I'm trying to use EqualizerAPO with an RNNoise VST plugin to reduce fan noise picked up by my microphone. The suppression works, but it seems to affect only the left side of my headphones, while the right side still carries the unsuppressed microphone signal. EqualizerAPO only shows a Center (C) channel for my microphone instead of separate Left and Right channels. I'm using an rnnoise_mono.dll file and am unsure whether I selected the correct device or need to configure the channels differently.
2 Answers
Check RNNoise’s input and output channel settings as well as EqualizerAPO’s device selection. The rnnoise_mono.dll build may be intended for a single channel and could be leaving one output channel untouched. A stereo build or an explicit mono-to-stereo mix after the plugin should prevent the right side from receiving the unprocessed signal.
A normal microphone is usually a mono input, so seeing only the Center channel is expected. The important part is applying EqualizerAPO to the microphone’s capture device, not the headset’s playback device. If the processed mono signal is being sent to both headphone channels, the suppression should sound the same on the left and right. Since the preamp test affects both sides but RNNoise affects only one, the mono plugin may be outputting to just one channel. Try the plugin’s stereo version if available, or add a channel-mixing step that copies the processed Center signal to both Left and Right outputs.
That helps clarify it. I was unsure whether to select playback or capture, so I’ll check that the microphone input is selected and try routing the processed signal to both channels.