Did you know that if you use the microphone on your laptop or smartphone to record a video, it’ll likely come out sounding like an old radio broadcast? That’s because these devices almost always have mic echo. Mic echo is a common problem with audio recording and can be heard as an echoing effect in the audio recording. It’s a problem that many YouTubers and podcasters experience when they first start using their computer to record videos and podcasts. Fortunately, fixing the mic echo isn’t very difficult at all. Follow these simple steps to get rid of that annoying echo once and for all.
How To Fix Mic Echo
Use a pop filter
The easiest way to fix mic echo is to use a pop filter. A pop filter is like a piece of thick foam that you can insert between the microphone and your mouth. This will help reduce or eliminate any echo that might be present in your recording.
Use an omnidirectional microphone
Omnidirectional microphones are the best kind of microphone to use for recording audio because they don’t pick up sound from all directions. This means that you won’t hear any echoing or feedback when you playback your recording, even if you have a mic echo. Omnidirectional microphones are also less prone to picking up ambient noise, making them ideal for podcasting and video recording.
Turn off noise reduction
If you have a laptop or smartphone that has built-in noise reduction software, make sure it’s turned off before starting a new recording session. Noise reduction software is designed to soften sounds so as to make them easier to hear. But when you have a mic echo, these sounds will be amplified and it’ll be hard to understand what you’re hearing.
Use a pop filter and an omnidirectional microphone
If you don’t have either of these things, then use them to fix the mic echo. Use a pop filter between the microphone and your mouth. Then, use an omnidirectional microphone to record your audio. If you want to make sure that your recording sounds the best it can be, then try using a USB condenser microphone instead of an omnidirectional one.
Adjust audio levels for optimum sound quality
You’ll want to adjust the audio levels in your recording software so that they sound as good as possible without having any unwanted noise or feedback from mic echo in your audio recording. To do this, go into Audacity or other recording software and click on the “Levels” tab. Then, adjust the levels until you’re satisfied with the sound quality.
Record directly into Audacity or other recording software
If you’ve already done all of the above steps, then you’re ready to start recording your podcast or video. However, if you don’t have these things, you should still be able to fix the mic echo by using a USB condenser microphone instead of an omnidirectional one. This will give you a better sound quality than what you would get from an omnidirectional microphone at the same price point.
What Is Mic Echo?
- Mic echo is a phenomenon that occurs when you record audio using your computer’s microphone and the microphone actually picks up sound from the monitor on your computer.
- Mic echo can be very annoying, so you want to fix it as soon as possible!
- If you’re just starting out with video recording or podcasting, mic echo is likely to be a problem for you until you get used to recording on your computer.
- If you already have experience with video recording or podcasting, mic echo probably won’t affect your recordings.
Why Does Your Video Have Mic Echo?
Plug-In your microphone
First, make sure that you’re using the microphone that came with your computer or mobile device. If you have an older model, it may not have a built-in mic and will require a separate one.
Move the mic closer to your mouth
The second step is simple: move the mic closer to your mouth and away from any other noise sources in your room. This will help reduce any echoes that might be bouncing off of objects in the room and coming back into the mic.
Turn up the volume on the microphone
This step is pretty self-explanatory: turn up the volume on your PC or mobile device’s built-in mic so that it’s at a comfortable listening level for you when recording your video or podcast episode. You don’t want to be too loud because it can cause distortion or audio feedback but it also doesn’t need to be too quiet because that can also cause problems.
Record in a quiet space
Finally, you should record your video or podcast episode in a quiet space away from any objects that might be causing the echo. It’s also helpful to use headphones so that you can hear yourself speaking clearly when recording.
Edit the audio file
Now that you have your video and audio files, it’s time to edit them to remove any remaining mic echo. First, open up Audacity or another audio editing software and import the audio files into your program of choice. If you don’t have an editing program yet, download one for free from the internet and install it on your computer or mobile device of choice. Then, select all of your audio tracks and press Ctrl-A (or Cmd-A for Mac users) to select all of them at once as a group. From there, select Tracks > Export Multiple > WAV. That will export all of your soundtracks into a single WAV file.
How To Fix Mic Echo On A Mac
- Go to System Preferences > Sound > Output.
- Click the “Echo Cancellation” button in the bottom left corner.
- Click on the “Echo Cancellation” button again and click “Turn Off.”
- Under Advanced, check the box next to “Internal Mic.”
- Click on your menu bar in the top left corner, then click “Quit” or close your Mac’s lid.
How To Fix Mic Echo On Windows
- Start by checking your microphone settings.
- Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Device Manager.
- Double-click on “Microphone Properties” and check the box next to “Use the following device” (if it’s not selected, select it).
- Click on the drop-down menu for “Microphone type” and select “Stereo Mix (Microsoft LifeCam).” Click OK when finished.
- Right-click on “Stereo Mix (Microsoft LifeCam)” in the device manager and click on “Properties.” Select the tab labeled Digital Output, then click on the drop-down menu next to Line In and select Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 (if it isn’t there, select it.) Click OK when finished.
How To Fix Skype Mic Echo
- The first step to fixing the Skype mic echo is to ensure that the microphone is turned on. This can be done by going to “Settings” in the Skype menu on your computer and then clicking “Options.”
- The next step is to make sure that the microphone input device is selected in order for your microphone to work properly. To do this, click on the “Microphone” tab, select one of the options (usually “Default”), then click “OK.”
- The last thing you need to do before you start recording a video with your computer’s built-in webcam or microphone is to enable high-quality audio recording by clicking on “Options,” then selecting the highest setting for audio quality (usually around 32 Kbps). Then click “OK.”
- Now that your microphone is working properly and you’ve selected the highest audio quality setting, it’s time to record a video. However, there’s one last thing you need to do before recording: mute the microphone. This can be done by clicking on “Options,” then selecting “Mute Microphone,” then clicking “OK.”
- You’re now ready to record a video using your computer’s built-in webcam or microphone. By default, the microphone is muted and recording will not begin automatically. To start recording, press the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard and click on your webcam or microphone icon in order for it to begin recording automatically (or press any other combination of keys).
- Once you’ve begun recording, the mic will pick up sound from whatever you’re recording with it as well as any sounds that are nearby (e.g., people talking nearby). If this occurs, simply click on “Options,” select any of the three options (usually “Echo Cancellation” or “No Echo” or “None”), then click “OK.”
- Once you’ve completed recording your video, click on the “File” menu, select “Save as,” and then save your file as a .wav (not a .mp3) file in order for it to be able to be played back correctly.
- You’re now finished recording your video and can listen back to it using Windows Media Player or some other media player of your choice. If you encounter any kind of problems with your audio, simply repeat steps 2 – 7 until the issue is resolved.
Conclusion
If you are experiencing mic echo, then it’s time to invest in a quality microphone. You can get a great microphone for as little as $50. If you have been experiencing mic echo for some time now and it is beginning to get on your nerves, then it’s time to do something about it. It may be time to invest in a better-quality microphone or microphone stand and use the computer with a USB mic adapter.
