Discover the different factors affecting your mic audio quality and learn more about how to make your mic sound better. Show
Have you experienced playing online but all your teammates keep saying, “What?” in everything you say? We all did. And it can turn a good game sour in no time.Similarly, no one wants to watch the live stream of someone with horrible mic quality. You may showcase the latest rotation tricks on League of Legends but no one will know since no one can stand your microphone. If you’re unfortunately one of these people, then this article is perfect for you. Read on to learn more about the different factors affecting your mic quality on any platform. Plus, how to easily deal with them. In This Article
Why Does Your Headset Mic Sound Bad?Many different factors can cause terrible audio input. Your poor mic audio may be occasioned by one, some, or all these factors. For us to better address this frustrating situation, let’s discuss each of the following causes below. Bluetooth connectivity problemsWhile Bluetooth is now the standard connection used by most devices, it still has some unresolved drawbacks. These are:
Diaphragm sizeA microphone diaphragm is a thin membrane that is responsible for converting sound into mechanical data. Basically, the larger the diaphragm is, the more audio data it can pick up. This allows for clearer sound quality for the other end of the call/recording. However, headphone manufacturers can’t exactly put gigantic microphones on headphones. That’s why most of them use micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). These tiny, pressure-sensitive membranes are also known as mic chips or silicon mics. Before the popularity of MEMS, older headsets had electret type microphones. Headphone mics come in different sizes and forms. The most common are in-line and boom mics. See a quick comparison of the two below: In-line Microphone An in-line Microphone is a kind of mic that is built ‘in-line’ with the headphone wire. Most of them come with built-in controls for volume and playback. In-line microphones are light and compact. Their mics are usually positioned between the chest and the neck. Boom Microphone A boom microphone, on the other hand, is mounted at the end of the headphone’s boom pole. It is positioned near the mouth and the mic of this type tends to be relatively large. They offer great quality mic audio that is highly directional and accurate. Between the two, boom microphones offer better and more directionally-accurate mic audio. Because of its size, it’s able to gather more audio data than in-line microphones. In terms of cost, in-line microphones are more affordable than boom microphones. Boom microphones also offer more stability than in-line ones. Because in-line mics lie on headphone wires, it’s more susceptible to physical disruptions. Some sudden movements can produce unnecessary rubbing sounds. This can inevitably affect your mic audio quality. In the case of true wireless earbuds, manufacturers usually embed microphones inside the earbuds. These mics are extremely small since they focus more on convenience and portability. As a result, their audio input quality sound tends to be the least reliable. Too much background noiseWhen you’re using your headset in a crowded or busy place, there is a high chance that your headset mic will pick up all those sounds. This is especially true if your headset’s mic doesn’t have a built-in noise-canceling technology. This is worse for highly-sensitive microphones. Sometimes, these background noises can even overpower your voice. Device or app settingsYour device and app settings also play a vital role in your input sound quality. If you want to improve your mic audio, you may have to do some digging and tweaking. You can do this by altering some internal settings. With the right approach, you can make your mic sound better on any platform. Whether it be on PC, Mac, Xbox, or PS4 (and even on Discord and Streamlabs), we’ve got the cheat sheet you need. Physical mic damageIf your headphones have experienced a bad fall or two, some visible or non-visible mic damage might have occurred. Run a mic test to ensure that your headset mic is still working properly.
If you’re using Windows, you can use the Voice Recorder app that’s integrated on your PC. If you’re using Mac, you can use the Voice Memo app to record yourself.
3 Tips on How to Make Your Headset Mic Sound BetterNow that we’ve identified the most common reasons, let’s proceed with the solution! Here are some modifications you can do to make your mic sound better.
Ensure a stable connectionIf you’re using a wired headset, a snug plug fit will ensure a stable connection to your device. Sometimes, however, headset jacks become loose and headset plugs get bent. If this is what you’re facing, you should fix your headphone jack by cleaning, adjusting, and repairing it. But if all else fails, then you might have to consider buying a new one. Meanwhile, if you’re using a wireless headset, you can improve the stability of your connection by following the tips below: Fix interference issuesBluetooth runs under a 2.4GHz radiofrequency. However, it isn’t the only one that runs under that frequency band. Other devices and appliances also use the same frequency. Because of this, interference issues can sometimes occur. To counter this, try taking the steps below:
This way, both your WiFi and your Bluetooth device will have strong but balanced connections. If you’re experiencing an intermittent connection, the best thing to do is to reset your Bluetooth connection. In this case, go to: “The Ultimate Guide on How to Reset Your Bluetooth Headphones”. Match audio codecs between device and headsetBluetooth codecs are responsible for encoding and compressing the audio data from a device. The compressed audio data then gets sent to another device for decoding. At the end of this process, the output audio is produced. Unlike common misconceptions, Bluetooth codecs do not only affect sound quality but also the mic input quality. Ideally, all audio data would get transmitted smoothly and without any problems. However, Bluetooth technology has its limitations. There are several types of codecs and not all can process and transfer data seamlessly.
