It’s a good week to own one of Nvidia’s RTX graphics cards, especially with the ray-tracing showcase that is Minecraft RTX going into open beta. The RTX range and its AI computing capabilities can be used for a lot more than just games though, and RTX Voice is a good example of that.
In beta now, RTX Voice is a new plugin that leverages the AI processing power of the RTX line to accurately remove background noise from any microphone recordings. This can be something as subtle as your keyboard strokes to more prominent ambient noise present in your computing space. While useful for streaming games, RTX Voice is also compatible with productivity and video conferencing software, making it more broadly appealing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The plugin creates a virtual audio device in Windows that can then be set as your primary input device. RTX Voice processes the audio from your microphone and removes noise in real time, injecting it into whatever app points to the new virtual source. While apps like Discord, OBS, and XSplit work with the plugin already, Nvidia says compatibility with Slack, Zoom, and more is possible. They’re supported for now, but might still have a few issues.
For RTX Voice to work, you need an RTX GPU of course (the cheapest of which is an RTX 2060.) From there you’ll need to have driver 410.18 or newer and download the official plugin from Nvidia. A short setup process later, which is well-documented on Nvidia’s website, and you’re good to go.
If you’re looking for more ways to spice up your Zoom meetings, check out a bunch of gaming and pop culture backgrounds you can grab for free here. And if you have an RTX card, you can download Minecraft RTX’s beta right now.
