OBS Recording Unclear and Quieter Audio

[EverydayAden]

I'm having an issue with how OBS records audio. I noticed that, for some reason, OBS seems to record audio that is worse in quality than what I am hearing in my games while playing. It's a bit quieter and just seems to be far less clear than I think it should be. When I used something like Windows 10 Game Bar to record, however, the audio sounds fine in the recording and seems to be far more exact and solid compared to OBS.

I have included two videos in Google Drive links as an example if it helps for comparison. Tell me if there's a problem with the links I sent.

OBS recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10kZ_ws6qoO_dCk2fjMwkq6DQi7vaPWp8/view?usp=sharing

Windows 10 Game Bar recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B12zJ5wj2MQLAd6e5lCvYe7op8LWkazZ/view?usp=sharing

I have just reinstalled OBS Studio and I have already gone through the Auto Configuration Wizard. I have changed no other settings.

Is there any way to be able to record better sounding audio that sounds more clear like Game Bar does?

Log file: https://obsproject.com/logs/xhghB5QILVhN-W-K

 

[carlmmii]

OBS is reporting an issue initializing the desktop audio device selection, most likely because of updated ID across different windows updates. Try selecting the device specifically for your desktop audio device in audio settings (don't use "Default").

 

[EverydayAden]

Alrighty, so I've changed both the "Desktop Audo" setting and the "Monitoring Device" setting to my desktop audio device instead of the default, but I'm still having similar results. The audio is still the same. Am I changing the wrong settings?

I have circled the settings that I've changed in the screenshot I've attached to this reply.

 

[carlmmii]

That's the right setting. The OBS report could be a red herring -- could you post a log file now that you've changed it?

Just to be sure though, check your communication setting:

Windows settings -> System -> Sounds -> Sound Control Panel

Go to the Communication tab, make sure "Do Nothing" is selected.

 

[EverydayAden]

Here's the next log file: https://obsproject.com/logs/gBLG4HEoEo2ke_6Y

I have changed the setting that you told me to "Do Nothing" but I'm still seeing the same results. Before it was set to "Reduce the volume of other sounds by 80%"

I attached another screenshot just in case. Is this the correct setting?

 

[carlmmii]

That is the correct setting, and it looks like the audio device initialization issue is resolved.

I notice you've changed quite a few monitoring settings... just to make sure, does this behavior exist when all monitoring is disabled? There's a safeguard in OBS to prevent feedback when desktop audio is monitored.

Also, set OBS's audio sample rate to 48,000hz under audio settings (to match your desktop/mic sample rate).

 

[EverydayAden]

If I remember currently, the monitoring settings were already there after I went through the audio configuration wizard, but I could be wrong. Which settings exactly do I need to change?

 

[carlmmii]

Gear icon in mixer -> Advanced Audio Settings. Change the monitoring setting for each source to "Monitor Off".

 

[EverydayAden]

I have done this and my audio still sounds the same.

I have attached another screenshot. Does this look right?

 

[carlmmii]

Yes, that's correct. Honestly, I'm at the end of my knowledge of what could be the issue. :(

 

[EverydayAden]

Ah, I see. Well, if that is the case, I still really do appreciate the help and you've provided a lot of useful information to me, so thanks a bunch.

Additionally, I know that Nvidia Geforce Experience also installs some sort of audio driver when you update your graphics driver, but I'm unable to see this in any sound settings. Just thought that was worth mentioning, but I'm not sure if this is able to be switched to in OBS somehow.

 

[bunbunnypori]

Ah, I see. Well, if that is the case, I still really do appreciate the help and you've provided a lot of useful information to me, so thanks a bunch.

