My mic is too low: how to fix it in Windows and OBS
Your mic isn't broken. It's almost certainly one slider in Windows, plus one filter in OBS if it's still quiet. Raise the Input volume in Windows first, then add a Gain filter in OBS until your voice sits in the yellow on the audio mixer.
Here's how it usually plays out. You stream for three hours, play the recording back, and your voice is a whisper under the game audio. Every callout, every reaction, every moment you'd want to clip is buried. It feels like a hardware problem, but most of the time it's a setting, and you can sort it in about five minutes. Nobody clips a whisper.
These steps are written for Windows 11 and OBS Studio. The classic Sound window in step 3 looks the same on Windows 10.
Fix it in five steps
- Make sure Windows is using the right mic. Open Start, then Settings, then System, then Sound. Under Input, pick your mic. If you've got a webcam mic and a headset, Windows can pick the wrong one.
- Raise the Input volume. Click your mic in that Input list, run the mic test while you talk at your normal stream volume, then play it back. If it sounds quiet, lift the Input volume slider and test again.
- Check for Microphone Boost. Right-click the speaker icon, open Sound settings, then More sound settings, then the Recording tab. Right-click your mic, choose Properties, then Levels. Some mics show a Microphone Boost slider. Plenty of USB mics don't, so if you can't see it, skip this step.
- Add a Gain filter in OBS. In the Audio Mixer, open the menu next to your mic (a gear or three dots, depending on your OBS version) and choose Filters. Click the plus, choose Gain, and start around +6 dB. Raise it in small steps. The meter reads after your filters, so you'll see the change straight away.
- Check the meter, then record a test. Talk normally. Your voice should mostly sit in the yellow, with only your loudest peaks touching the top of it. If it's hitting deep into the red, turn it down. Then record about 30 seconds and listen back with headphones.
What the OBS meter is telling you
The meter does the guessing for you. Green is quiet, yellow is where speech should live, and red means you're close to clipping. OBS puts yellow at -20 to -9 dB and red from -9 dB up, so -9 dB is your ceiling.
Still too quiet? Try these
- Move the mic closer. Distance changes your level more than most settings do, and it doesn't add background noise the way extra gain does.
- Hearing hiss after turning it up? Turning things up lifts the background too. Add a Noise Suppression filter in OBS, and move the mic closer instead of adding more gain.
- Boost missing or doing nothing? Try a different port, check the software that came with your mic, or open the mic's Properties, go to Advanced, and untick "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device". You can turn it back on if anything acts up.
- Quiet in Discord but fine in OBS? Discord and other apps have their own input volume. Check the voice settings inside the app.
What's in it for your clips
Fixing your mic gets your voice onto the recording. What happens next is the slow part. You've got hours of footage, and the ten seconds worth posting are buried somewhere in it.
That's the job TCG Machine does. It watches your MKV and MP4 recordings, finds your highlights, and turns them into vertical Shorts with titles, descriptions, and thumbnails. You review, change what you want, and approve before anything goes out. Captions start from what the recording can hear, so the clean level you just set up gives it better to work with.
You focus on the creative part, we bring it to life. It's in free beta now, so see how it works, check what it costs, or join the beta to get a key and the download.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my mic so quiet in OBS?
The level is usually set too low in Windows, in OBS, or in both. Raise the Input volume in Windows Sound settings first, then add a Gain filter to your mic in OBS and watch the meter.
How do I make my mic louder in OBS?
Add a Gain filter to your mic. Open the Filters window for the mic in the Audio Mixer, click the plus, choose Gain, and raise it in small steps until your voice sits in the yellow on the meter.
Why is my mic quiet in Windows 11?
Windows is often set to a low Input volume, or it's using a different mic than you think. Go to Settings, System, Sound, pick your mic under Input, run the test, and raise the Input volume slider.
Should I fix my mic level in Windows or in OBS?
Start with Windows, then fine tune in OBS. Windows sets how loud the mic is for every app, and the OBS Gain filter adjusts it for your stream and recordings.
How loud should my mic be in OBS?
Your voice should mostly sit in the yellow zone of the audio meter. OBS puts yellow at -20 to -9 dB and red from -9 dB up, so keep your loudest peaks around the top of the yellow and out of deep red.
What do the green, yellow and red mean on the OBS audio meter?
Green is quiet, yellow is the healthy range for speech, and red means you're close to clipping. In dB, OBS puts light green at -50 to -20, yellow at -20 to -9, and red from -9 to about -0.5.
What is the Gain filter in OBS?
It raises or lowers a source's volume in decibels. You add it from the Filters window on your mic, and because the meter reads after filters, you'll see the effect straight away.
How much gain should I add?
Start small, around +6 dB, and raise it in small steps. Stop when your voice mostly sits in the yellow, and back off if your peaks push deep into the red.
What is clipping, and how do I fix it?
Clipping is when the signal gets too loud and the audio distorts. If your peaks hit deep into the red on the meter, lower the Gain filter or the Windows Input volume until they come back down.
Why does my voice sound hissy after I turn it up?
Turning the mic up lifts everything it hears, including fans and room noise. Add a Noise Suppression filter in OBS, and move the mic closer instead of adding more gain.
Does mic distance matter?
Yes. Moving the mic closer raises your level and cuts down on background noise compared with your voice, so it often works better than extra gain.
Where is Microphone Boost in Windows?
It's on the Levels tab of your mic's Properties window, if your mic offers it. Right-click the speaker icon, open Sound settings, then More sound settings, then the Recording tab, right-click your mic and choose Properties.
Microphone Boost is missing. What do I do?
Your mic or its driver may not offer it, which is common with USB mics. Try a different port, check the software that came with the mic, or untick "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" in the mic's Advanced properties.
What is "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device"?
It's a setting in your mic's Advanced properties that lets an app take over the device. Unticking it is a common troubleshooting step when Microphone Boost is missing or does nothing, and you can turn it back on if anything acts up.
Why is my mic quiet in Discord but fine in OBS?
Discord and other apps have their own input volume settings. Open the voice settings inside the app and check the input volume there.
Why is my mic quiet on Twitch or Kick?
Viewers hear whatever OBS sends, so the fix is in OBS. Set your level with the meter, then do a short test recording and listen back before you go live.
How do I test my mic before streaming?
Record about 30 seconds in OBS and listen back with headphones. OBS also recommends recording a test session and listening back before you go live.
Do I need a new mic?
Usually not. Sort the levels and the mic distance first, and only look at new gear if it still sounds thin or noisy after that.
Does a quiet mic affect my clips and captions?
It can. Captions start from what the recording can hear, so a quiet or muddy voice makes them harder to get right.
Does TCG Machine fix my mic level?
No. TCG Machine works from your recordings, so you set your level in Windows and OBS first. After that it finds your highlights and cuts Shorts for you to review and approve.
Is TCG Machine out yet?
Yes, as a free beta, and it's open now: join the beta, confirm your email, and you'll get a key and the download link while places last.