Curse

Lumen · Oct 08, 2006, 01:17 AM // 01:17

I've recently just got a new motherboard and graphics card, and my mic isn't working that well.

When I talk on Ventrilo, apparently it's a lot quieter and it makes a weird buzzing/hissing sound when I talk. They can hear me talk, but with a weird sound in the background. Everything works, but with that annoying sound :S

Anyone have some idea what's going on? I just bought a new headset to see if that would help, but there's the same problem.

Thanks.

Mushroom · Oct 08, 2006, 02:38 AM // 02:38

That is a problem common to most on-board sound cards. It is basically "background noise" cause by the other components on the motherboard.

The easiest way to solve that is to add a sound card. If all you want to do is use a mic to talk to friends, something like the Sound Blaster Live is all you need. Those are quite common, normally selling used for around $20.

This is why most audio professionals (like me) do not use the sound on-board, but instead buy sound cards. The "noise floor" is much lower. The noise floor of an PCI sound card is normally around 20db lower then those on built-in sound cards.

Myself, I use either a Turtle Beach Santa Cruze, or a Sound Blaster Audigy on my recording systems. But I also have much more "exotic" equipment. I use a Shure professional mic, that is run through a 16 channel mixer board. I am not useing my main system for recording at the moment, becasue I am useing Vista RC1. For some reason, Creative can't get the Audigy drivers to work right, so I am stuck with the on-board sound. So I either use my back-up system for recording, or put projects on hold until they get the problem fixed.

Another solution would be to move to a headset that plugs in through USB. Those use their own drivers, and do not rely on the on-board sound card. However, from what I have heard those are quite price, and often are not much better (as far as the mic goes) then the on-board systems.

Astrix002 · Oct 08, 2006, 03:32 PM // 15:32

Im using onboard sound without these kinds of problems?(maybe im lucky) Have you turned on ur mic boost? found that that makes a big difference on myne as far as audibility on the other side is concerned.