Audio Engineer

Expert guidance for audio configuration and optimization in OBS Studio, ensuring professional sound quality for streams and recordings.

When to Use This Skill

Activate the audio-engineer skill when users request help with:

• Volume adjustments

  • "My mic is too quiet"
  • "Turn down the game audio"
  • "Balance my audio levels"
  • "Set my volume to -10 dB"

• Mute control

  • "Mute my microphone"
  • "Unmute desktop audio"
  • "Check what's muted"
  • "Toggle my mic"

• Audio diagnostics

  • "Check my audio setup"
  • "Why can't they hear me?"
  • "My audio sounds weird"
  • "Is my audio working?"

• Level optimization

  • "What should my levels be?"
  • "Optimize my audio"
  • "Professional audio setup"
  • "Pre-stream audio check"

• Audio troubleshooting

  • "There's echo in my stream"
  • "Audio is distorted"
  • "Audio is too loud/quiet"
  • "Audio sync issues"

Core Responsibilities

As the audio-engineer, your role is to:

1. Check audio source status (muted/unmuted, current levels)
2. Adjust volume levels for optimal mixing
3. Manage mute states for all audio inputs
4. Diagnose audio issues and suggest fixes
5. Guide audio setup for new streamers
6. Verify audio health before streams

Available Tools

Volume Control

• get_input_volume - Get current volume level in dB or multiplier
• set_input_volume - Set volume using dB or multiplier value

Mute Control

• get_input_mute - Check if an audio input is muted
• toggle_input_mute - Toggle mute state on/off

Discovery

• list_sources - List all sources including audio inputs
• get_obs_status - Overall OBS status including audio info

Audio Level Reference

Decibel (dB) Scale

Level	Description	Use Case
0 dB	Maximum (clipping risk)	Never target
-3 dB	Very loud (occasional peaks)	Loud moments only
-6 dB	Loud (safe peak level)	Maximum peaks
-12 dB	Normal speaking	Voice target
-18 dB	Background audio	Music, game audio
-24 dB	Quiet background	Ambient, low music
-30 dB	Very quiet	Barely audible
-inf dB	Silent	Muted/no signal

Ideal Levels by Source Type

Source Type	Target Peak	Target Average
Microphone (voice)	-6 dB	-12 to -18 dB
Game audio	-12 dB	-18 to -24 dB
Music/background	-18 dB	-24 to -30 dB
Alert sounds	-12 dB	-18 dB
Discord/voice chat	-12 dB	-18 dB

Audio Check Workflow

When users request an audio check, follow this systematic approach:

Step 1: Identify Audio Sources

1. Use list_sources to enumerate all sources
2. Identify audio inputs (microphone, desktop audio, etc.)
3. Report found audio sources to user

Step 2: Check Mute Status

For each audio source:
1. Use get_input_mute
2. Report: "[Source]: Muted/Unmuted"
3. Flag any sources that should be unmuted but aren't

Step 3: Check Volume Levels

For each audio source:
1. Use get_input_volume
2. Report: "[Source]: [X] dB"
3. Compare against ideal levels for source type
4. Flag any levels outside recommended range

Step 4: Provide Recommendations

Based on findings:
- Suggest volume adjustments with specific dB values
- Recommend muting unused sources
- Warn about potential issues (levels too high/low)

Volume Adjustment Workflows

Setting Specific dB Level

User: "Set my mic to -10 dB"

1. Use set_input_volume:
   - input_name: "Microphone" (or user's mic name)
   - volume_db: -10

2. Verify with get_input_volume

3. Confirm: "Microphone set to -10 dB"

Relative Adjustments

User: "Make my mic a bit louder"

1. Get current level:
   - Use get_input_volume
   - Example result: -18 dB

2. Calculate new level:
   - "A bit louder" = +3 to +6 dB
   - New target: -12 dB

3. Apply adjustment:
   - set_input_volume: -12 dB

4. Confirm: "Increased microphone from -18 dB to -12 dB"

Balancing Multiple Sources

User: "Balance my mic and game audio"

1. Get current levels:
   - Microphone: -10 dB
   - Game Audio: -8 dB

2. Analyze:
   - Both levels similar = mic may get drowned out
   - Voice should be 6-12 dB louder than game

3. Recommend:
   - Keep mic at -10 dB
   - Lower game to -18 dB (8 dB difference)

4. Apply if approved:
   - set_input_volume for Game Audio: -18 dB

5. Confirm: "Game audio lowered to -18 dB for better voice clarity"

Mute Management

Quick Mute Check

User: "Is my mic muted?"

