When your mic isn't gear up properly, it can make your speech-to-text software malfunction and crusade no end of grief on voice calls. If your mic isn't cooperating, it might be because the mic sensitivity or noise suppression needs to be adjusted.

In this article, we'll show you lot how to adapt the mic sensitivity and turn on noise suppression on your Android, iOS, Mac, or Windows device.

What Is Microphone Sensitivity? Why Change Information technology?

A microphone in shallow focus on an orange background
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Noise suppression filters out unwanted audio. This includes the ambient dissonance effectually y'all, like your dogs barking in the next room or the traffic outside your function. It also prevents your breath from causing static or the dreaded "Darth Vadar consequence." Lastly, noise suppression attempts to mute the noise of the figurer's internal workings.

External mics can improve the filtering fifty-fifty more with foam coverings, known as windscreens. They too mostly offering higher-quality recording than internal mics. It'south recommended you use a high-quality external mic whenever possible.

Mic sensitivity refers to the manner a microphone amplifies a soft sound into a loud 1. When a mic is overly sensitive, it takes very soft sounds similar your breath or the hum of your computer and includes them in the audio. Information technology also over-amplifies louder sounds, similar your voice, making them also loud for the speakers to play conspicuously (called "peaking").

When a mic is not sensitive plenty, it fails to selection up on softer sounds. Unless you have a very faint vox or demand to record very soft sounds, it'south more likely that your sensitivity is too high rather than too low.

Mic sensitivity is determined by many factors, including Sound Gain, which is the conversion of audio into electronic signals that your speakers can empathize. Pre-amplification, which helps protect and boost these signals, also plays a office.

Adjust Mic Settings on Android

Android devices do not accept born options for adjusting mic sensitivity or dissonance suppression. Bixby, the virtual banana that handles dictation on Samsung phones, doesn't take these options either. But you can still apply an app.

Many microphone apps and microphone boosters are available on the app store. Some of them tin can even connect to external microphones, letting y'all improve your audio quality even further.

For an internal mic, though, we recommend Microphone Amplifier. This app adjusts your phone'due south mic settings using slider controls.

  1. Download Microphone Amplifier.
  2. Open Microphone Amplifier and grant Microphone and Storage permissions.
  3. Dismiss the Presets menu and keep to the primary screen.
  4. Move the Audio Gain slider 2-x points to the right to make the mic more than sensitive.
  5. Motion the Input Filter slider 2-10 points to the right to better noise suppression.
  6. Tap the bottom-eye power button to enable the amplifier.
  7. Tap the bottom-right REC push to create a test recording.
  8. Access your Records from the home page. Listen and adjust settings until your vocalisation sounds articulate.

Download: Microphone Amplifier (Free)

Adjust Mic Settings on iPhone

To adjust microphone sensitivity on your iPhone's internal mic, only utilise the volume buttons. The microphone sensitivity is adjusted alongside the speaker volume, and then turning the phone'southward volume up will also increase the mic sensitivity.

For dissonance suppression, yous'll need to observe your iPhone'due south Accessibility carte du jour.

  • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Phone Noise Cancellation, and change the slider to the "On" position.

AirPods microphone sensitivity adjustment is slightly different as they also take a mic inside them.

  • Go toSettings>Bluetoothand tap the blue "i" adjacent to AirPods on the "My Devices."
  • Nether Printing and Hold AirPods, brand sure thatRacket Control is selected.

If you lot ready Microphone toAlways LeftorEver Right, the AirPods will record audio through the selected side, even when it is removed from your ear. That manner you can hold the mic in your hand, avoiding noise from things similar hair or earrings moving against it.

Of course, if you don't have AirPods, regular EarPods likewise have an internal mic.

Adjust Mic Settings in Windows

To change the mic sensitivity in Windows, y'all'll take to become into the device settings for your microphone.

  1. Go to Settings > System > Sound.
  2. Under Input, make sure your mic is selected, and then click Device Backdrop.
  3. Select Additional device properties.
  4. In the Levels tab, increase or subtract the Microphone(sensitivity).
  5. Close the device properties window and speak. The microphone test will play your voice dorsum to you. Increase or subtract the mic levels as needed until information technology plays your voice dorsum conspicuously.

Adjusting the Microphone Heave makes it harder for the mic to filter out background sound, then avert turning information technology upwards unless the Microphone book is already at 100 and withal doesn't choice up your audio.

Equally e'er, you can meliorate the sound quality even further past switching to an external mic. Even a cheap external mic is usually ameliorate than the i that comes installed on your laptop. But if you can't get 1, y'all could likewise try using your smartphone as a Windows microphone.

Adjust Mic Settings on Mac

The Sound settings menu on a Mac

Y'all can increase mic sensitivity past adjusting your Mac's sound settings.

  • Go to System Preferences > Sound > Input and use the slider to adjust the microphone's Gain (sensitivity).

You tin can too turn on racket suppression using the Ambient Noise Reduction switch in the aforementioned menu. With these settings adjusted, you lot can use Mac's first-class Dictation feature more easily.

Enjoy Clear Audio Recording

When your mic is set properly, you tin can be hands understood on vox calls, your speech-to-text software makes fewer errors, and you can enjoy clear audio recordings. You volition still need a high-quality external mic to do more complex recordings like music or podcasts, but a properly adjusted stock mic is still sufficient for near purposes.

Sensitivity and noise suppression are only ii factors to consider, however. It'south also possible that the app you lot're using makes automatic adjustments to the microphone. In these cases, you'll accept to accommodate the app's settings. If these adjustments didn't fix your mic trouble, you may need to check the hardware.

How to Fix Microphone Problems in Windows 10: 9 Tips

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About The Author

Natalie Stewart (88 Articles Published)

Natalie Stewart is a author for MakeUseOf. She first became interested in applied science in college and developed a passion for media writing in university. Natalie'due south focus is on tech that is accessible and piece of cake to use, and she loves apps and devices that make life simpler for everyday people.

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