Setting Up a Microphone

With the rapid evolution of Internet-based communications, digital video, and speech-to-text technologies, microphones are being used more commonly with business and home computer systems. Microphones come in a variety of options, such as the following:

• Freestanding microphones

• Microphones that attach to your computer

• Headset microphones with built-in headphones that allow more private communication and consistent recording quality

• Boom microphones with a single headset speaker

If you will be recording a lot of speech or using the Speech Recognition feature, it is worth investing in a good-quality microphone. Buy anything less than the best you can afford, and you are likely to find yourself making a return trip to the store. To get the highest quality, it is critical that you choose the type of microphone that best fits your needs. Headset and boom microphones maintain a constant distance between the microphone and your mouth, which helps to maintain a more consistent sound level than a stationary microphone. The headphones built into headset and boom microphones provide the same privacy as a telephone, because the audio output is heard only by the wearer.

In this exercise, you will connect a microphone to your Windows Vista computer and adjust the audio input levels. There are no practice files for this exercise.

1.	Remove the microphone from its packaging, if you have not already done so. Troubleshooting If you are using a USB microphone, ensure that you are logged in as an administrator before connecting the microphone to the USB port. If you connect the microphone while logged in as a standard user, the device installation might not succeed, but no obvious indicator of the problem appears.
2.	Plug the microphone connector cable into the audio input jack on your computer, or into a USB port, depending on the connection type. Tip The audio input jack might be indicated by a microphone icon or the word Mic or Microphone.
3.	Open Control Panel, and then click Ease of Access.
4.	In the Ease of Access window, under Speech Recognition Options, click Set up a microphone. The Microphone Setup wizard starts. [View full size image]
5.	Select the option for the type of microphone you are using, and then click Next.
6.	On the Set up your microphone page, read the instructions, and then click Next. The Adjust The Microphone Volume page appears. [View full size image]
7.	On the Adjust the microphone volume page, read the microphone test paragraph aloud in your normal speaking voice. Or just for fun, you might try singing a couple of lines from your favorite song! As you speak (or sing), the volume gauge moves in response to your voice, and the microphone settings (which you can't see here) adjust to your natural speaking volume. Troubleshooting If the volume gauge does not move, your microphone might be incorrectly connected, or it might not be compatible with your computer. If this happens, hold the microphone close to your mouth and speak loudlyif the recording meter moves slightly, the connection is good, and the problem is between your microphone and your computer. You might be able to solve this problem by downloading new device drivers from the microphone manufacturer's Web site, or it might be simpler to replace the microphone.
8.	When you finish reading the paragraph, click Next. Then click Finish to complete the wizard.