USB microphone does not work on Mac. The microphone does not work on a PC or Mac: how to fix it and how to configure it. Why did the computer go deaf?

A microphone is a sensitive, capricious device, but so necessary for us to communicate. It makes it possible to call your loved ones and conduct business negotiations without leaving your computer and without spending significant sums on cellular communications.

A malfunction in the “organ of hearing” of our electronic assistant makes us feel mute, which is not only unpleasant, but can also disrupt our plans. Let's figure out what to do if the microphone does not work on a computer running Windows or Mac OS X and how to configure it for optimal sound.

The microphone does not work on Mac and PC: how to fix it and how to set it up

Why did the computer go deaf?

The reasons for sudden “deafness” of a laptop or PC can be both software and hardware failures. A hardware malfunction may be hidden in the microphone itself or in the computer to which it is connected. Software problems can be caused by malfunctions in the operating system and individual applications.

On hardware failure indicates the following:

The microphone does not work when connected to various PCs and gadgets.
It is not detected by the computer, despite being connected to the correct socket, the presence of an audio driver and the correct sound card settings.
Shortly before the complete failure, the quality of sound capture decreased - the volume jumped, extraneous noise arose, crackles, clicks, or the interlocutor periodically stopped hearing you.
There are obvious damages to the cable, plug or other parts of the device, as well as the microphone input on the computer.
There is no sound at all on the car. The sound card is not detected in the BIOS.

Software problems are indicated by problems with audio capture in one or more applications and only on a specific operating system (if there are several of them on the PC). Reasons software glitches there are:

Uninstalled, inappropriate, or faulty audio driver.
Incorrect audio device socket settings.
Disable sound recording in the operating system or reduce its volume level to zero.
Damage to registry sections or system files responsible for sound recording (most often this happens due to viruses, tweaking programs and playful hands of users).
Incorrect setting or failure of a specific application (if sound recording does not work only in it).

How to restore hearing on a Windows PC

Move from one step to another if the previous one does not help.

Make sure the external integrity of the connection connectors - microphone and PC. Connect the microphone to the pink jack on the front or back of the system unit. Or just to the audio jack if you have a laptop.
Check the microphone cable for breaks - bend it in different directions, while simultaneously monitoring the response to sound.
If you have a specific device that requires its own drivers (for example, a mini microphone built into a webcam), make sure that it is supported by the system. Information about this should be in the manual and on the manufacturer’s website.
Install, update or reinstall the audio driver:

Download the driver from the audio adapter manufacturer's server. The brand and model can be found in the instructions for the device, in the description of the motherboard (if the adapter is built-in) or laptop. Install it just like a regular application.
If the driver is already installed, update it. Launch Device Manager, expand the list of audio equipment, right-click on the adapter you are using and select Update Drivers.

If it doesn't help, reinstall the driver. Select the “Delete” option from the same menu. In the warning window, check "Uninstall driver programs" and restart the machine. After a fresh start, install the audio driver again.

Diagnose sound problems using Windows. Right-click on the speaker icon in the tray and select "Detect audio problems."

Check the recording settings and volume level:

Click "Recorders" in the same menu. If the new window has a “Disabled” label next to the “Microphone” icon, open its properties.

From the Device Usage list, select Use.

Next, open the “Levels” tab and set the desired volume.

Check the assignment of the audio device jacks (if available): launch the management program (for me it’s Realtek Manager), right-click on the microphone input icon in the panel and select “Change jack assignments”.

In the “Which device to connect” box, check “Microphone input” and save the setting.

If this is still useless, the reason is either a physical malfunction of the equipment or a serious system failure. Let the specialists deal with the first, and you can try to solve the second by restoring the system to a saved checkpoint or, in extreme cases, reinstalling it.

Problems with individual programs can be resolved by changing their settings or also by uninstalling and reinstalling them.

Optimal audio recording settings in Windows

The story of how to set up a microphone for optimal sound is a logical continuation of the troubleshooting instructions. All actions are performed in the same window that we discussed above.

So, open the “Recording” section of the “Sound” system utility, select the desired device and enter its properties.

