Unofficial Tex Murphy

So I got a new mic today. New problem arose, I cannot make a decent recording with it, nor use it to any capacity that seems even close to usefulness.

I am stumped. Any ideas how to make it work properly? All I'm getting as is, is a very low recording and more static than you can shake a stick at.

-Fred

Could be a crappy mic. Usually they are pretty simple to get sounding halfway decent. Make sure you don't have mic boost on... though that would make noise, it would also make you sound louder, so I doubt that is it.

freepizza wrote:Could be a crappy mic.

Yeah I'm with FreeP on this one... Fred you have to spend more than 2.95 on a Mic in order to get any value for your money...



Have you checked your Sound levels through your control panel???

If you're using Windows, there are some things you can do to help the quality... step by step.

After plugging it into your Mic In port on your sound card, double click on your Speaker/Sound Properties icon in your system tray (all the icons on the bottom right next to the clock). This will open up the advanced properties for your windows sound.

You should already have a list of devices there with each their own sound volume control dial.

If you don't have one that has 'Mic' in the title, go to Options > Properties and under your Mixer Device dropdown section, check that your correct soundcard is selected.

If you soundcard is listed twice here, one with Output after it and one with Input after it, select the output one.

Then where it says 'Adjust Settings For' select 'Playback'.

On the list of items in the box below, make sure you have selected the tick box next to Mic, or Mic Input (or whatever it may be called).

Close this window, and adjust your Mic volume slider to around 75%.

Then go back to your options menu and select 'Advanced Controls' (if they are available), and there might be a new advanced button under your Mic. Open this and if there is a Mic Boost option enabled, disable it.

Then go back to the properties window, switch to 'output' mode in your dropdown box, OR select 'Recording' from your 'Adjust Settings for' section (if you don't have multiple cards in the drop down box) and make sure Mic is selected there too.

After clicking OK in this mode you will be in a new set of controls, only this time for all your inputs. In the mic section, make sure the button next to 'Select' is selected.

Then adjust the volume of this slider to 50%. Try this, and if it is still too quiet, raise this to 75% but don't go over 75%.

Let us know how you go!

-Cub. =o)

I get to the very end of your instructions Cub. Around the part with:

"After clicking OK in this mode you will be in a new set of controls, only this time for all your inputs. In the mic section, make sure the button next to 'Select' is selected.

Then adjust the volume of this slider to 50%. Try this, and if it is still too quiet, raise this to 75% but don't go over 75%."

Thing is though, that the Mic slider thingy is greyed out.

Weird thing is, the mic itself now sounds better, it's just bad when I try to record anything.

I should also mention that I have RealTek HD drivers. If that means anything at all.

-Fred

The Mic Slider is grayed out, but the computer recognizes the Mic being there??? That's strange... Usually things like that are grayed out because the computer doesn't acknowledge that it is there...
Your Sound Card Drivers are up to date??? I'm sure they are, but sometimes it's the dumbest questions that can solve the most puzzling problems...

When I was a teenager and worked for Best Buy and someone would call saying their computer wasn't working, the first thing to ask was, "Is Your Computer Plugged In?" and sure enough it solved some of the callers problems...

The best customer I ever got was a lady who brought her computer into the store with her CD-ROM tray in her hand and handed it to me and with a straight face being as serious as can be she put it in my hand said, "My Cup Holder Broke."... I got yelled at by the Manager because I just couldn't help but to laugh as soon as she said that and I couldn't stop myself for at least 2-3 minutes...

You're not the only one who's had that happen to them, that story is many and varied.

But yes. The drivers are updated. It's just... Like it doesn't want to recognize the recording-abilities of said mic.

Mic's there. Mic is fine. It's the recording that's screwed up now.

-Fred

Without your system in front of me to work with I can't imagine why the Mic would work and everything, but the Recording sound screwed up when you record something...

Is this the first Microphone you've had with this computer or did it work fine with another Mic??? If this is the first Mic, then maybe recording abilities have always been sour, but you are just finding out now because it is the first time you've tried recording...

...No, this is not my first mic.

-Fred

Oh! Breakthrough! Here's a small update!

I got a somewhat decent recording now, after I turned Microphone Boost ON. I say "somewhat" because as all recordings with mic boost on goes... there is heavy background static in the recording itself.

Also, having headphones on with mic boost is hell on my eardrums after a few minutes.

But I guess that's progress. Still. Any help would be appreciated.

-Fred

Let's all be Mike about this. . .


Somebody stop me.

Just Be Gary About Everything...

What software are you recording with, Fred? Sounds like the quality is set to really low.

I use the crappy Sound Recorder that comes with Windows, and the default quality is absolutely horrible. If you go in the properties though, you can set it to CD Quality, which is what I uploaded. I'm sure there are MUCH better softwares out there though. Cub must know all about it.

I'm actually using a program called Audacity. Pretty easy to use, and it's got some nifty stuff.

-Fred