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Stream Audio Chains: Why Your Mic Still Sounds Like a Potato

Let’s talk mic quality.

You spent $150+ on a mic, yet you still sound like you’re live from a potato inside a tin can on the moon.

Here’s why.

🔧 Problem #1: No Audio Chain

Your mic → OBS input → stream.

That’s it?

Congratulations, your mic sounds exactly like its raw input – harsh, peaky, and unprocessed.

💡 Solution: Basic Audio Chain Setup

  1. Noise Gate

  2. Removes background noise below a certain volume threshold.

  3. No one wants to hear your AC unit or your neighbor’s yappy dog.

  1. Compressor

  2. Levels out your volume.

  3. Loud screams won’t blow eardrums; quiet speech stays audible.

  1. EQ (Equalizer)

  2. Cuts muddy lows, boosts clarity in mids and highs.

  3. Makes your voice sound crisp instead of like you’re narrating underwater.

  1. Limiter

  2. Hard ceiling to prevent peaking distortion.

  3. The final bouncer in your audio chain nightclub.

🔧 Problem #2: Gain Staging

If your gain is too high:

  • Constant clipping and distortion.

If your gain is too low:

  • Noise floor sounds like a helicopter landing.

Set gain so you peak around -10dB to -6dB before processing.

💡 Problem #3: Bad Mic Technique

  • Talking too far = distant, tinny audio.
  • Talking too close without a pop filter = plosive city.

Stay within 2-4 inches of your mic with a filter in place.

🎬 Final Thoughts

Your mic is only as good as your setup and settings.

Because at the end of the day, you could have a Shure SM7B but if it’s run through trash settings, you still sound like a PS3 lobby kid with a Mad Catz headset.

Now excuse me while I go tweak my EQ for the 47th time this week.