IN properties:

Go to the “Listen” tab and activate listening from this device. Click Apply.

Open "Levels". Set the volume to 100%, and initially set the gain slider to 0. While listening to yourself on headphones, move the gain slider to the right until you achieve a balance of clear sound and minimal noise. Click "Apply" again.

Go to “Advanced” and set the highest bit depth and sampling frequency that does not cause interference or distortion.

And the last one is the “Enhancement” tab. Here you can enable or disable sound effects, echo and noise reduction. By the way, activating the “emergency mode” allows you to use settings on different pages of this window without clicking the “Apply” button.

Be sure to click OK to save your final settings.

How to solve audio recording problems and set it up correctly on Mac

Not every iMac and MacBook has an interface for an external audio recording device, so before you connect a microphone, make sure it's supported by your computer and check the manual for which jack to connect it to.

The following steps are the same for troubleshooting and configuring both external and embedded hardware. Do one after another until the problem is completely resolved.

If the device is not recognized, reset the multicontroller () and memory (in older versions - PRAM). How to do this, read in the manual for the device or on the Apple Support website (links are provided).
After booting into OS X, click on the apple in the upper left corner of the screen and select “System Preferences” from the menu.

In the Hardware section of the System Preferences window, click the Sound button.

Go to the "Input" tab and make sure that the "Microphone" device appears in this list. Select it.
Adjust the input level while checking how the device is picking up sound. If you hear extraneous noise, check the “Use ambient noise reduction” checkbox – the noise reduction option.

After this, the problem should disappear. If not, most likely the sound card or microphone is not working properly, or the latter is not supported by your computer.

In my experience, this instruction helps solve up to 90% of problems with audio capture on Windows and Mac OS X. I hope someday it will help you too!

All manufacturers of modern mobile gadgets are trying to improve the quality of the captured image (recording video is no longer a problem), but for some reason almost no one thinks about the quality of the recorded sound.

In contact with

Mikme- a device that has virtually no analogues in its price segment. The microphone allows you to record audio in studio quality without any additional devices.

A simple and compact black box hides a sensitive membrane capable of recording sound with 24-bit parameters and a sampling frequency of up to 96 kHz. A device with excellent quality, close to studio quality, can easily cope with recording songs, interviews, rehearsals and even concerts.

At the top end of the case there is a power button. At the bottom there is a battery charge and Bluetooth indicator, a MicroUSB port for charging, a 3.5 mm audio output and volume buttons.

IN Mikme there is a built-in battery with a capacity of 1,000 mAh, which will provide up to 7 hours of battery life, and an 8 GB flash card allows you to record up to 180 hours of high-quality sound on the newfangled microphone. Mikme can be connected via a USB cable to a PC (Windows XP and higher) or Mac () as an external recording device (popular programs such as Apple Garageband, Logic, Cubase, Reason or Ableton are supported). Thanks to the built-in Bluetooth module Mikme easily synchronizes with devices based on iOS (7.0 and above) or Android (4.4 KitKat and above) for streaming to a specialized application.

The proprietary Mikme App allows you to save recorded audio, create mixes (overlays up to 8 tracks into one track), trim songs or share them with friends.

Main technical characteristics

Audio:

— frequency range: from 20 to 20,000 Hz;
— sensitivity: 18 mV/Pa;
— signal-to-noise ratio: 75 dB;
— recording time: 180 hours MP4, 16 hours WAV;
— processor: 168 MHz Cortex M4.

Dimensions:

— dimensions: 70 x 70 x 35 mm;
— weight: 200 g.

At the moment, the product developers are collecting the necessary funds to start mass production on the Kickstarter site. According to plan Mikme should go on general sale in September 2015 with a retail price of $249.

Fair, not overpriced and not underestimated. There should be prices on the Service website. Necessarily! without asterisks, clear and detailed, where technically possible - as accurate and concise as possible.

If spare parts are available, up to 85% of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs require much less time. The website shows the approximate duration of any repair.

