Have you ever been in front of your PC expressing yourself in your most informative way, but you’re not getting any response, only to find out that your mic is quiet? This can be very frustrating if the session is of utmost importance. Asides from disrupting the flow of your interaction, it can make you look as if you’ve not prepared enough.
If you’re using an external microphone, you might have tried increasing the volume dial of your microphone repeatedly and repositioning the microphone several times, all to no avail. If you’re using an in-built microphone, you might have also thought of increasing the master volume of your PC or the app you’re using to record with the microphone, but you don’t know how or where to do it. Don’t panic. The situation might not be as bad as it seems.
In this article, we will provide you with the steps you can take when you realize that your mic is quiet. These quick-fix solutions capture all the possible reasons that can cause the quietness of your mouse.
In addition, whether it is a Windows PC or a Mac PC, you’ll be able to solve the problem of people not hearing you well and improve the overall sound quality of your mic.
Why Is My PC Mic Quiet?
The quietness of your mic is due to some reasons. For example, if you are using an external microphone, it might be because the mic is incompatible with your system or the microphone is of a low quality. Also, it can be because of faulty cable connections, or it needs a sound booster.
If you’re using an in-built microphone, the quietness of your mic might be because of the volume of your PC, the software you’re using to record with the microphone, or your PC’s operating system.
How do I Fix A Quiet Pc Mic Problem?
There are a lot of ways for you to fix the quietness of your mic. They include; checking your cable connections, adjusting the master volume of your PC, and adjusting the master volume of your operating system. The procedures for these solutions are well explained below.
Solution #1- Check your cable connections
If you’re using an external microphone, follow these procedures;
STEP 1: Ensure all your cable connections are correctly connected. Check the cables and connectors individually and ensure they’re functioning and inserted in the slot provided.
STEP 2: If your mic needs a sound booster, make sure the sound booster has been connected to an electrical socket for power.
Solution #2 – Check and adjust the master volume of your PC
To adjust the master volume on your PC, follow these steps;
STEP 1: Left click on the sound icon on the toolbar.
STEP 2: Set the volume to the maximum.
STEP 3: If the volume is already set to the maximum, check the master volume of the app you’re using.
STEP 4: Locate the general settings menu.
STEP 5: Select the sound or microphone settings box.
STEP 6: Set to maximum volume.
If the problem persists even after following the two solutions highlighted above, then the issue might be because of the master volume of your operating system. Here, we will provide quick fixes for both a Windows PC and a Mac PC. We will go through all the popular window versions currently being used for Windows PC.
Solution #3 – Operating Systems
1) Windows 7
To increase the volume of your mic with Windows 7, follow these steps;
STEP 1: Click the control panel Icon in the start menu.
STEP 2: Click the option that displays hardware and devices.
STEP 3: Now, click the sound option.
STEP 4: Next, click the option that shows Audio devices.
STEP 5: Double-click on the microphone option or left-click the microphone tab and click on the properties.
STEP 6: When the properties window pops up, click on the levels tab. In there, you’ll find two slide bars. The two bars are for the microphone and the microphone boost. In some cases, you’ll find only one bar. This is because not all devices have the boost option.
STEP 7: Adjust or slide the bars to the maximum zone.
STEP 8: Conclusively, click on the apply icon. This should increase the volume of the microphone.
2) Windows 10
To adjust the master volume of your mic with Windows 10, follow these steps;
STEP 1: To start with, click on the start icon.
STEP 2: Then proceed to select the settings option in the start menu.
STEP 3: Now, Click on the system option in the next window.
STEP 4: Next, Click on the sound option, the second option from the top.
STEP 5: When the sound settings window pops up, please scroll down to the sound control panel and click on it.
STEP 6: Another window will appear; from there, select the recording tab option.
STEP 7: Double-click on the microphone option or left-click the microphone tab and click on the properties.
STEP 8: When the properties window pops up, click on the levels tab. In there, you’ll find two slide bars. The two bars are for the microphone and the microphone boost. In some cases, you’ll find only one bar. This is because not all devices have the boost option.
STEP 9: Adjust or slide the bars to the maximum zone.
STEP 10: Finally, click on the apply icon. This should increase the volume of the microphone.
3) Windows 11
This is the latest and the most popular operating system for Windows.
Hence, to rectify the problem of a quiet mic with Windows 11, follow these steps;
STEP 1: First, Click on start.
STEP 2: Proceed to click on the settings option.
STEP 3: Now, click on the system option.
STEP 4: Next, click on the sound option.
STEP 5: Select the microphone’s properties in the input tab.
STEP 6: Talk into the mic and make sure that the blue bar auto regulates.
STEP 7: If this doesn’t work, select the Test microphone option and start test to troubleshoot the mic problems.
4) Mac PC
If you are using an apple computer, you can adjust the microphone setting by following these processes;
STEP 1: First, Go to your file browser and click on the apple icon to display a pull-down menu.
STEP 2: Next, Click on system preferences.
STEP 3: When the system preferences window appears, select the sound icon.
STEP 4: Now, click on the input tab when the sound settings window pops up.
STEP 5: Select the microphone and balance the volume settings to the midpoint.
STEP 6: Click on the headphones option and repeat the steps there. This should rectify the problem of the quiet mic if you’re using a Mac PC.
Other simple solutions
STEP 7 :Ensure all the volume settings on your PC and the app are set to maximum.
STEP 8: Look through all your system settings and ensure that none of the sound options is set to mute.
STEP 9: You can reinstall your app if none of the above solutions works for you.
Final Thoughts
The reason your mic is quiet can either be a software or a hardware issue. The solution we discussed above will help you rectify the problems. Make sure you follow all the processes highlighted and make sure the changes are permanent by clicking on the apply button. If none of the options above works, you will inevitably have to replace the mic.
