Hi folks:

Using Vista home 32 bit on an HP pavilion 9720us

Speakers/audio: Conexant high definition smart audio 221 (working)

SPDIF interface: same as above, although presently disabled in an attempt to get this to work, see below

The mic up next to the web cam, and the speakers or headset audio works fine.

So what's the problem?

I need to be able to utilize microphone audio by way of the "line in" jack. When I do, (such as by plugging in the headset mic), I get sound recording files full of very loud hum.

Seems obvious to me that I need to somehow disable the onboard mic (which I think I've done) AND enable the mic jack.

Have read everything I can find, but can't quite seem to spot just exactly how to get this beast to work.

Hay-ulp!

Hello LSO, welcome to PCHF.

I can see a few possible issues here.

First of all, you should definately be using the Mic jack for a Microphone connection. Line in is used for audio devices rather than mono.

Go to My Computer, Control Panel, Sound and Audio Devices. Click on the Audio tab, and make sure that a default devices is selected under "Sound Recording". Then click on Volume and make sure the Mic has a tick in the Selected check box (if not the other port that should be used unfortunately is Stereo Mix). Make sure the volume is not high.

You will always have some background noise in your recordings if your using basic/standard audio card and microphone. Perfect quality microphone recording comes at a price unfortunately.

Hi MadMonkey and thanks for the very prompt response

I misspoke with the use of the term "line in". On this laptop there are three jacks, one for the microphone in and two for audio out/headphones. It is the microphone in jack that I am trying to enable, while at the same time, DISabling the built-in mic. The two together, of course, guarantees that the impedance will be horrifically wrong and that the hum will totally take over any possibility of hearing speech from the mic in jack, which is exactly what I'm experiencing -- and trying to resolve -- now.

Since I'm using Vista, I do not have the "mic tic" box that you speak of (or at least I sure can't find it anywhere). When I go to "sounds" in control panel, I can go to the playback tab and see the "speakers" and "spdif interface" icons. Cool. But in the "recording" tab, I have the microphone icon only.

I think I could see the light at the end of the tunnel maybe if there were two devices in the recording tab. I'm guessing here, but at least that would perhaps allow me to disable the built in mic and -- with any luck -- get the headset mic working.

Prior to posting here, I did install the latest drivers for the Conexant audio.

I'm hoping this wordy description will help you think of what I'm missing here.

Thanks so much!

Oh I see LSO. OK, so back under the Recording tab, if you click on Volume, what items are available here? Stereo mix is nearly always there, this allows recording of all line in/microphone devices. If you tick/select any other input device here, all other devices will be muted. Click on Options followed by Properties (i belive), to make sure that all recording/input devices are visible.

In the "recording devices" tab, I show the following:



Notice that here, there is only one choice available.

When i select it, and go to properties, I show:




It's interesting to note that it indicates the use of the front panel jack, which is exactly what I'd like to do, but I can't, as long as the onboard mic is still functioning at the same time.

Back two steps, if I choose "playback devices", I get this:



which is interesting in that now I have an additional choice, the SPDIF interface. Upon selecting it, and choosing "properties", I show:


which also indicates the use of the front panel jack.

Does this help you at all to understand why I can not utilize my headset microphone on this laptop?

Thanks for all of your kind assistance.

Thanks for the pic's LSO, very kind. Unfortunately, they have only served to confuse me further, as I'm not sure I'm understanding what your trying to do.

I thought all you wanted to do was disable onboard microphone so that you could plug in a external one, and use that to record with? Disabling the onboard recording device is not possible, which is why I suggested muting. The reason why you cannot disable the onboard mic is because you only have one sound card which can only handle one playback and one recording device at a time. Disabling the mic would also disable line-in.

Usually, within your volume controls (mentioned previsouly), you can mute your mic, or select "Line In" instead of "Stereo":



If this feature is not available, then there are two hardware alternatives. The first would be to strip the laptop apart and physically disable the mic. The second would be to purchase and external USB sound card.