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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.
quick warning, check the Behringer B-1 power requirements. Pretty sure it's a condenser mic and as such requires 48v of phantom power to operate/function. (Not 100% sure)
I only say this because the Xenyx 302USB DOESN'T have the 48volt of phantom power needed to power it. Only produces around 11-15v. I'm only saying this because I had the same problem happen to me. I bought the Xenyx and XLR condenser mic and it wouldn't work consistently took me forever to figure out.
It was under-powered.
You can get stand-alone 48v phantom power units from Amazon.
That one will run you about another $20.00
Or buy a different mixer that has 48v phantom power.
Only saying this because with XLR being one of the only solutions to this problem I went through a TON of self-research and trial and error...it sucked. Trying to save others the headache.
Has anyone tried ASIO4ALL? It bypasses Windows software volume controls, for instance, but still depends on the USB audio drivers. Depending on where the problem is, it might help. You could try it with Reaper's free trial, or any other software that supports ASIO (stock Audacity does not).
Thanks for the tip but I tried these drivers, didn't work for me. I hope the behringer Xenyx 320USB with driver will solve the problem.
Like I said, I'll let you guys know.
Has anyone tried ASIO4ALL? It bypasses Windows software volume controls, for instance, but still depends on the USB audio drivers. Depending on where the problem is, it might help. You could try it with Reaper's free trial, or any other software that supports ASIO (stock Audacity does not).
This is what I was affraid of if I would buy a XLR mic like the at20202 with a Behringer Xenyx 302USB.
The signal still gets handled by Windows 8.1 eventually so the problem will still exists.
No the scarlet and behringer come with their own drivers, bypassing Windows 8.1's shi**y usb audio driver. The signal is handled by the mixer/audio interface and then piped to Windows over USB but windows 8's driver doesn't handle the actual recording which is the issue. It does solve the problem, my recordings are not only louder but also less muffled, lower background noise and I can increase the audio even further without getting the usual distortion from "hitting the ceiling" or what ever you call it. But you are correct that it is an expense. And if you can switch back to Windows 7 you totally should, I couldn't...
That's an option as long as you don't mind being behind in updates and support in less than a year from now. Microsoft is sending Windows 7 out to pasture early when you consider DirectX updates and other things. It's really not an option for most people, especially those who this problem affects.
Ok, I decided to sell my Blue Snowball and bought the Xenyx 302USB with a Behringer B-1 mic. It will be delivered within 2 days. I also decided to stay with Windows 8.1 and not going back to 7 because of a lot of reasons, like drivers for SSD, future updates etc. etc.
I will let you guys know if the new setup solves the problem. I think it would partly solve it because I will be able to gain the volume with the mixer. But the big question that still remains is: Will Windows 8.1 still lower the USB signal volume coming from the mixer? I will let you guys know.
Anyway, I should send my invoice of the Blue Snowball towards Microsoft. They are responsible for this ongoing flaw. Also the companies that sell these USB mics and are aware of this problem should inform their costumers.
Sorry for my English, it's not my main language.
