m1330: mic very weak, and can't record from camera

Got my m1330 today and it has the wled screen just as ordered. Maybe I shouldn't be too picky, but...

a) I can't record video at all. Windows Photo Gallery looks like it might record video but it doesn't recognize the internal camera. The supplied Roxio Creator DE recognizes the camera fine, and shows live video in a window. Zoom and face recognition work well. But if I try to record, it fails after ~10 sec saying "no signal". I tried various resolutions, etc.

b) I can record sound from the internal mic, but it is extremely weak. Under Sound/Microphone Array Properties/Advanced, if I don't enable 'audio enhancements' (whatever that is), I can't record anything audible. With it enabled, I get audible but very weak sound. The voice recognition setup wizard (Sound/Microphone Array Properties/Configure) says the volume is too low for it to understand, even if I am shouting. I don't have an external mic to test.
[Yes, the mic array is working according to Vista, and I have the slider in Sound/Microphone Array Properties/Level turned up to max. Yes, the speakers are fine, it's not a playback problem, I can play prerecorded sound just fine.]

Anyone with the same problems? Or any suggestions? Many thanks,

 

Got to love DELL!!

Seriously, go pester their tech support. You might get some money/credit back and even upgrades.

 

Got the same problem I've only tried skype but it was the same issue, low volume via built-in mike. Will try to talk to tech support

 

Guess that I will have the same problem tomorrow

 

Increase the gain (Tick the Microphone Boost checkbox under Volume Control > Recoding > advanced controls for microphone )

 

I don't think this would work under Vista

Couldn't think of a more pointless post?

 

No, it will not. I have already done everything I can to boost volume under Vista.

Incidentally, I downloaded a simple freeware program (Debut) to record from webcams. It records fine. So it's not a hardware problem but a Roxio software problem. It's still Dell's problem though, because that's the provided software for video...unless I am missing something?

 

go into settings and record it in wmv instead of avi. Does that make a difference?

 

I just borrowed a plug-in microphone from someone else. A window pops up asking (in a somewhat confusing way) if I am plugging in a "line in" or a mic or rear speakers. I selected line in by mistake and got very low sound. When I switched to mic it worked well.

So maybe the built-in mic array is somehow configured wrong and the sound card thinks it is line in or a speaker or something. I can't yet figure out how to reconfigure it. I would send e-mail to Dell but I know I'll gt boilerplate responses that say things like "do a reinstall of Vista".

PS Re previous post. Roxio has no way to change the video file format. In any case, the freeware I downloaded (Debut) wrote mpg and avi with equal ease, while Roxio could not record any video.

 

Have this problem as well, it's weird. With Dells camera software, the mic is fine. Loud and clear. But with Skype/MSN video call, it is very very low. Unusable.

Software problem?

 

I had the microphone problem on my Inspiron 1520, I fixed mine I'm pretty sure, as I am able to use Speech Recognition in Vista now, I just haven't tried to record sound from it. All I did was uninstall my sound drivers through the Device Manager and then reinstalled them with the version from the Dell web page.

 

Link?

 

My microphone didn't work at all in Windows Live Messenger. When I did the audio/video setup in windows live messenger it did not detect any sound. After install Vista Ultimate I downloaded the sound drivers from the M1330 section on the Dell site and Messenger audio setup went well.

Looks like the same fix for the Inspirons might work for us too.

 

Windows Live Messenger mic setup didn't work for me either. I turned the sensitivity all the way up, and the computer still couldn't hear me. I'll try that fix tonight.

 

=/ dont bother with dealin with the tech support go out and just buy a 5 dollar mic -.- better then sending it bak to let them tell u that integrated mics arnt to par

 

there's a fix... try this replacing the audio driver with this one: http://ftp.us.dell.com/audio/R157031.EXE

 

Zetto. Can you tell me how to replace the audio driver with the one above? When I go to the Device Manager to uninstall the current Sigmatel driver, then who thing disappear afterwards. I can't locate it again to hit update or install driver. Please help.

 

It dissapears because u've uninstalled it, so don't worry about it. Download the other file, and run it... However, I've tried it and it didn't work for me... so maybe I'm doing something wrong But it worked someone in another thread, http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=149351, so maybe you should go check it out. BTW, the original, factory-installed 1330 audio driver is here: ftp://ftp.us.dell.com/audio/R160062.EXE

 

Well. I had tried both to no avail. To the guy who said that after you had installed the R157031 driver you were able to boost your mic sensitivity by 20 db. Where can I go to do that?

