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Microphone woes
Vanneto
Member #8,643
May 2007

So, since everyone and their dog has created a "woe" thread I wanted to try it too. :)

So, I bought a Canyon CNR-HS9 headset so I can communicate with my friends while playing some online games. All well and fine. I bring it home and plug it into the front jacks on my computer. The problem was, the microphone worked but the headphones didn't (the sound was still coming from the speakers).

Naturally, I wanted to install the correct drivers. I have an old P5K motherboard that has an integrated Realtek ALC 883 sound card. I tried to install those drivers, didn't work as they are apparently too old for W7 (compatibility mode also didn't work).

So I downloaded the Realtek HD Audio codec drivers from their website. Now, the headphones work, but the microphone doesn't work. It works in a sense that Windows 7 can "see" it but no matter how loud I speak it doesn't record my voice.

If I do record something its just random noise. I tried changing the recording volume, recording boost, but it just doesn't get input from my voice.

I googled this and found out that a lot of people are having similar problems... But there seems to be no solution to this. I even tried installing AC'97 drivers but that also didn't work.

Damn Windows 7... I loved it for so long but this is really beginning to piss me off. Maybe you guys have any ideas on how I could further troubleshoot this?

In capitalist America bank robs you.

type568
Member #8,381
March 2007
avatar

Various general thoughts regarding the topic:
1. Make sure all relevant devices are enabled and set to default in the "Sound" in control panel.
2. A "Hardcore solution" could be perhaps a 3.5mm splitter for the dynamics & phones.. Won't work too good if your dynamics have more than two channels..
3. Write to their support, heck they made it..

MiquelFire
Member #3,110
January 2003
avatar

Also, the jack in the back may be the one set to record from.

---
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Derezo
Member #1,666
April 2001
avatar

You mentioned the front jacks, but did you try the back jacks?

The front jacks work by completing a circuit on pins in the middle diagram here:
{"name":"Connector.gif","src":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/6\/f\/6f3ca55e62ff8e6b9f1787ee75a93c57.gif","w":637,"h":585,"tn":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/6\/f\/6f3ca55e62ff8e6b9f1787ee75a93c57"}Connector.gif

So you could have a problem there. Recently a friend had trouble with his front jacks. I had him yank the cables going to these connectors and insert the two jumpers that are there by default. Fixed it for him.

"He who controls the stuffing controls the Universe"

Johan Halmén
Member #1,550
September 2001

On one desktop computer I noticed I couldn't get sound to the headphones, because the built-in speakers of the computer were plugged at the rear. So I plugged the speakers to the front instead, just to make it easier for me to switch between headphones and speakers. Still needed unplugging and re-plugging of the speakers before and after using the headphones. And then I got the ugly speaker cord occupying some desktop space.

Vanneto said:

Damn Windows 7

2nd that. Lots of things I can't get used to. There should be an "Emulate XP GUI" button.

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Years of thorough research have revealed that the red "x" that closes a window, really isn't red, but white on red background.

Years of thorough research have revealed that what people find beautiful about the Mandelbrot set is not the set itself, but all the rest.

jhuuskon
Member #302
April 2000
avatar

Funny you should mention that. I used my laptop for the first time in weeks and using the XP GUI made me say aloud what James L. Brooks said upon first seeing the first drafts of completed Simpsons animations: "This is shit."

In any case, the audio jack fuckery and shitty drivers of onboard audio are both good reasons alone to begin enjoying the benefits of having an external audio interface, not to mention superior audio quality thanks to quality hardware instead of $0.02 ghetto DACs.

You don't deserve my sig.

Vanneto
Member #8,643
May 2007

I already tried the back jacks, didn't work. Nothing is muted or anything like that. The only thing I didn't try and should have tried first is trying the mic on a different computer. I'll do this now.

I also have a few other ideas, I'll report back here when I'm done trying.

@Johan: yeah, I don't know why, but Windows 7 was made to be more "simple" in terms of configuration... But that sometimes works the opposite way. With these kinds of things I really wish for more advanced settings. Sadly, there are none.

In capitalist America bank robs you.

Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
avatar

Vanneto said:

With these kinds of things I really wish for more advanced settings. Sadly, there are none.

Isn't the mixer widget provided by the OEM and not Windows per se? :o

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

Vanneto
Member #8,643
May 2007

Yup, but that doesn't help much either. The Realtek HD Audio Manager is tuned towards simplicity in a "no configuration needed" kind of way. :P

In capitalist America bank robs you.

Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
avatar

Well then it's not Windows fault, is it?

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

Vanneto
Member #8,643
May 2007

In Windows XP you could configure a shitload of settings, not so much in Windows 7 or maybe I'm just missing something.

Thing is, I shouldn't need some fancy ass drivers for the microphone to work. My brothers laptop doesn't need drivers (has the default MS ones), works fine there (tried it just now).

In capitalist America bank robs you.

Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
avatar

If an OEM doesn't have the initiative to make new drivers for a new OS, it's not the new OS fault. And if the OS has default drivers to work with stuff, that's just gravy. (I can't believe I'm defending Windows here! Even if the OEM did provide some crap drivers for the OS default to give users a reason to upgrade)

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

Vanneto
Member #8,643
May 2007

Well, turns out Windows was OK. The drivers were OK. One little problem...

The mic was turned off. :-/

In capitalist America bank robs you.

Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
avatar

It occurred to me to ask that, but I didn't :-X

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

Vanneto
Member #8,643
May 2007

Yeah, I feel insanely stupid, but its one of those things you should think about first, but don't. :(

In capitalist America bank robs you.

Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
avatar

A computer I was building today was giving me an attitude. It wouldn't turn on. Tried every combination of the power button pins.

I was about to fart on it, but then I noticed I had the 4 pin 12-volt CPU connector snapped in incorrectly (90 degrees clockwise). :-[

The sad thing is this $250 PC meant for a web surfer is faster (onboard video card excluded) than my workstation. :-X

Billybob
Member #3,136
January 2003

Boss: "Why aren't these TPS reports done yet!?"
Me: "I would have had them done, but Windows 7 accidentally the document."
Boss: "Yeah, no kidding, Windows 7 accidentally my daughter!"

Windows 7, the perfect scape goat 8-)

type568
Member #8,381
March 2007
avatar

Aww. Wow. Nice. Didn't think to suggest that, literally.. It's just not a place you think to be giving such suggestions.. ;D

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