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I have a Samson C01U USB mic. It is a plug-and-play microphone. There are no drivers for it. There is no firmware for it. You just plug it in, and it works.
This mic has always worked perfectly. When I used Windows 7, I set the volume level of it to about 40-50% and everything sounded crisp, clear, and loud. On Windows 8, it is inaudible unless I set the volume to 90% but even at that point it is not loud enough. Setting it to 100% results in a lot of noise in the background.
This is not the first time someone has brought this issue up as it is extremely common to everyone owning a USB plug-and-play mic:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1323451/windows-8-mic-issue
Has there ever been a fix for this issue?
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Hi,
Thank you for the reply.
As you have mentioned that you have checked the issue with other microphone but you still face this issue. We have already tried to uninstall and reinstall the drivers. I suspect this issue to be a hardware issue. Check the issue with a local technician.
It seems that the number being displayed in the microphone levels is some sort of translation of the actual value being stored. I found this by using a separate piece of software, which displayed a different value.
Well the first thing you should always do is right-click the "88" percentage and select "decibels" and always use that instead.
The percentage numbers are meaningless and map to different dB in different Windows versions, but the dB level should be defined by the hardware and should always map to the same signal level in any OS. Do the levels for a given decibel number match the levels on other OSes for the same decibel number?
There is a solution in my video for this, however, it requires buying separate software :( You can use it for 14 days free. If anyone finds something similar that doesn't require you to pay money for, please please, add them to this thread ;)
Volumouse is freeware and will let you adjust the mic volume over its entire range, in small steps.
I believe that I have found the issue,
It seems that the number being displayed in the microphone levels is some sort of translation of the actual value being stored. I found this by using a separate piece of software, which displayed a different value.
There is a solution in my video for this, however, it requires buying separate software :( You can use it for 14 days free. If anyone finds something similar that doesn't require you to pay money for, please please, add them to this thread ;)
I am having the same problem:
Environment:
Windows 8.1 Pro x64
Microphone:
Audio Technica AT2005USB (USB cable)
Bose headset (microphone jack)
Software:
Windows Recorder
Camtasia Studio Recorder
Audacity
If I use default settings, the playback volume is inaudible.
If I turn the recording gain to 100%, hold the microphone directly to my mouth, and raise my voice, then I can somewhat hear myself back, though at that point there is distortion, breathing, and other annoyances. Even if I accept that, the volume is still quiet.
Questions:
If Microsoft has a problem Windows 8/8.1 wide with audio recording,
Yes, I am aware that I can purchase a multi-track recorder, such as TASCAM DP-008EX Digital Portastudio 8-track recorder, however that is overkill. I really just want to record my voice to a Power Point slide. Can that be done with Windows 8/8.1?
Is there any external program that allows us to boost USB mic volume?
