Question / Help Static/Fuzz noise of audio during recording

[voidpointer]

Using OBS version 22.0.2 on Windows 10 x64. My audio device is a Sound Blaster X G5. I have enabled advanced settings, and for recording settings:

* Audio -> Sample Rate: 48khz
* Output -> Audio tab -> Track 1-6 Audio Bitrate set to 320

Under Output -> Recording tab, I use NVENC H.264 for my encoder. Not sure if this impacts audio.

It's difficult to describe the sound, but it sounds like that metallic fuzz/static, especially audible when you hear voices. To me it sounds like an artifact of high compression, or low bitrate. However, I have it set to 320 bitrate, which I assume affects recording. Note that I am not streaming at all.

Why is the audio quality so poor for recordings? Is there a way to improve it to eliminate the audio artifacts?

 

[DEDRICK]

The default AAC encoder isn't the greatest but at 320Kbps you shouldn't be hearing the "twang" of compression. Either way, try the CoreAudio AAC encoder and see if you still have issues.

You will need 7zip and a 64bit installer of I-Tunes or Quicktime.

Open the installer in 7zip, extract AppleApplicationSupport64.msi
Install AppleApplicationSupport64.msi , that's it, you now have the superior CoreAudio AAC in OBS and OBS will use it by default.

https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/obs-studio-enable-coreaudio-aac-encoder-windows.220/

One thing to note though, if your recording is set to "Use Stream Encoder", on your Stream tab you cannot have "Enforce streaming Service encoder settings"

Having this on will limit you to 160Kbps

 

[voidpointer]

I don't see an option anywhere called "Use Stream Encoder"... where is this?

 

[DEDRICK]

That was just a note, only if you were "Use Stream Encoder". Use stream encoder is how you record videos at the same quality as if you were streaming. Not applicable but some people set up the stream encoder to do high quality recording and set Recording to "Use Stream Encoder", it's the lazy way to do it.

 

[voidpointer]

Thanks. I did a quick test with the new encoder and it sounds crisp and amazing. I'll do some more recordings to check for consistency, but so far I'm able to tell a difference right away.

Would be nice if this DLL could be shipped with OBS for posterity

 

[DEDRICK]

They can't because it is an Apple codec, best they can do is let you use it if you have it installed