Many of us use computers for fun, whether we are talking with loved ones, listening to music, drawing on a graphics tablet, and amateur programming. Therefore, not many people think about how the operating system is arranged, input and output devices, among which the microphone is one of the greatest creations of mankind, because this device can record human speech and save it for an almost infinite period of time, but what to do in case the microphone is not working? In this article, we will talk in detail about how to check the microphone for performance. This article is recommended exclusively for users of the Windows operating system.
The most common problems with microphones and headphones
A modern microphone appeared in the 20th century, but every year it becomes smaller and smaller, which was greatly facilitated by scientific and technological progress, as well as silicon semiconductors, ideal for creating circuits with several elements, for example, a microphone and headphones.
There are two types of microphones: condenser microphones, in which all the noises are trying to absorb capacitors, and coil ones, they are cheaper, but practically not inferior to their condenser brother. To begin with, it's worth figuring out what a modern microphone consists of:
- A special thin wire through which electric charges will go unhindered to an amplifier or microphone.
- Sensitive membrane.
- Electromagnetic coil.
When any sound waves get on a very sensitive membrane, which, incidentally, is in a protected iron case, a pulse is generated in the coil, after which a sound card or amplifier catches the sent signal, decodes it into an acceptable form, and we hear the desired sound. Previously, this recording process took a very long time, but modern technology has reduced it several times.
One of the most common problems with microphones and headphones is the flimsy transmission cable. As a rule, it is made of elastic materials, and an ordinary thread is directly inserted into it to prevent stretching of the cable rods. But in this entire design there is one very weak spot - plugs, it is they that cause the cable to break. If headphones or a microphone are cheap, then in the place where the cable exits the plug, it constantly deforms, although it must be equipped with hard rubber.
Also, one of the reasons may be a faulty sound card - this is the very device that decodes the signal from the coil built into the microphone. Cards burn out, as a rule, during voltage drops, although this often takes all the electronics out of operation, but for a sound card it is especially dangerous.
To test the microphone, you can use absolutely any application that can read signals from your input and output devices, which are headphones and a microphone. In the next paragraph of the article, we will clearly show that checking the headphones and microphone is the easiest thing that can be in Windows OS.
How to check the microphone on the computer: works or not
To get started, try connecting your microphone to a more or less workable audio input jack, it is usually located in the back of the case and has a pink tint. Insert a microphone, the computer may not detect the device if there are no drivers in it, so you should immediately proceed to testing. It is also worth making sure that the rest of the microphones are not connected to your computer, because then you may be mistaken in the readings.
Instructions on how to check the microphone on the computer:
- Go to the task manager.
- Find “Hardware and Sound.”
- Go to the "Sound", and then to the tab "Record".
- Try to make some loud sound, if the indicators have responded to your sound, then the microphone works. Double-click on the microphone, after which you can select "Listen" and you will hear the sounds of your own microphone, also there you can adjust the volume levels if they do not suit you.
A similar operation can be performed in “Skype”, there in the settings there is an item “Sound Settings”, which also displays all the sound vibrations that your microphone catches. If there are vibrations, but you do not make any sounds, then there is a high probability of damage to the microphone or cable, which causes interference.
How to check headphone microphone on computer?
A similar operation can be carried out with a microphone for headphones, only you need to know the following: there are two types of headphone plugs with microphones, one of which is suitable exclusively for Apple equipment, and the other for conventional devices, including a computer.
If your computer has separate ports for headphones and a microphone, then you are unlikely to be able to listen to the microphone, because they are designed only for one thing - a microphone or headphones. Therefore, try to find a laptop on which there is a similar multifunctional connector, and then repeat the operation in the paragraph above.
How to repair headphones at home?
If, after the point on how to check whether the microphone works, you turned out that it wasn’t, then we will give you some recommendations thanks to which it will be possible to repair it.
First you need soldering acid - this is a must, but why? The fact is that the contact pads on the microphone are small, so you need to solder them to the wire instantly, otherwise they will disappear. We also recommend using the same thin wire, otherwise there may be problems with sound quality. Ordinary tin is ideal, but only under a soldering iron, a hairdryer can not be done.
Average price for a good microphone
In the market of modern microphones, most of them are from China and Japan, so if you want a high-quality microphone, then go to the official store, for example, Razer, and buy it there if you do not want to blunder. We also recommend checking the microphone in place. However, the cost of a quality microphone starts at $ 100. Of course, Japanese counterparts for 1000 rubles are good, but they work a little.
Finally
We hope you enjoyed the article on how to check the microphone, after which you yourself learned how to do it. We recommend that you use the equipment carefully, as well as conduct a scheduled inspection of the devices so that there is no surprise in disabling the headphones or microphone.