My Asus P5K motherboard has an integrated Realtek ALC883 sound system: it's alright, but one of the glaring gaps out-of-the-box is that the microphone level, by default, it just too dang soft. What's even more frustrating is looking in Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices will show the mic volume as grayed out and unchangeable, when infact, it really can be amped up.
Here's how to boost the level, whether you're on this motherboard, or another which uses the same or similar audio codec:
- Install the drivers first. They will most likely be included on a CD-ROM that comes with your motherboard.
- After doing the mandatory restart, look in your Windows taskbar for the "Realtek HD Audio Manager" icon. On my system, it looks like a pixelated orange speaker. (Alternatively, you can go to Control Panel > Realtek HD Sound Effect Manager.)
- Double-click that icon and then click the Mixer tab. (Now here's where you'll find yourself declaring, "Why didn't they make this more obvious?")
- See the "<" and ">" buttons on the top row, Playback? This is understandably unintuitive because the section's labeled "Realtek HD Audio output", when you'd expect to find the mic volume control in the input section — where it's frustratingly grayed out. Don't worry, keep clicking ">" until you see "Mic Volume". The first time you go there, the volume slider will probably be set at nearly the bottom. Drag that all the way up to the top. If applicable, you may want to do the same for "Front Pink In", which should correspond with the front mic jack on your computer's case.
- After setting that, try test recording and watching the levels in your fave audio editor. Windows Sound Recorder is mediocre, so if you need to look at meters to gauge volume more accurately, check out Audacity — it's free.
- If that's still too soft, go back to the Realtek HD Audio Manager, and click the ".." button. You'll see this is where the "Microphone Boost" option is (on most integrated audio codecs like AC'97, it's found via the Sounds and Audio Devices control panel. Check it and click OK, and test again in your preferred audio editor.
- Optional: if you hear a lot of hiss and white noise when recording, you may find it helpful to mute non-active inputs. In the Realtek HD Audio Manager, in the bottom section, click the little speaker icons for "CD Volume", "Line Volume", and "Stereo Mix" so they've got red X's.
This is how I've got it setup:
I've not verified this, but the above may also be applicable for the Realtek ALC861, ALC681-VD-GR, ALC880 Series, ALC882, ALC888, ALC888T, ALC885, and ALC888S, and maybe others too.
Hope this helps those of you who've also been maddened by this issue but couldn't find out how to make the situation better. Special thanx goes to my wife for mentioning my recorded voice was too quiet, leading me to do this research, and more details about the various finer points can be found in this forum thread. I love sharing info to make your life easier and save you the headaches of digging for answers.
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FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! Very helpful.
Just wanna say thanks a lot Torley. Fixed my problem in seconds.
Thanks for the info. On my xp home o/s I had to adjust the boost for front mic and rear mike.
Comment on getting sound feedback problems …..
this could be caused by not muting the microphone on the playback side. Most of the time you will be using line in and you certainly don't want any mike on.
Peter
Thank you so much. I searched everywhere for that mic boost. Fortunately a google search for "realtek mic boost skype" led me to your page.
Thank your again sir!
Hi
I have been told that you have captioned versions of many video tutorials. I'm deaf IRL and new to SL. Most of the tutorials I have seen – some on your site, ones from NCI and The Shelter – seem to be audio-based. Do you have any that are captioned or otherwise text-based? I'd like to learn more about SL.
Thanks.
I'm sorry – I just realized I put this comment in the wrong spot. I am not trying to boost my mic volume.
My email server is down, so I'll look for a more appropriate place for my comment.
Thanks.
it didnt work for me…and it looked so easy!
so my mic is silent-skype says to put it on mute and i did but either way there is no sound.
i also have a problem that when i try to play my sound files in realplayer or windows media player i am told i am not connected to the internet, which i dont want to be when i am playing music actually. (in the meantime i decided to ditch media player and winamp and downloaded VLC media player as well as audacity but havent tried much with them yet.)
i dont know if these problems are related or not. i can hear through the headphones and an old mic i had that used to work also doesnt work besides my new spiffy headset combination.
Let this be a lesson to us all – never buy Realtek gear – it is a total waste of time
@jim: The hardware isn't so much the problem as the confusing user interfaces, and the variations between them. If someone created an elegant control panel which made doing the above much easier, then we'd all stand to benefit. I'd certainly be game for trying it out.
Thank you my friend, i was lost with the windows options greyed! you the shizznwit
This was the cause of much Skype frustration with the wife. Man thanks.
Thanks a lot , really helped me out !!
was getting really frustrated with the mic !!
Thanks a lot, it really helped me
thanks man, this thing was driving me nuts! i cant believe why they designed the UI like so….
anyway, thanks a lot for your help.
Nicely done. Thanks for the info.
my realtek will play the speaker tester but it won't play itunes or internet sounds what do i do?
