Xonar DG 5.1 - Quiet Mic?

UKFX

UKFX

UKFX

Associate
Joined
25 Aug 2009
Posts
618
Location
London
So is it my Speedlink Medusa NX Stereo headset mic that is the problem or the way the Xonar DG 5.1 handles the mic output?

I ask this because though my voice is fine in Skype, in my recordings I sound incredibly quiet. I haven't got front port mic set. I have boost on (switch only, not a slider), my drivers are up to date, I have set it to default communication device and I've tried with software exclusivity mode on and off in the windows audio control panel settings. Etc etc. I've tried everything but I've had this problem ever since I've had the Xonar DG.

:(

Any suggestions?

Cheers
 
If your voice is being picked up well in Skype, and sounds loud enough, then whatever software you are using to record with, possibly has microphone input level set too low. If your voice was low in all software applications, then that would suggest it's something to do with the microphone or sound card.
 
So Fraps, Bandicam, Steam etc all handle my mic incorrectly?

Very disappointing if that is the case.

It could just be that the person on the other end is hearing me on Skype using a louder listening volume. For all I know it could still be relatively quiet.

Quiet mic issues are scattered around the web, some to do with Front Mic being selected by default, but others are just because they're quiet anyway, so I'm starting to think this is crappy ASUS drivers.

:(
 
UKFX said:
So Fraps, Bandicam, Steam etc all handle my mic incorrectly?

Very disappointing if that is the case.

It could just be that the person on the other end is hearing me on Skype using a louder listening volume. For all I know it could still be relatively quiet.

Quiet mic issues are scattered around the web, some to do with Front Mic being selected by default, but others are just because they're quiet anyway, so I'm starting to think this is crappy ASUS drivers.

:(
Click to expand...

Unlikely, if it's more than one application that this occurs. You only mentioned recording, and not specific programs, so I took it that it was an issue with one in particular.

Kind of odd that Skype is fine though, maybe that has some extra gain boost that the others do not have. I used to have a DG, and the boost is pretty poor in comparison to onboard audio, which can go to 30dB.

You mentioned boost in the OP, were you referring to the boost option in the Xonar CP, or maybe a switch on the headset?
 
I think because Skype is VOIP specific, it may have some hidden automatic gain monitoring built in.

OR, hearing my own mic is quiet, but for others it may be okay. I seem okay in Skype and nobody has said I was quiet in any games... so listening to my own recordings in Fraps, Bandicam, or through Steam Chat (settings > monitor) then I can barely hear myself. Of course, same goes with Windows though. The feedback on the mic bar when I talk (without using monitoring) barely lights the first green bar.

Mic boost has always been on. I've never been able to have it off.

I've considered the unified drivers but never bothered with them, but it seems like I have no choice.

I'll give it a shot and check back.
 
I'm now encountering a problem I had when installing the original Xonar DG 5.1 drivers from the CD. The "trust this manfuacturer" windows pop-up will briefly appear and before you can click the trust this hardware manufacturer button, it will disappear. It is there for literally less than a second. Now the same thing happens with the UNi Xonar Audio installer. Just like the proper Asus ones, the installation bar goes at a snails pace until eventually it exceeds the length of the window and disappears behind the window border.

After a short time it then claims I have no Xonar DG plugged in and asks me to plug in the device. However it is obviously plugged in. This is a common problem with DGs as it's pasted all over the Internet (I remember having this problem ages ago when I first got it and Google unveiled a load of people reporting the same issue).

I can't quite remember how to get around the situation as I'm all Googled out today.

I've had nothing but problems with Sound Cards, USB devices and Sleep/Wake issues on Windows 7 on this GA-Z77-D3H (rev 1.0) and I seriously regret buying it. I also hate Etron USB devices and their horrendously bad USB drivers, which after installing them have caused my PC (when I boot it up) to attempt to install a USB controller that doesn't exist on a hardware basis, because the Intel and Etron chips on this board already have their own drivers successfully installed (even though the newer drivers, though installed, prompt the installation of something that isn't needed).

I hate computers sometimes.

Might just give up on the idea of photography, sell a bunch of stuff and spend £1000 on all AMD set-up instead and just go bananas on a kick-ass mobo.
 
PapaLazaru said:
Get these installed instead - http://maxedtech.com/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/

Have you turned on mic boost?
Click to expand...

Biggest mistake ever.

+1 for the worst installer IN THE WORLD. It's identical to Asus'. It will flash the "Trust this hardware manufacturer" part. It'll pop up on the screen for about .5 seconds and obviously it is so quick that I cannot tick the agreement. As a result Windows doesn't allow the installation of the drivers, so the driver installation goes on forever and ever until eventually the installer says "insert Xonar device".

Asus' own driver installation package is EXACTLY the same. Exactly. It's monumentally ANNOYING. And on top of that, ASUS' and these Unified driver folks insist on having an installer that will not get the **** out of the way of the middle of the screen. It must have your attention at all times, just to be a pain in the ****ing ass.

