help

Improve the Sound of Your Microphone by Adding a De-Esser in OBS

Jett4 Comments

When your voice gets recorded or broadcasted through a microphone, it oftentimes emphasizes the harsh tones that occur when you make certain sounds with your voice. In particular, sibilant consonants such as “s” and “z” are overemphasized through a microphone and create tones that are unpleasant to listen to. You don’t want to drive viewers away because it hurts their ears every time you say words like “snake”, “sand”, or “zebra”.

Thankfully, minimizing those unpleasant tones can be done through a de-esser. You can set one up in OBS within a matter of minutes with the help of this guide. Kudos to Atomic Overdrive for almost all of this information, as I followed their guide while trying to resolve my sibilance issues and am largely adapting their knowledge in this post. However, I will try to add any extra insight I have to make this a more complete guide for you, including where to put the de-esser in your processing chain.

Follow along and let’s make your voice even more pleasant to listen to by adding a de-esser in OBS!

Continue reading →

Single Strike Urshifu VMAX vs. Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX: Which League Battle Deck Should You Get?

JettLeave a comment

The latest decks in the Pokemon Trading Card Game League Battle Deck series are based around two different variations of the same Pokemon: Single Strike Urshifu VMAX and Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX. They play quite different from one-another, making the choice of which one to get first all the more confusing for newcomers with aspirations of playing more competitively.

It’s hard to go wrong either way. Both are good decks out-of-the-box and serve as foundations for you to shape into top-tier decks. Both come with great Supporter cards that work well in these decks and future decks you may build down the road. Both share the same typing resistances and weaknesses. Both are really fun to play!

If you’re looking for detailed breakdowns of each one, as well as deck lists you can use to upgrade them, I got you!

Personally, I’d recommend getting both. However, I understand that not an option for everyone. If you have to pick just one, I make some recommendations based on factors that could sway your decision.

Continue reading →

What Gamers Can Learn From Music Streamers on Twitch

Jett1 Comment

One of my favourite non-gaming corners of Twitch to visit is the music section. From musicians showcasing their talents, to producers talking shop about the creative process, to DJ sets that give me something to listen to for extended sessions, there’s a lot of entertainment to be had here.

I also think there’s a lot that we as game streamers can learn from music streamers, even if we don’t have a musical bone in our bodies.

Continue reading →

Examples of Twitch and YouTube Streaming Overlay Design Elements That I Really Like

Jett1 Comment

What makes for a good streaming overlay? With streaming as a medium still in its infancy, the answer is rapidly-evolving and highly-subjective. Once upon a time, overlays weren’t a thing. Then we moved into a phase where streamers filled the screen with design elements and widgets. These days, the new wave is a larger camera view within your gameplay scene so that viewers get a better view of the streamer.

Furthermore, overlays aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. As one example, I greatly prefer the look of streams that put the camera overtop of full-width gameplay. However, that particular presentation style doesn’t work for speed-runners who display their time splits on the side or for retro games that are presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Based on my experiences of watching Twitch and tinkering with my own overlay, here are aspects of overlay design that I like. There are links to every streamer I reference in case you’re interested in checking them out. I’m by no means an expert on overlay design. Just using this post to share design elements that I appreciate!

Continue reading →

Tips for Narrating and Commentating on Your Gameplay While Streaming on Twitch or YouTube

Jett1 Comment

Your voice is your most valuable asset as a streamer. No one else in the world sounds exactly like you. No one else has your exact perspective on the world. No one else can share your specific insight on a game or subject. The more you use your voice, the more you will stand out amongst the masses, even if you’re playing the same games as everyone else.

In spite of this power that we all wield, countless streamers under-utilize their voice. They sit silently for minutes at a time, even when some are streaming with the best microphone audio can buy. Considering how first impressions are usually made in seven seconds or less, viewers may be leaving in droves because your silence gives viewers the sense that you’re just another streamer playing a video game with nothing else to offer.

