Windows Archives | Best Microphones Critic

What to Do If Your Computer Unable to Pick up the Mic — Photo By: Jiri Hera/EyeEm

In this day and age of virtual communication, your computer, headphones, and microphones are practically extensions for your body. They have become your eyes, ears, and mouth. You watch the world through the monitor, you hear through the headphones and you speak to the world with the mic. This is why one of the most difficult and anxiety-inducing situations for most people is having their computer not pick up the mic.

Most models of laptops have an internal microphone built into the device, and so the need to purchase a separate mic is not that high. For people who use desktop computers, however, a separate microphone is a necessity. Now, imagine you are in an extremely important conference call, and your mic will just not pick up. The thought itself is enough to give anyone a panic attack. 9 out of 10 times, the solution to your problem is very simple. In this article, we discussed few steps to guide you, If your computer not pick up the mic.

You can also read: How To Record Audio On PC Without Microphone

1. MAKE SURE THE MICROPHONE IS NOT FAULTY

First, we need to determine if the problem lies within the computer, or if it is just the microphone itself that is faulty. For that, what you are going to do is, connect the mic to another desktop or laptop, preferably one which uses a different version of the operating system as your own. If the microphone is not being picked up by the other computer as well, chances are it is damaged. If you are using a desktop computer, you could also try connecting the mic to the port at the back. The front port might be damaged. However, if your computer is a laptop, you can just skip to the next step.

2. RUN TROUBLESHOOTER ON WINDOWS

Troubleshooting refers to the process of identifying and solving problems within the hardware and software of your computer. It can also come in handy if one is facing connectivity issues. So this is exactly what we want to do.

Windows 10 incorporates a few troubleshooters that are specifically designed to diagnose as well as fix a variety of computer problems on its own. While troubleshooting cannot fix all problems, it is still helpful in identifying what is wrong.
In order to start the process, go to “Settings”. Type “Troubleshoot” and select the “Troubleshoot” option from the search results. Next, you shall find and select the “Recording Audio” option listed under the “Find and Fix Other Problems”. Now, click on “Run the Troubleshooter” and wait. Follow any instruction that appears on the screen. Check to see if the Windows Update Troubleshooter has fixed the external or internal microphone problem. You should also run the “Speech” troubleshooter.

3. ENSURE THAT THE MICROPHONE IS ENABLED IN YOUR DEVICE

It is not improbable for the reason behind your troubles to be something as simple as your computer having disabled the mic.

Make sure your mic is turned on in the Windows 10 operating system. It is likely that the mic is actually switched off, which would explain why it is not working. In order to check, you should go to Settings, find and click on “Privacy” to see if it is enabled in Windows.

Locate and select the “Microphone” option on the left pane of the Privacy settings panel. You should make sure that the toggle next to “Let apps use my microphone” is set to “On.” If you are using your microphone for a specific app, make sure you have given the app permission to use it. Locate the app in the list and double-check that the toggle is set to “On.” Check to see if this fixes the microphone problem.

4. SET THE MICROPHONE AS A DEFAULT DEVICE

Sometimes, a computer may have multiple mics or speakers connected to it and may require you to select a default device. Not selecting appropriate option will cause your computer not pick up the mic. Just because the external microphone is connected to your computer, does not mean it has been added as a default device. This is something you might have to do manually.

In order to do so, right-click on the speaker/volume icon, go to the menu and choose “Recording devices.”

Select the microphone in the Recording tab, then press “Set Default” to make it the default recording device.

If the recording devices list does not include a microphone, right-click on an empty space in the Recording tab window and select “Show Disabled Devices” and “Show Disconnected Devices.” The mic should now appear, and you can set it as the default system by following the steps outlined above.

5. REINSTALL OR UPDATE YOUR MICROPHONE DRIVERS

A device driver is a piece of software that tells the operating system and other software how to communicate with specific hardware. To reinstall microphone drivers, search for “device manager” and select “Device Manager” from the results. Double-click on “Audio Inputs and Outputs and select “Uninstall driver” from the contextual menu when right-clicking the recording system (your microphone). When you restart your device, Windows should automatically reinstall the missing drivers.

Right-click the recording system in Device Manager and pick “Update driver” from the contextual menu whether you want to update your drivers.

You’ll be asked if you want to automatically check for the modified driver software or browse the device for driver software. If you choose the first choice, Windows will look for the most recent driver software for your system on your computer and the Internet. You must manually locate and install drivers if you choose the second choice. This choice requires that drivers have been downloaded to the device or a USB flash drive.

Conclusion

If none of the above mentioned methods help your computer pick up the mic, you should try and seek out professional help from a technician. 9 out of 10 times, however, it does not get to that point.

