Tutorial: Eliminate Background Noise in OBS with Krisp - A Noise Canceling App

In the world of content creation, audio quality plays a vital role in captivating your audience. Unwanted background noise can distract listeners and diminish the impact of your message. That's where Krisp audio comes to the rescue. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore what Krisp audio is and how it can revolutionize your audio experience. Whether you're a podcaster, YouTuber, streamer, or any type of content creator, Krisp is the tool you need to achieve crystal-clear sound. Additionally, I'll provide a detailed tutorial on installing Krisp and integrating it seamlessly with OBS for flawless audio output.

Getting perfect audio in OBS can be challenging due to various factors, including hardware configuration, software settings, and audio source quality. Background noise has been my worst enemy. From noisy computer fans to loud air conditioning, I've lost some of my best content because of it. These sounds can be disruptive or distracting, reducing the overall quality of your desired content. Want to know how you can easily eliminate these sounds? Keep reading.

Krisp is a software application developed by Krisp Technologies, Inc. It is designed to remove background noise from audio. Krisp uses advanced machine learning algorithms to distinguish between human speech and background noise, allowing it to filter out unwanted sounds such as traffic noise, barking dogs, keyboard typing, and more.

Krisp works as a virtual microphone and speaker driver that sits between your physical microphone and the communication application you are using, such as Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or any other voice or video conferencing tool including OBS. It can be used on both Windows and Mac operating systems.

This application can be particularly useful in noisy environments or when using low-quality microphones. Krisp can be enabled or disabled with a simple toggle switch within the communication application, allowing you to control when the background noise suppression is active.

How to install Krisp and enable it in OBS

Step 1

Download Krisp

Step 2

Locate the Krisp.exe file that was downloaded and click on it to begin the installation

Step 3

Follow the prompts in the installation wizard (you will need to sign in or create a Krisp account)

Step 3

Open the Krisp app and click on the Microphone dropdown menu to select the microphone you want to capture audio from

Krisp Application Interface

Step 4

Open OBS > File > Settings > Audio > Click on the Mic/Auxiliary Audio field > Select Krisp from the dropdown menu > Apply > OK

That's it! Krisp is now working in conjunction with OBS to eliminate background noises.

Important Notes on How Krisp Handles Music and Other Audio Sources

Krisp may not be the best option in certain scenarios. If there are multiple people talking at once into the same mic, background music, or any other audio being played from a speaker the audio can sound distorted.

This distortion can occur due to the way these filters analyze and process the audio signal.

Background noise suppression algorithms work by identifying and attenuating sounds that are below a certain threshold, considering them as noise. While these filters are effective at reducing or eliminating unwanted background noise, they can sometimes treat certain elements of music as noise as well, leading to distortion or artifacts in the audio. Multiple audio sources using the microphone at varying tones and distances away from the equipment will cause this distortion.

If you want to play music or any other audio out loud it needs to be captured as a separate clean source in OBS. You'll have to wear headphones or earbuds if you still want to hear the audio for yourself. You can follow my tutorial on how to separate audio sources here.

If multiple people will be using the same microphone, take turns speaking at the same distance from the microphone. Otherwise, you may want to disable Krisp in these situations or try using a different microphone. A headset or a lavalier microphone that is closer to your mouth when you speak may help Krisp determine the difference between your voice and background noise easier.

A tip for my spicy content creators, Krisp may not pick up "schlick schlick" or ambient noises pertinent to adult entertainment 😉 If this is relevant to the content you're creating, you may want to disable Krisp and try other noise suppression methods. For example, vibrator noises, sighs, breathing, and anything similar to that could be suppressed.

OBS has adjustable audio filters that could produce a better result, although may be more complicated. You'll need to familiarize yourself with these filters and how they operate. To access these filters, click on the 3 dots next to an audio source in OBS. Choose "Filters" from the menu that appears. Then click the "+" button to browse through the available filters.