Windows 10: External microphone level keeps increasing

I'm a member of a book club that meets once a month at our local library. Many months, we have at least one remote participant; we use Skype to bring him/them into our discussion. We have a webcam that enables them to see us and an external microphone so that they can hear all of us. We then use an LCD projector to display the Skype video so that everyone in the room can see the remote participants. This has worked relatively well for a few years now.

Yesterday, we had an odd experience with the external microphone. Our remote participant complained that he found us very loud, much louder than normal, even though he had the output from his computer speakers was turned down to 1 (%); he asked if I could turn the volume down at my end. I found the microphone in my Recording Devices and found that the level was 79; I turned it down a lot (to 33 for a start) and he said that was a lot better. Problem solved? Not really. I watched the level on the microphone and found that it started creeping back up quite steadily; in just a few seconds, it was back to where it had been and even higher. I lowered the volume again; it just crept back up. Several more lowerings revealed that the level automatically went right back up, sometimes right to 100, within seconds. I went to the advanced tab and tried unchecking the checkboxes I found there in case one of them caused this behaviour but, even unchecked, there was no change in behaviour: the input volume just went right back up.

Why is this happening and what do I need to do to make the level stay where I put it? (I'm also curious to know why this should suddenly be a problem *now* since it wasn't a problem previously. Did a recent Microsoft update cause this issue?)

:)

 

Cortana can't hear me

If your machine has two mics (1-builtin & one jack) try using an external mic in the input jack

set the external as the default device in

Control Panel -> Sound -> [ Recording ] tab

if that fails, remove the external mic and try the internal again.

Still no response from Cortana?

Try disabling the external input jack - recording device (mic)

Make sure that Cortana | Search can use your microphone (Settings -> Privacy -> microphone)

Make sure that the location platform is on (Settings -> Privacy -> Location)

.. and that Search is On (Let these apps use my location)

Cortana doesn't seem to work at all if the machine is NOT connected to the Internet.

The other searches (Modern and Desktop) DO work regardless of being connected.

I still had to increase the microphone boost to +20 dB and the microphone level to 65, each machine will be different. Once Cortana hears you, then you can adjust the levels to your environment.

 

Sound record makes hiqh squeeking noise

It might be because the Microphone is too close to the speakers. Creating feedback, try turning the microphone levels down until the sound goes away or use external speakers instead. Right click the volume icon in the taskbar > Recording Devices > Choose
your default microphone > Levels and turn down the level. It might be trial and error. Hope that helps!