Silent Microphone: Causes and Troubleshooting

Despite the rapid development of nanotechnology and the tangible growth of direct communication via the Internet, the audibility of the interlocutor is not always excellent. And rarely when the cause of such a problem lies in the quality of the connection or VoIP technology. Even when communicating through popular programs such as Skype, Viber or WhatsApp, the interlocutor's voice becomes quiet or disappears altogether, which is very unpleasant, especially when the conversation concerns important topics. The culprit of the problem is most often the audio headset.

Inexpensive analog microphones made in China have flooded the budget device market. And a low-quality device could never boast of ideal technical characteristics. Of course, the test of the device's operation upon purchase never shows bad results, but after a week the user will notice how the device loses its potential. And in a month you can go to buy a new similar device.

It's another matter when the sound of the original microphones becomes quiet. Throwing such an expensive device into the trash won't raise your hand. This means we need to fix the problem. Moreover, the solution to this problem is actually very simple.

Surely every person at least once in his life faced problems when his own voice disappeared during online communication or the interlocutor was not heard. And the first reason that came to mind is that the Internet does not work well, the connection is lost. And if such situations are repeated too often, then it is worth checking other reasons for the sudden onset of silence. And start not with the Internet, but with the headset.

Before dealing with the reasons for the mic becoming quiet, it is necessary to get acquainted with the design features of the sound device and their differences. For example, according to the working principle, the device can be dynamic, condenser and electret. Dynamic are more popular due to their low cost.

However, they cannot boast of high sensitivity. Condenser microphones limited range and low sensitivity.

Electret - a kind of condenser models. Such designs are small in size, low cost and an acceptable level of sensitivity for home use.

According to the type of connection, microphones are divided into embedded, analog and USB devices. Built-in models are located in the same design as webcams or headphones. Analog ones are connected as an independent device. USB microphones are connected according to the analog principle with the only difference in the connection connector.

The most common microphones today are considered analog models. They are presented in various configurations. But most importantly, they can be used as a standalone device or combined with headphones.

Among the variety of microphones with a 3.5mm plug, there is a relatively sensitive headset that matches most of the built-in input jacks. The connection process is very simple. It is enough to insert the plug into a jack with the same color. In this case, a good input and a sound card are responsible for the sound quality. In the absence of such, there is a high probability of noise during the operation of the device. USB models are equipped with a built-in amplifier that provides the required sound level.

Having dealt with the design features of microphones of various modifications, you can begin to study the main reasons why the microphone became quiet:

• poor connection between microphone and sound card;
• outdated driver or lack thereof;
• incorrect microphone setting.

When the sound card of a stationary or laptop PC meets high requirements, it is not difficult to increase the volume of the microphone. In order to make the appropriate settings, you will need to get into the system control panel... You can take a shortcut, namely, right-click on the speaker icon near the clock, which is located in the corner of the taskbar, and select the line "Recorders".

A more difficult path requires you to click the "Start" button, go to the control panel, click on "Hardware and Sound", then select "Sound" and open the "Recording" tab, then go to the "Levels" section and adjust the microphone gain accordingly. The slider, responsible for its sensitivity, increases the volume of the voice, starting not from PC standards, but from the quality of the sound card. The most advanced sound cards immediately produce the highest possible voice volume, which, on the contrary, has to be reduced.

However, in addition to the built-in sound card standard, there is an alternative option for amplifying the sound volume. And that's the Mic Boost option. However, the availability of the presented alternative is entirely dependent on the sound card driver. If the driver is outdated, then it will not be possible to find a similar option in the system.

Do not forget that amplifying the microphone sound will increase the volume of the ambient noise. Of course, this nuance will hardly affect online communication via Skype. However, for vocal recordings, video tutorials or streams, the presence of unnecessary sounds will be a serious problem. To avoid such situations, it is recommended to open advanced microphone settings and adjust all indicators to the required level. Be sure to check the operation of the headset. But preferably not by recording sound, but by communicating with another person via Skype or WhatsApp.

There is another way to increase the microphone volume in the PC operating system. To do this, you need to use the Sound Booster utility. This program has a lot of useful advantages, among which users appreciate the ease of installation, launching the program every time the computer is turned on or restarted. With Sound Booster, you can increase the microphone volume by 500%. Most importantly, Sound Booster supports many popular games, multimedia players and programs.

A little patience will allow you to get the perfect volume without the sound of extraneous noise.

In addition to the usual and most common ways to amplify a microphone, there are additional methods for increasing the volume of the voice. For example, in some desktop and laptop PCs, the sound card or sound card supports the option of applying filters. They accompany the human voice in the process of communication. You can find these filters in the properties of the microphone. Enough select the "Improvements" tab. It is worth noting that "Improvements" are only displayed when a headset is connected.

Once in the named tab, a list of filters will appear on the screen, which can be turned off or activated.

• Noise reduction. This filter allows you to reduce the noise level during a conversation. For those who constantly use Skype or other online communication programs, the presented filter must be activated.This option is not recommended for vocal users.

• Echo cancellation. This filter reduces the echo effect when amplified sounds pass through the speakers. Unfortunately, from a practical point of view, when recording solo vocals, this option does not work very well.

• "Removing a constant component". This filter saves the owner of a hypersensitive device. Fast speeches after processing the microphone become crumpled and incomprehensible. This option allows speech to be transmitted without overlapping words.

If none of the presented methods helped to solve the problem of a quiet microphone, you can try to purchase a webcam with a built-in sound device. However, if you want to upgrade your PC, you can buy a new sound card that will have a high quality microphone input.

Do not worry and despair if the microphone is out of order, especially since the quiet sound of the gadget is not a sentence. First, you need to check the main points of the microphone settings and inspect it from the outside. The sound may have become quieter due to the volume reduction on the device. In fact, for every single case of serious breakdown, there are a dozen unforeseen situations. And they are all completely random.

Quite often, users are faced with incorrect operation of the microphone built into the headphones, which is expressed in a low voice, increasing noise, squeaking, buzzing, rattling and even stuttering.

The best online diagnostician is the WebcammicTes Internet portal. It is easy to find out the cause of the problem on this site. After checking the system, the diagnostic result will appear on the screen, where it will be clear whether the problem is in the microphone or in the operating system settings.

By the way, many users of the Windows 7 operating system complain about the constant deactivation of sound drivers, which is why you have to constantly install them. However, this is not a solution to the issue. First of all it is necessary to check the operability of the service programs. To do this, go to the webcammictest website. com, open the "Test Microphone" tab.

As soon as the green indicator comes on, it is necessary to start speaking small phrases in different keys. If the screen displays straight vibrations, it means that the microphone is working normally, and the problem lies in the system settings of the PC.

The following video provides an overview of the TOP 9 USB microphones.