Windows not detecting input from headset

Neon · 28 Jan 2012

Windows will happily output sound to my headset but there is no input from the mic. I have a xonar dg as my soundcard.

The headset mic has been tested on a laptop and works
The microphone mute button the the headset cable is set correctly
The jack is correctly in
On plugging in (and fiddling with the jack) the mic I can see noise in CP/Sound window
It has been tested on the front panel, the soundcard jack & motherboard jacks
Drivers have been wiped and reinstalled
System restores had no effect
A reinstallation of windows keeping programs & settings had no effect
The mic is not muted or set too low in Control Panel / Sound
The mic in my webcam works correctly (USB)
Connections inside the case are not loose
Toggling the front mic option in Cp/Sound/Recording/(the mic)/properties/custom has no effect

I also managed to get the mic to work (badly) for a few seconds after windows reinstalled. After I plugged in the headphone jack, the mic went dead and hasn't recovered since.

The mic has worked on this PC before, it seems some setting / software / driver is mucking up.

Neon · 29 Jan 2012

I noticed the sound card can only handle up to 48KHz/24-bit recording. However the CP sound options would let me set it above this. Lowering it to the acceptable level made no difference.

fireberd · 29 Jan 2012

If you have a separate sound card and the Integrated (on the motherboard ) audio enabled there can be conflicts and problems. The first step is to disable the Integrated audio in the BIOS. That may not fix the problem but it will eliminate one potential problem.

Next go to the Control Panel/Hardware and Sound and finally the Sound Panel. Either the "System Mixer" or may be called "Stereo Mixer" should be set as the default playback device. Your sound card's mic should also be enabled as a playback device. If you RIGHT click on the microphone you can then set the volume level in the panel that comes up.

44.1Khz/16 bit is the standard audio setting and is also "CD Qualtity". 48Khz is used for movie audio. 24 bit recording is used by many (including myself) in computer based recording studio work but when we mix down to a "standard" audio wav file it's 44.1/16.