MotionShineShort answer: Add the Noise Suppression filter to your microphone in OBS and leave the method on RNNoise, which OBS's page lists as the default and the higher quality option. If your Mac struggles, switch to Speex, which is lighter. OBS's page says the filter suits mild noise, such as a PC fan, and is "generally not effective at large amounts of background noise." For a loud room, fix the room or the microphone first.
This guide is by the maker of MotionShine, a Mac screen recorder that competes with OBS for some people. Everything about OBS below comes from obsproject.com pages, checked on 24 October 2026. It is not a hands-on test. If you have not set OBS up yet, start with how to use OBS Studio on Mac for screen recording.
The settings in one table
| Setting | What OBS's page says | Value given |
|---|---|---|
| Method: RNNoise | The default. Higher quality, uses more CPU | None |
| Method: Speex | Configurable with a suppression level | None |
| Method: NVIDIA Noise Removal | Needs the NVIDIA Broadcast SDK installed first, then it appears next to the other two | Not found for Mac |
| Suppression Level | Only applies to Speex. 0 turns it off. A stronger (more negative) setting can distort other sounds, including your voice | Default -30 dB |
| Best for | Mild or white noise, such as PC fan noise or other environmental sounds | Not applicable |
| Weak at | Large amounts of background noise, such as a loud room | Not applicable |
Source: the Noise Suppression filter page on obsproject.com, checked on 24 October 2026.
RNNoise or Speex?
OBS's page lists three methods. Two work out of the box.
RNNoise is the default. The page says it is higher quality but uses more CPU. If you are recording a tutorial and your Mac is not also busy doing something heavy, this is the one to try first.
Speex is the lighter one, and it is the only method with a Suppression Level slider. The page says the default is -30 dB, that 0 turns it off, and that moving the slider left makes it stronger. It also warns that stronger settings can distort other sounds, including your voice. So go in small steps. If you start to sound underwater, you went too far.
OBS's page does not rank the two beyond "higher quality" and "more CPU". It gives no test numbers, so this post does not either. Record ten seconds of silence and ten seconds of talking with each method, then listen with headphones.
What about NVIDIA?
The third method needs the NVIDIA Broadcast SDK, which you must install first. OBS's page lists Windows, macOS and Linux for the filter as a whole. It does not say which of those the NVIDIA method works on. Macs do not ship with NVIDIA graphics, so this option is aimed at people with an NVIDIA card and is unlikely to be what you want on a MacBook. That last part is my reading, not a line from OBS.
Where the filter goes
Noise Suppression is an audio filter, so it goes on the audio source, not on the video. The OBS pages I read do not give the click path. In the app, it is the gear icon next to your microphone in the Audio Mixer, then Filters.
OBS's Filters Guide lists the audio filters that sit next to it:
- Noise Suppression removes background or white noise.
- Noise Gate cuts off background noise while you are not talking.
- Gain raises the volume of audio that is too quiet.
- Compressor limits audio that gets too loud, and can lower one source when another is playing.
OBS's pages in what I fetched do not say what order to stack them in. Not found. A common sense order is gain first so the filter has a clear signal, but treat that as a suggestion, not an OBS rule.
Add a noise gate if the gaps are noisy
Noise suppression works on the sound while you talk. A noise gate handles the quiet gaps. OBS's Noise Gate page says it cuts off background noise while you are not talking, and gives these defaults:
| Noise Gate setting | OBS default | Advice on the page |
|---|---|---|
| Close Threshold | -32 dB | Set above the background noise level |
| Open Threshold | -26 dB | Set slightly below your voice level |
| Attack Time | 25 ms | None given |
| Hold Time | 200 ms | None given |
| Release Time | 150 ms | None given |
The page lists the three timing values but does not explain them. If the gate clips the start of your words, the open threshold is probably too high. Lower it a little and try again.
When the filter is not enough
OBS's own page says the filter is not effective on large amounts of noise. These help more than any slider:
- Move the microphone closer. A mic near your mouth means your voice is much louder than the room.
- Turn off the noise at the source. Fans, air conditioning and notifications are easier to stop than to filter.
- Check the input you chose. A laptop mic picks up keyboard clatter. A headset or USB mic usually does better.
- Record a short test first. OBS's Quick Start Guide suggests running a test for a few minutes before a real recording. Do the same for audio.
If you already have a recording with noise baked in, the filter will not help, because it only works while OBS records. A free background noise remover runs in your browser and can clean a file afterwards. Our guide to OBS settings for screen recording covers resolution, frame rate and format, and how to screen record on Mac with audio covers sound without OBS.
If OBS feels like too much
OBS is powerful and free, but it takes setup. MotionShine is a free Mac screen recorder made by the same person who wrote this post. It has auto zoom on clicks, a smooth cursor and a full editor, and the free version exports up to 720p at 30 fps with no watermark and no time limit. It does not remove background noise, so if noise is your problem, the steps above still apply. It is also not for you if you need OBS's streaming, scenes or audio filters.
FAQ
What is the best noise suppression method in OBS?
OBS's page marks RNNoise as the default and higher quality, and Speex as the one you can tune. It does not name a best one for every case. Try both on a short test recording.
What is the default Speex suppression level?
OBS's page says -30 dB. A stronger setting can distort other sounds, including your voice.
Does OBS noise suppression work on a Mac?
OBS's page lists Windows, macOS and Linux for the filter. RNNoise and Speex are the two built-in methods. The NVIDIA method needs the NVIDIA Broadcast SDK, and the page does not say it works on a Mac.
Can OBS noise suppression remove keyboard clicks or a loud room?
OBS's page says the filter is generally not effective at large amounts of background noise. It is meant for mild noise such as fans.
Should I use noise suppression and a noise gate together?
Many people do, because suppression works while you talk and a gate quiets the gaps. OBS's pages do not say whether to combine them. Test it on a short recording.
Does MotionShine remove background noise?
No. MotionShine does not remove noise. For a file you already recorded, use a separate tool such as the free browser noise remover linked above.
