Live Streaming
Fix stream audio problems
Work out why the stream sounds wrong — processing, clipping, silence or dropouts — and fix it at the point in the signal path where it starts.
Use this guide when the Sound section of the Control Room warns about processing, clipping, silence, dropouts or a browser fallback, or when the stream simply sounds wrong. The Audio artifacts happening? link under Sound opens this page. Make changes before going live when you can: removing and re-adding an input is safer than changing the source while a service is on air. For setting up a broadcast from the start, see Go live with your service.
Note
Hubl asks browsers for a music-friendly input by turning off call processing where the browser allows it. The operating system, an audio interface driver, or another app can still apply processing, so a warning is an invitation to check the full signal path—not proof of one specific setting.
Understand the warning first
- Call-tuned processing is active means the input reports auto gain, echo cancellation, noise suppression, or Voice Isolation. These features are useful for calls but can pump, muffle, or remove sustained music and room ambience.
- Sample rate mismatch means the device and stream mixer are using different rates. The browser has to resample the feed, which can add subtle artifacts.
- Possible Voice Isolation or noise gating means Hubl detected repeated exact-zero gaps that return to audible audio. It is an audio-pattern inference, not confirmation of a device setting.
- Input clipping means at least one percent of recent samples reached the digital ceiling. This can sound harsh or distorted and cannot be repaired after capture.
- No signal means a live, unmuted input stayed below -70 dBFS for fifteen seconds. Check routing and gain before assuming the broadcaster is at fault.
- Native audio bridge missed data means the desktop capture bridge recently missed audio. That can create audible dropouts.
- The in-app meter feed missed data is harmless. Only the meters and pattern warnings on your screen were briefly inaccurate; the broadcast audio is captured separately and was not affected. No action is needed unless the meters stay frozen, in which case remove the input and add it again.
- Browser fallback means raw native capture was not available, so Hubl is using the browser input path. It may still work well, but browser and system processing can be more likely.
Tip
Each warning in the Sound section carries its own steps. Follow those first. The sections below explain what sits behind each warning.
Restore an unprocessed source
1
Check system and interface processing
On macOS, while the microphone is in use, look in Control Center for Mic Mode and choose Standard rather than Voice Isolation. In Sound input settings, turn off Ambient Noise Reduction if your Mac shows that option. Interface control panels can also add auto-level, compression, or noise reduction; disable those on the feed going to Hubl.
2
Turn off Windows call processing
In Windows Sound settings, inspect the selected input and turn Audio Enhancements off when that control is available. Some drivers expose the same setting in the older Recording device properties or in a vendor control panel. Disable AGC, noise reduction, echo cancellation, and communications processing there as well.
3
Remove and add the input again
Browsers read audio constraints when they acquire a device. Hubl requests that browser call-processing flags—echo cancellation, noise suppression, and auto gain—stay off, but a fresh capture is needed after changing an operating-system or driver setting. Remove the audio input in Streaming, then add the same device again and confirm the warning clears.
Tip
If a warning returns after reacquiring the input, trace upstream: a conference app, virtual audio device, interface mixer, or OS profile may be applying processing outside Hubl.
Match the sample rate and leave headroom
1
Use the mixer's reported sample rate
Set the interface to the sample rate shown in the warning. For most Hubl streams this is 48 kHz, but follow the mixer's actual reported rate rather than assuming a fixed value. On macOS, Audio MIDI Setup commonly exposes this as Format; on Windows, the input device's Format or Default Format commonly exposes it. Labels differ by driver and OS version.
2
Set gain at the earliest overload point
Start with a direct soundboard or interface feed. Lower the console or interface preamp if its meter reaches red or 0 dBFS, then make smaller adjustments downstream. Leave headroom at the console, interface, and Hubl input instead of using a limiter to hide an overloaded source.
Warning
A Hubl fader cannot undo clipping that happened at the mixer, interface, or operating-system input. Reduce gain before the first device that clips.
Resolve gaps, silence, and dropouts
1
Treat exact-zero gating as a processing clue
When the audio panel reports exact-zero gaps, play sustained music or room ambience through the normal feed and listen for abrupt silence or pumping. Recheck Voice Isolation, Ambient Noise Reduction, Windows enhancements, and any interface DSP. A quiet passage alone does not prove gating; the warning is based on a pattern in the captured signal.
2
Check the physical and driver path
For native bridge dropouts, reseat the USB cable, use reliable power, and avoid unpowered hubs when possible. Confirm the interface driver and firmware are appropriate for the device, then close recording, meeting, or DAW apps that could be competing for the input. Remove and re-add the input after the device is stable.
3
Check routing for a no-signal warning
Confirm the source is assigned to the interface channel, the interface input is selected in Streaming, and the source is not muted. Bring up a known signal and verify each meter in order: console, interface, operating system, then Hubl.
Choose a capture path and collect details
The Hubl desktop app prefers raw native input, which avoids the browser capture path. If it cannot start native capture, the clearly labeled browser fallback is a safe way to keep operating while you investigate; it is not evidence that the interface itself is broken. Reconnect the device and remove and re-add the input to retry raw capture.
Before asking for help, note the warning text, the input label and capture path, whether the issue affects every source, the device sample rate, and what changed after a remove-and-add retry. If available, include the stream diagnostics and timestamps around the dropout. Do not send audio recordings or private stream content unless your support channel asks for them.
Note
This guide covers the audio signal before it leaves your computer. For the picture, destinations or a dropped connection, see My stream is offline, frozen, or disconnected.