If I right-click on the sound icon (bottom right corner of the desktop), I can get into recording devices. Within that I can change the sensitivity slider, but it would only go to the maximum of 0 db.

 

This is my experience exactly as well. With the Dell Camera Center, I can record just fine. But with Windows Live Messenger, people can barely hear me, but they have to be right next to their speakers. If they are not next to their speakers, then can't hear me at all.

 

The driver I used is the R157031.exe one linked to above, I didn't have to boost my sensitivity at all when I was done, it worked perfectly.
investor27 can you try and use speech recognition to see if it works (I mean recognize your voice, not do what you say, it absolutely sucks for that )?
I may try to do a voice call soon, but I may not get around to it for the next few days.

 

Okay. I'll try that first thing tomorrow and report back here.

I can't get the Array Mic to work. I tried both the R157031 and the R160062, and both didn't work for me. I can barely see the bar at the lower end of the Yellow range. The external mic work, though. I'm convinced it's the driver that needs to be updated for the array mic to work.

How can I check to make sure that I have the R157031 driver installed right now, do you know?

 

If you can barely see the bar at the yellow range it wont work.

6.10.0.5511 is the driver version listed when I go to Device Manager->Sound Video and Game Controllers->Properties->Details->Driver Assembly Version
I'm pretty sure that should be the same for you if the same driver is installed.

This all assumes however that the XPS1330 has the same array as the 1520 otherwise I wouldn't expect the R157031 driver to work.

 

As first noted by Nalada, edit the following registry entry to change the mic volume:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\\Sigmatel\Apo\LFX\MicIn\presets\_Initial\Gain\MasterGainDbX100

The current value is 2500 (dec). Raising it to 3000 decimal worked well for me. 3500 caused clipping. No need to reboot after regedit. If I were to fine tune it further I would probably go slightly lower than 3000. In any case, my normal speaking voice is now being recorded loud and clear when my face is at a normal distance (i.e. when typing at the keyboard).

You can check the volume many ways, but Sound Recorder is an easy way (level meter is active even when you are not recording).

Although this is an array mic, I could detect no directionality.

Changing the Master Gain registry setting possibly raises the external mic input volume also, even though that was ok to begin with. But if the internal mic is usable, on does not need an external mic at all.

 

I wish it was so easy.
I find changing this registry key has no effect on the Speech Recognition trainer. However, it does change the signal level in Sound Recorder.
However the signal to noise ratio seems to be awful. Setting this key to 4000 still didn't take me to the top of the meter when speaking but did raise the noise floor to about the 50% level.
I wonder if the microphone is sensitive to the famous high pitched whine!?
Supposing it is and has some kind of AGC? - I doubt this is the right explanation but it might somehow cause the level to get turned down somewhere in the system.

From the 7cm separation between the two elements I estimated that a sine wave arriving totalling from the side (in the plane of the screen) would completely cancel out (be out of phase at the two microphones) for a frequency of about 2200 Hz. (This is assuming the two mic outputs are summed into a mono channel).
For sound arriving at an angle (say 45 deg) the frequency would be 1500 Hz.
There would also be cancellation at harmonics. 4400, 6600, Hz etc. for the 9 0 degree noise and 3000, 4500 Hz etc. for the 45 degree noise.
With just a 2 element array I am not sure you can do much better than that.

If instead of summing the channels one kept them as stereo then probably the human ear might be able to do the processing to discriminate one voice from another.

 

Yes, there is apparently AGC. I can't max it out either. And noise will be very high at 4000. Using 3000, I had no problem with the tainer.

 

DragonEye. You are right. That's the driver I have installed. I tried testing the voice recognition program, but the computer can't hear me "I got that message from Vista." The Array Mic is barely picking up anything, and I'm still in the lower end of the first zone (the Yellow Zone).

I tried changing the Hotkey from 2500 to 3000, and finally to 3500. It did not improve the Array Mic pickup sensitivity at all for me. I suspect you guys are right, and the two mics on either side of the camera are canceling each other out. I am at loss as to what to do next.

 

I really have no idea then, that is what fixed my 1520, its probably different than the 1330. Also if you are editing the registry at all it is suggested that you back it up first, you probably already know that, but its worth repeating.

