How to Get Best Sound When Streaming with One Mic

Other than using the best microphone for streaming, there are other ways how to make you sound great with just one mic when conducting a live stream. In this article, we will be sharing some simple tips so you can sound your best regardless of which streaming platform you are on.

Knowing the Optimal Position and Placement

When fixing your streaming setup, knowing where to position and place your mic is extremely important. Aside from making sure that it won’t block your face from the camera and situating it in a place that looks good in front of the viewers, the position and placement of a mic will determine the sound and speech clarity of your stream.

When positioning a mic using a microphone boom arm, it’s best to place it on either side of your desk. Other than preventing the mic to obstruct your view, positioning it on the side will also give you more desk space and allow you to angle the microphone close enough to your mouth for a clear sound pickup but at a distance where fewer plosives can be recorded.

If you plan on using a free-standing mic, then the optimal position is at least 6 to 12 inches away from your mouth for the same reason that fewer plosives can be picked up.

As for mic placement, it’s a best practice you first find the sweet spot of your room. Common sweet spots would be away from doors and windows to avoid picking up background noise from outside and away from any wind-noise appliances such as air conditioners and fans.

About sound waves and preventing the sound to bounce, set up your mic and streaming area in a rather small but empty room or one with plenty of space. This also helps in avoiding reverb from happening, which can be quite distracting for viewers watching the stream.

Configuring the Mic Settings

Adjusting the settings of your mic is one of the easiest ways how you can sound your best during a live stream. Not to mention this option also doesn’t require you to spend on anything unless you would like to purchase paid audio mixers.

For Windows

1. Connect your USB mic to the USB port of your laptop or desktop.
2. Once the microphone has been detected, open up the “Sound” menu.
3. Click on the “Recording” tab, right-click on the name of your USB mic, and select “Properties”.
4. Under the “Microphone Properties” menu, click on the “Levels” tab, and adjust the mic levels to somewhere between 70% to 80%.

For Mac

1. Connect your USB mic to the USB port of your laptop.
2. Once the microphone has been detected, open up the “System Preferences” menu.
3. Click on the “Speaker” icon. This should be labeled as “Sound”.
4. Under the “Sound” menu, click on the “Output” tab, and select the speakers you want as your default playback device.
5. Click on the “Input” tab and select your USB mic as the default device.
6. Adjust the balance slider to somewhere in the center.

Use OBS Filters

After connecting your mic to your laptop or choice of output device, you can now add OBS filters to help improve the sound quality of your audio streams. Do take note that for you to use OBS filters, you will need to install an audio mixer.

The first OBS filter that you can use is a compressor. This filter will allow your mic audio to sound balanced no matter the volume of your voice. The compressor filter can do this as it allows you to adjust the threshold and output gain of your mic.

The former will reduce the volume of your mic, which is useful whenever you make loud noises, be streaming loud gameplay, or are a clumsy person who tends to knock over a few things during a stream. This will prevent your mic from picking up loud sound sources that can be unpleasant for viewers. The latter will help your mic boost up the volume, which is useful if you have a rather soft voice.

The second OBS filter is the expander, which helps in lowering background noise and ambient sounds that may be picked up by your mic. This filter is especially useful when you don’t want the tapping of your keyboard or mouse clicks to be picked up by the mic.

The third OBS filter is the VST. This filter will make your voice sound more natural, which is ideal for content creators who like to stream lifestyle topics.

The fourth OBS filter is noise suppression. This filter will be useful for mics, especially entry-level models, wherein a hissing background noise can be heard. Said filter will help out in making you sound clearer.

Invest in Mic Accessories

One sure way to make a mic sound its best, whether it’s a USB mic or condenser mic, is to invest in microphone accessories. Although you will have to pay a bit more if these accessories are not included when you purchase your mic, these will make all the difference in the overall sound quality of your mic thus, improving how you would sound in your streams.

One of the most common noise protection filters for mics is the pop filter. Also known as a pop shield or pop screen, this accessory can reduce, if not eliminate, plosives. These are the popping sounds you would often hear from streamers when they record any speech-based content or do any singing as the fast-moving air coming out from their mouths would make “p” and “b” sounds.

To prevent any wind and breathing sounds to be picked up by the mic during a stream, then a windscreen should be used. A windscreen will act as the barrier between the mic and the gusts of air that may be coming from you or a nearby fan.

Final Note

Even if you own the best mic out there, knowing these tips can still greatly improve the overall sound quality of your stream and recording. Whether you choose to simply follow one or two of the tips above, you and your viewers would definitely hear all the difference.