# Microphone input is VERY quiet.



## Idle

I've been everywhere I can possibly think of and still found no solution to this problem so I've turned here for help.

The problem is my headset. I bought it a few days ago and it's worked great so far. While playing Unreal Tournament 2004, the bots could understand what I was saying if not with a bit of difficulty, but I hadn't yet tried to use it on other people over an online game which was the original reason I'd bought the headset to begin with. After going a day without so much as touching the computer, I went back to try testing it. When I finally did, however, people responded with "Someone's talkin' but I can't hear nuthin'," I assumed that this meant that my microphone wasn't properly connected or that my mouth wasn't close enough to the mic, so I closed out of UT and opened up the Windows Sound Recorder, checked for any problems, and tried it out.

While I was recording, I could see that barely any sound was getting thourgh- there was hardly any movement in the bar. I played it back and could clearly hear that my voice was very faint and barely audible. I _could_ hear it, though. It wasn't muffled, staticy, or echoey, just very, very quiet. It sounded like the volume on my computer was turned down very low or something, but I checked and saw that this wasn't the problem.

The first thing I thought to do was adjust the microphone input volume by using the windows sound mixer. I checked the bars, and found that they were all at the maximum. I checked the mic booster option, tried it again, with no improvement in my results. 

Now becoming slightly frustrated, I opened UT again to check if the bots, at least, were still respoding to my commands. Guess what? Nothing.

I searched all over the internet for a solution to my problem, going in to the Control Panel several times and messing with the microphone and input properties, only coming to the same conclusion each time. Then, thinking that it might be a problem with my sound card, I went looking for updates for my drivers.

First off, I had a hard time even figuring out what kind of sound card I had. I've come to the conclusion that it's a 'Maste Ripway PCI Audio Device', but every driver I tried to install for it either didn't work, didn't install, or wasn't for my operation system.

Then, thinking that maybe it was a problem with the mic itself, I went and plugged it in to my mom's computer (a laptop and a much more recent on at that) with fantastic results. The sound was clear, loud, and understandable- far better than it had been on my computer. For me, this rules out the chance of it being a headset problem.

I went back to my computer still frustrated and without a solution and tried again to find an answer. Every single one I found, however, was something that I'd already tried and that had failed.

Still slightly frustrated but holding out hope for an answer, I've come here to techsuppotforum.com to search for someone who can solve my problem.

In case it's of any importance, I have some information about my computer and the headset I'm using.

HP Pavilion 8665c
Windows 2000
Master Riptide PCI Audio Device (Device managers says the Drivers are version 5.0)
Logitech Precision PC Gaming Headset

Now, my computer is around 5-6 years old, but I don't see how this would have any effect on the microphone since it's not a USB one and there are no system requirements for it.

Yes, I'm amazed the thing still works and can even run a game like UT2k4 as well (especially with only a 685mHz processor), but that's not the problem here.

Any help in this matter is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Idle :grin:

PS- I forgot to add that the headphones part still works perfectly. The sound is crisp and clean and there's no problems whatsoever with it on any computer. The microphone is the only problem.


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## Barry_R

Open the sound panel and in the microphone section there should be an advanced button. When you open advanced there should be a microphone boost option. Check it and try your mic.


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## Idle

Barry_R said:


> Open the sound panel and in the microphone section there should be an advanced button. When you open advanced there should be a microphone boost option. Check it and try your mic.


Well...



Idle said:


> The first thing I thought to do was adjust the microphone input volume by using the windows sound mixer. I checked the bars, and found that they were all at the maximum. *I checked the mic booster option, tried it again, with no improvement in my results*.


I already tried that with no results, unfortunately D:

Thanks for the help though :]


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## Barry_R

Ok I missed that with all that tiny text. :grin: Lets go on then.

I would try another sound card since the mic worked ok on another machine.


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## Idle

Barry_R said:


> Ok I missed that with all that tiny text. :grin: Lets go on then.
> 
> I would try another sound card since the mic worked ok on another machine.


Heh, sorry for the tiny text- it was just such a big post that I didn't want it taking up a lot of room.

Anyway, I _think_ I've fixed the problem.. After reading your suggestion, I thought about using another sound card, but I wasn't ready for that just yet, so I tried looking for another solution. I found one that required muting the microphone voume in the 'playback' portion of volume control, and now It's working almost perfectly. I think what it was was that all my input was going to the speakers instead of being recorded.. or something. I don't know really, lol.

But thank you for your help- I appreciate it very much! :grin:


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## AXEL88

*This is a common problem. I am a fellow sufferer.*

:4-dontkno Why does my Mic work fine in windows but not Battlefield 2? Many people in the game are also having this problem. I know you are saying. Its the game obviously however I have no figured out when the volume sometimes works and other times not in XP its self. 

My advanced settings are greyed out in the sound settings so no mic boost for me. I is all very strange I suspect Gigabyte of penny pincing on the sound array.


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## Wolborg_GT

I have the same problem but I don't know how to fix :'(

I tried boosting and it still hasn't worked.

I have exactly the same problem, but with a C-Media Wave Device.

Please link me to a solution, and if i'm defying any forum rules, then I apologise.


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## Nr_X

*re*

Hallo,
I have absolutely the same problem, and I'm using C-Media too, as Wolborg_GT. ;// hrr... maybe anyone knows how to fix this problem? 

p.s. Windows 2000


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