You can refer to our informative guide to learn more about Bluetooth codecs and how to match them with your device Adjust mic positioningMic positioning refers to the placement of your headset microphone; i.e. how far it is from your mouth. This creates a big impact on the overall mic audio quality. It can dictate the difference between echoey mic audio or clear audio input. Moreover, placing the microphone at its most optimal position will avoid annoying audio feedback and interference. For the best microphone placement, follow the steps below: The following steps apply most for boom mic placement. For in-line mics, the best way to maintain mic quality is to manually hold them close to your mouth.
Be careful not to place it too near your mouth. This can cause annoying breathing sounds to be heard on the receiving line. Aside from the abovementioned factors, optimal mic positioning can also depend on the users’ anatomy. There really is no hard and fast rule of measurements when it comes to mic positioning. Mic distances can be influenced by the breathiness of a person’s voice production, the frequency of the user’s facial movement, or even the size of a person’s cheek. Even constant smiling can displace the headset mic. In these cases, it’s best to move the mic a little farther away. Adjust microphone sensitivity & volumeWhen different mics are exposed to the same sound source, their output levels (volume) will not be the same. This is because different mics have different levels of mic sensitivity. Mic sensitivity, as the term suggests, refers to how much sound your mic absorbs. An optimized level of mic sensitivity is essential for achieving high-quality audio input. If your mic sensitivity levels are off, you may hear static sounds or even hear nothing at all. Platforms like PC, Mac, PS4, and Xbox have settings that can be customized to improve your mic sensitivity and volume levels. Softwares such as Streamlabs and Discord also have these settings. Read the detailed guide below to learn how to do this.
For Windows PC
For MacMac has a built-in feature that lets you customize your mic sensitivity setting. Follow the steps below to make your headset mic sound better on Mac:
If you’re in a busy place where there is excessive background noise, tick the box that says ‘Use Ambient Noise Reduction.’ For PS4If you’re having trouble with background noises and echoes on your headset mic when you’re playing or live-streaming, the problem might be in the mic level setting of your PS4. Try these easy steps to solve these mic audio problems:
For XboxIf your Xbox mic and chat mixer levels aren’t balanced enough, it may cause you to lose out on a good gaming experience. To help you with this, here is a step-by-step guide on how to make your mic sound better on Xbox:
Find the right balance between the volume level of your headset and your mic monitoring. Turning up your platform’s headset volume and mic monitoring too much may cause audio feedback or echoes. There aren’t any customizable mic sensitivity settings on Xbox. However, you can bypass this by covering your headset mic with a mic foam cover. This can help reduce background noise from getting picked up by your mic. If the mic is still highly sensitive, you can cover your mic with a piece of tape first before finally covering it with a mic foam. How to Make Mic Sound Better on Streaming PlatformsAs gamers, some of us don’t really want to keep to ourselves especially when it comes to amazing gameplays. Who knows? Maybe you can be the next Ninja or Shroud. However, no matter how many headshots you can make in one match on Valorant, no one will watch you if they can’t understand you. If you’ve already made the discussed tips above and your mic still doesn’t sound good, it could be a platform issue. Here’s a run-down of what you can do to make your mic sound better on the top live streaming platforms: Discord, and Streamlabs. How to make mic sound better on DiscordDiscord is a live streaming platform that is often used by gamers to broadcast their gameplay in real-time. It’s a convenient platform where gamers can congregate, discuss, and communicate with fellow gamers. This is a free app but you can opt to buy in-app purchases to access more features like animated avatars and emojis. Professional esports players also do live streams via Discord to showcase and teach gaming strategies to other gamers. Although originally made for gamers, Discord now has thousands of servers/channels that are dedicated to different topics like KPop, dogs, and even food. It has become so popular that it now has over 300 million registered users as of June 2020. Because mic input is a huge deal for this platform, it has separate mic settings that can help make your mic sound better. To do this, follow the steps in this youtube tutorial:
If you’re in a noisy environment, unnecessary background noise can possibly get picked up by your headset. To counter this, you can use Krisp.ai. This is a free app that you can use that offers an advanced noise suppression setting. How to enable Krips.ai on DiscordFor Krisp to work on Windows, you’ll need at least a Windows 10 64bit operating system and preferably Windows 1903 update or higher. On Mac computers, it needs a macOS 10.12 update or higher
While Krisp works great in busy environments, it can actually lowers the audio quality of your microphone by clipping the sound, or affect Discord’s audio negatively. If you’re in a quiet environment, it’s better to keep it turned off to preserve your mic audio quality. Otherwise, keep it on. How to make mic sound better on StreamlabsStreamlabs is a live streaming software that allows people, especially gamers, to broadcast their live videos on different platforms (Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, etc.). It also features viewer engagement tools and tipping/monetizing options. This software appeals to gamers and live streamers not just because it’s free but also because it’s very user-friendly and customizable. Aside from simple volume controls, it also features audio filters, layout editors, and stream overlays. To adjust mic volume, follow the steps in this youtube video: Adjust mic volume on Streamlabs
Optimize Streamlabs audio filtersAside from adjusting your mic/AUX settings, you can improve your mic quality on Streamlabs by optimizing your Streamlabs Audio Filters. Here’s a Youtube video showing how to optimize Streamlabs audio filters: Before customizing and adding in your audio filters, make sure to change your audio monitoring settings first. Access this setting by clicking on the settings cog in the mixer section. Then, change your audio monitoring setting to Monitor Only. This way, you will be able to monitor the effects of the audio filters you’re about to apply.
