Terrible sound when using Skype

[lenny]

Hi,
I ahve a PCChips M810LR Motherboard with onboard sound using the SiS 730S
chipset and my audio is coming through the Adapter SiS 7018 Audio
Accelerator. My sound when I am record a test using Skype is very low and it
sounds like I am stood in a very windy place. I have updated my Audio driver
today but this hasn't made the slightest difference. What can I do to
improve the sound that is coming from my system when using a mic?

My speakers sound OK and when someone speaks to me using Skype their sound
is spot on. The only thing that I can see that might be causing the issue is
that my Audio Drive is sharing IRQ3 with my PCI wireless card and the SIS
900 PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter. I am not sure, but earlier before I updated
the driver it was sharing with my Radeon VE Graphics card.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Lenny

 

[Malke]

Hi,
I ahve a PCChips M810LR Motherboard with onboard sound using the SiS
730S chipset and my audio is coming through the Adapter SiS 7018 Audio
Accelerator. My sound when I am record a test using Skype is very low
and it sounds like I am stood in a very windy place. I have updated my
Audio driver today but this hasn't made the slightest difference. What
can I do to improve the sound that is coming from my system when using
a mic?

My speakers sound OK and when someone speaks to me using Skype their
sound is spot on. The only thing that I can see that might be causing
the issue is that my Audio Drive is sharing IRQ3 with my PCI wireless
card and the SIS 900 PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter. I am not sure, but
earlier before I updated the driver it was sharing with my Radeon VE
Graphics card.

Since PCChips boards are notoriously cheapies, the onboard sound
probably isn't very good. Just go buy a PCI soundcard and install it.
Don't forget to disable onboard sound in the BIOS. You can get a
decent, basic PCI soundcard for under $25usd.

Malke

 

[R. McCarty]

Good advice - If necessary you can buy a USB based Turtle Beach
unit for under ~$30.00 and not even have to open the case. Looks
just like a Thumb Drive. Great replacement for lousy on-board sound.

 

[lenny]

At the moment I have both of my PCI slots filled so another PCI card is not
an option even though I have one sat on the table here. What about upgrading
the MB. Any suggestions. (I think I will post that question later as I am
sure there are plenty of thoughts)

I like the sound of that Turtle Beach unit. I have never heard of them so
will take a look.
Cheers
Lenny

 

[V Green]

At the moment I have both of my PCI slots filled so another PCI card is not
an option even though I have one sat on the table here. What about upgrading
the MB. Any suggestions. (I think I will post that question later as I am
sure there are plenty of thoughts)

I like the sound of that Turtle Beach unit. I have never heard of them so
will take a look.
Cheers
Lenny

Your chipset is fine for voice. The other suggestions
are valid, but only for high-bandwidth stuff like music.

Try another microphone and / or check all your settings -
in particular, if you see "Microphone Boost" in your
Recording mixer, turn it OFF, and if you see "ALC" or
"Automatic Level Control" turn that off too, and set
manually. You will need to experiment to find the
appropriate mic gain setting. There may be an ALC setting
in Skype as well to turn off.

Also, if you see anything like "3-D effect" or other
junk, turn that off. It should NOT affect recording,
only playback, but you never know.

The "whooshing" sound is indicative of a crappy ALC
ckt. constantly ramping the mic gain looking for input,
I have had to deal with this before...

 

[lenny]

thanks for that info, I have already unticked the Gain box but when I do
the recorded sound becomes so low that it can hardly be heard.

 

[V Green]

thanks for that info, I have already unticked the Gain box but when I do
the recorded sound becomes so low that it can hardly be heard.

Use the sliders in the Recording mixer to raise the volume.

You also may have an incompatible microphone if you
NEED the Boost function to be on to hear it at all - when
you BOOST things, you boost the crap as well as what
you want to hear...

 

[David Nimon]

Is it by chance a Dell? If so, there are threads on Dell newsgroups about a
known issue with Dell machines and poor volume using mics.

 

[Charlie Tame]

Lenny, when you get the mixer properties up can you get to any kinds of
sound scheme property sheet?

Some systems, and I am not familiar with yours, allow for a jack to be dual
purpose, for example either mic OR bass woofer. You might try changing this
and then reset it properly with a reboot in between.

Also check the built in XP speech facilities. Control panel>speech is it?
(Using W2003 here at the moment and can't remember). Get the mic set up
there and see if that helps any.

Charlie

 

[lenny]

I have used the sliders and have to have them at full volume. It isn't a
dell machine and without the boost setting you can't hear a thing. When I
use the windows hardware testing program to hear my own voice I just get a
very crackly line and you can only just hear my voice. I know that these
MB's might be cheap but this sound is really terrible and even bad sound
cards produce better sound than this.

I have checked the Speech set up but everything leads back to the same
windows

 

[V Green]

I have used the sliders and have to have them at full volume. It isn't a
dell machine and without the boost setting you can't hear a thing. When I
use the windows hardware testing program to hear my own voice I just get a
very crackly line and you can only just hear my voice. I know that these
MB's might be cheap but this sound is really terrible and even bad sound
cards produce better sound than this.

I have checked the Speech set up but everything leads back to the same
windows

Microphone, microphone, microphone.

PLEASE at least TRY a better one.

 

[Charlie Tame]

Did you try the auto setup thing in the speech settings? That seems to work
and here's another strange phenomenon. I find that the Yahoo instant
messenger voice enabled version seems to have a way of adjusting the mic
level that nobody else has caught up with yet. I can't explain this but it
seems to deal with this onboard sound (Asus) better than anything else to
date.

If you should decide to download the messenger to try it by the way please
do uncheck ALL the other junk you are offered with it, one item you may have
to uncheck in two seperate instances, otherwise you'll get all kinds of
junk.

I've tried numerous microphones and W2000, 2003 and XP and it's the same
story so my thinking is it is the architecture of the card and drivers.

 

[lenny]

I have tried a number of different microphones but it is always the same. I
have also plugged some speakers in now so that I can hear any noise and it
sounds like very bad interference. There is a constant beating like a fast
heart beat and when I move the mouse a very bad buzzing sound all on top of
the clock ticking sound and the low level white noise.

 

[Charlie Tame]

Well that sounds pretty bad, there should be nothing at all coming out of
that really, although some low level "White Noise" might be heard from the
speakers.

I don't know what to suggest since it is onboard. You must have the right
drivers for the chipset if it's configurable where one jack can be dual
purpose like mine is, the drivers are not necessarily the newest, if all
lese fails reinstall the originals and try it.

Charlie

 

[lenny]

thanks charlie,
All else has failed so I think I will install the original drivers although
the newest ones are years old anyway.
Lenny

 

[Charlie Tame]

Well it seems this Asus card was done with two or three options, all related
to switching from input to output, and that was what gave me all the
trouble.

I mean I'm not sure if that's the same problem of course, but it seems odd
to me that Yahoo IM has always been able to adjust the mic to a reasonable
level (Since yahoo has had sound of course) and yet nothing else does,
despite mic boost being applied.

For what it's worth without that boost I might as well open the window and
shout

Anyway you tried all the obvious things and sorry if there's still no
improvement.

Charlie