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To lower game sound automatically while you talk, apply a Compressor filter to the game or desktop audio source you want to reduce, then select your microphone as the Sidechain/Ducking Source. [S1][S2] The microphone triggers the reduction, while the compressor lowers the audio source carrying the game sound. [S2]
That is the basic answer to “obs audio ducking game sound while talking.” OBS calls this sidechain compression, or ducking: it lowers desktop audio when you speak to make room for your voice over games or music. [S2][S4]
The important distinction is between the sound you want to hear less loudly and the sound that controls the change. For this setup, the game or desktop source is lowered, and your microphone supplies the trigger. [S2]
Start with the source carrying the game audio. The ducking compressor belongs on that source, not on the microphone supplying the trigger. [S2] If your game sound comes through Desktop Audio, that desktop source is the target for the compressor. [S2]
Check what else shares the selected source. Ducking acts on the source carrying the audio, rather than identifying the game separately inside a shared desktop mix. [S5] If alerts or other desktop sounds share that source, they are subject to its ducking too. [S5]
Before adjusting the compressor, ask whether you want that whole source lowered while speaking. A shared desktop source means the effect is not limited to the game alone. [S5]
As of October 2026, OBS documents the following sidechain settings as a place to start. [S1] Treat them as a starting reference for testing, rather than a finished mix: the documentation also directs you to adjust threshold and timing to control the effect. [S1]
Threshold determines the level at which compression begins, while ratio controls the strength of compression once that level is reached. [S3] OBS specifically recommends adjusting the threshold to control ducking strength. [S1]
Attack controls how quickly the compressor reaches full gain reduction after the signal exceeds the threshold. [S3] For ducking, this is how quickly the game audio drops when your voice triggers the compressor. [S1]
Release controls how quickly the compressor returns to no gain reduction after the signal drops below the threshold. [S3] In practical terms, it controls how quickly the lowered audio returns to full volume. [S1]
Output Gain raises the level of the compressed source, but OBS says not to apply output gain when using sidechain compression. [S1][S2] Keep this separate from threshold and timing adjustments when reviewing the documented setup. [S1]
Use a short local recording to check the result before treating the setup as finished. Listen for whether speech has room without making the game audio disappear. [S4] Include both talking and pauses so you can assess the lowering and return of the game sound. [S1][S4]
During speech, focus on the balance between your voice and the game. Ducking is intended to make room for speech by lowering the background source, not by lowering the microphone that triggers it. [S2][S4]
For more reading on HunterGamer, explore the mobile games category or the informational top-up guides hub.
Does the ducking compressor go on my microphone?
No. For this setup, place it on the game or desktop audio source you want lowered. Your microphone is selected as the Sidechain/Ducking Source that triggers the reduction. [S1][S2]
Which control changes how quickly game sound returns?
Release controls the return to no gain reduction after the triggering signal falls below the threshold. [S3] OBS describes it as how quickly the audio returns to full volume. [S1]
Will desktop alerts also become quieter?
If they share the desktop audio source being compressed, they are part of the source receiving the volume reduction. The ducking applies to that source, not just the game within it. [S5]
