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Post by millring on Oct 29, 2006 20:08:29 GMT -5
What is meant by the "soundcard"? Is it hardware or software?
I cannot, for love or money, make my microphone input with any volume. I have a disc with which I could download Soundblaster, but since I don't even know what it is or what it does (I had it on my old computer), it seems drastic just to get volume.
Here's my knowledge about cars -- I can fill them with gas and I can check the oil. I can start them up, turn the lights and stuff on, and I can drive them.
Pretty much the same thing with computers.
I am pretty sure that "quadreceps" and "purfling" are not computer terms. That is the extent of my knowledge of computer-speak. If someone wants to show me something on the computer they have to say, "push the button marked "X""....and so on.
As soon as you put numbers and letters together "sT345Mq", for instance, tech guys see the numbers and letters and sus them out.
I see white space.
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Post by knobtwister on Oct 29, 2006 20:45:34 GMT -5
A sound card is hardware. All of your audio ins & outs plug into it.
On a lot of PCs it's all built into the motherboard but it's still treated like a plug in card.
What exactly is your microphone so I can Google it?
Knobtwister
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Post by millring on Oct 29, 2006 20:55:57 GMT -5
The mic is just a cheap radio shack mic -- but everyone else who is trying to skype is able to use the same thing successfully. I'm the only one with volume that nobody can hear -- unless the skype is just one on one -- then the person listening to me can turn their volume up.
I hear everyone fine, by the way.
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chak
Certified Regular
Posts: 420
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Post by chak on Oct 29, 2006 21:18:11 GMT -5
John,
Do you have another microphone you can try?
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Post by millring on Oct 29, 2006 21:21:35 GMT -5
no. But I think I may go get one and see if it makes any difference.
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chak
Certified Regular
Posts: 420
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Post by chak on Oct 29, 2006 21:23:52 GMT -5
I've got a spare sitting around that I'll send you tomorrow.
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Post by Village Idiot on Oct 29, 2006 22:21:55 GMT -5
Our old computer, which we replaced about six months ago, never worked well as far as sound goes. Audacity, for example, never worked. I called the the tech people and was told that my "sound card was integrated into the motherboard". I don't know what that means, but I do understand the consequences, as I dealt with them. Hopefully not, but maybe that's the boat you're in.
I heard you loud and clear today, but you got a suddenly quiter when Chak came on. What a pest!
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Post by Marshall on Oct 29, 2006 22:39:19 GMT -5
Well, I just configured Skype. When I played back my test call, my voice back was soft. And I was only about 12" away from the mic. (I used the Sony ECMMS907 mic. The same one I use with the minidisc recorder).
I think I'll go into WIndows Control Panel and see if I can get the computer to bump up the levels on the mic input.
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Post by Village Idiot on Oct 29, 2006 22:52:58 GMT -5
We have the same mics, Marshall, and mine worked fine. Try what I did. Scream at the top of your lungs.
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Post by Marshall on Oct 29, 2006 22:55:39 GMT -5
Well, I went through Control Panel options and I bumped up the mic volume (Realtek AC97 Audio). Moved the slider from minimum to maximum. Didn't help much. I can get a decent volume from Skype on playback of my voice if I almost swallow the mic. Any greater distance away (like 12") the voice volume is faint. And i tried changing the battery in the Sony mic to make sure it's fresh. Didn't help either.
So, I guess I'm on the system but the results aren't stellar.
You're right, Todd. If i swallow the mic and talk loud, it works acceptably. Might be tough to set up an on'line jam session under those circumstances.
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chak
Certified Regular
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Post by chak on Oct 29, 2006 22:29:00 GMT -5
I heard you loud and clear today, but you got a suddenly quiter when Chak came on. What a pest! Washington 1 - Indiana 0  |
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chak
Certified Regular
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Post by chak on Oct 29, 2006 22:33:52 GMT -5
Marshall,
The mic I've been using is a Sony ECM-MS907 and it's been working OK as Todd can attest. I do have the volume fader cranked in Windows control panel. Interestingly, I didn't need to do that with cheapo PC mic I have - go figure.
Todd,
A soundcard "integrated to the motherboard" means it's physically inseparable from the motherboard. If you were to choose to upgrade your soundcard, you would have to disable the integrated soundcard via software.
Chak
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Post by Tim Alexander (fmrly. Camalex) on Oct 30, 2006 13:12:48 GMT -5
I spoke to Doug Young the other night on Skype and he thought my mic worked really well -- he compared it mp3 quality-- the only way I could my set-up to work at all is if I plugged my cheap Sony lapel mic ($15-20 at Radio Shack) into my Sony MD and then use a line-out to the computer and plug in where the red outlet for mic appears on the back of the computer. I turn the MD to record and then hit pause -- now I have a powered signal going out of the MD player to the computer == if I turn off the MD, my mic goes mute. If you have a MD player and a line-out feature on it -- get a male/male 1/8" jack line out cable and give this a try -- porbably cheaper than a new mic -- Doug was really impressed with the sound of this little dinky lapel mic pinned to my chest and his expensive condenser mics were not very strong/clear (IMO) -- but who knows maybe the settings on Doug's computer are just better than mine and maybe it's not his mic -- or my mic -- it's our comptuer settings!!! Jeesh!!
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Post by Russell Letson on Oct 30, 2006 13:41:05 GMT -5
I think I'm hearing two sets of problems here.
Whether Millring's computer has integrated sound circuitry or a plug-in sound card, it still has to have its driver (support) software installed and properly configured. Those files would be included on a CD of support stuff that should have come with the computer or the card.
John--if the mike and speaker I/O ports are on a card bracket in the back of the machine, it's a plug-in card. If they're part of the case (whether front or back panel), the circuitry is on the motherboard. (And sometimes there's a hardware enable/disable jumper on the motherboard, though generally those are configured "on" by default.) In either case, the supporting software has to be installed. Go to the Control Panel/System applet and look in the Device Manager tab under "Sound, video, and game controllers." (This is the Win 98SE terminology--XP may have slightly different names.) That will show what devices are installed and (theoretically) working. If there's a sound-hardware driver, that's were it should show.
The low-volume problem sounds like maybe mikes are plugged into the line-in, or maybe the mike pre-amp is insufficient. Or maybe it's condenser mikes that require "plug-in power" and aren't getting it from the computer. The Sony 907 does have its own battery, but many mikes designed for use with minidisc don't. A cheap dynamic mike doesn't require any power. Otherwise, I'd keep messing with the computer's sound I/O software to make sure the input levels aren't set too low.
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Post by majorminor on Oct 30, 2006 18:10:48 GMT -5
To John's original question: A soundcard is technically both hardware AND software. The hardware portion is an actual PC card that has your send and receive inputs which usually hang out the back of you PC somewhere. Software - or a driver - then drives this card to work properly. If you have inputs, and you can do audio playback with a CD, then you have either a mic issue, or you haven't been able to either turn on and/or boost the mic in signal through your audio driver. If you don't have a mic input...well...that would be damn funny at this point if it were the case  |
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