Why Is Your Mic So Quiet on PC?

When you find that the mic is a bit quiet on your PC, there might be several things you can do to improve that. The problems can be anything from the volume dial on your microphone to your system’s software settings.

Your mic is so quiet on your PC, maybe because the settings need adjustment in the operating system itself. Other reasons could be faulty hardware or problems with the app you are using to record with your mic. You might need to check the master sound level in the app and increase it.

In this post, we will show you all the possible ways you can increase the overall volume and sound quality of your mic. We will take a look at how to do this on your Windows PC and a Mac PC.

Reasons for Low Volume in PC Mics

You will find that there are several reasons your mic is not loud enough when you try to use it on your PC. The problem can be hardware or software, but there is a way to increase your mic’s volume regardless of the reason.

Keep in mind that adjusting sound settings on your system will not solve all potential problems. It’s possible that your mic is not suitable to meet your needs and requires replacement.

Low volume levels on your PC mic may result if:

• The mic is not compatible with your hardware or software.
• The mic was not designed to be any louder.
• The mic is of low quality.
• The mic is meant to be used with sound booster devices.

Ways To Fix a Quiet Mic

There are several easy ways you can fix these problems and get your mic to be louder, and most of them will not cost you any extra money at all. If none of these ways work, you need to replace the mic with a better product with much better sound quality and loudness.

Check for Loose Connections

You can start by making sure all connectors are properly connected and inserted correctly in the slots provided for it. If you have a mic that needs the power to boost the sound, make sure that it is connected to the correct power supply.

It may be a USB power cable, or it might need to be plugged into a wall electrical outlet for power.

Check out: 8 Reasons Why a Mic Suddenly Gets Quiet

Check the Master Volume

Ensure the master volume on your PC is set to the maximum by left-clicking on the sound icon on the toolbar. If the volume is set to the maximum, check the master volume in the app you are using.

If you are using Skype, go to the general settings menu, select and mark the Automatically set microphone settings box. This will allow the app to configure and reset the mic to its best performance ambiance when detecting a problem.

Another way to adjust the master volume is to do it in the operating system settings you are currently using.

Check out my guide to fixing a mic that sounds staticy.

Windows 11

We start with the latest operating system and currently the most popular one used on desktop PCs and laptops.

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Click on System.
4. Click on Sound.
5. You need to choose the microphone’s properties in Input.
6. Ensure that the blue bar autoregulates when you talk into the mic in Input Volume.
7. If this fails, click on Test your microphone, and then choose Start Test to troubleshoot problems with your mic.

Windows 10

1. Click on the Start button, then click on the settings cog within the Windows Start menu.
2. In the next window, select the System option and click on it.
3. Second, from the top, you will find the word sound; click on it.
4. In the sound settings window, scroll down to the sound control panel, which will be blue, and click on it.
5. A smaller window will pop up; click on the Recording tab.
6. Left-click on the microphone icon that is marked with a green checkmark, then click on properties. You can also just double-click on the Microphone icon that is marked with a green check.
7. In the Microphone Properties window, click on the levels tab, where you will find two slide bars. One is for the microphone, and the other is for the Microphone boost; keep in mind that not all devices will support the boost option. This means there will only be one slide bar; slide both the bars to the maximum setting.
8. Finally, click on the Apply button, and it should rectify the problem of a quiet mic.

Here’s a video if you need further assistance: 

Windows 7

With Windows 7, you will do the same thing as mentioned in Windows 10, but here you will follow a different route to the settings.

1. In the start menu, click on the control panel tab.
2. Now click on hardware and devices.
3. Next, click on the Sound option.
4. Then you can click on Audio devices.
5. From here on, step five to eight for Windows 10 will be basically the same to increase the volume of your mic.

If that’s not clear enough for you, here’s a video demonstration:

Mac PC

Next, we will show you how to adjust the microphone settings on a Mac PC for those who use Apple computers.

1. Click on the Apple icon in your file browser for a pull-down menu.
2. Choose System Preferences and click on it.
3. In the system preferences window, click on the Sound icon.
4. From the sound settings window, click on the Input tab.
5. Choose your microphone and adjust the volume so it is at mid-point.
6. Then click on the Headphones tab and do the steps there.

If you need further assistance, check out this video:

These steps should solve the problem if it is the operating system settings causing the issue of a quiet mic.

Update the Sound Card Drivers

The next step to take if the above steps did not solve the problem is to check your sound card in the control panel. All systems work the same way when looking for this, and that is to find devices in the control panel.

In the case of a Mac PC, you will find it in the same window you found your sound settings icon. Find your sound card in the device manager, double-click on it to get to the properties, and then select the Device Driver tab.

In this window, you will find the Update driver option, click on it and follow the on-screen instructions. Wait for the operating system to find an updated driver and to install it. This may take some time, so you need to be patient.

Check out my article about 5 ways to make your headset mic sound better.

Other Simple Solutions for a Quiet Mic

If none of the above steps helped to solve the problem, you could look at the following options to see if they can solve the problem.

• Swap out the microphone to see if that does not change anything.
• Make sure all balance settings are set to the middle on your PC.
• Ensure all volume controls are set to the max in your system and in the app you use.
• Go through all the settings on your PC and in the app to ensure no mute options are selected.
• You can reinstall the app if none of the above steps work out for you.

Check out this guide to building a soundproof room within a room.

Final Thoughts

These are the basic reasons why your mic is so low on PC and rectifying steps you can follow to make your mic a bit or even a lot louder. Make sure you follow all the steps and click on the Apply and then OK buttons to make the changes permanent.

If nothing works, there is only one option, and that is to replace the hardware. For example, it might be necessary to buy a new sound card or even a new PC. Hopefully, this will not be necessary, and your quiet mic problem will be solved after this.

For more information, check out how to make your voice sound better on Audacity.

Sources

• YouTube: Change your Microphone Volume Settings with Windows 7 (I fixed my mic volume issues!)
• YouTube: Adjusting your microphone and headphone settings – for Mac
• YouTube: Mic too Quiet? – How to Boost Microphone Level in Windows 10
• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix-microphone-problems-5f230348-106d-bfa4-1db5-336f35576011#:~:text=working%20at%20all-,Try%20the%20following%20solutions%3A,the%20volume%20of%20your%20microphone.