Adding Compression and Noise Reduction to your Microphone in OBS
Most voice recording sounds better with a little bit of compression applied. It’ll make the quieter bits louder, and make the louder bits quieter. In addition, there’s usually a little bit of noise that is picked up even with the best of microphones. It’s just a fact of audio life. Thankfully OBS has two great filters that can be used in combination to great effect, first compressing your voice, and then adding a bit of noise reduction afterwards. I’ll show you how to do it, and the values that work well for me in this...
read moreRouting and monitoring Audio Sources in OBS
I’ve been struggling to route and monitor some of my audio sources in OBS. Thankfully I’ve found two essential tools that make this possible, and I thought I’d jot down some notes in case I forget. I’ll also touch on how to monitor audio properly without causing an endless loop by recording what you’re monitoring. The tools we need for ultimate success are: VB Audio Cable and Audio Router In principle, we use the latter to route a source into the VB-Cable (a virtual destination), then we pick up the VB-Cable...
read moreHow to add your Twitch URL to Reddit
I’ve been meaning to join Reddit about 20 years ago and never got round to it. Sadly my last name and site name are gone by now, but I finally managed to sign up – new for 2020 and all that. While I was there, I accidentally stumbled upon the option that lets you add your Twitch URL next to your user name. I had read how to do it recently, but it didn’t mean anything until I saw it. Here’s how it works. The option is not set on your user profile, but on the community, i.e. the Twitch Subreddit. You must join it first,...
read moreHow to start a Rerun on Twitch (2020)
I’ve heard good things about Twitch Reruns, but had no idea how to get the going. I found the upload option, but I thought it would be ridiculous to download my own stream, then re-upload it for a Premiere. Turns out Reruns are a new panel you have to add to the re-designed Broadcast Dashboard. Let me show you where to find it and how it works step by step (with screenshots, because I’ll probably forget a week from now). Head over to your Dashboard, or the “Stream Manager” as they call it as of 2019. You get there via...
read moreFlaky with a Capitol F: My Elgato HD 60 Pro review
I wanted a top quality capture solution for my PS3 and PS4 consoles, something that would last a few years and that I could use for high-quality HDMI capture of other devices too. I’ve had a cheap USB solution before and as you can imagine, the quality just wasn’t great. I finally bit the bullet and purchased an ELGATO HD60 Pro. This is a PCI-e card with a dedicated video encoder, HDMI in and out, and from what the sales brochure tells you, it’s the proverbial Dog’s Bollocks. I’ve had it for several months now...
read moreHow the Playstation 4 dynamically regulates its streaming bitrate
I’ve been having some trouble with my internet connection lately. Up until two weeks ago I had an upload speed of about 20-25 Mbps, but since then it tanked down to an unstable and unpredictable 1-4 Mbps. I have my best technicians working on it (i.e. my internet provider). Needless to say, this put a damper on streaming at a constant bitrate of 5 Mbps like I usually do. I couldn’t even get OBS to deliver a stable 1Mbps connection. My wife however was quite happily streaming FORTNITE directly from her PS4, and aside from a bit of...
read moreMAHDI M9 Plus – MP3 player Review
It’s hard to believe, but there’s a regular no-frills non-WiFI MP3 player available in this day and age! Can you believe it? When I read about this I wanted to take a closer look at the MAHDI M9 Plus MP3 player gadget. Here are my thoughts on this thing. It’s very small and lightweight, about the size of an iPod Nano, which has been discontinued since 2017. If you’ve been looking for a replacement for yours, or always wanted one, then this device might be a good fit for you. When it comes to smart devices, the M9 Plus is a very...
read moreHow to open bookmarks in new tabs in Firefox
I don’t often use Bookmarks in Firefox, but when I do, I’m used to those opening in new tabs rather than get rid of what I’m currently browsing. Perhaps that worked in the nineties, but I wanted a different default behaviour. Turns out we can make that happen! Let me show you how to do it. In the Firefox browser bar, type about:config. This will let us fiddle with scary internal values, which is why Firefox brings up this warning message: Hit “Accept the Risk” button and… see a white screen with a search...
read moreJelly Comb Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard Review
If you’re like me and do a lot of writing on the move, you’ve probably often wished for a super compact travel keyboard that can go anywhere with you. While I’ve tried many, they’re often just toys and not real keyboards. Using those is often less efficient than just using an on-creep keyboard. Then I discovered this Jelly Comb Travel Keyboard. It folds in half in the centre, it’s super small when folded, has a rugged leather feel to the outside and it’s extremely light. When folded out, it reveals a full-sized QUERTY keyboard with all...
read moreYemo YM-11 USB-C Hub Adapter Dock Review
I bough this little device for my wife’s Acer Chromebook. It’s her work laptop, and she uses it with an external monitor. The Chromebook only has one USB 3 port and she frequently needs more than that, for anything from memory card readers to other external devices. She has to connect and disconnect about three cables to the Chromebook every day. This is tiresome and those laptop ports only last so long before they fail when used too often. I was interested in a tidy solution to the whole mess of cables and found this neat Yemo...
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