¶ Audio Filters
Audio Filters can enhance the professionalism of your livestream. For example, they can help normalize your volume levels or create a deeper, more polished sound for your voice.
In addition, by connecting audio filters and their properties to Twitch or YouTube alerts, you can change your microphone’s sound or change the whole scene audio for a couple of seconds, creating unique experiences to keep your audience engaged.
In PolypopLive you have the flexibility to apply audio filters in four different ways:
- To an audio Source (in the Library).
- To the sound layer (in the Scene Layout).
- To a specific scene which would affect all sounds in the scene.
- To the Global Scene to affect any active scene, similar to a master bus filter.
¶ Adding an audio filter to an Audio source
You have the ability to add audio filters to any audio source in your Library panel, including microphones, independent audio sources, video sources with audio, and Desktop Audio.
When you add an audio filter to an audio source, it will impact all instances of that source across all scenes in your project.
If you wish to apply a filter to a specific sound layer within a single scene, you'll need to add the audio source to a dedicated layer within the Scene Layout panel. (You can find more information on this in section 2 of this document.)
To learn how to add an audio source to your project please review the Importing an Audio Clip article.
We'll walk you through the process of adding audio filters to your microphone as an example. The same workflow can be applied to any other audio source in your library.
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Open the Library by clicking the “Open Library” button on the lower left side of the screen.
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Select the layer you want to add audio filters to. For this example, we will choose our mic.
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Selecting the mic’s layer will show us its properties at the bottom of the Library panel.
Click on the “+” button next to the “Audio Filters” line in the mic’s properties.
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Select the audio filter you want to add from the dropdown menu.
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The chosen audio filter is added under the “Audio Filters” menu.
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Clicking on the triangle next to the audio filter will expose its properties.
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Adjust the audio filter properties to your desired settings.
¶ Adding an audio filter to a Sound layer in the Scene Layout panel
Applying an audio filter to a Sound layer in the Scene Layout panel will only affect that specific layer. This can be useful if you want to make adjustments to a specific instance of the audio without affecting other instances that are being used in different parts of your project.
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Select your desired sound layer in the Scene Layout panel.
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Once the sound layer is selected, its properties will be shown at the bottom of the Scene Layout panel.
To add an audio filter to the layer click on the “+” button next to the “Audio Filters” line in the
sound layer’s properties.
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Select the audio filter you want to add from the dropdown menu.
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The chosen audio filter will be added under the “Audio Filters” menu.
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Clicking on the triangle next to the audio filter will expose its properties.
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Adjust the audio filter properties to your desired settings.
¶ Adding an audio filter to a scene
Adding an audio filter to a scene will affect all the audio instances in that scene without affecting other instances of the same audio sources that are being used in different parts of your project.
This is a creative and simple method for designing captivating alerts. For instance, you could craft an "underwater" alert that seamlessly applies a blue tint to the scene and temporarily muffles all audio, evoking the sensation of being submerged beneath the waves.
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Make sure you’re in the scene you want to add an audio filter to, and select the Scene layer in the Scene Layout panel.
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Once the scene layer is selected, its properties will be shown at the bottom of the Scene Layout panel.
To add an audio filter to the scene click on the “+” button next to the “Audio Filters” line in the scene’s properties.
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Select the audio filter you want to add from the dropdown menu.
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The chosen audio filter will be added under the “Audio Filters” menu.
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Clicking on the triangle next to the audio filter will expose its properties.
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Adjust the audio filter properties to your desired settings.
¶ Adding an audio filter to the Global Scene to create a master bus filter
Any filter added to the global scene will be applied/active when any scene is active. You can think of filters added to the global scene as master bus filters.
To incorporate an audio filter into the Global Scene, it is essential to first add a Global Scene to your project. To accomplish this task, and to gain a more comprehensive understanding of global scenes, please read the Global Scene article for further guidance.
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Select the Global Scene layer in the Scene Layout panel.
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Once the Global Scene is selected, its properties will be shown at the bottom of the Scene Layout panel.
To add an audio filter to the Global Scene click on the “+” button next to the “Audio Filters” line in the Global Scene’s properties.
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Select the audio filter you want to add from the dropdown menu.
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The chosen audio filter will be added under the “Audio Filters” menu.
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Clicking on the triangle next to the audio filter will expose its properties.
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Adjust the audio filter properties to your desired settings.
¶ VST3 plugins
Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is an audio plug-in system for digital signal processing.
There are numerous VST3 plugins that are easily accessible, both as open-source and commercial options. You can search for them online and install them on your computer. Once installed, PolypopLive will automatically detect the VST3 plugins on your system and make them available for use when you add an audio filter.
PolypopLive comes equipped with a collection of VST3 plugins called “mda” that are already installed and ready for your use. These plugins have a variety of uses, from mastering filters to effects.