alcove, there is already a 80HZ high pass running on the channel strip but I'm not sure that is the same thing. I don't really notice it myself listening back but that is probably because it is my own voice and I would have to hear it without.

My desk is a corner desk and my mic is right next to the left hand wall as shown in the horrific paint job, I could move the mic to the left hand side of the desk that is not directly onto a wall if you think that would improve the situation, however when looking at my setup do you think that acoustic foam is a must?

If I do go Acoustic foam do I need to go roof to ceiling or is a band around the middle at mic height?

Thanks again

Stu
 

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FerretBomb

FerretBomb

Active Member
Acoustic foam will help a lot, and is quite cheap if you don't go "studio grade". You might be able to put up a towel or other deadening material as a test, but really... foam is going to be needed, or moving where you're casting away from the hard surface. Even just some cheap eggcrate foam should help pretty massively, can get a big roll of it on Amazon for about $20.

Listen at this point in the video, every time you say 'worms' or make an M or N sound (lesser with an eh), you get a ridiculous amount of acoustic resonance bounce. Sounds like you're talking inside a drum. Picked this one as it happens a LOT of times in a row, so it's quite pronounced. If you can't hear it, I'm not sure how to make it clearer.
http://www.twitch.tv/stumandoo/v/17073892?t=8m30s
 
StuManDoo

StuManDoo

New Member
Yeah totally getting it now thanks for making it obvious for me, sound like something a subwoofer would create.

Looks like I will have to grab some acoustic foam then :-(

How high do you need to go with the foam? Could I get away with putting it at the level of the mic and a little above or do you need to go say from the desk to the top of the wall?

Thanks again
 

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FerretBomb

FerretBomb

Active Member
Trial and error. You're probably going to want around a three foot circle behind the mic centered on the mic (at a minimum, so 9 square feet/~1 square meter) but more/bigger is better. If you have an adjacent wall, you might need it there too; sound bounces a lot. Again, I'd recommend starting off with fluffy towels (spaced away from the wall a bit if you can) to test.
It's going to deaden your sound a bit, but neutral is vastly better than the boom.
 
StuManDoo

StuManDoo

New Member
Ok,

I have bought a 2.23m2 of acoustic foam in panels, I am thinking of going for the following;

Left wall 1 group of 4 panels
Main wall 2 groups of 4 panels
Right wall 2 groups of 4 panels
Two in corner of the wall as a bass trap

Hopefully this will go some way to eliminating the issue, from looking this up online I am seeing some spacing between panels rather than just filling the entire walls which would become expensive.
 
FerretBomb

FerretBomb

Active Member
Still have a lot of resonance there, on W and A. The reverb is still pretty noticeable... not as bad as it was, but very pronounced. Sounds a bit like you're talking into a cardboard box.
 
StuManDoo

StuManDoo

New Member
Thanks for the reply,

Before I did the test I could hear it when speaking there, certain bass of my voice just causes that resonance. I don't think adding more acoustic foam towards the top is going to make the situation any better I need to soak that bass up. Although it has made my audio cleaner with the foam I need the bass gone.

I'm thinking of trying to hang a duvet up in the top of the wall to see whether that will soak up the bass, then if that works looking to get some bass traps. The money I have spent on the setup at the moment seems wasted when I am basically the speaker in a subwoofer.
 
FerretBomb

FerretBomb

Active Member
What the foam is meant to do, and why you don't space it out. It acts as a barrier to deaden and block the bass both ways to, and from the resonating surface(s). Think of (and use) it like a shield for your microphone, and less like a general-area sound-sponge.

A duvet or down comforter could definitely help, especially if you have a way to preserve an airspace behind it.

I've been tempted to cut open a coffee can and line it with foam, and place it around my free-standing mic with the open side pointed toward where I'll be speaking from; even if it'd result in fairly 'dead' audio, it should strip the ambient quite well.
 
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