 

If they were cancelling sound out (e.g. by being wired up with opposite polarities) then I would expect to get a strong signal by changing the left/right balance or talking from one side of the screen. That didn't seem to help for me.

I think (hope) it is a driver problem that can be fixed by the right software patch.

 

This problem has been discussed in this thread and also for more models at
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=149351
I am trying to stick to this thread from now on for this M1330 problem.

To summarize what I think we have:

(a) Many (or all?) M1330 owners have a problem with low amplitude of the built-in Sigmatel array microphone
(b) Dell told one user to uninstall and re-install the driver. It worked for that user but not others
(c) Some users found they could fix the problem by uninstalling the driver and reverting to a driver from the Inspirons.
(d) Some users report (c) gives them an additional microphone boost control in the volume control panel.
(e) Some users report solving the problem by changing sample rate.

Some things we learnt:
There is a registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\\Sigmatel\Apo\LFX\MicIn\presets\_Initial\Gain\MasterGainDbX100
By increasing it's value we can increase the sound volume seen in the Sound Recorder but not in the Speech Recognition trainer

I have tried all the above and none worked for me. This includes deleting the few remaining Sigmatel registry keys after uninstalling, and telling Vista to delete files when uninstalling.
I never got a microphone boost control.

I wonder if there is any difference between people with the Creative Audigy HD software and those without.
Is there anyone who has been able to solve the problem have the Audigy software?
Has anyone without the Audigy software been unable to resolve the problem?

 

I didn't mean to kill both threads dead!
Has anyone else been on to Dell? - I don't have time right now.

 

I have the same problem and none of the listed drivers or reg edits have helped anyone got any new news?

 

Same problem here. Still waiting for some kind of fix...

 

just bumping the thread, hopping for an answer

 

anyone figured this out yet?

 

POSSIBLE SOLUTION.

Reformat. Working for me. Mic works 100% in all apps (Live, Skype, etc).

It's a pain, but it works. No idea why.

 

Interesting, because a reformat would cause your disk to be completely blank.

If you mean reinstall, I did reinstall from the Dell recovery image to clear up a different problem that I had caused. Made no difference to the mic volume, naturally.

 

Yeah, that's what I meant. I reinstalled Vista and it works fine. After a format of the disk, though.

 

Yeah I've tried these things as well and no luck. Reformatting was done the day I got my laptop. I put on Vista Ultimate.

 

what drivers did you use when you reinstalled?

 

anyone else still having this issue or fixed it with out a reinstall? Mine works with skype (still low) but not with MSN mesenger at all. if anyone has this figured out let us know!

 

Goombaypunch - try this recipe from the other thread on this subject:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=2385411&postcount=44

Works for some people - worked partially for me but I made the mistake of continuing to fiddle with it and undid the improvement.

 

I've a Dell XPS M1330 and I fixed the mic level problem... I'm sure that all you can do the same, simply by this way:
- back to the original R160062 driver and reboot (yes, no as mentioned above)
- download the R157031 from the Dell Inspiron 1720 driver download page (but it's the same using this link..)
- unzip the archive content without run the auto-installer (-> tipically in "c:\dell\driver\R157031")
- open "Device Manager"
- open "Sound, Video and Game Controllers"
- right click on "Sigma Tel High Definition Audio CODEC" and open the "property" window
- click on the "Driver" tab and choose "Update driver"
- choose the previous folder path "c:\dell\driver\R157031"
- choose "SIGMATEL STAC 92XX C-Major HD Audio" and agree any warning appear
- rebooted and the problem is fixed!

Note that, as different as you follow the instructions gived in this thread above, now in the "sample rate" combo box are not present unsupported rates (upper than 2 channels 24bit 48000Hz)
You don't need to modify your system registry because 2500 is already good!

NB I've Vista Home Premium and I reinstalled nothing!

 

I've tried all of the above and have had no luck at all. I went so far as to call XPS support and after about 1.5 hours the only suggestion as to what I might try was to reinstall the OS.

 

Just thought I would chime in that I think the same happens to both my Vostro 1400... when looking at the mic in the sound properties box even yelling at it full bore never gets it to register more than 1/2 on the level bars with normal talking resulting in 1 or 2 bars lighting up...

This is after a complete clean install of Vista.

 

Worked for me; thanks! This was the only problem I had with my 1330...not any more!