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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: most creators ruin their audio with “too much processing”. The goal isn’t to sound like a radio station. It’s to sound clean, consistent, and human.
Best Microphone Settings for YouTube (UK): Gain, Levels, Noise Gate, Compression
You can have a decent mic and still sound bad if your settings are wrong.
Creators usually get stuck in one of these loops:
- Mic too quiet → crank gain → you hear fan noise and room echo
- Mic too loud → peaks clip → audio gets harsh and distorted
- Too much filtering → voice sounds robotic / underwater
This guide gives you a practical “set it up once” workflow for YouTube voice — with sensible settings you can start with and then fine-tune.
Jump to:
Quick answer / TL;DR ·
Related searches ·
60-second decision tree ·
Fix order (what matters first) ·
Target levels (dB) for YouTube voice ·
Gain staging (the simple version) ·
Best filter order (OBS / common chains) ·
Noise suppression (use lightly) ·
Noise gate settings (when to use it) ·
Compression settings (starter values) ·
Limiter settings (stop clipping) ·
EQ settings (simple, safe moves) ·
Copy-paste starter presets ·
Common mistakes ·
What not to do ·
Who this is not for ·
Gear links ·
Related reading ·
FAQs
Quick answer / TL;DR
Best mic settings for YouTube: get the mic close (15–25cm), set gain so normal speech peaks around -12 dB to -6 dB (never hitting 0 dB), then add light processing: gentle noise suppression only if needed, a soft noise gate (optional), compression (ratio around 3:1 to 4:1), and a limiter around -1 dB to prevent clipping. Avoid heavy noise removal and extreme EQ — your voice should still sound like you.
The 60-second decision tree
- Audio is quiet → move mic closer, then raise gain slightly.
- Audio clips / distorts → lower gain, add a limiter at -1 dB.
- Noise between sentences → light suppression, optional gentle gate.
- Voice volume jumps around → add compression (3:1–4:1).
- Sounds underwater/robotic → you’re over-processing; reduce suppression/gate.
Rule of thumb: capture clean, then process lightly.
Fix order (what matters first)
Before touching filters, do this:
- Mic placement (distance, angle, repeatable position)
- Gain/levels (avoid clipping, keep healthy peaks)
- Room issues (echo and noise sources)
- Light processing (polish, not rescue)
- Mic placement for YouTube (UK)
- Stop background noise in your mic (UK)
- Reduce echo in a small room (UK)
Target levels (dB) for YouTube voice
You don’t need to obsess — you just need to avoid clipping and keep enough headroom.
| What to watch | Good target | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Normal speech peaks | -12 dB to -6 dB | Strong, clean signal with headroom |
| Loud moments peaks | -6 dB to -3 dB | Still safe, still clean |
| Clipping | 0 dB | Bad: distortion you can’t truly fix |
Simple rule: never let the meter hit red. If it does, lower gain.
Gain staging (the simple version)
Gain staging just means “set your input level correctly before you process it”.
- Speak at your normal on-camera energy (not whispering)
- Set input gain so peaks land around -12 dB to -6 dB
- Only then add processing (suppression, compression, limiter)
If you’re currently far from the mic, fix that first:
Best filter order (OBS / common chains)
If you’re using OBS or similar, this order is a sensible starting point:
- Noise suppression (only if needed, keep it light)
- Noise gate / expander (optional, gentle)
- Compressor (for consistent voice level)
- Limiter (final safety net)
Why this works: you reduce low-level noise first, then control dynamics, then catch peaks at the end.
Noise suppression (use lightly)
Noise suppression is useful for constant noise (fans, hiss), but it has a cost: too much makes voices sound “watery”.
Starter approach:
- Use just enough to take the edge off
- If your “S” sounds and breaths start warbling, back it off
- Don’t use suppression as your main fix — fix distance and gain first
Background noise fixes live here:
Noise gate settings (when to use it)
A noise gate closes the mic when you’re not speaking. It does not remove noise under your voice.
Use a gate if:
- Your background noise is consistent
- You want silence between sentences
- You don’t mind a little “tightness” in the sound
Avoid a gate if:
- You speak softly or vary your volume a lot
- Your noise is irregular (kids, neighbours, banging)
- It keeps cutting off word starts/ends
Gentle starter values:
- Close threshold: around -45 dB (adjust)
- Open threshold: around -35 dB (adjust)
- Attack: fast
- Release: slightly slower (so it doesn’t chatter)
Note: thresholds depend on your mic level. Use them as starting points, then adjust until speech opens reliably without chopping.
Compression settings (starter values)
Compression makes your voice more consistent: quiet parts come up, loud peaks come down.
Starter values for YouTube voice:
- Ratio: 3:1 to 4:1
- Threshold: set so compression happens on louder speech, not every breath
- Attack: short/medium
- Release: medium
- Make-up gain: only if needed (don’t reintroduce noise)
How to set threshold without overthinking: talk normally, then get slightly louder. You want the compressor to “work” more on the louder moments.