To give you a background about what the audio filters do, here is an informative rundown for each of them: GainGain refers to the volume of the audio. The higher it is, the louder your audio is. Take note, however, that the more you turn up the gain level, the more background noise will get picked up by your headset mic. Noise SuppressionEvident from its name, the noise suppression filter cancels out ambient noise. This feature is particularly useful when you have a loud AC, a rowdy neighbor, or even a noisy sibling next door. To use this filter without sacrificing too much of your mic quality, start the suppression level at 0. Work your way up until you can no longer hear any unnecessary background noise. Noise GateSimilar to Noise Suppression, the Noise Gate audio filter also blocks out background noise. Keyboard typing sounds and mouse clicking noises can get pretty loud especially when you’re under the intense heat of the gameplay. This feature can filter out these kinds of noises. Moreover, unlike noise suppression, this filter provides more customizable settings. These are:
For example, if you set it at -30 dB, the microphone will only pick up sounds that are -30 dB and above. So if the typing and clicking sounds are lower than -30 dB, the microphone won’t pick it up.
CompressorThis filter ensures that very loud noises will not get transmitted to your live stream at its full volume. This is especially useful when there’s a lot of yelling and shouting in the middle of gameplay. This filter automatically decreases the volume level of loud noises at a specific maximum dB. This filter can be further customized as follows:
ExpanderSimilar to the compression filter, this filter applies gain reduction to an audio input. However, the difference is that this tool applies it below the threshold and not above it. Simply put, it makes quiet sounds quieter. This filter has the following presets: Expander Preset –This preset features a low ratio and low release time. It is ideal for light noise reduction. Gate Preset –This preset features a high ratio and a high release time. It is ideal for high noise reduction. If you want to alter the presets, you can play around with the following customizable settings:
Suggested ratios:
LimiterThis limiter filter is another kind of compressor that prevents audio signals from peaking beyond 0 dB. It has a very fast attack and ratio.
Customize these audio filters according to what fits your environment the best. Make sure to test and adjust them accordingly to achieve the best mic quality. ConclusionAs discussed, many factors can affect your mic audio quality. Tracking the problem down to its source and addressing it from there will make all the difference. Now, you can enjoy accurate and super-directional mic audio without having to worry about audio feedback and echoes. Moreover, you can now do high-quality live streams with top-notch audio quality. No more annoying static sounds and stuttering voices. We hope that this article helped you make your headset mic sound better. If you have any comments or suggestions, let us know in the section below. How do I make my phone mic sound better?Avoid speaking too loudly into the microphone – it causes distortion. It's far easier to fix quiet audio than distorted audio. Try not to speak directly into the microphone, but at a slight angle. This helps alleviate pops and plosives when saying words with “p” or “b”.
Can you adjust microphone on iPhone?To adjust microphone sensitivity on your iPhone's internal mic, simply use the volume buttons. The microphone sensitivity is adjusted alongside the speaker volume, so turning the phone's volume up will likewise increase the mic sensitivity. For noise suppression, you'll need to find your iPhone's Accessibility menu.
How can I improve the sound on my iPhone?Change the way music sounds on iPhone. Choose an equalization (EQ) setting: Go to Settings > Music > EQ.. Normalize the volume level of your audio: Go to Settings > Music, then turn on Sound Check.. Are iPhone microphones good?The iPhone audio is actually pretty decent for a phone, but if you are regularly recording interviews, YouTube videos or podcasts, you'll definitely want to invest in an external iPhone microphone. You can also use these mics on-camera, or for recording music, meetings, and more.
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