Warranty and responsibility

A guarantee must be given for any repairs. Everything is described on the website and in the documents. The guarantee is self-confidence and respect for you. A 3-6 month warranty is good and sufficient. It is needed to check quality and hidden defects that cannot be detected immediately. You see honest and realistic terms (not 3 years), you can be sure that they will help you.

Half the success in Apple repair is the quality and reliability of spare parts, so a good service works directly with suppliers, there are always several reliable channels and your own warehouse with proven spare parts for current models, so you don’t have to waste extra time.

Free diagnostics

This is very important and has already become a rule of good manners for the service center. Diagnostics is the most difficult and important part of the repair, but you don't have to pay a penny for it, even if you don't repair the device based on its results.

Service repairs and delivery

A good service values your time, so it offers free delivery. And for the same reason, repairs are carried out only in the workshop of a service center: they can be done correctly and according to technology only in a prepared place.

Convenient schedule

If the Service works for you, and not for itself, then it is always open! absolutely. The schedule should be convenient to fit in before and after work. Good service works on weekends and holidays. We are waiting for you and working on your devices every day: 9:00 - 21:00

The reputation of professionals consists of several points

Company age and experience

Reliable and experienced service has been known for a long time.
If a company has been on the market for many years and has managed to establish itself as an expert, people turn to it, write about it, and recommend it. We know what we are talking about, since 98% of incoming devices in the service center are restored.
Other service centers trust us and refer complex cases to us.

How many masters in areas

If there are always several engineers waiting for you for each type of equipment, you can be sure:
1. there will be no queue (or it will be minimal) - your device will be taken care of right away.
2. you give your Macbook for repair to an expert in the field of Mac repairs. He knows all the secrets of these devices

Technical literacy

If you ask a question, a specialist should answer it as accurately as possible.
So that you can imagine what exactly you need.
They will try to solve the problem. In most cases, from the description you can understand what happened and how to fix the problem.

Selecting and setting up a headset

Rosetta Stone® speech recognition technology is a key element of our language learning solution. To use this feature, you will need a USB device with a microphone: a USB headset or USB headphones. For more information about choosing and setting up a headset, follow the link below.

Setting up your headset from the control panel

*Models marked with an asterisk are particularly reliable and are recommended for use in schools and for long-term use.

Setting up a headset from the Windows 8 Control Panel

2. Press the Windows icon button on your keyboard.

3. The Start menu will open.

4. Type "control" and search.

5. Select “Control Panel” from the list.

6. If you're viewing Control Panel by category, click Hardware and Sound and then Sound. When viewing in Show large and small icons mode, click Sound.

7. On the Playback tab, highlight your device by clicking on it. The device you are using may be named C-Media USB Audio Device, USB VoIP Device, or another USB device name.

8. Click the Default button. If your preferred device has a green checkmark next to it, it's already set as your default device.

9. Click the Properties button.

10. Open the "Levels" tab.

11. Adjust the speaker level to 30.

12. Click OK.

13. Open the “Recording” tab.

14. Select the device by clicking on it. This device must have the same name as the device selected in the Playback tab.

15. Click the Default button. If your preferred device has a green checkmark next to it, it's already set as your default device.

Setting up a headset from the Control Panel in Windows Vista and Windows 7

For best results, use a USB device: a USB headset or USB headphones with microphone.

1. Connect your headset to an available USB port.

2. Open the Start menu.

3. Select Control Panel.

4. If you're viewing Control Panel by category, click Hardware and Sound and then Sound. When viewing in Show large and small icons mode, click Sound.

5. On the Playback tab, highlight your device by clicking on it. The device you are using may be named C-Media USB Audio Device, USB VoIP Device, or another USB device name.

6. Click the Default button. If your preferred device has a green checkmark next to it, it's already set as your default device.

7. Click the Properties button.

8. Open the "Levels" tab.

9. Adjust the speaker level to 30.

10. Click OK.

11. Open the “Recording” tab.

12. Select the device by clicking on it. This device must have the same name as the device selected in the Playback tab.

13. Click the Default button. If your preferred device has a green checkmark next to it, it's already set as your default device.

14. Click OK.