I spent hours searching the net for a fix, thanks alot!!!
Thanks so much, this fixed my mic level issue.
Welcome, welcome!
Thank you very much, you have made my day!
Is there a way for me to buy you a cup of coffee or something?
@Efim: Not at the moment but I appreciate you asking! I simply request that since this helped you, if you see someone else suffering the same prob, share the tip! Thank-you!
I LOVE YOU
WOOT LOVE
I FREAKIN LOVE YOU! I worked on this crap for like all day! I kept getting feedback while playing wow. this completely fixed it. your so awesome!
AWESOME KAY thanks for letting me know!
Mic Volume is grayed out under the Sound and Audio options as you said it would be, and its also grayed out under Realtek HD input where you said its grayed out as well, but the Mic Volume isn't even on the Ouput section, where you said it would be. Help?
this actually is a harder problem than one would think, now can you get a 2.1 speaker system to work with this sound card, speakers work fine, but the sub woofer will not work, GO!
wow you don't know how looooong i've been looking for this solution! i thought there was something wrong with my sound card. thank you!!!!
You are a god! At long last my mic works reasonably well. I salute thee.
Salute. Thanks!
many many many thanks for the gr8 help
Thanks mate, worked like a champ!
Thanks, helped on my ALC888 – GA-MA770-DS3
p.s. yeap, that's "Rear/Front Pink In" stuff.
hey guys..hope u guys can help me out..
I bought a iball face2face webcam which has a microphone intergrated..whole system works on usb..i loaded the driver and software for the cam and installed it successfully..problem is while the cam works great, the mic is not working..running a realtek hd audio settings doesn't show a mic setting in the playback section of the mixer window..there is a mic wihtout a slider in the recording section.. in the windows audio too, mic is greyed out..in the software for video capture that cam along with the cam, the audio input shows as realtek audio input…when i record with some music playing thru winamp this music is recorded but not my voice..mic is not working..the input is direct thru computer…i need to use this basically for chatting but the mic doesn't work..please help
thx for this!
In my setup, there is no "Mic Volume" slider, instead I used the "Rear Pink Volume".
Thanks for the guide.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! THOUGHT THIS SOUNDCARD SUCKED BADLY.
you my friend, kick butt! Now I can finally make international calls!
I have the latest Realtek audio drivers installed but they don't come with the Sound Manager software. Do you have any idea where i can download this? I can't see it anywhere on the Realtek website…..thanks
I would like to thank You. I was lost with setups, reistalled os many times, take comp to shop where it stayed for over 1 month with no result. Your post was really helpful. Thank You again!
More thanks from me !!!
I wanted to make a CD for a friend with a few personal words, and almost gave up in despair. I thought my mike was at fault. Then I tried to record on an old laptop and bingo! So it couldn't be the mike.
This is when I googled for "microphone volume realtek" and came across your posting.
I didn't know the darned thing had a microphone boost – why didn't they make it a standard behaviour?
Anyway, a year and a half after you posted this hint it is still useful – well done and thanks again!
Andrei
You the man. I've been trying to get the stupid mic boost setting and why on earth they chose to hide it there is anyone's guess.
Thanks a million for clearing up what should be a very simple thing to do, by default. Now I'm off to Skype…
Thanks again, very much appreciated!
There is no Mic volume in my Raeltek HD audio Output playback. Why? i use my mic in vent but i need to turn it up all the way in vent to even have em hear me. so i know it works but why isnt there mic volume where u say it is?
also to add on to my above comment, i clicked the little wrench icon and there is no Mic Volume option in there either so idk what to do
Click on the right arrow to see more mixer channels. When you have located the mic, click on the two dots (..) to get that elusive mic boost setting.
i have clicked the right arrow. it has stuff like pink front, pink rear, green front green rear, cd volume and bunch more stuff but no mic volume
The only section I can see that has 'pink stuff' is the Audio I/O tab, whereas you should be looking at the previous tab which is 'Mixer'.
Click on the playback settings and on the right arrow and you should hopefully then see the mic bit with the 2 dots. Good luck mate.
yeah in Mixer on the top Section. Playback / Raeltek HD Audio Output, the first 4 sliders i have are.. Wave, SW Synth, Front, Rear. when i hit the small over arrow the next 4 are Subwoofer, Center, Side, SPDIF. Next 4 are Front Green In, Rear Blue In, Front Pink In, Rear Pink In, next 4 are Rear Grey In, Rear Orange In, Rear Black In, Rear Green In, and the last time i hit the small over arrow the last slider option is CD Volume
OK, well – this is where I bail out! I don't have as many of those options you describe, only about 7 in my case on the Acer laptop I have.
I really don't know what else to suggest but hope you find those two dots! Perhaps contact the author of this post/blog?
Cheers – JG
Cheers for this mate!
I can now do live voiceover for games videos!
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