I’ve searched here and didn’t find this problem, which is really simple.
My Windows 7 computer “hears” my microphone, but Audacity does not, no matter what I do.
Any clues?
Thanks very much.
Describe the microphone in detail. If it’s a specialty, one-off, extremely complex microphone part of a larger system, it might not appear on the Audacity list of sound devices. It may not even qualify as a sound device.
Koz
My microphone is a stock, Logitech computer microphone. I’ve used it many times with previous versions of Audacity and Windows. I’m now using Audacity 2 and Windows 7.
Is that a USB microphone or does it plug into the small round “mic in” socket?
If the latter, is your computer a laptop of full size computer and are you sure that it is plugged into the right hole?
Thanks for the reply. The mic has a jack, not USB.
The computer is a desktop. The mic is plugged into the correct hole, but I did try all the other ones just in case.
All the sliders and sound features on my computer are live and not muted–I can test the mic on the computer and verify that it is working.
Look in the Windows Sound Control Panel. When you speak into the mic do you see the green bars responding to your voice?
I mentioned that above. Yes. The bars move in the sound test. Thanks.
What options are available in the “recording input device” box in the device toolbar?
Which one is selected?
What options are available in the “host” setting and which is selected?
Hi, thanks again.
Input choices
Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High Definition) chosen
Microsoft Sound Mapper Input
Audio host
MME (chosen)
Windows Direct Sound
Windows WASAPI
That isn’t going to work because it is expecting a digital signal not a microphone.
It seems strange that there is no analogue input listed.
From the Help menu, select “Audio Device Info” and copy the output into your reply.
Thanks, Steve. Here’s the info.
==============================
Default capture device number: 1
Default playback device number: 4
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: Microphone (High Definition Aud
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High De
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: Speakers (High Definition Audio
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High De
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
==============================
Device ID: 6
Device name: Primary Sound Capture Driver
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.120000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.240000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 7
Device name: Microphone (High Definition Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.120000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.240000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 8
Device name: Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High Definition Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.120000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.240000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 9
Device name: Primary Sound Driver
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.120000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
==============================
Device ID: 10
Device name: Speakers (High Definition Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.120000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
==============================
Device ID: 11
Device name: Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High Definition Audio Device)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.120000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
==============================
Device ID: 12
Device name: Speakers (High Definition Audio Device)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.003000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.010159
Supported Rates:
44100
==============================
Device ID: 13
Device name: Speakers (High Definition Audio Device) (loopback)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.003000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.010159
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 14
Device name: Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High Definition Audio Device)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.003000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.010159
Supported Rates:
44100
==============================
Device ID: 15
Device name: Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High Definition Audio Device) (loopback)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.003000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.010159
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 16
Device name: Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High Definition Audio Device)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.003000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.010159
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 17
Device name: Microphone (High Definition Audio Device)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.003000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.010159
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Selected capture device: 2 - Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High De
Selected playback device: 4 - Speakers (High Definition Audio
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available capture sources:
0 - Master
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - PCM
==============================
Capture volume is native
Playback volume is native
According to that there is a recording input option for “Device name: Microphone (High Definition Audio)”
Are you sure that option is not listed in the device toolbar?
Yes, it isn’t listed. I will double check when I get home this evening. I wondering if I should reinstal Audacity.
That won’t make any difference unless you also reset the Preferences.
Run the installer and in the “Select Additional Tasks” screen, put a check in the “Reset Preferences” box. Complete the installation. On launching Audacity, a dialog will appear where you can confirm that you want to reset preferences.
Bingo. The microphone now shows up and it records! Thanks very much for your help. If you require any other info, please let me know.