Crisp voice, punchy game audio, zero clipping—that’s the dream. This guide walks you through the full streaming audio chain: hardware choices, clean routing, essential plugins, and reliable settings you can copy today. Whether you’re on a USB mic or a full mixer, you’ll find a setup that fits your budget and style.

Explore curated gear and plugin picks at ClassyMachine.store.

TL;DR chain cheat‑sheet

- Simple (plug‑and‑play):
  - USB mic → OBS filters (HPF, EQ, de‑esser, compressor, limiter) → Stream
- Hybrid (most streamers):
  - XLR mic → USB audio interface → OBS with VSTs → Stream
- Pro (routing control + consoles/dual‑PC):
  - XLR mic → Analog mixer (with USB or interface) → Hardware/Software processing → Mix‑minus/aux sends → OBS → Stream

Understand the signal flow

1. Capture: microphone picks up your voice.
2. Preamp + conversion: gain added; analog converted to digital (in an interface or mixer).
3. Processing: EQ, compression, de‑essing, gating, limiting.
4. Routing: send voice and game audio to OBS; send a “mix‑minus” to calls/teammates.
5. Monitoring: hear yourself and the game without echo or latency.
6. Output: clean mix to stream/VOD and a separate mix to chat/party if needed.

Microphones and gain staging

- Mic types:
  - Dynamic (great rejection, needs more gain): examples include broadcast‑style mics.
  - Condenser (more detail, more room sound): great in treated rooms.
- Gain staging (no distortion, no noise):
  1. Set interface/mixer gain so your speaking peaks hit around −12 dBFS in OBS.
  2. Leave headroom for hype moments; use a limiter to catch spikes.
  3. If you need a lot of gain on a dynamic mic, consider an inline preamp/booster.

Interface vs. mixer

- USB audio interface:
  - Clean preamps, simple, low latency.
  - Best for 1–2 mics and software routing in OBS/Voicemeeter/Loopback.
- Analog mixer (USB optional):
  - Faders/knobs for hands‑on control, multiple inputs (mic, console, music, calls).
  - Aux sends for mix‑minus (so your teammates don’t hear their own echo).
  - Slightly steeper learning curve; watch gain staging and USB return levels.

Route voice and game audio cleanly

- Windows:
  - Use per‑app audio routing in Windows Sound settings or tools like Voicemeeter.
  - Create “Game,” “Music,” and “Chat” virtual outputs and add them to OBS as separate sources.
- macOS:
  - Use BlackHole or Loopback to build virtual devices.
  - Route system/game to one device, chat to another; bring both into OBS.
- Mix‑minus (for Discord/party chat):
  - Send your mic and game to teammates.
  - Do not send their voices back to them. On mixers, use an aux send that excludes the chat return; in software, create a virtual bus that omits the chat input.

Core vocal plugin chain (copy these)

Add these in OBS (Filters → [+]) or any VST host. Start here, then fine‑tune while listening on closed‑back headphones.

1. High‑pass filter (HPF)
  - Purpose: remove rumble and mic stand bumps.
  - Start: 80–100 Hz, gentle 12 dB/octave.

2. EQ (subtractive first)
  - Cut muddiness: −2 to −4 dB around 200–350 Hz (Q ≈ 1.2).
  - Tame harshness: −2 to −3 dB around 2.5–4 kHz if your mic is bitey.
  - Presence boost (optional): +1 to +2 dB around 4–6 kHz.

3. De‑esser
  - Target sibilance: 6–8 kHz (men) or 7–9 kHz (women), threshold so “S” reduces 3–6 dB.

4. Compressor
  - Goal: consistent loudness without pumping.
  - Ratio: 3:1 to 4:1
  - Attack: 10–20 ms
  - Release: 60–120 ms
  - Threshold: set so normal speech compresses 3–6 dB
  - Makeup gain: bring post‑comp peaks to around −9 dBFS in OBS.

5. Noise gate or expander (light touch)
  - Threshold: just below your quietest speech breath.
  - Close: −40 to −45 dB; Open: −32 to −35 dB; Hold: 50–120 ms.
  - Prefer an expander for more natural tails.

6. Limiter (last in chain)
  - Ceiling: −1.0 dBFS
  - Set input gain so yelling never clips but stays under the ceiling.

Optional polish:
- Dynamic EQ: notch only when energy spikes (e.g., 250–300 Hz proximity effect).
- Subtle saturation: adds density; keep very low to avoid hiss.

Make game audio punchy but safe

- Game/music chain:
  1. High‑pass at 30–40 Hz to remove sub‑rumble.
  2. Gentle bus compressor: 1.5:1–2:1, 1–3 dB GR to glue.
  3. Limiter: ceiling −1 dBFS to catch explosions.

