NVIDIA Noise Suppression in OBS: How-To Guide

Learn how to enable NVIDIA OBS noise suppression for a clear microphone and remove background noise effectively.

NVIDIA Noise Suppression in OBS: How-To Guide

If you’ve ever recorded a video or streamed live on platforms like Twitch or YouTube, you know how distracting background noise can be. Thankfully, the NVIDIA OBS noise suppression feature is a game changer when it comes to producing clean audio. This guide will show you how to enable and optimise NVIDIA Noise Suppression in OBS, helping you get crystal-clear microphone input with minimal effort. We’ll also take a look at when you might want to use alternative methods for background noise removal and why.

Why Use NVIDIA Noise Suppression in OBS?

Having clear audio can make or break your stream or recording. Whether you are a streamer, content creator, or just recording a podcast, an echoing room, keyboard clicks, fans, or distant chatter often ruin the experience. Noise suppression technology helps reduce those distracting sounds.

Until recently, tools like OBS offered basic noise suppression filters that worked reasonably well but could struggle with complex sounds and often degraded voice quality. NVIDIA introduced a powerful AI-driven noise suppression feature in OBS leveraging its RTX GPUs to deliver much cleaner microphone input with less effort.

This new filter dramatically improves audio clarity by intelligently filtering out unwanted background noise, making it especially useful for creators with noisy setups who want to offer professional-grade audio with minimal post-processing.

What You Need Before Getting Started

Before diving into the setup, make sure you meet these prerequisites:

A compatible NVIDIA RTX GPU: NVIDIA Noise Suppression relies on Tensor Cores found in RTX 20-series, 30-series, or newer graphics cards. Older or non-RTX GPUs won’t support this filter.
OBS Studio Version 28.0 or Higher: The NVIDIA Noise Suppression filter was added in recent OBS releases. Update to the latest OBS to access it.
A microphone connected to your PC: You’ll need your mic plugged in and properly configured in OBS.
Windows 10 or 11 running on your PC.

If you don’t have an RTX GPU, don’t worry – OBS offers alternatives like RNNoise or Speex, which we’ll explore later.

Setting Up NVIDIA Noise Suppression in OBS: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Open OBS Studio and Add Your Microphone

First, launch OBS and verify your microphone is added as an audio input source:

In the Sources panel at the bottom, click the + button.
Choose Audio Input Capture.
Select your microphone device from the list and click OK.

You should see the audio levels moving when you speak into the mic.

Step 2: Access the Filters Menu

Now, to enable NVIDIA Noise Suppression:

In Sources, right-click your microphone input you just added.
Select Filters. This opens a new window showing existing filters on this source.

Step 3: Add NVIDIA Noise Suppression Filter

Inside the Filters window:

Click the + button under Effect Filters.
From the list, select Noise Suppression.
When prompted for the suppression method, choose NVIDIA RTX Voice from the dropdown menu. OBS might also show RNNoise or Speex as other options.
Click OK to add the filter.

Step 4: Configure the Noise Suppression Level

The filter presents a slider for suppression strength, typically from -30 dB to 0 dB (default is -30 dB, maximum suppression).

For quiet environments or minimal processing, a value around -15 to -20 dB may be ideal.
For noisy rooms, move towards -30 dB to aggressively remove background sounds.

Remember, heavy suppression may sometimes slightly muffle your voice, so test and adjust to find the sweet spot.

Step 5: Test Your Audio

Speak normally into the mic and watch the audio levels and listen carefully. If the background noise disappears and your voice remains clear, you’re set up perfectly. If your voice sounds unnatural or too quiet, reduce suppression a bit.

Why NVIDIA Noise Suppression Works Better

Unlike traditional noise suppression methods, NVIDIA’s feature uses AI and Tensor Cores on your GPU for real-time processing. This means it recognises and separates speech from noise with incredible precision, dramatically cutting down ambient noise while keeping your voice clear.

Compared to software-only suppression:

It’s less CPU intensive.
It doesn’t introduce annoying artifacts or distortion.
It handles various background noises like fans, typing, music, and chatter effectively.

For RTX GPU owners, this makes a huge difference in audio quality for both live streams and recordings.

