Problem
Alert sounds are not ducked under dialogue and make guest conversations difficult to understand.
Solution
Root Cause / Diagnostic:
Unmanaged alert audio channels fight with active microphone frequencies when triggered during ongoing conversation. Without automatic audio ducking (sidechain compression), loud alert chimes mask the vocal presence of hosts and remote guests, making speech unintelligible.
Actionable Fix:
1. Apply Sidechain Ducking in OBS: On the alert audio source, add an OBS Audio Compressor filter configured with "Sidechain/Ducking Source" assigned to your primary Vocal/Mic Bus.
2. Dial in Precise Compression Parameters: Set Ratio to 5:1, Threshold to -28 dB, Attack to 1ms (instant drop), and Release to 600ms (smooth return after dialogue pauses).
3. Verify Frequency De-confliction: Use an EQ filter on the alert source to notch out frequencies between 1 kHz and 3.5 kHz where vocal clarity lives.
Pro Tip:
If using a hardware audio mixer (e.g., Rodecaster Pro or GoXLR), route alert audio to a secondary virtual fader with hardware auto-ducking mapped directly to Mic 1 and Mic 2.
Unmanaged alert audio channels fight with active microphone frequencies when triggered during ongoing conversation. Without automatic audio ducking (sidechain compression), loud alert chimes mask the vocal presence of hosts and remote guests, making speech unintelligible.
Actionable Fix:
1. Apply Sidechain Ducking in OBS: On the alert audio source, add an OBS Audio Compressor filter configured with "Sidechain/Ducking Source" assigned to your primary Vocal/Mic Bus.
2. Dial in Precise Compression Parameters: Set Ratio to 5:1, Threshold to -28 dB, Attack to 1ms (instant drop), and Release to 600ms (smooth return after dialogue pauses).
3. Verify Frequency De-confliction: Use an EQ filter on the alert source to notch out frequencies between 1 kHz and 3.5 kHz where vocal clarity lives.
Pro Tip:
If using a hardware audio mixer (e.g., Rodecaster Pro or GoXLR), route alert audio to a secondary virtual fader with hardware auto-ducking mapped directly to Mic 1 and Mic 2.