Resolving Microphone Problems with Your Computer

Computers these days, even the relatively basic ones, will have a sound card installed in most cases, more often than not with a built in microphone. Naturally, if you want a slightly better quality audio recording, it is a good idea to connect an external microphone, either as a USB Connection, or a standard audio 3.5mm connector. When ever you add a new microphone or have a problem, it is a good idea to run a microphone test to make sure the audio will register when you want it to.

 

Common Microphone Tests and Problems

Common problems with a microphone are that the incorrect input port may be selected and one way to test this is to speak into the microphone and see if you can record the audio or hear it in your headset.

If you are using a USB microphone, some will auto install when they are connected to the computer for the first time and then present as another audio input port, or you may need to install software that comes with the microphone. It depends on the microphone model and make used.

 

3rd Party Software

One other method to run a microphone test is to use communication software that may be installed on your computer, like MS messenger or Skype. Both of these software packages, available for free, have audio settings panels where you can test your microphone. They too, will present you with a series of options to select the desired input source and Skype even presents an audio level meter to see when you are talking.

There is more than one way to conduct these tests, and one way can be with the use of free software like Audacity. It is available from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download. This software will work on both PC and Mac . The best way to test this is to go through the input menu and select the source for your mic, be it internal sound card, or external audio.

In the event that you do not have any of these software packages, other options include using the built in mixer software on your computer. This can be found by either right clicking on the speaker icon on the bottom right of your computer screen or by going into the control panel and selecting audio settings. There, you can open the full audio mixer, and ensure that the input channel for the microphone is open or has the fader lifted to allow audio to record. (Look for a green tick next to USB Microphone Device.)

 

 

I mention the above procedure as even with the rest of the audio settings correct on the computer, if the master computer software fader for audio is down, nothing else will work. It is important that the full chain of audio processing is open, or connected to allow the audio to pass through. Think of the faders like a tap in a water pipe. The taps of faders must be open to allow the water or audio to pass through. I use this analogy to help explain the concept. (Ensure the Volume Control is up on the Device and the Program you are Using.)

 

 

Whilst microphone testing may seem tedious, it is usually a set and forget arrangement, unless you are using different microphones at different times. In most cases, once the levels and settings are set, you will have little or no further problems. Your computer will usually save the last used settings when you are adjusting the audio.

A good final test after you have done everything, is to manually restart your computer and test the microphone again. If it all works when you open the audio recording software, you are set.

I will mention one other testing option, which is the use of online microphone testers. Many of them use the Flash format or video process to display the results, and for this method to work, you also need to have the Adobe Flash program installed on your computer. If this is not installed, the online testing using the Flash method will not work for you.

 

Need more help? Feel free to leave a comment below….