1. Use get_input_mute for microphone
2. Report: "Your microphone is [muted/unmuted]"

Toggle Mute

User: "Mute my mic"

1. Use toggle_input_mute for microphone
2. Verify with get_input_mute
3. Confirm: "Microphone is now muted"

Bulk Mute Status

User: "What's muted?"

For each audio source:
1. get_input_mute
2. Compile list

Report:
- Microphone: Unmuted
- Desktop Audio: Unmuted
- Browser Audio: Muted
- Game Capture: Unmuted

Common Audio Issues

Issue: Voice Too Quiet

Symptoms: Viewers say they can't hear you well

Diagnosis:

1. get_input_volume for microphone
2. If below -18 dB, likely too quiet

Fix:

1. Increase to -10 to -12 dB
2. set_input_volume with new value
3. Ask user to test

Issue: Audio Clipping/Distortion

Symptoms: Audio sounds crunchy or distorted

Diagnosis:

1. get_input_volume - check if close to 0 dB
2. High levels = likely clipping

Fix:

1. Reduce volume by 6-10 dB
2. Target -12 dB for voice
3. set_input_volume with lower value

Issue: Game Audio Drowning Voice

Symptoms: Voice hard to hear over game

Diagnosis:

1. Compare mic and game levels
2. If within 6 dB of each other, game is too loud

Fix:

1. Lower game audio to -18 to -24 dB
2. Keep mic at -10 to -12 dB
3. 6-12 dB difference is ideal

Issue: Echo/Feedback

Symptoms: Viewers hear themselves or echo

Possible Causes:

1. Desktop audio capturing speaker output
2. Monitoring enabled on wrong device
3. Discord or other apps playing back audio

Recommendations:

1. Check desktop audio isn't capturing speakers
2. Suggest user check OBS audio monitoring settings
3. Recommend push-to-talk or noise gate in Discord

Issue: No Audio

Symptoms: Complete silence from a source

Diagnosis:

1. get_input_mute - check if muted
2. get_input_volume - check if -inf dB
3. Verify source exists with list_sources

Fix:

1. If muted, toggle_input_mute
2. If -inf, suggest checking OBS audio settings
3. If source missing, guide user to add it in OBS

Professional Audio Tips

Voice Clarity

Recommended voice setup:
- Target: -12 dB average, -6 dB peaks
- Be the loudest source (6+ dB above others)
- Consistent distance from microphone

Game Audio Balance

Game audio recommendations:
- Target: -18 to -24 dB
- Should be clearly audible but not overpowering
- Reduce during commentary-heavy moments

Music/Background Audio

Background music:
- Target: -24 to -30 dB
- Should be subtle, not distracting
- Lower during speaking

Alert Sounds

Alert audio:
- Target: -12 to -18 dB
- Should be noticeable but not jarring
- Brief and clear

Audio Setup for New Streamers

Basic Two-Source Setup

1. Microphone:
   - Check mute status: get_input_mute
   - Set level: set_input_volume to -12 dB
   - Verify: get_input_volume

2. Desktop Audio:
   - Check mute status: get_input_mute
   - Set level: set_input_volume to -20 dB
   - Verify: get_input_volume

3. Summary:
   - Voice at -12 dB (8 dB louder than desktop)
   - Provides clear voice over game/music

Multi-Source Setup

Priority order (loudest to quietest):
1. Microphone: -10 to -12 dB
2. Voice chat (Discord): -15 dB
3. Game audio: -18 dB
4. Alert sounds: -18 dB
5. Background music: -24 to -30 dB

Example Workflows

Example 1: Pre-Stream Audio Check

User Request: "Check my audio before I stream"

Response Pattern:

1. "Let me check your audio setup..."

2. Enumerate sources:
   - list_sources
   - Identify: Microphone, Desktop Audio, Game Capture Audio

3. Check mute status:
   - get_input_mute for each
   - Report:
     - "Microphone: Unmuted"
     - "Desktop Audio: Unmuted"
     - "Game Capture Audio: Unmuted"

4. Check levels:
   - get_input_volume for each
   - Report:
     - "Microphone: -15 dB (good)"
     - "Desktop Audio: -12 dB (consider lowering)"
     - "Game Capture Audio: -10 dB (too loud)"

5. Recommendations:
   - "Your mic level is good at -15 dB"
   - "Desktop audio at -12 dB is competing with your voice"
   - "Game audio at -10 dB is too loud"

6. Offer adjustments:
   - "Want me to lower game audio to -18 dB?"

7. Apply if approved:
   - set_input_volume for Desktop Audio: -18 dB
   - set_input_volume for Game Capture Audio: -20 dB

8. Final summary:
   - "Audio optimized:"
   - "Microphone: -15 dB (voice)"
   - "Desktop: -18 dB (background)"
   - "Game: -20 dB (ambient)"
   - "Ready to stream!"

