How to remove echo in the microphone (you can hear what you said in the headphones; unpleasant noises; the device is phonit)

User question

Hello.

I have some kind of incomprehensible problem with the microphone: when you speak into it, you hear yourself in the headphones (if you connect the speakers, you hear in them). I have already tried different microphones and headphones — always the same thing, what I said — everything repeats itself.

This greatly interferes with talking to someone on Skype, recording something, etc.

Good time.

Most often, the problem you described occurs due to incorrect microphone settings in Windows (Realtek Manager (audio driver)). But if, besides the echo, other noises are observed (whistling, grinding, sometimes the microphone is phoning, etc.) - this may also indicate a breakdown of the sound card.

Below I will consider the issue in more detail ...

By the way!

You may be interested in a note on how to remove some of the noise from the microphone from the audio file - //ocomp.info/kak-ubrat-shum-iz-audio.html

What to check when the microphone phones and echoes

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Sound options in Windows

And so, the first thing I recommend to check is the microphone parameters (there may be "one" check mark in them, which creates an echo). To open them - first go to the Windows control panel in the section "Hardware and Sound / Sound" ... See screenshot below.

Sound (Windows Control Panel)

Further in the tab "Record" select your microphone and open its properties.

Microphone properties

In the tab "Listen" uncheck the box "Listen from this unit" and save the settings. Recheck microphone operation.

Listen from this unit

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Sound Manager Settings

In the control panel under "Hardware and Sound" there should be a link to the sound manager (could be: Realtek, B&O Audio Control, Dell Audio and others, depending on your device model).

Note! If you don't have such a link in the control panel, pay attention to the tray (next to the clock). If there is no link there, most likely you do not have the drivers installed on the audio card. How to update them - see here: //ocomp.info/update-drivers.html#Driver_Booster

Sound control panel link

The screenshot below shows the B&O control panel - just go to the "Input" section and toggle the slider to enable the HP Noise Cancellation filter.

HP B&O Audio - reduce noise

If we talk about the more popular Realtek HD, then it's even easier and faster: in the "microphone" section, you need to set two checkboxes:

suppression of noise;
echo cancellation. Then, save the settings and check how the microphone works.

Realtek Dispatcher - Suppress Echo

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A few words about "interference"

Various interference (grinding, noise, crackling) when using a microphone may occur due to reasons not directly related to the Windows settings:

see if you have a mobile phone next to the microphone (the fact is that it can create a strong field that acts on a sensitive microphone). In general, at the time of diagnostics and search for reasons - I recommend removing the phone away from the computer desk;
check if everything is in order with the wire and connectors that are used to connect the speakers / microphone. By the way, also pay attention: if they are not intertwined with other cables, try to spread them some distance;
if your neighbors have a hammer drill (or a welding machine 👀) working - very often the microphone "senses" this and you hear the corresponding crackle;
also, the microphone performance can be poor in case of severe thunderstorms, lightning ...

By the way, Windows has 10dB microphone gain enabled by default. For some devices, this can create some "noise". To turn this off, open microphone properties (how to do this is described above) and:

turn off sound effects in the "Improvements" tab;
in the "Levels" tab, set the microphone gain to "0" dB, and add the volume level to 80-100 (screenshots below).

Disabling sound effects

Levels - 0dB Mic Gain

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Troubleshooting wizard

Windows 10 has a built-in special. a troubleshooting wizard (it automatically checks a number of settings and the operation of the services responsible for the sound). If you use this OS, I highly recommend starting it (to do this, just click on the sound icon in the tray with the right mouse button - in the menu that appears, select "Troubleshooting Sound Problems" ) .

Troubleshoot audio problems

Then just follow the prompts and recommendations of the wizard. In each specific case, his questions may differ slightly, so I do not give them here ...

The master started work

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Maybe try an external sound card

If all of the above did not help you solve the problem, then I would recommend trying to use an external sound card. Modern devices are connected to a regular USB port and they are no larger than a flash drive. Windows installs the driver on them automatically (ie no pain 👌).

In fact, to start using it, you just need to insert it into the USB port and connect a microphone and headphones (speakers) to it.

Buy such a sound card can be found in Chinese online stores for "a penny" (150-200 rubles) - //ocomp.info/kitayskie-internet-magazinyi.html