Coming up with stuff to talk about for hours on end is difficult, especially if you’re not the talkative type. Thankfully, there’s a convenient source of material to draw from right in front of your face: the game you’re playing. By narrating and commenting on you’re in-game actions, thought process, and reactions, you’ll almost always have something of value to say. Here are some tips for narrating and commentating like a pro!

Continue reading →

Common Challenges that 0-Viewer Twitch Streamers Face (and Potential Ways of Overcoming Them)

Jett2 Comments

Streaming to zero viewers isn’t something to be ashamed of. Roughly 88% of active streamers have an average concurrent viewership of 0-5 viewers. Many in that group never see viewers at all. It took me about a year of floundering on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch before finally finding my footing above the 0-viewer threshold.

For those who have ambitions of climbing out of that hole, maybe I can help? Though I certainly don’t have the experience or wisdom to help you become the next Ninja, the experience I do have may be enough to get you past 0-viewer Andy status.

Using the site nobody.live for reference, I decided to watch over 100 0-viewer streams and make note of some common factors that could be holding these streamers back. Here are some common challenges I noted and some potential solutions for overcoming them!

Continue reading →

Take Your Twitch or YouTube Streaming Overlay Presentation to the Next Level With This Trick!

Jett1 Comment

During the peak of my Among Us frenzy, my wife and I stumbled on a jacksepticeye video of him and a number of other top gaming content creators playing the game together. During the voting phase, the camera punched inward to focus on Jack, making for a better viewing experience in that moment. Other streamers do this with their VODs as well, such as Pokimane, Disguised Toast, Ninja, and more.

The thing is, this zoom effect is done after the fact in a video editor. But could an entrepreneurial streamer implement that same effect in a live environment?

Yes!

I have implemented it on my stream and I love having for the sake of having an “aside” with viewers without taking them completely out of the game. Here is how you can implement this zoom-in during gameplay!

Continue reading →

Add the Twitch Chat and Event List in OBS the Easy Way

Jett2 Comments

One of the big criticisms levied at OBS versus other broadcast software is that it doesn’t have the chat and event list built in. Having to look at different windows to see all of the information you need as a streamer is a nightmare, which oftentimes drives users to alternatives.

Some go to Streamlabs OBS, which does offer these features, as well as direct integration with Streamlabs alerts and overlays. While this is more than enough for some, its walled-garden approach gives it a much lower ceiling from a technical perspective if you really want to push your streams to the limit. I used to use StreamElements OBS Live, but recent hiccups in the software would cause my OBS to crash on start-up. Uninstalling it did the trick and I’ll never recommend it again.

So what does one do now? Well, there’s actually a very easy trick to add your chat, event lists, stats, or anything you can see in a web browser inside OBS! Best of all, you don’t need to install any intrusive software to make this work!

Continue reading →

Stream to Twitch and YouTube Like a Pro With My Top 10 Tech Tips for OBS

Jett1 Comment

OBS is the go-to broadcasting software for streamers. It’s incredibly powerful and it’s free. If you don’t already have it, grab it here! Putting together your first stream isn’t that difficult, but you can really take your stream to the next level with a few tidbits of advice you may have missed along your journey.

Here are my top 10 tips for streaming like a pro in OBS!

Actually, there are 11 tips, but “top 10” works better for SEO purposes and #11 might be the most important tip of all. Let’s get to the tips!

Continue reading →

Take Your OBS Streams to the Next Level With These Third-Party Plugins

Jett1 Comment

As is, OBS is an incredibly powerful tool for streaming. But you can really take your stream to the next level with an assortment of third-party plugins. Much of what I do on-stream is powered by third-party plugins that allow you to zoom into my face as math equations swirl around my head, censor my screen, and even blow the Poke Flute for a shot at a shiny Snorlax!

You can do all of this and more by implementing third-party plugins in your OBS setup. Here are some of my favourite third-party plugins for OBS!

Continue reading →