low volume and hum using mic

Xerlome · Post by **Xerlome** » Wed Dec 31, 2014 8:52 pm

I had the mic itself (without USB cable) checked at a music store on a speaker system, it sounded fine.

I took it to a computer shop and it worked on their computer with the USB cable. They didn't have Audacity, but the computer's audio meter showed no irregularity. The guy suggested there may be some codex I needed to download for Audacity.

Post by **DVDdoug** » Wed Dec 31, 2014 10:38 pm

OK... We know your hardware is good... It's looking like a setup or configuration issue...

What do you see in the box on the right side of the microphone icon? Do you see "USB something"?

Check your Windows configuration for any "enhancements" that might be messing with the sound.

It's also possible that you have a driver issue. I have a couple of USB audio devices and sometimes Windows gets confused and chooses the wrong driver... I'm not getting the same symptoms as you, but the wrong driver causes my USB device to fail.

Post by **kozikowski** » Thu Jan 01, 2015 12:14 am

OK... We know your hardware is good...

No we don't. We just confirmed that your USB ports have a grounding, battery or other hardware connection issue.

Most of the jobs your USB port does can survive a damaged or leaky ground (the outer shell of the connector) or ratty data transfer. Would you really know if your mouse was off by 1/8" when you clicked on something? Bad or erratic data or an infirm protective shield will destroy a sound transfer, particularly associated with a microphone. That kind of problem is how I got that mosquito noise sample clip.

We do not have software driver-type problems. The system is clearly producing sound and you can change the sound reliably by touching the microphone. It even produces voice, just at the wrong level. Software issues produce no sound at all, massive distortion or a computer crash. None of those are present.

How old is the computer? Does it have front and back USB connections?

Koz

Post by **kozikowski** » Thu Jan 01, 2015 12:28 am

Repeat the test that the computer store did. Do Windows Control Panel sound meters work? Does Windows Sound Recorder (or whatever it's called) work?

- Windows Sound Recorder
- Start > Programs > Accessories > Entertainment

(This may be out of date)

Koz

Xerlome · Post by **Xerlome** » Thu Jan 01, 2015 12:51 am

I can't judge what it is or isn't, so I'll do whatever I need to do to eliminate the possibilities. I'm afraid I don't know how to check each thing, so I need to ask:

Where do I find the microphone icon to look at the box to the right of?

How do I check configuration?

How do I check the drivers?

How do I check the ground?

How do i check data transfer?

The computer is less than 2 years old. It has USB ports front and back.

I'm also wondering about the cable I bought. It doesn't have the control part in the picture of the product with name shown on the package (Hosa Technology TrackLink Microphone to USB Interface - XLR3F USB Type A - 10 ft). The music store guy mentioned possible wrong impedance of the cable.

Xerlome · Post by **Xerlome** » Thu Jan 01, 2015 12:57 am

I can't find Windows sound recorder. I used the search. I don't find "Entertainment" listed under accessories.

This is Windows 7 Professional.

Post by **kozikowski** » Thu Jan 01, 2015 1:44 am

You got me. I'm not a Windows elf.

It's good the computer is relatively recent, and Win7 worked out so well even I liked it. Make sure the microphone fails in a similar way to both front and back connections (even if you have to shuffle peripherals around a little to do it). I'm getting in deep water here, but it's not unusual for the rear connections to be primary and work very well and the front connections are convenient extension secondary.

Through the magic of Google.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... d-recorder

It's possible he's right, but something that simple should not need special driver or other software. You should totally check the manufacturer. I didn't see anything when I was up there. And yes, I would be happier had you gotten the fancy cable with the controls on it. It's possible to do better diagnostics with it.

This is where Windows Sound Recorder works perfectly, it's a software problem and I'm going to go in the corner and lick my wounds.

Koz

Xerlome · Post by **Xerlome** » Thu Jan 01, 2015 2:41 am

I plugged the mic into a back USB. I recorded with the Windows sound recorder, saved the file, and the playback was 0 audio. I tried a front USB again, same.

I went to Audacity, but now the mic is not listed as an input option. I went to sound in control panel to be sure the mic was listed, it is and it says "This device is working properly." Playback is set to "default device". All audio plays on my speakers.

The mic has not been traumatized in any way.

Is there something else I should have done when I replugged the mic after unplugging it?

Post by **kozikowski** » Thu Jan 01, 2015 6:07 am

There is one Audacity trick. Audacity checks for new equipment when it starts, so plug something in, make sure it's there long enough to be recognized by Windows, and then start or restart Audacity. If you're compulsive, you can make sure Windows actually sees the new device in Control Panels, then start Audacity and go looking for it with the Device Toolbar.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/de ... olbar.html

Koz

Post by **kozikowski** » Thu Jan 01, 2015 6:11 am

You can make this a little easier to follow:

I went to sound in control panel

You went to sound in Windows control panel?
Does Windows Sound Recorder have sound meters? I've never met it.

Koz

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