How to Make Webcam Microphones Better

By Ruri Ranbe

The webcam and its built-in microphone connect to and communicate through a universal serial bus port on the computer. Because the microphone doesn't connect directly to the sound card -- the hardware responsible for interpreting and outputting sound -- audio quality may be average to poor, especially when compared with dedicated computer mics. If your webcam mic is too quiet or has static or feedback in the background when talking online or recording, you can change the default device settings in Windows to make the sound quality on the microphone better.

Step 1

Click "Start." Click "Control Panel." Go to "Hardware and Sound," then click "Sound."

Step 2

Select the "Recording" tab, click the webcam microphone, then click "Properties" to open the "Microphone Properties" window.

Step 3

Go to the "Levels" tab. Drag the slider under "Microphone" and "Microphone Boost" to the right if the sound level is too low on the webcam mic.

Step 4

Go to the "Enhancements" tab. Clear the box next to "Disable All Sound Effects," if checked.

Step 5

Check "DC Offset Cancellation," "Noise Suppression" and "Acoustic Echo Cancellation" to improve the sound feedback on the webcam microphone.

Step 6

Click the "Advanced" tab. Select the highest sample rate from the drop-down menu.

Step 7

Click "OK" to make the sound on the webcam microphone better. Click "OK" again to close the Sound window.

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