Windows 8.1 USB microphone volume is extremely low

Anonymous
2014-03-14T02:41:12+00:00

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

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/2da97f80-f58b-4635-acbf-9dd7292ed752/microphone-very-low-volume?forum=w8itprohardware

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_8-hardware/low-usb-microphone-recording-volume-at2020/9528f797-65c8-4033-a4d6-39995cd0d074

Has there ever been a fix for this issue?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2014-07-31T00:46:56+00:00

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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-04-07T02:18:17+00:00

    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.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-04-08T12:28:50+00:00

    Thanks for the feedback.  With regards to Decibels, I honestly haven't checked that vs another OS, I'm loathe to go fiddling now I've got things fixed, but will try and look later.  However, it does still have the same "stepping" issue (what looks like 88% of the slider in windows is about 50% of the slider in powermixer.

    Volumouse looks cool but don't think it's a solution for me.  Hopefully it will be for others.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-04-08T16:11:59+00:00

    I bought a lovely EditorKeys SL300 to replace my very old USB mic.... You know the story by now. The volume is simply so low and nothing you can do to change it

    Reading this entire thread I wanted to say how disappointed I am at the Microsoft 'Support' team - their suggestions are mind numbing and completely disregard the problem being described. The thread got much more constructive when they stop posting 'control panel adventures'

    I really hope this is sorted but given the windows 10 stuff I am not confident either

    Thanks

    TC

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-04-08T16:59:25+00:00

    I  read the replies, and using decibels, which I did not know previously to exist, gives no additional boost.

    The real solution is to get a separate product with phantom power and record to that.

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