# Problem with USB Microphone and Laptop recording

**URL:** <https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/problem-with-usb-microphone-and-laptop-recording/55347>\
**Category:** Windows\
**Created:** [January 25, 2020, 8:38pm UTC](https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/problem-with-usb-microphone-and-laptop-recording/55347 "2020-01-25T20:38:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 36

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**Author:** ![Trebor](https://forum.audacityteam.org/user_avatar/forum.audacityteam.org/trebor/32/45854_2.png) [@Trebor](https://forum.audacityteam.org/u/Trebor)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 8:28pm UTC](https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/problem-with-usb-microphone-and-laptop-recording/55347/36 "2020-01-26T20:28:27Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> … tell the program that only sound above for example -25 will be detected?

That’s what a [noise-gate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_gate) does: only volume above a threshold gets through unattenuated.  
Now the bad news: gating can sound weird, it’s jarring/stilted, and the crickets will still be present when you speak.

> [@](#):
>
> Someone told us there was an echo in the small room so we moved to the main living room.  
> TEST 1.mp3 (271.09 KiB)

My tip would be filter out everything below 200Hz with the [equalizer](https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/equalization.html), (or [high-pass filter](https://ttmanual.audacityteam.org/man/High_Pass_Filter)).  
that reduces the reverb (echo) and makes male & female voices more equal in volume.  
The [LevelSpeech2 plugin](https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/improved-leveling-for-speech/33258/27) makes voices even more equal …  
[/uploads/default/original/3X/2/1/21f063b55ad61e6405aa5d3a5b7349113ed784ee.wav](https://forum.audacityteam.org/uploads/default/original/3X/2/1/21f063b55ad61e6405aa5d3a5b7349113ed784ee.wav)

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