[Aderas]

I've been PC gaming for a few years now, and using my current PC for probably about a year and change, and generally speaking I've understood that the microphone quality people hear from me is pretty decent. Lately for some reason all my friends are telling me that I'm super quiet, and in Discord I have to be turned up to 200% to be audible at all. I was in a call with my brother and nephew the other day and they couldn't hear me over the game we were playing.

I've been trying to figure out what's going on as a result. I'm usually using a Corsair Void Elite Wireless, and I don't think I've changed any of my settings. I do have a Valve Index which I switch to, and I do know that I was having an issue where Discord was making other applications quieter every time I switched from one headset to the other for a bit, which I have resolved by turning off the associated settings.

I've checked the settings in Windows sound that I can find but nothing that would indicate my audio output is being throttled in any way. Discord is also set to have me output at max.

I've also tried using a HyperX Quadcast. I plugged it in but haven't used the NGENUITY software that comes with it, so when I tested audio with my friends they said it wasn't any louder, just more reverb.

I'm not sure what the problem is and I'd love some assistance in determining what I need to do.

 

[Untertaker555]

Well, the most obvious question: Is it only Discord? Maybe try another software and check if the sound there is better.

And is it the only microphone on the computer?
Because if you have more than one microphone, it could be that you are using the wrong one in Discord. Obviously, the sound of a microphone inside a standalone webcam for example is much worse than your Corsair.

Also, maybe check the microphone physically. Maybe in the microphone-hole you got some dust or smudge.

 

[Aderas]

Hello, and thanks for the response!

I thought about it and the only other program I have with mic access would be VRchat, which I popped in there and folks seemed to hear me okay (with the Corsair)- which might mean that it is Discord specific. That said, the Windows Sound settings doesn't seem to hear my microphone very well either- it only gets up to about 20% on the bar with me talking normally, and maybe 30% if I'm shouting.

I have checked to make sure Discord, and Windows, are using the correct microphone when I use the VR headset, my Corsair, or the HydraX.

I regularly unplug the VR headset and only just plugged in the Hydra for the first time, and the Corsair is wireless- but I did try plugging the dongle in a couple different ports.

Assuming this is a problem relatively unique to Discord, I'm not sure how to fix it. Discord is set to maximum gain, and everyone I speak with says they have to turn me up to 200%, which is the max. This would be with all of the mics I've tried. When I was looking for the problem I did see other people having issues specifically between Corsair and Discord, but since it's affecting other mics too nothing I tried from those worked.

 

[Untertaker555]

Try to find out if it is really only Discord.
If it is only Discord, it is easier to find solutions, because it is much more specific and you can get much more specific assistance.

Do some experiments with Windows Voice Recorder, Skype, or anything else, if possible to check.
If it is only Discord, I am sure somebody will be able to help you with that, but sadly I really don't know much about Discord.

 

[Aderas]

Finally got around to getting back to you, sorry about that.

Pretty sure it's Discord related, but not 100% sure. If I look at it in sound settings it maxes out at about 20-25 with me speaking at a higher than normal volume. But in anything but Discord, everything seems to work out fine. Discord is the only service where people tell me I'm quiet even at max volume.

I recently restarted my computer after uninstalling Discord, and upon reinstalling I was clearly audible for maybe a few minutes. Everyone was able to turn me down to normal, but not too long afterwards my volume dropped again.