Desktop Microphone

[Apsenniel]

Hi,

I have used TS before with a headset. I didn't like thatwearing a headset and, although my microphone settings were up as high as possible, I still had to almost "eat" the microphone and enunciate with clarity to be heard.

So, I have decided that a desktop mic with the sound coming out of the speakers would be nice. I've no idea quite how this would work though in terms of the mic picking up the sounds coming out of the speakers - like a perpetual echo! Since I want to use TS for online gaming, there will be a fiar bit of noise around.

Also, how do I know a good desktop mic when I see one? Price alone? I am willing to pay up to £70 - 80 if it will do a really good job but don't want to pay that if it is no different from a cheaper one!

Many thanks in hopeful anticipation!

[WolfStar76]

If you were having problems being heard on your headset mic, you'll likely find only more heartache and pain with a desktop mic.

I'd go back to the headset mic and make sure you had the gain activated - a great way to "tune" your microphone is to run the "voice wizard" built into XP. From the Ctonrol Panel, go into your sound properties, and on the voice tab, run the wizard listed there. Windows will have you read a few things aloud, and set the sensitivity and gain for you - and it *usually* does a pretty good job.

If that still doesn't work, let me know and we can tell you how to set the gain by hand - or do a forum search on "microphone volume" or "gain" and I'm sure you'll find many posts on the process.

It's possible you just had a bad mic, but I doubt it.

With a desktop mic you'll have the same problems if your software settings aren't correctly configured - you'll have to lean way into the mic and shout to be heard. Conversly, the other problem you run into with a desktop mic is that it can pickup on your game sounds and the other people talking on TeamSpeak and create a feedback loop.

That'll get you shouted at fairly quickly.