PC users and show business people have repeatedly faced a problem that caused them to rack their brains for a long time and look for ways to solve it. What are we talking about? About the noise and feedback that arise when using a microphone. And here it does not matter whether the device is built into your laptop or is it expensive audio equipment. Due to its physical properties, a membrane that picks up sound perceives interference in one way or another. This becomes an unpleasant moment when talking using IP-telephony, sound recording, or simply when speaking on stage. Today we will try to figure out how to remove the noise in the microphone.
Necessary tools
First, consider methods that can help prevent noise when using a computer. So, for this, the user must have:
- basic skills of working with the sound manager;
- the skill of using a sound recording program;
- Ability to configure a voice program (Skype, Google Hangouts, ooVoo, etc.).
Following is an instruction on how to suppress microphone noise.
Why is the noise heard?
There are several reasons why interference occurs. The first thing to understand: various programs on a PC physically cannot generate noise. That is, in the vast majority of cases, they arise through the fault of the user himself. One of the most common causes of noise when using various IP-telephony services is the poor quality of the Internet connection. Despite the fact that voice programs usually do not require a powerful communication channel, you must have at least an average connection speed. Too “weak” Internet is the cause of not only poor sound quality, but also frequent disconnections. How to remove the noise in the microphone in this case? The answer is very simple - increase the connection speed. To do this, during a communication session, you must disable the download of media files and torrents. If the connection speed is initially low, then it makes sense to switch to a faster tariff plan or change the provider.
Noise due to malfunctioning microphone
The next most common cause is problems with the equipment itself. First you should check that the microphone is working properly. If you are dealing with a PC microphone, then you need to run any sound recording program (a simple utility is included with Windows). To do this, in Windows XP, go to the "Start" - "Programs" - "Accessories" menu and in the "Entertainment" section find the "Sound Recorder" program. If you have installed Windows 7 or 8, then making it even easier. Click the "Start" button and in the search field enter the word "sound recording". Run the program. With its help, a short segment of your decision is recorded, after which the sound quality is checked.
If noise is heard on your recording, you need to deal with the microphone itself. The right decision in this case could be to use another device. But if this is not at hand, you can do with improvised means. Around the microphone, it is necessary to make a foam rubber or fur ball (as with TV news reporters). Also make sure that the microphone is not too far away during a conversation. If it is placed outside the zone of its sensitivity, then the likelihood of interference increases significantly.
Error in drivers and settings
The last cause of noise is software errors. How to remove the noise in the microphone if the two previous methods did not fit? You must reinstall the sound card drivers . Usually the disk comes with the motherboard (if the card is built-in) or in the box with the sound card itself. For Realtek audio cards, you can turn on noise and echo cancellation. To do this, go to the "Microphone" tab in the sound control panel, in which check the boxes next to the corresponding parameters.
Another effective solution can be to reduce the sensitivity of the microphone, because it is possible that it simply captures much more than it should. To do this, in the used Internet telephony program, you must find the "Sound Settings" menu. In the window that opens, you should adjust the volume slider (perhaps you have it in the maximum position).
We perform on stage or record
How to remove the noise in the microphone during a performance or work in a recording studio? Before live performance, you should pre-configure the microphone. To do this, on the mixing console, you should choose the optimal ratio of the sensitivity and volume controls. Often, noise arises because the input signal strength slider is too high. That is, it makes sense to reduce the sensitivity of the signal.
If it was not possible to get rid of extraneous sounds and they are heard on the recording, then a program to suppress microphone noise will help here. Its algorithm will reliably remove the entire sound spectrum, which has a volume less than a given one. Thus, noises will be removed from the soundtrack, while the voice and musical instruments will remain untouched. Now you know how to remove the background noise of the microphone.