How To Record Audio On PC Without Microphone — Photo By: Eduard Goricev/EyeEm

Recording audio on pc with a microphone does not produce the best sound quality as it picks up background noises and the overall quality of the recording gets distorted as well. With a very silent environment, you can get a decent output but we’re here to teach you how to record audio on pc without a microphone. This route is even better as it does not require any paid software, additional setups, or a microphone. To learn how to record audio on pc without microphone for free, go through the simple instructions below.

You can also read: Best Karaoke Microphone 2021: Reviews + Buying Guide

How To Record Audio Without Microphone On Windows?

Windows comes with a free audio recording app called Voice Recorder which you can use to make audio recordings. Unlike pad apps such as Adobe Audition or Cakewalk, you can utilize Sound Recorder to make audio recordings utilizing easy-to-use features. Here’s a step-wise guide for you to follow.

Step 1: Enter “Sound” on the search field, and select the first option that appears.

Step 2: Now, click on the “Recordings” tab and enable the stereo mix option by right-clicking on it first. If there’s no “stereo mix” option, right-click on any empty area inside the box and select “Show Disabled Devices”. Then, select “stereo mix” and click “Enable”.

Step 3: Next, choose properties by right-clicking on “stereo mix” again. Move to the “levels” tab and set it at 50 which is necessary to prevent distortions in the recording.

Step 4: Click “Ok” twice for closing the properties panel and the sound dialog box.

Step 5: Now, open the Sound Recorder and set the volume to a maximum before hitting the record. After you’re done recording your audio, you can disable the “stereo mix”.

Step 6: Save the recorded audio with a desirable file name by clicking on “Save As” and finally, click “Save”.

How To Record Internal Audio Without Microphone on Windows?

To record internal audio without a microphone on Windows 10, you need to download the free app called Audacity which is extremely easy to use and a lot better than multiple paid apps of similar kind. By following the below steps, you can record internal audio of a video clip or a podcast on your pc.

Step 1: Download and install Audacity on your pc.

Step 2: Launch the app and open it on your desktop.

Step 3: Once the Audacity window opens, click on “Windows WASAPI” from the drop-down menu on the left.

Step 4: Now, choose “currently active speaker/headphone device” from the second drop-down menu. Make sure to select the right speaker if you have multiples ones on your pc.

Step 5: Next, play an audio clip from any audio source that you’d like to record. Click on the recording button (the red dot) to start capturing the audio.

Step 6: Once you’re done, click on the stop button (opaque black square) to stop the recording. You can preview your recording by clicking on the play button (green triangle)

Step 7: Finally, save the recorded audio by clicking on File, followed by Export. Select the desirable file location before clicking on “Save”.

How To Record Internal Audio Without Microphone On Mac?

Mac comes with a free recorder called QuickTime but unfortunately, it will not pick up the audio if you’re screen recording a video on your laptop. To record audio, you need an additional app called Soundflower. Although this option is a bit more complicated than the one in Windows if you follow the below steps to the dot, you’ll be able to record anything easily.

Step 1: Download Soundflower on your pc.

Step 2: Go to “System Preferences” and click on “Sound”.

Step 3: Now press Command+Space which will open the Audio Devices window. You can also opt for Audio MIDI Setup in the “Utilities” folder on your pc.

Step 4: On the Audio Devices window, click on the “+” on the bottom left corner and choose “Create Aggregate Device”. Name the created box as “QuickTime Player input”.

Step 5: Check for the Clock Source slot in the same window and select Built-in Microphone. In the bottom list, tick on “Soundflower” as well if it’s not automatically selected already.

Step 6: Click on the “+” on the bottom left corner of the same window again, and this time select “Create Multi-Output Device”. Name the created box “Screen record w/ audio”.

Step 7: Check for Master Device slot in the same window and select Built-in Output. Then, tick “Soundflower” on the bottom.

Step 8: Go to “System preferences” on your pc and make sure you click on “Screen record w/ audio” under the “Output” section.

Step 9: Now, you can record anything on your pc and the audio will be recorded as well.

FAQs

How do I share my audio recording on Sound Recorder?
Look for “Share” on the right edge of the screen while the Sound Recorder app is open. A list of apps will appear when you tap on “Share”. You can also mail it to an address by choosing “Mail”.
How do I change the microphone volume on my pc?
Search for “Sound” on your pc. Then click on the “Recording” tab, followed by a click on “Microphone” and “Properties”. Now, click on “Levels” tab and adjust it according to your preference. Select “OK” before closing the tab.
How do I rename audio recordings?
Right-click on the saved audio file and select “Rename”, and change it to the desired name.

Final Words

As long as you follow the steps as indicated in this article, you should be able to easily record a conversation, voice clip, podcast, or audio from a video. While investing in a high-quality microphone is a great option if you need to record a song or recitation, recording any audio without a microphone is undoubtedly a more cost-effective option. Plus, you can record as many audio pieces as you like without worrying about them having unwanted background sound.