While SteelSeries Sonar does come with many preset configurations, it can be hard to find the best settings for your needs. Particularly, finding the best SteelSeries Sonar settings for gaming can prove to be difficult.
Best Sonar Settings for Gaming
Although you can always use the preset configuration for the specific game you’re playing, needing to change configurations every time you change games can become annoying. Instead, you can aim to have a single configuration that is effective for multiple games. I found the Call of Duty Warzone 2 configuration has proven to be a good base. You can adjust the equalizer settings as you like, however, reducing the treble slightly can help make footsteps easier to hear in some games.
Configuration: Call of Duty: Warzone 2
Bass: 0.0
Voice: -1.4
Treble: 0
Spatial Audio: Off
Volume Boost: Off
Smart Volume: Off
You can of course customize these settings to your liking. If you prefer more bass when gaming then you can try setting the bass anywhere between 0.5 and 2.5. This will make weapons sound better in games like Call of Duty and Fortnite.
Additionally, if you choose to turn on spatial audio then you will need to select the type of device you are using. When gaming you will typically be using a headset of some kind, so the headphones option will need to be selected.
Best Sonar Settings for Chat
As the chat output is what you’ll be using for people’s voices, it’s best to leave the configuration on Default. This is due to everyone having different microphones. When you apply a preset configuration it may sound good for people with good microphones, but not for those with bad microphones. Additionally, if you’re playing games then you will be using the chat output for people’s voices in games. As game chat typically has poor audio quality, placing an effect on the game chat can make it difficult to understand people.
Instead, you can apply a subtle noise reduction and noise gate to try to eliminate background noise and annoying sounds. While I prefer to set up noise filters manually, you can also try the Clearcast AI Noise Cancellation feature.
Configuration: Default
Clearcast AI Noise Cancellation: Off
Noise Reduction: On
Background: 0.35
Impact: 0.50
Noise Gate: On
Threshold: -40.0
Compressor: Off
Best Sonar Settings for Media
The media output is typically going to be used for content, movies, and shows that you watch. Because of this you’ll typically be aiming for an immersive cinematic experience. The best sonar configuration for immersion is of course Movie: Immersion. While the stand-alone sound of this preset is great, you can add to it by adjusting the settings.
When adding spatial audio to your Sonar settings be sure to select the correct version for your audio output. Sonar allows you to pick if you’re using headphones or speakers, allowing you to adjust your settings appropriately.
Configuration: Movie: Immersion
Bass: 3.0
Voice: 3.0
Treble: 2.0
Spatial Audio: On
Performance/Immersion: -2.5
Distance: 70
Volume Boost: Off
Smart Volume: Off
Best Sonar Settings for Music
Although referred to as Aux in the SteelSeries GG software, the Aux output is intended to be used for music. While each genre of music may sound best with a specific configuration preset, the Music: Punchy preset gives a good overall experience. Particularly when customized to emphasize specific frequencies and add spatial audio.
Configuration: Music: Punchy
Bass: 0
Voice: 5.0
Treble: 2.0
Spatial Audio: On
Performance/Immersion: -2.0
Distance: 70
Volume Boost: Off
Smart Volume: Off
Best Sonar Microphone Settings
One of the best features of SteelSeries sonar is the ability to change how your microphone sounds. This can help improve the quality of your microphone while removing annoying background sounds. Although this is helpful when talking to friends, this feature truly stands out for content creation. By fine-tuning your microphone sound as you like, you can remove the need to adjust your audio during the editing process.
Configuration: Deep Voice
Clearcast AI Noise Cancellation: Off
Noise Reduction: On
Background: 0.40
Impact: 0.50
Noise Gate: On
Threshold: -40.0
Compressor: Off
There are two primary configuration presets that stand out, that being Deep Voice and Less Nasal. Each configuration does as the name suggests. You can test out both options to see which sounds best to you by using the mic test feature. However, you will want to adjust the noise reduction settings to ensure you get the full experience.
If you are using one of the SteelSeries Alias microphones then there are some premade configurations to choose from. Each are set up slightly differently, based off the microphone and type of stand you are using. Although these configurations are set with these specific microphones in mind, the settings do work well for other microphones as well. If you are using a USB microphone then you can test how these configurations sound with your mic.
Make Your Voice Sound Like Radio with SteelSeries Sonar
If you’re looking to get that radio or podcast sound then you will want to use one of the broadcast configurations within the Sonar software. These do a decent job at configuring your audio to give that stereotypical broadcast sound. However, you will still need a decent microphone to yield the best results. Additionally, as everyone’s voice differs, you may need to play with the equalizer settings to get the sound you want.
Alternatively, if you’re not having any luck with the broadcast configurations, you can also try using the Deep Voice preset. This preset does a great job of adding depth to vocals, and tends to work well with varying microphones.
How to Change Audio Device in SteelSeries Sonar
If you want to change the audio device that SteelSeries Sonar is using then you will need to go to the mixer tab in the Sonar settings. Here you will see all of the virtual audio devices that Sonar has set for you. Selecting the gear icon next to any of these options will open a menu. From which you can change the audio device.
Is SteelSeries Sonar Worth it?
Although it’s hard to say if SteelSeries Sonar is worth it for everybody, many people will benefit from the software. The performance impact is fairly low, especially on high-end PCs. Resulting in fine-tuned audio at little to no cost to performance when gaming. Additionally, the virtual audio devices feature is particularly useful for streamers and content creators alike. Due to this the value of Sonar really does vary depending on the user.
If you have a low-end PC or are happy with your audio as it currently is, then there probably isn’t a need for Sonar. However, if you want to get more out of your audio devices then giving Sonar a try can’t hurt as the software is free.