- Auto‑duck game under your voice (sidechain):
  1. Put a compressor on the Game bus.
  2. Sidechain/key it from your Mic.
  3. Start: ratio 3:1, attack 5–10 ms, release 150–250 ms, threshold so game drops 6–9 dB only while you speak.
  4. Goal: intelligible speech without manual fader rides.

OBS setup basics

- Sample rate: set everything to 48 kHz (interface, OS, OBS).
- Buffer/latency: 128–256 samples for live monitoring; increase if you hear crackles.
- Monitor styles:
  - “Monitor Off” for most sources; “Monitor and Output” only when needed.
  - Avoid monitoring your fully processed chain in open speakers (causes feedback).
- Filter order in OBS (per Mic):
  1) Noise Suppression (RNNoise/NVIDIA), 2) HPF/EQ (VST), 3) De‑esser, 4) Compressor, 5) Limiter.
- Per‑app sources:
  - Add Game Capture with its own audio source.
  - Add Chat app as a separate audio input capture (virtual device).
  - Keep independent faders for voice/game/chat/music.

Recommended free and reliable tools

- VSTs:
  - ReaPlugs (ReaEQ, ReaComp, ReaGate, ReaFIR) — flexible, lightweight.
  - TDR Nova — dynamic EQ.
  - LoudMax — simple brickwall limiter.
  - De‑esser options: Spitfish (legacy) or TDR Nova band keyed to sibilance.
  - Analyzer: Voxengo SPAN.

- Noise suppression:
  - RNNoise (built into OBS) — good quality, low CPU.
  - NVIDIA Broadcast/RTX Voice — excellent if you have a supported GPU.

- Virtual routing:
  - Windows: Voicemeeter (Banana/Potato), VB‑Audio Cable.
  - macOS: BlackHole, Loopback.

Mixer tips (if you go analog)

- Use an aux send for mix‑minus:
  - Aux send → Chat app input (virtual or physical).
  - Do not send the Chat return back to the aux.
- USB return:
  - Many mixers can bring PC audio back on a stereo channel; keep that channel muted from the aux to prevent feedback.
- Hardware dynamics (optional):
  - Light compression on the vocal channel (2–3 dB) for safety; still use a software limiter in OBS.

Console and dual‑PC streaming

- Console:
  - Console HDMI → capture card (video) + optical/line out if available (audio).
  - Route console audio to its own mixer channel or virtual device.
  - Send your voice to console party chat via mix‑minus (aux) if you talk in‑game.

- Dual PC:
  - Gaming PC → capture card on streaming PC.
  - Send audio via:
    - HDMI embedded audio,
    - USB interface loop,
    - Or NDI/virtual cable.
  - Keep a mix‑minus back to the gaming PC’s chat so teammates don’t hear themselves.

Common pitfalls and fixes

- Clipping on hype moments:
  - Lower preamp gain slightly; trust the limiter to catch peaks.
- Tinny or boomy voice:
  - Move 4–6 inches from the mic; adjust EQ cuts rather than big boosts.
- Latency echo:
  - Mute desktop monitoring or duplicate sources; ensure only one monitored path.
- Ground loop hum:
  - Use balanced cables (XLR/TRS), lift USB ground with an isolator if needed.
- Crackles/pops:
  - Increase buffer size, use a USB 2.0/3.x port directly on the motherboard, match sample rates.
- Inconsistent loudness between VODs:
  - Target integrated −16 to −14 LUFS for streams; keep true peak below −1 dBTP.

Quick‑start recipes

- USB mic + OBS only:
  1. Set mic level to peak around −12 dBFS.
  2. Add RNNoise → ReaEQ (HPF + mud cut) → De‑esser → ReaComp → LoudMax.
  3. Sidechain‑duck game audio with ReaComp keyed from the mic.

- XLR mic + interface:
  1. Gain to −12 dBFS, 48 kHz in OS/OBS.
  2. Same plugin chain as above; consider a light expander instead of a hard gate.

- Mixer + console/PC:
  1. Mic on channel 1, console on 3/4, PC on USB return.
  2. Aux 1 = chat send (exclude chat return).
  3. USB to OBS for capture; limiter in OBS last.

Pre‑stream checklist

1. Talk test: peaks −9 to −6 dBFS, no red, compressor hitting 3–6 dB.
2. Game explosion test: limiter catches peaks, no distortion.
3. Chat test: teammates hear you and game, not themselves.
4. Monitoring: no echo; lip‑sync within 1–2 frames.
5. Record 30 seconds locally; listen back on headphones.

Where to go next

Want an upgrade path tailored to your setup? Check out curated audio chains, VST bundles, and console/dual‑PC routing kits at ClassyMachine.store.