limiter settings voice – Alan Spicer – YouTube Certified Expert

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Written by Alan Spicer

YouTube Certified Expert (Audience Growth, Channel Management, Content Strategy)
YouTube & Digital Media Consultant (including work with Coin Bureau brands)
Built repeatable growth systems across multiple channels (including 0→20k in 2 months and 15k→100k in 8 months)
Recipient of 6× YouTube Silver Play Buttons

My bias: a noise gate is a clean-up tool, not a “fix bad audio” button. If your room noise is loud, a gate just makes it start/stop (which can be more annoying). Placement + levels first, gate second.

How to Set a Noise Gate for YouTube (UK) Without Cutting Off Words

A noise gate is meant to mute the mic when you’re not speaking — handy for PC fans, distant traffic, and low-level hiss. But set it wrong and you get the classic YouTube problems:

first syllables chopped off (“…ello everyone”)
ends of words clipped
choppy, on/off audio that sounds “cheap”

This guide gives you a simple setup that works for most creators — plus the exact tweaks that stop it eating your words.

Jump to:

Quick answer / TL;DR ·
Watch the quick demo ·
Related searches ·
60-second decision tree ·
What a noise gate actually does ·
Do this before you touch the gate ·
Noise gate settings (Threshold, Attack, Hold, Release) ·
OBS filter order ·
Real-world example settings ·
When a noise gate is the wrong tool ·
Comparison table ·
Common mistakes ·
What not to do ·
Who this is not for ·
Gear links ·
Related reading ·
FAQs

Quick answer / TL;DR

To set a noise gate without cutting off words: set your mic levels first, then set the gate threshold just above your room noise (not near your speaking level). Use a fast-ish attack, a short hold, and a smooth release so it opens quickly but closes gently. If your first syllables are missing, lower the threshold or speed up attack. If your endings get chopped, increase hold/release.

Watch the quick demo (from my channel)

Video pick: these two reinforce the two biggest reasons gates fail: creators don’t set capture properly first, and they try to “filter” their way out of bad audio instead of fixing the source.

Watch on YouTube

The 60-second decision tree

First syllables missing → lower threshold OR faster attack (or both).
Ends of words cut off → add hold + longer release.
Gate “chatters” open/closed → threshold too close to speaking level; move mic closer and lower gain.
Room noise is loud → a gate will sound obvious; fix room/placement first.
Noise exists while you speak → gate won’t remove it; you need placement, room control, or light suppression.

What a noise gate actually does (plain English)

A noise gate mutes audio when the signal is below a set level (threshold). When you speak, your voice goes above the threshold and the gate “opens”. When you stop, it “closes” again.

That’s why a gate is brilliant for silence between sentences… but terrible for removing noise under your voice. If you can still hear the fan while you’re talking, the gate can’t help — because your mic is open.

Do this before you touch the gate (most important)

If you skip this, you’ll end up with choppy audio and blame the gate.

Move the mic closer (often 15–25cm is a strong starting point)
Lower gain so you’re not amplifying the room
Speak past the mic slightly (off-axis) to reduce harsh airflow

These two posts plug directly into this step:

Noise gate settings (Threshold, Attack, Hold, Release)

Step 1: Find your room noise level

Stay silent for 5–10 seconds and watch your meter. That’s your “noise floor” (fan, PC hum, distant traffic).

Step 2: Set the threshold just above that noise

Set the threshold slightly above your noise floor — not near your voice level. If the gate only opens when you speak loudly, the threshold is too high.

Step 3: Dial in Attack / Hold / Release (the part most people miss)

Attack = how fast the gate opens once you speak. Too slow chops first syllables.
Hold = how long it stays open after you drop below threshold. Too short chops word endings.
Release = how gently it closes. Too fast sounds “on/off” and obvious.

Safe starter feel (works for most YouTube voice):

Attack: fast-ish (opens quickly)
Hold: short (keeps endings intact)
Release: smooth (closes gently)

Quick fixes:

If “hello” becomes “ello” → lower threshold and/or faster attack
If “thanks for watching” becomes “thanks for watch…” → increase hold and/or longer release
If it opens/closes during normal talking → threshold is too high OR your mic is too far away

OBS filter order (so your gate behaves)

Filter order matters because compression changes levels (and can force the gate to open when it shouldn’t).

