How to Use Elgato Wave Link and AI Voice Focus with VOXARA

VOXARA is CORSAIR's first entry into the premium USB condenser microphone category, and while its 25mm capsule and 32-bit/192kHz audio engine deliver strong sound straight out of the box, most of what makes VOXARA flexible lives in software. That software is Elgato Wave Link 3.0, the same audio routing and mixing platform used across Elgato's microphone lineup.

This article covers how to get VOXARA set up in Wave Link 3.0, how channels and mixes work, how to turn on AI-powered Voice Focus, and how to extend VOXARA's audio processing through the Elgato Marketplace.

Elgato Wave Link 3.0 sits between VOXARA and whatever software is capturing audio on a PC or Mac. Rather than sending one fixed signal everywhere, Wave Link lets a person split incoming/outcoming audio into individual channels and then combine those channels into separate mixes, each tuned for a different listener. That's what makes it possible for a stream audience to hear the mic, game, and music while the streamer hears a completely different audio mix in their own headphones.

Getting VOXARA into that system starts by connecting the microphone and opening Wave Link.

1. Connect VOXARA to a Windows 11 or macOS 15 (or later) system using the included USB-C to USB-A cable.
2. Install and open Elgato Wave Link 3.0. Wave Link is a free download available through Elgato.com/downloads.
3. Once open, VOXARA’s setup tour will automatically display. Walk through the setup tour to configure VOXARA into a specific setup.

From here, VOXARA's signal is live inside Wave Link and ready to be routed into a mix. To get a more detailed overview of Wave Link check out: Wave Link 3.0 Software Overview

Wave Link's routing system is built on two components: channels and mixes.

Channels represent individual audio sources, such as the microphone, a game, or an app like Discord or Microsoft Teams. Each channel has its own volume, mute, and routing controls that don't affect anything else already set up in Wave Link.

Adding a Channel

1. On the Mixes screen, select + Create channel at the bottom of the channel list.

2. Choose an app from the list of detected audio sources, or search for an app installed on the system.

3. Virtual Channels can also be created and selected within an application to automatically route audio to that channel.

4. The new channel appears in the channel list with its own volume slider, mute toggle, and can be routed into any mix.

5. Selecting a channel opens its settings, where audio effects can be applied to that source, additional apps can be added to channel, or the channel can be removed with Remove Channel.

Mixes are what those channels get blended into. A mix represents one listening destination, such as a stream, a recording, or a personal pair of headphones. Wave Link opens with three default mixes, Personal Mix, Stream Mix, and Chat Mix, but additional mixes can be created and routed to their own output devices.

Creating a Mix

1. Select the + icon at the top right of the mix row to add a new mix alongside Personal Mix, Stream Mix, and Chat Mix.

2. Give the new mix a name, such as "Record Mix" for a dedicated recording feed.

3. For each channel that should feed into the new mix, select the + icon in that channel's row under the new mix's column. Each channel can be added to as many mixes as needed, at independent volume levels for each.

4. Select an output device for the mix from its header. Each mix can be routed to its own destination, so a Personal Mix can be sent to a specific headset while a Stream Mix is routed to a virtual audio device for broadcast software.

Because channels and mixes are independent of each other, a setup can be adjusted for a specific stream, recording session, or game without disturbing anything else already configured.

Alongside routing and mixing, Wave Link hosts VOXARA's AI Voice Focus, a real-time noise suppression and voice isolation effect built on ai-coustics' audio processing technology. Rather than applying a simple noise gate that cuts audio below a set volume threshold, Voice Focus analyzes the incoming signal to distinguish a voice from background elements like room reverb, echo, and ambient noise, then processes the signal to keep the voice intact while suppressing everything else.

To turn it on in VOXARA Menu:

1. Select the VOXARA under the devices tab.

2. Open the Effects tab and enable Voice Focus.

3. Adjust the effect along its Weak-to-Strong intensity slider, depending on how much background noise or room reverb needs to be addressed.

To turn it on in a Channel:

1. Click on the VOXARA Channel.

2. Enable Voice Focus under Software Effects.

3. Adjust the effect along its Weak-to-Strong intensity slider, depending on how much background noise or room reverb needs to be addressed.

Since Voice Focus is applied at the VOXARA channel itself, enabling it affects VOXARA's audio across every mix the channel feeds into, so a Personal Mix, Stream Mix, or any other mix VOXARA is routed to all receive the same processed signal.

Wave Link's built-in routing, mixing, and Voice Focus cover most of what a VOXARA setup needs, but additional processing is available through the Elgato Marketplace. From inside Wave Link, the Marketplace tab offers VST and AU plugins that can be added to any channel, including noise removal, equalizers, compressors, and other vocal processing effects, on top of what Voice Focus already provides. It also includes voice mods for anyone looking to change how their voice sounds rather than just clean it up. Plugins can be toggled on or off per channel the same way built-in effects are, without needing any additional hardware.

For a more detailed overview of installing effects in Elgato Marketplace check out: How to Install and Use Audio Effects from Marketplace

VOXARA's RGB lighting can be controlled directly on the hardware using the rear knob, but Wave Link enhances the same three lighting categories with more control over each one.

• Multi-Color cycles through dynamic effects, including Rainbow, Horizon, Color Shift, Color Pulse, and Watercolor. In Wave Link, each of these effects can be fine-tuned individually, adjusting parameters like speed and direction rather than relying on a single fixed pace.
• Solid Color lights the microphone in one static color, selectable across six saved color slots. Wave Link makes it possible to set and store custom colors in each slot rather than choosing from a limited preset list.
• Level Meter turns the microphone into a real-time visual gain indicator, with the lighting rising and falling along VOXARA's body based on live input level.

Lighting also communicates status changes automatically. When VOXARA is muted using the tap-to-mute sensor, the mute indicator ring switches to solid red regardless of which mode is active, then returns to the previously selected lighting effect once unmuted.

To learn more about RGB lighting customization check out: How to Customize RGB lighting on VOXARA.