How to Fix Humming Sound in a Computer Microphone

Whether it's on a laptop or desktop, wireless or wired, a humming computer microphone can be annoying and slow down your recording session. Two of the most common causes of the drone are the presence of other computer equipment set too close to the computer and high pre-set sound levels of the microphone. Follow the steps below to set your microphone to the right resonance position and eliminate the hum.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Select "Control Panel" from the Start menu.

2. 
    

   Click "Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices."

3. Click "Sounds and Audio Devices" from the Control Panel list.

4. 
    

   Select your microphone from the "Default Device" pull-down menu in the Sound Recording section.

5. Click on "Volume."

6. 
    

   Move the slider down to decrease the volume of the microphone.

7. When finished, click on the "X" in the upper right corner of the Recording Control box to save the new settings and exit.

Tips & Warnings

• Lower your microphone volume in increments to avoid the extreme opposite effect of having to shout during voice recordings or creating muffled sound recordings. A good measurement guideline is that sound should be recorded at a comfortable conversational-like, "face-to-face talking distance" type of level.
• If you do not notice a significant decrease in the hum, test your hardware. To do this, go to the Voice tab, accessible from Sounds and Audio Devices, located in Control Panel. See Step 3.