Limiter settings (stop clipping)
A limiter is your final safety net. It prevents sudden peaks from hitting 0 dB and clipping.
Simple setting: set the limiter ceiling to -1 dB.
This does not mean “make it loud”. It means “don’t let peaks ruin the recording”.
EQ settings (simple, safe moves)
EQ is where many creators accidentally ruin their voice. Keep it gentle.
Safe starting moves:
- High-pass filter: remove low rumble (careful not to thin your voice)
- Reduce muddiness: if your voice sounds boxy/boomy, a small cut can help
- Avoid huge boosts: big boosts create harshness and noise
If plosives are your problem, fix airflow first rather than EQ:
Copy-paste starter presets (simple and sane)
Preset A: “Normal home, mild fan noise” (most creators)
- Placement: 15–25cm, slightly off-axis
- Gain: peaks -12 to -6 dB
- Noise suppression: light
- Compression: ratio 3:1–4:1, threshold so it hits louder speech
- Limiter: ceiling -1 dB
Preset B: “Very noisy home” (last resort without building a studio)
- Mic choice: dynamic or lav (closer is king)
- Placement: as close as practical without plosives
- Noise suppression: moderate (test for robotic artefacts)
- Gate: gentle, only to clean pauses
- Compression + limiter: keep consistent and prevent clipping
Preset C: “Clean room, voiceover style”
- Noise suppression: minimal or off
- Compression: light to moderate
- EQ: gentle high-pass + small tweaks
- Limiter: -1 dB safety net
Common mistakes (what I see over and over)
- Using filters to fix distance. Filters can’t replace close mic placement.
- Setting a harsh noise gate. It chops words and makes you sound unnatural.
- Over-suppressing noise. The “underwater” sound is a dead giveaway.
- Recording too hot. If you clip, you can’t truly fix it.
- Boosting EQ too much. Big boosts bring up noise and harshness.
What not to do (trust builder)
- Don’t chase “radio voice”. Clean and consistent beats over-processed every time.
- Don’t crank gain and hope compression fixes it. You’ll compress noise too.
- Don’t use a gate to hide problems under your voice. It only affects silence.
- Don’t max out suppression. Your audience will hear the artefacts.
- Don’t ignore the room. Echo and reflections still matter.
Who this is not for
- High-end audio engineering chains for broadcast, voice acting, or music production
- Studio workflows with multi-mic setups and advanced routing
- Creators who want a one-click fix without addressing mic distance and gain
Gear links
Audio pillar:
Core fixes this connects to:
- Mic placement for YouTube
- Stop background noise in mic
- Stop plosives (popping P sounds)
- Reduce echo in a small room
Creator gear hub:
Amazon UK searches (tagged so the session is credited):
- Amazon UK: microphone boom arms
- Amazon UK: closed-back headphones (for monitoring)
- Amazon UK: pop filters
- Amazon UK: foam windscreens
- Amazon UK: USB dynamic microphones
Related reading (internal only)
- Sound better on YouTube without a treated studio
- Mic placement for YouTube
- Stop background noise in mic
- Stop plosives (popping P sounds)
- Reduce echo in a small room
- Dynamic vs condenser mic
FAQs (People Also Ask style)
What should my mic gain be for YouTube?
Set gain so normal speech peaks around -12 dB to -6 dB and never clips at 0 dB. If you need lots of gain, move the mic closer first.
What dB level should voice be recorded at?
A good target is speech peaks around -12 dB to -6 dB with enough headroom for louder moments. Avoid clipping.
What is the best filter order in OBS for a microphone?
A sensible order is: noise suppression (light), optional gate/expander, compressor, then limiter as a safety net.
Should I use noise suppression for YouTube?
Only if you need it, and keep it light. Heavy suppression can make your voice sound robotic or underwater.
Do I need a noise gate?
Not always. Gates only reduce noise when you’re silent. If it chops your words or sounds unnatural, skip it and focus on mic distance and gain.
What compressor settings are good for voice?
Start around 3:1–4:1 ratio and set the threshold so it compresses louder speech more than quiet breaths. Keep it natural.
What limiter setting should I use?
Set the limiter ceiling to around -1 dB to prevent sudden peaks from clipping.
How do I make my voice louder without clipping?
Move the mic closer, set gain properly, then use light compression. Don’t just crank gain and hope filters fix it.
Why does my mic sound robotic in OBS?
Usually because noise suppression and/or gating is too aggressive. Reduce those settings and rely more on close placement and correct gain.
What is the easiest way to get better YouTube audio?
Get the mic closer (15–25cm), set levels so you don’t clip, and use light compression and a limiter. Everything else is optional polish.