For most creators, this is a safe order:

Noise suppression (only if needed, keep it light)
Noise gate (removes noise between sentences)
Compressor (gentle consistency)
Limiter (final safety net)

Important: if you compress heavily, you raise quiet details (including room noise) and your gate becomes harder to set cleanly. Keep compression calm.

Real-world example settings (so you’re not guessing)

Scenario	What it sounds like	Best fix	Gate tweak
PC fan is quiet	Low hum in silent gaps	Move mic closer, lower gain	Low threshold, gentle release
Keyboard noise	Clicks between sentences	Mic position + distance from keyboard	Gate helps between phrases
Traffic / neighbours	Random louder noise	Room choice + timing + placement	Gate can “pump” (often not ideal)
Echoey room	Room sound around your voice	Soft furnishings + closer mic	Gate doesn’t fix noise under voice

When a noise gate is the wrong tool

A gate is great for constant low noise between sentences. It’s the wrong tool when:

Your room noise is loud (the gate will sound obvious)
The noise happens while you speak (a gate can’t remove it)
You’re in a very echoey room (you’ll gate the tails and it sounds unnatural)

If that’s you, these guides will help more:

Noise gate vs noise suppression vs “do nothing”

Option	Best for	Trade-off
Noise gate	Cutting quiet noise between sentences	Can sound choppy if set too high
Noise suppression	Constant low background noise	Can sound watery/robotic if pushed
Fix placement & levels	Most creators, most rooms	Takes 10 minutes of testing

Common mistakes (what I see a lot)

Threshold too high → gate only opens on loud speech, chops syllables
No hold / tiny release → endings of words clipped, “on/off” sound
Mic too far away → you raise gain, noise floor rises, gate becomes impossible to set cleanly
Trying to gate away loud noise → it turns into “noise on / noise off” instead of “clean audio”

What not to do (trust builder)

Don’t use a gate as your main noise solution. Fix placement and gain first.
Don’t chase perfect silence. A tiny bit of room tone is fine if your voice is clear.
Don’t stack heavy suppression + heavy compression + aggressive gate. That’s how you get watery, pumping, unnatural audio.

Who this is not for

ASMR creators (you’re intentionally capturing mouth/room detail)
Music vocal production and mastering workflows (different goals)
Creators recording in very loud environments (solve the environment first)

Gear links

Core audio pillar:

Sound better on YouTube without a treated studio (UK)

Most relevant supporting posts:

Creator Gear hub:

Creator Gear hub

Amazon UK searches (tagged so the session is credited):

FAQs (People Also Ask style)

What is a noise gate and what does it do?

A noise gate mutes your mic when the signal drops below a threshold. It’s best for removing low-level noise between sentences, not noise under your voice.

Why is my noise gate cutting off the first word?

Your threshold is too high and/or your attack is too slow. Lower the threshold and use a faster attack so the gate opens immediately when you speak.

Why does my noise gate cut off the end of words?

Your hold is too short and/or release is too fast. Add a short hold and a smoother release so it closes gently after you finish speaking.

What are good OBS noise gate settings for voice?

Start by setting threshold just above your room noise, then use a fast-ish attack, short hold, and smooth release. Fine-tune based on whether beginnings or endings are clipped.

Should I use a noise gate or noise suppression?

Use a gate for quiet noise between sentences. Use light suppression for constant background noise. If noise is loud or echo is bad, fix the room/placement first.

Where should the noise gate go in my OBS filter chain?

Typically after light suppression and before compression. Compression changes levels and can make a gate harder to set cleanly.

Why does my gate keep opening and closing while I talk?

The threshold is too close to your speaking level, often because your mic is too far away and gain is too high. Move the mic closer and lower gain.

Can a noise gate remove background noise while I’m talking?

No. When you speak, the gate is open. A gate only removes noise when it’s closed (between sentences).

How do I stop keyboard noise on my mic?

Move the mic closer to your mouth, reposition it away from the keyboard, reduce gain, and use a light gate for gaps — but don’t rely on the gate alone.

What’s the quickest way to fix choppy OBS microphone audio?

Lower your gate threshold, increase hold/release, and reduce over-processing. If your mic is far away, move it closer and lower gain.