Additionally, I know that Nvidia Geforce Experience also installs some sort of audio driver when you update your graphics driver, but I'm unable to see this in any sound settings. Just thought that was worth mentioning, but I'm not sure if this is able to be switched to in OBS somehow.

hi!! I know I'm super late but I made an entire account just to reply to this LOL.. If you haven't fixed it already, here's one way to fix it. First, go to Edit > Advanced Audio Properties > for your Desktop Audio, there is a volume selector kinda thing. Tick the box that has the % sign and set the volume to 2000%. After that, on your main screen on the Audio Mixer, the Desktop Audio mixer will show up. On the far right, click the cog(settings) of the Desktop Audio one, and select Filters. In the bottom left, click the + button and choose 'Gain' (then name it whatever or keep it as Gain). Then a slider will come up to choose what gain to set it to. Depending on how quiet your audio is showing up, you can increase the Gain to make it louder. But PLEASE for the love of god don't crank it up all the way to +30dB gain like I did because you WILL have a heart attack as the recording will play back EAR R*PE. For me I set it to around only +6dB gain, and it was around the right volume. And that's literally it :DD I hope this helped in some way.

 

[invisiblade]

I found a solution for me after it randomly stopped recording decent volume one day (was excessively quiet).

Apparently you want OBS volume set in the Volume Mixer (Windows). Right click on the volume/speaker in the system tray, and go to Volume Mixer. Set OBS to have the same volume as everything else (even tho it's not actively making sounds).

Alternatively, go to Sound Settings -> App volume and device preferences ; and set OBS to the same 100 as everything else

 

[nooburu]

hi!! I know I'm super late but I made an entire account just to reply to this LOL.. If you haven't fixed it already, here's one way to fix it. First, go to Edit > Advanced Audio Properties > for your Desktop Audio, there is a volume selector kinda thing. Tick the box that has the % sign and set the volume to 2000%. After that, on your main screen on the Audio Mixer, the Desktop Audio mixer will show up. On the far right, click the cog(settings) of the Desktop Audio one, and select Filters. In the bottom left, click the + button and choose 'Gain' (then name it whatever or keep it as Gain). Then a slider will come up to choose what gain to set it to. Depending on how quiet your audio is showing up, you can increase the Gain to make it louder. But PLEASE for the love of god don't crank it up all the way to +30dB gain like I did because you WILL have a heart attack as the recording will play back EAR R*PE. For me I set it to around only +6dB gain, and it was around the right volume. And that's literally it :DD I hope this helped in some way.

And I've made an account here just to say THANK YOU for providing such easy to follow instruction. You really saved me so much digging and hair pulling :D. It works very good now, I can hear the desktop sound perfectly in my recordings. So thank you once again for taking the time to share this info. Much appreciated.

 

[FatahBisa]

hello! if anyone that were looking at these problems in windows 11 and the fixes above didnt work, maybe try this one: open setting, go to system > sound, scroll down until u find more sound setting. click that. when u opened a tiny window, stay on playback and right click on what device u were using (for me the headset). go to properties and go to advanced. tick off enable audio enchantments!

been losing my mind looking for the fixes and hopefully this one help!

 

[Not Bob]

And I've made an account here just to say THANK YOU for providing such easy to follow instruction. You really saved me so much digging and hair pulling :D. It works very good now, I can hear the desktop sound perfectly in my recordings. So thank you once again for taking the time to share this info. Much appreciated.

Just want to add my thanks as well to @bunbunnypori.

 

[Revup67]

I'm reading this several years after the post. I too had low volume. Increasing the % to 2000% as suggested introduced a lot of extra noise in both mike channels. I aborted this option (though it worked) and returned the value to about 95% but opted to add an Audio Filter called "Gain" which comes with the latest version at this time of OBS. I increased the Gain level to 18db. This eliminated the added noise and kept the microphones quiet but offered the extra Volume that was needed on the Audio Input (recording).
Simply right click on your Audio source, choose Filters, click the + sign at the bottom and choose "Gain" test at 5, 10, 15 etc until you find what's right for you. The Gain filter is shown below as an insert.
None of this existed in earlier versions of OBS thus I am unsure why this concept was introduced by the developers.

 

[Andy Miira]

In my case, installing the win-capture-audio OBS plugin and using its new source "Application Audio Capture" fixed my low desktop audio volume issues!

win-capture-audio

An OBS plugin similar to OBS's win-capture/game-capture that allows for audio capture from a specific application, rather than the system's audio as a whole. This eliminates the need for third-party software or hardware audio mixing tools that...

obsproject.com