Studio 17 has static using built in mic

Im having a problem trying to get my built in mic working. I have a new Studio 17 with the Creative Sound enhancement option, not the sound card just the Creative Audigy software.

when I try to record voice, I can barely hear my voice over the noise which sounds like a mixture of static, and buzzing mixed in. However, I can play mp3's perfectly with no hiss or static. So the playback is working fine.

When I plugged an external mic in the static is gone. I'd like to be able to use the built in mic when possible so I dont have to take the external one along with me.

I noticed on my system that I have an IDT High Definition sound package, as well as the Creative Audigy sound enhancing software with mixer console, including EAX special effects, etc, to enhance the sound.

Anyone know what could be causing the noise on the mic? I've searched the forum and cant find a problem identical to this so Im sorry if theres a post that explains how to fix this, I cant find it.

I can adjust my sound with both the IDT HD mixer console, and the Creative Audigy sound mixer as well. But I cannot eliminate or find the cause of this static.

I got a newer Sigmatel Audio driver but that didnt elminate the problem so I set the system back to the way I got it.

I thought about buying the X fi Xtreme sound card as I do a lot of karaoke singing and need to have the music mixed with voice so I can record it but this static problem has me baffled. And they want $80 for that little sound card. I could ignore it but the laptop is brand new and it should be static free. I eliminated ac hum as the source by unplugging the ac adapter and ran on battery alone, and static was the same it made no difference.

Any clues as to the cause of this? Also if I go into a chat room and try to talk all they get is this noise they cant hear me talk.

 

Try reducing the mic gain from +20dB to +10dB. You might have to raise the volume of the mic. That made a large difference for me. Also try enabling DSDA2 (if you have it), one of the mic effects. That might help.

 

Well, I tried reducing mic gain, and lowered the boost without any luck no matter what settings I used it still sounded horrible like water running and you could barely hear my voice.

So I called Dell, and I was lucky enough to get some guy who I think was in India, as I could barely understand him. He suggested I flash the BIOS, and I agreed, but when I saw which Bios he had me download I knew it wasnt going to help. I have Bios A04 and he says we need to update A04, so I went along with his thinking, reflashed the Bios, and it still has static. This guy has no clue as to what I was even telling him. I'm really impressed with Dell Tech Support, if all the calls are sent overseas to some nitwit sitting in his living room watching tv, then we're really in trouble if we need support.
One thing I can say about Gateway and a few others, if you need support you get it here in our own country not in some foreign land.

Anyhow, after about a half an hour of listening to this guy and getting nowhere I told him I'd just use an external mic just so I could get off the phone with this jerk.

I then decided to order the Audigy Express card which I was going to order in the beginning but had changed my mind. Im not sure what causing the static, or the mic to souond like its in the kitchen sink with water running, but my guess is it's got something to do with the electrical circuitry, or where the built in mic wire is near. Maybe its the WLED screen causing it I dont know but it sure is annoying.

Thanks for your suggestion on the mic boost and other settings, I think I just got a bad built in mic, or the mic driver is messed up. Not sure really but its not that big a deal at the moment, if I get too annoyed with it I can always send it back and get something that works.

 

Could you record a sample of the audio problem? Does this happen when you move your laptop into another room, or switch off a light? Also, is the s17 fan running at all? That might affect it.

 

Hi drory,

The fan is sometimes on, and even when its off the noise is there. I've moved it from room to room, near appliances and such, and it doesnt make any difference. The reason I'd say its not interference from appliances is that I had a Dell 1721 notebook I purchased locally here, and I had it for about 2 weeks, when I noticed the text on screen was beginning to look washed out, so I decided to take it back and they didnt have anymore in stock so I didnt want to wait for them to get some in stock again, so I orderd the Studio online, but the Dell that I had for a couple weeks worked perfectly as far as the built in mic. The audio was crystal clear, no hum no static or anything when I made a voice recording or went into a voice chat room, so I knew it couldnt be any appliances or anything like that causing the problem.

The thing that shook my confidence in Dell support was how the support tech handled my problem. He didnt know much of anything from what I could tell from our conversation. One of his comments was that these built in mics usually have some hum, or noise being that they are built into the unit, and that I would benefit greatly buy purchasing a high definition mic, and use it in the mic input port provided on the Studio. In the 30 minutes of so I spent talking with this guy I could see he knew very little about computers in general. I have built many of them from scratch over the past 16 years, and I'm fairly experienced in fixing them when they break, however I have never worked on a laptop before, all my experience is with a desktop. I'm thinking this static is coming from something internal on this laptop, either that, or its got something to do with how the Codec or driver is handling the mic.

Thankyou for your input, I'm still trying to come up with a solution just to satisfy my own curiosity. I may uninstall all the Creative Soundblaster stuff and see if the noise is still there using just the IDT High def codecs and drivers.

 

Hey I am also getting this problem... but I'm sorry about the india thing... but I'm pretty sure if you ask for a manager or someone in America (because I believe they have direct lines to hotlines in america)... anyhow I like to game and built-in mic is pretty sweet because I dont have to get headphones but when I went on vent today I was unable to talk w/o the static in background neither could I record my piano playing to critique myself... if you are sucessful in finding a solution please post... hopefully this can be resolved with an update or click of the button... because I'm in college and I rather not send the laptop away for 2 weeks (I had a problem with hp laptops and so its been 3 months since I've had a laptop of my own again).

Good luck and lets crack this nut woot! (P.S.) going to driver agent to update this high def. audio device I hope it does something.... but probably it wont.

 

SO I just recently updated and I think the static has decreased... using driveragent.com IDT High Definition Audio CODEC.... and its not amazing (i dont expect it to be) but it doesnt sound like a horror film radio transmision...

 

just kidding its back again... zZzZzZz hmmm

 

its nothing new, all the dell laptops i used had this problem, dell 1705/ 1720/xps m1730. static noise in teh background.
i think hp dv7t has it too but not too sure.
except my current 17" gateway dont have teh noise.

 

im gettin it now. i called dell tech support several times due to a USB dectection issue on my studio 17...i also got india. i asked for manager and i got hello this is nagurashua so i dont think anylines are in US anymore...this is bull****...oh and flash bios is there cure for everything.