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How to: Voice Activation

What is Voice Activation?

Voice Activation (called Voice Activity in AutoPTT, and sometimes Open Mic or Continuous by other apps/games) is the hands-free voice mode. Your mic opens automatically when it hears you speak, and closes when you stop. There is no key to hold, though people usually combine it with either a Push-to-Mute or a Toggle Mute.

It’s the most common way people use AutoPTT. The app listens to your microphone, and when your voice crosses the activation threshold it presses the Push-to-Talk key for you. When you stop talking, it releases it. You don’t touch anything.

Under the hood it only looks at the sound level. It does not record or analyze what you’re saying. How does it work?

Why most people use it

Holding a key to talk works, but in a fast game you may not always have time to press it, or pressing it can get in the way of your aim, movement or other actions. Voice Activation removes that step: you just talk, like a normal voice chat, and AutoPTT handles opening and closing the mic.

It’s a good fit when:

  • you’re streaming and want to keep talking without remembering a key
  • you’re in a meeting and want hands-free comms
  • you play games that only offer Push-to-Talk, but you’d rather not hold a key (AutoPTT presses the PTT key for you)

When to use Push-to-Talk or Tap instead

Voice Activation triggers on any loud sound, not just you. It coiuld activate because of Your keyboard, a notification, or someone talking nearby. In a noisy room, or when you need to control exactly when your mic is open, use Push-to-Talk instead.

There’s also a middle ground: AutoPTT’s Tap mode. You tap a key to start speaking, but the mic stays open until you stop talking, even if you let go of the key right away. A little more control, without holding anything down. See all the activation modes for the full list.

Tuning it

Two settings do most of the work:

  • Activation Threshold (aka Sensitivity): how easily the mic opens. Raise it so background noise (keyboard, game, TV) doesn’t trigger it. If it never opens, lower it and/or speak a bit louder.
  • Deactivation Threshold (aka Hold Sensitivity): how quickly the mic closes. If your mic stays open when you trail off, lower it so it closes sooner. The mic stays active until the sound level is under both thresholds.

You set this up once, and it applies everywhere. Things that make it noticeably better:

  • Move the microphone closer to you
  • Turn off the TV and lower the game volume
  • If you use a desktop mic, a boom arm, shock mount or pop filter helps
  • Check whether the mic is actually open. the Overlay, the Stream Deck plugin and the Bitfocus Companion plugin all show your mic state. You can also set up a sound effect for when the mic activates and deactivates

Try it yourself

Download the free trial and switch modes at any time.

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