Reduce microphone input in Windows Vista/Audacity

Great Plains · Post by **Great Plains** » February 22nd, 2008, 2:34 pm

My microphone (USB Logitech headset) is much too sensitive, and I'm getting a lot of clipping. How can I reduce the input sensitivity in either Windows Vista or Audacity?

In Audacity, there is the input volume slider, but that just reduces loudness, not the sensitivity.

In Windows Vista, there is the Sound control panel with the Playback devices and the Recording devices with relevant sliders. But when I adjust those sliders and click Apply or OK, they automatically reset to 100%.

Is there some other way, or am I doing something wrong? It's a headset microphone, so I can't just take a step back.

Alternately, what would happen if I increased the sample rate or bit depth for the recording and then reduced it to the required level at the end? Would that do any good? If I can get the recording without the clipping, then I can always reduce the volume in post, right?

I don't know what the hell I'm doing

Thanks for your help.

a.r.dobbs · Post by **a.r.dobbs** » February 23rd, 2008, 8:25 am

Hey Daniel, gosh, that's weird.
Dunno why your Windows settings are popping back to 100%.
Maybe...maybe it's the sequence of events.
First plug in your mic (before opening Audacity)
then adjust your windows settings -- being sure first that your mic is selected (all this obvious stuff, right? you've totally covered it in your experiments so far, I'm sure, so I'm just babbling in an effort to look over your shoulder in a supportive way)
and see to it that it doesn't pop back to 100%
and then open Audacity.

The sensitivity of the mic itself, huh? ... hmm
most folks really need to INCREASE their input volume, not decrease it, so this is ... hmm ...

I don't know a lot about all this, but I think the solution needs to happen elsewhere than in the sample rates -- keep those at the LV settings.

Maybe just maybe the headset needs to be returned for another one. Hmm, that doesn't really make sense to me -- but can you try another headset? Gotta a friend with one?

a.r.dobbs · Post by **a.r.dobbs** » February 23rd, 2008, 8:28 am

You say:
"In Audacity, there is the input volume slider, but that just reduces loudness, not the sensitivity."

Question:
Do you mean that when you reduce input volume in Audacity you still get a clipped waveform, but just not reaching to the top and bottom? It's just as clipped, but now there's white at top and bottom?

Clipped sound is a bad bad thing. Drat.

Great Plains · Post by **Great Plains** » February 23rd, 2008, 9:02 am

a.r.dobbs wrote:Hey Daniel, gosh, that's weird.
Dunno why your Windows settings are popping back to 100%.
Maybe...maybe it's the sequence of events.
First plug in your mic (before opening Audacity)
then adjust your windows settings -- being sure first that your mic is selected (all this obvious stuff, right? you've totally covered it in your experiments so far, I'm sure, so I'm just babbling in an effort to look over your shoulder in a supportive way)
and see to it that it doesn't pop back to 100%
and then open Audacity.

Thank you for the reply. I appreciate the looking over my shoulder. Sometimes it's the small, stupid things. I'll double check all of that when I'm back at my rig later this morning.

The sensitivity of the mic itself, huh? ... hmm
most folks really need to INCREASE their input volume, not decrease it, so this is ... hmm ...

The sensitivity is okay for most of my recording, but the dialog is usually louder than my narration because I seem to have characters that like to shriek at each other and call across rooms for each other.

It sounds bad with the clipping. It sounds bad if I read it dead-pan. It sounds bad if I fake yell. And it sounds bad if I take the headset off and place it across the room. Reducing the sensitivity was the only other thing I haven't tried, and I was hoping to see if that might work.

But hell, I'm not aiming for an Emmy here (just hoping against hope), so push come to shove, I'll just do the least bad sounding thing

a.r.dobbs wrote:You say:
"In Audacity, there is the input volume slider, but that just reduces loudness, not the sensitivity."

Question:
Do you mean that when you reduce input volume in Audacity you still get a clipped waveform, but just not reaching to the top and bottom? It's just as clipped, but now there's white at top and bottom?

Clipped sound is a bad bad thing. Drat.

Yes, exactly.

a.r.dobbs · Post by **a.r.dobbs** » February 23rd, 2008, 9:19 am

OH, well, if you're
y e l l i n g . . .

that's a whole nother thing then, huh?
so maybe not placing the mic across the room but ... you know how a singer does it as she increases the ... shall we say POWER ... of her singing, she'll lift her face up and pull the mic down and away a little. That might could help. Just 'cause it's a headset doesn't mean you can't hold it like a mic for this section. But you will want to totally control your grip of the mic, because it will definitely register any shifting around in your hand, hoo boy.

STILL, the thing about windows popping the level back to 100% -- that just ain't right.

And that surprises me about Audacity -- in my memory (I haven't done much recording lately, bah) the Audacity slider and the computer input slider mirror each other, so sliding one does change the other. Humdeedum. Who knows. So there must be some way of coupling and of uncoupling those controls. Hmmm. Guessing, of course. But it seems like it, from your report.

Good luck with this!

Great Plains · Post by **Great Plains** » February 23rd, 2008, 12:52 pm

Okay, I tried fiddling with Windows before starting Audacity, and it did keep the settings this time. But, of course, that means I have to stop and start Audacity each time I want to change the sensitivity.

Ah well.

Thanks for the help. I think I got something that sounds ... okay enough

robbierogers · Post by **robbierogers** » February 29th, 2008, 5:24 am

Daniel: under the advanced setting for the microphones is the option to boost the input. You might see if that is checked, as it does make a big difference.

Great Plains · Post by **Great Plains** » March 2nd, 2008, 10:58 am

robbierogers wrote:Daniel: under the advanced setting for the microphones is the option to boost the input. You might see if that is checked, as it does make a big difference.

Is that "advanced setting" in Audacity or Windows? I don't see it in either. Perhaps I'm missing something ... ?

kristin · Post by **kristin** » March 2nd, 2008, 1:10 pm

Some computers have a 20db mic boost button you can tick in the windows advanced mic settings. If you don't see one you probably don't have one. (I have one computer with it and one without, don't know why.)

robbierogers · Post by **robbierogers** » March 2nd, 2008, 6:20 pm

Kristen is correct, it is a Windows control. Try settings/control panel/sounds& audio devices. Under the first tab "Volume", hit the button for "Advanced" settings. That brings up the whole Playback Control panel. Under Microphone, hit that Advanced button. At the bottom of that is the setting for the boost in volume. Kind of a long way around, but it will get you there, I hope.