When to Use Alternatives for Background Noise Removal

While NVIDIA Noise Suppression is impressive, it’s not always the best option. Here’s when to consider alternatives:

No Compatible RTX GPU

If your system lacks an RTX GPU, you can still use noise suppression filters like:

RNNoise: An open-source noise suppression method included in OBS, which uses neural networks but runs on the CPU.
Speex: A classical noise suppression approach that also works without RTX but is less sophisticated.

These are decent options but might not be as effective or natural sounding compared to NVIDIA’s solution.

Audio Quality Needs Beyond Noise Suppression

If your audio requires advanced processing like:

Noise gating (cutting audio below a threshold)
Advanced equalisation or compression
Reverberation removal

You might combine noise suppression with other filters and tools like ReaPlugs, RTX Voice standalone app, or third-party software like Krisp.

Extremely Noisy Environments or Non-Stationary Noise

NVIDIA Noise Suppression works well for steady background noise but fluctuating or sudden loud sounds (like pets or children) may still be audible. In such cases:

Use a dedicated hardware solution like dynamic microphones with physical noise rejection.
Apply noise gates or manually mute your microphone.
Consider dedicated noise cancelling hardware or acoustic treatment.

NVIDIA Noise Suppression vs RNNoise and Speex: Quick Comparison

Feature	NVIDIA Noise Suppression	RNNoise	Speex
Requires RTX GPU?	Yes	No	No
Processing Load	Low (offloads to GPU)	Moderate (CPU-based)	Low (CPU-based)
Audio Quality	Excellent, AI-driven	Good for open-source	Basic, can sound muffled
Effectiveness	Strong on steady & variable noise	Good for steady noise	Limited, less effective
Available in OBS	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ease of Use	Very easy to enable	Easy	Easy

For RTX GPU users, NVIDIA Noise Suppression is generally the best choice.

Pro Tips for Cleaner Audio in OBS with NVIDIA Noise Suppression

Use a decent microphone: Noise suppression can’t fix poor source quality. A good condenser or dynamic mic drastically reduces the need for heavy noise removal.
Position your mic properly: Close mic placement and using pop filters can reduce unwanted noise and breath sounds.
Test different suppression levels: Start at -20 dB and adjust while monitoring your actual environment and voice clarity.
Combine with noise gate: In OBS, adding a noise gate filter prevents very quiet background noise from being picked up.
Update drivers regularly: Keep your NVIDIA GPU drivers and OBS updated for optimal performance.
Consider room acoustics: Acoustic panels or foam can reduce reflections and echoes, complementing noise suppression filters.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if NVIDIA Noise Suppression is enabled in OBS?

Open your microphone source filters in OBS and ensure the Noise Suppression filter shows the “NVIDIA RTX Voice” option selected. You’ll also hear cleaner audio when speaking.

Can I use NVIDIA Noise Suppression without an RTX GPU?

No, this filter requires an RTX card with Tensor Cores. Consider RNNoise or Speex filters instead.

Does NVIDIA Noise Suppression add latency to my audio?

The filter runs in real-time with minimal latency, making it suitable for live streaming or video calls.

Will NVIDIA Noise Suppression remove all background noise?

It removes most steady and common noises like fans or keyboard clicks but may struggle with sudden loud noises.

Can I use NVIDIA Noise Suppression for music recording?

It’s primarily designed for voice. For music, dedicated audio interfaces and studio environments are better.

Where to Download and Pricing

OBS Studio: Free and open source, available from https://obsproject.com.
NVIDIA Drivers: Free via GeForce Experience or the NVIDIA website.
Hardware Requirements: NVIDIA RTX GPUs range from roughly $250 (for entry-level RTX 3050 cards) to over $1,000 for top-end RTX 4090 models.

If you already have an RTX card, you essentially get this noise suppression feature for free within OBS.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

NVIDIA Noise Suppression in OBS offers a simple, effective way to improve your microphone audio by removing unwanted background noise. If you’re a streamer or content creator with an RTX GPU, this feature is a must-have that requires minimal fiddling but delivers excellent results.

For users without RTX cards, OBS’s native RNNoise and Speex filters remain solid alternatives, though they might not match the quality or low CPU usage of NVIDIA’s AI-powered tool.

The best audio always starts with a good microphone and environment. Pair NVIDIA Noise Suppression with smart mic placement, noise gating, and acoustic treatment to elevate your streams or recordings to a professional standard.

Explore more guides on audio optimisation in OBS and discover how combining simple tools can transform your content today.

NVIDIA Noise Suppression in OBS: How-To Guide