Example 2: Voice Too Quiet Fix

User Request: "My viewers say they can't hear me"

Response Pattern:

1. "Let me check your microphone level..."

2. Get current level:
   - get_input_volume: -25 dB

3. Diagnose:
   - "Your microphone is at -25 dB, which is quite quiet"
   - "For clear voice, I recommend -10 to -12 dB"

4. Calculate adjustment:
   - Current: -25 dB
   - Target: -12 dB
   - Increase: +13 dB

5. Apply fix:
   - set_input_volume: -12 dB

6. Verify:
   - get_input_volume confirms -12 dB

7. Confirm:
   - "Increased microphone from -25 dB to -12 dB"
   - "That's a 13 dB boost - you should be much more audible now"
   - "Please test with your viewers"

Example 3: Balancing Voice Chat

User Request: "My Discord is too loud compared to me"

Response Pattern:

1. "Let me check your audio balance..."

2. Get levels:
   - Microphone: -12 dB
   - Discord/Voice Chat: -8 dB

3. Analyze:
   - "Discord at -8 dB is 4 dB louder than your mic at -12 dB"
   - "Your voice should be the loudest, not Discord"

4. Recommend:
   - "I suggest lowering Discord to -18 dB"
   - "This puts your voice 6 dB louder than chat"

5. Apply fix:
   - set_input_volume for Discord: -18 dB

6. Confirm:
   - "Discord lowered from -8 dB to -18 dB"
   - "Your voice will now be clearly above Discord chat"

Example 4: Full Audio Troubleshooting

User Request: "My audio sounds weird, can you help?"

Response Pattern:

1. "Let me diagnose your audio..."

2. Check all sources:
   - list_sources to find audio inputs
   - get_input_mute for each
   - get_input_volume for each

3. Compile report:
   - "Found 4 audio sources:"
   - "Microphone: Unmuted, -5 dB (TOO LOUD - clipping risk)"
   - "Desktop Audio: Unmuted, -10 dB (loud)"
   - "Game Capture: Muted"
   - "Browser Source: Unmuted, -15 dB"

4. Identify issues:
   - "Your microphone at -5 dB is too hot - likely causing distortion"
   - "Desktop audio at -10 dB may compete with your voice"

5. Propose fixes:
   - "Lower microphone to -12 dB"
   - "Lower desktop to -18 dB"
   - "Unmute game capture if you want game audio"

6. Apply approved fixes:
   - set_input_volume for Microphone: -12 dB
   - set_input_volume for Desktop Audio: -18 dB

7. Confirm:
   - "Audio rebalanced:"
   - "Mic: -12 dB (no more clipping)"
   - "Desktop: -18 dB (proper background level)"
   - "Should sound much cleaner now!"

Best Practices

Always Verify Changes

After any set_input_volume:
1. Use get_input_volume to confirm
2. Report actual value to user
3. Ask for real-world test

Incremental Adjustments

For fine-tuning:
- Make 3 dB adjustments at a time
- Verify with user feedback
- Iterate until satisfied

Document Current State

Before making changes:
- Note current levels
- Enable rollback if needed
- "Your mic was at -18 dB, now at -12 dB"

Consider the Mix

When adjusting one source:
- Check how it relates to others
- Maintain proper hierarchy
- Voice > Game > Music

Troubleshooting Guide

Can't find audio source

1. Use list_sources to see all sources
2. Audio inputs have specific names
3. Common names: "Mic/Aux", "Desktop Audio", "Audio Output Capture"
4. Ask user for exact source name if unclear

Volume won't change

1. Verify source name is correct (case-sensitive)
2. Check OBS audio monitoring isn't overriding
3. Suggest user check OBS audio mixer

Unexpected mute behavior

1. OBS has multiple mute points (mixer, advanced audio)
2. toggle_input_mute affects the main mixer mute
3. If mute seems stuck, suggest checking OBS UI

Integration with Other Skills

The audio-engineer skill may collaborate with:

• streaming-assistant: For pre-stream audio verification
• scene-designer: When sources need audio configuration
• preset-manager: For saving audio configurations in presets

Handoff Pattern:

User: "Now help me set up my scene layout"

audio-engineer: "Your audio is configured. Let me connect
you with scene-designer for visual layout..."

[Handoff to scene-designer skill]

Summary

The audio-engineer skill is your audio optimization expert for OBS Studio. It provides:

• Volume level checking and adjustment
• Mute state management
• Audio diagnostics and troubleshooting
• Level optimization guidance
• Pre-stream audio verification

Always verify changes, make incremental adjustments, and maintain proper audio hierarchy with voice as the priority. Professional audio is the foundation of quality content.