Sigmatel won't record on Dell E1705

Hi all,

I’m literally pulling my hair out right now!

Have had my Dell 9400/E1705 for over a month now, and have just installed Skype!

I have found that my laptop refuses to record anything from my microphone except static!!!

Here’s what I’ve tried:

1. The microphone works. Has been tested on another laptop, and minidisk!
2. Uninstalling and reinstalling the latest drivers (with restarting the laptop)!
3. Installing the original drivers which the came with the laptop.
4. Installing Intel AC97 drivers, (which didn’t work).
5. Registry hack found on the dell support forums. http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_audio&message.id=25802 Which allowed me to hear my voice through the laptop internal speakers, but again not record anything.
6. Scouring the Sigmatel website for non existent drivers.
7. Have gone through all the volume control panel settings, i.e. microphone/line in select, microphone boost, anything else in the control panel I thought to be relevant.

I’ve attempted to record using the windows sound recorder and Adobe Audition!

Is my Sigmatel audio chipset faulty? Am I missing something here?

Can someone please help me? I had a full head of hair last week, but now……!

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It's not you. I'm having the same problems on my new E1505, and I **** well want it fixed. As for advice, I can't help you much.

 

i have had nothing but audio issues with the spdif on my e1705. along with the other tread about a software overlay for soundblaster, i think it is time for a class action lawsuit seeing as dell really has been doing a bait and switch, false advertising, and selling a product that doesn't do what it is suppose to do.

i mean come on, how stupid do u have to be to not test this **** before it goes out the door. they truely are a bunch of idiots.....

There stock just got down-graded b/c of not meeting 4th qtr projections, and well, if they keep turning out this ****, that trend is sure to continue.

sorry - just had to rant..

 

Sign me up for that club. useless recording/skype capabilities. Works for about 10 sec to 2 mins and then nothing but static. My daughter's 6400, however works fine... go figure.

 

My E1705 works great with Skype. Do you guys have a popup come up when you plug in your microphone asking what you plugged in?

 

dell knows about the issue and told me a new fix driver would be available at end of March but I have yet to see it

 

Yup. But it seems to forget a lot as to which device it's using. At least it does with Skype. I have to "retell" it which device is my microphone every time I try to use it. Which is irrelevant since it doesn't work anyway... The whole thing is a mess.

I've given up researching it. But what bugs me is my daughter's brand new 6400, which is the same notebook as the 1505, works just fine with Skype and WinXP. Dell is supposedly sending me a driver disk for XP... since mine originally came with Vista and I dumped it for WinXP. I'll keep posting here as things progress. Should have the disk any day now.

 

What webcam do you use with your 1705... Does it have a built in mic or are you using an separate microphone? I personally think this is strictly a driver issue... which sound chip and driver version do you use?

 

Has anyone found out if a USB MIC works? I just got sent this E1705 as a replacement for an exploding sony battery model Dell. The first replacement they sent had a bunk dvd drive. This is the second replacement they've sent and the mic won't work. I'll admit that the problems are getting smaller, but when will they get it right?

 

No webcam. Just voice. I use a cheap Plantronics hardwired headset into the mic and headphone plugs on the E1705. I use the latest SigmaTel drivers on the Dell website, and the Creative Audigy Integrated software.

 

This might help someone?
http://www.notebookforums.com/thread169312.html

 

I had the same annoying problem. I found this fix on Dell forums...
Go to Windows Update (I have XP) and check for hardware updates. There was a Sigmatel update, I downloaded it, and it worked! My audio recordings sound great now....Hope this helps somebody...

cheri