How to Use a PC Microphone

With a microphone on your computer, you can chat online with friends, phone family for free or record your songs for later playback. This article describes how to use such microphones in general. Details vary slightly depending on the mic and operating system. This example uses a Logitech 9000 microphone on the Windows XP operating system.

Things You'll Need

• Microphone
• Sound-enabled PC

Instructions

Setting up

1. Plug your microphone into the correct jack. Look for a round connector (often colored pink) in the front or back of your PC that has a microphone engraved next to it. If your microphone uses two plugs, connect the second plug to the green line-in connector. If your microphone has a rectangular plug, use a USB port.

2. If your microphone comes with an installation CD, insert it into your drive and run it. Follow the dialog boxes to install the microphone drivers and software, test the hardware and control the volume. Go to "Testing" section, Step 3, below.

3. 

   If your microphone has no installation CD, adjust the recording volume by clicking on the "Start" button, choosing "Control Panel" and then opening "Sound and Audio Devices." The "Sound and Audio Devices Properties" dialog box will appear.

4. Click the "Audio" tab and under "Sound Recording" (second box), choose the correct recording device in the "Default Device" dropdown. This example uses "Logitech Mic."

5. 

   Click the "Volume" button under "Sound Recording" to display the "Capture" dialog box. Make sure that the "Mute All" dialog box is empty. Click and drag the volume slider to adjust the volume control.

6. Close the volume dialog box and click the "OK' button to close the "Sound and Audio Devices Properties" dialog box.

Testing

1. 

   If you don't have a stand-alone recording program, click on the "Start" button, then choose "All Programs," "Accessories" and "Entertainment." Select "Sound Recorder." The "Sound Recorder" dialog box will appear.

2. 

   Click the "Record" button and speak into the microphone. Then click the "Stop" button. Click the "Play" button to hear your voice.

3. 

   If the microphone records correctly but the speakers play no sound, make sure your speakers are switched on with the volume turned up. Then click on the "Start" button, choose "Control Panel" and then open "Sound and Audio Devices." The "Sound and Audio Devices Properties" dialog box will appear.

4. Click the "Volume" tab and adjust the "Device Volume" slider. Then click the "Audio" tab and under "Sound Playback" (first box), choose the correct playback device in the "Default Device" dropdown. This example uses "SB Audigy Audio."

5. 

   Click the "Volume" button under "Sound Playback." The "Play Control" dialog box will appear.

6. Make sure the "Mute" boxes under "Play Control" and "Wave/MP3" are blank. Adjust the volume sliders as needed. Click the "OK" button to close the dialog box.

References

• Using a PC microphone