Recording problem - beginner needs help

M

martinb

New Member
I'm totally clueless when it comes to audio, so I hope someone can help me with this. My goal is to record my myself as a cartoon character that I will use for a series of videos I'm producing. I followed a guide on YouTube and got it to work, at least partially.

Right now, I can only make recordings from anything that my laptop plays in the background. So I just record random YouTube videos with cartoon voices. The result is pretty decent, but there is quite a bit of background noise, which I assume can be improved on when I'm able to hear my own voice live. That's basically the main issue - that I can't hear a preview sound when configuring the plugins (Gform and Auburn – not sure if I even need both, I just followed a guide on Youtube). I will have to adjust the settings, then make a recording and listen to it. Then back to fiddling with the settings. Would be much easier if I could hear myself live while configuring.

I don't have a microphone yet, but I assumed I could just use the laptop microphone just for testing purposes. Not sure why I can't – although I'm pretty sure it's something trivial, like when you can't turn on the TV and discover you forgot to plug it in.

Guide I used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXpviWkHsKI
 
Configure your laptops mic as mic/aux source in the generial->audio settings, if not done already.
You will need headphones/earphones now!
That headphones (while plugged in) need to be configured as your monitoring device in the main settings, too.
At this point you should hear your desktop audio thru the headphones.
No go for the mix/aux track in the obs audio mixer, do right-click on the gear-icon and go into the advanced audio properties.
Then (only with headphones plugged in) you can switch them from "output only" to "monitor+output".
Then you should hear your mic over the headphones too!

Then insert your FX plugins into the filter section of the mic: Right-click onto the mic/aux track -> filters -> add -> vst-plugins...

Disclaimer: Don't try without headphones. Otherwise you earn a really nasty and possibly loud feedback.
 
Thanks! Do you mean under File > Audio > Global audio devices ? Under mic/audio headphones are not available as an option. I was able to set headphones as the monitoring device though and do the rest of the steps. It appears to be working now - I can hear myself through the headphones and record and everything - so thats great - but there is terrible background noise. Is that due to me not having a mic?

I still don't see the headphones as a global audio device option, but maybe that´s not important now that it appears to work.
 
Do not mix-up mic/aux and headphones in mind. Please read what i wrote.
But you're on a good way.

Regarding the mic:
You do have one. Its the laptop internal mic you use at the moment. And yes, these little pinheads (built into the laptops housing) can't be that good and low-noise like good external ones. :)
 
Oh, yes I read your last post wrong - thanks for pointing that out :) So I guess it´s all set up correctly now. Now I just need an external mic. Any suggestion on a decent quality one that´s not extremely expensive? I´m just looking to reduce the noise and get a nice sound, it doesn´t have to be professional level equipment.
 
I only have profesisonal ones... =D
To be serious: Look around in the field of podcasting equipment. It's not as expensive as studio equipment but should work viable. Maybe a mic boom is reasonable supplement for you, if you are willing to produce more often.
Just use aunt google for things like "podcast mic test".
 
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