Two things I've learnt over the years. Avoid Etron (I've had problems with them on other motherboards) and avoid ASUS because they can't make drivers if their lives depended on it.

Sadly the .exe for Uni drivers aren't able to be opened as an archive, so I cannot manually install the drivers myself.

Looks like I'll be tearing the Xonar DG out soon afterall. Back to onboard sound.

Edit: ZOMG I might actually install this time. A million years later. Good lord... fingers crossed.

Edit: Nope "plug in your xonar device".... mmmm yeah it's in device manager saying it is plugged in. Bravo installer.
 
Last edited:
Just reinstalled the old drivers. Not messing about with this ******** anymore.

In honesty, at 20db boost on the on board, hearing myself it was pretty similar, so perhaps it is the Medusa NX Stereo mic. Then again, if it isn't I could end up wasting stupid money on another headset.
 
I've got them installed. Just do it in safe mode instead mate, because ASUS and the UNi guys are too stupid or too ignorant to solve a very common and annoying problem with the installation.

If you google Xonar DG quiet mic, you'll find tons of people moaning about it and half of them aren't to do with the front mic being selected... but instead just a generally low volume mic. It is both ASUS' fault and Microsoft because both of them haven't even tried to address the issue and my mic (thanks to ASUS) which I've noticed has always shown itself a 2 channel mic in the recording quality section of the Windows audio panel.

It was on the recommendation of somebody here at overclockers (along with a few others) who suggested I get this card and whilst the audio quality is indeed great for the price, the way the mic is handled is nothing short of appalling.

Looking into some low cost Creative Sound Blaster options. Hopefully they aren't as useless as ASUS are these days. Everyone recommends the Xonar DG over every other cheaper card but ASUS and Microsoft are both ignoring their products and therefore I have a mic which is useable, but incredibly quiet. It's ****ing annoying.

Any game footage I record where my voice is captured as well is practically useless, since compared to the game audio I am incredibly quiet. The game volume can't be lowered any more than it is either since most of my games have reduced audio to a comfortable level whilst being able to hear others speak in VOIP software.

Boo, Xonar DG!
 
Last edited:
Just tried another Mic with the Xonar DG and I have to say, it's undoubtedly the Xonar that is the problem. It isn't broken, it just doesn't like mics very well.

I talk at a normal level and in Windows sound it tells me that I hardly light up the first bar. I never go into the green band in the mic setup either.

I'll be mindful in future to avoid ASUS audio.
 
Greetings... again.

REVIVAL OF THE DEAD THREAD! DOM DOM DOMMMM!!!!! :eek:

Seriously though... this mic issue is a problem for years now. The AMOUNT of forum posts scattered over the internet, I'd wager are in the thousands. Not only this but it's irrelevant of sound card, or mic.

I've tried:

Changing settings.
Trying 3 different mics in 3 different mic ports. Oh yes. Many combos! These have all been properly selected as defaults and max volumes picked.
I've tried enabling / disabling exclusivity to VOIP applications.
I've turned off sound levelling, or quietening the volume when a call comes in.
I've tried different drivers on Windows 7.
I've tried different drivers on Windows 8.
I've tried different drivers on Windows 8.1
I've tried Windows 8 64 bit drivers on Windows 8.1
I've updated bios.
My PSU died so I got a SuperFlower Golden Green HX 650w.
There is no problem with the grounding on my circuitry.
No it is not any of the hardware itself.
I've tried default windows drivers and no ASUS software at all!
I've even tried a well known, well liked desktop microphone which is known to be excellent: one of the Blue Snowball mics. That is powdered USB and it STILL had ridiculously quiet recording volumes.
Is it the recording volume itself? Nope.
How do you know this for certain? Well, game volume is as loud as it should be, so why on earth would the recording (on max) be mixed in too low? Shouldn't happen. + testing on sound recorder gives the same problems.

Apart from the nooblars who set the wrong settings, or don't sort out the majorly obvious, go take a trip to google and see just how WIDESPREAD this damn issue is.

I have tweeted numerous times over the months (for ages now), @Microsoft and @Windows and @Windows_Support but to no avail.

Longstanding issue in Windows 7 and 8. Doesn't exist on XP. Suspicious, no?

Unbelievable!

I ****ing HATE Windows, but because of the monopoly man and Microsoft getting together and riding DirectX, I am stuck with a multitude of games that are simply not compatible with Linux.

Oh which reminds me... mic works fine on Linux, with generic drivers. LOL @ Windows.

The driver database and list of supported devices on Windows has grown so large that Micro**** will persistently ignore OS issues unless 10,000+ people complain about it simultaneously using social media. Otherwise, unless it's a security threat, it will be ignored.

Tired of that, "oh, turn boost on" ********. As if we all haven't tried that crap already!

:mad:

Note: transmit audio from my mic over applications such as Skype is fine. It's the recording volume. However this is irrelevant to the program recording the sound. If I test in Windows, the audio from my mic only ever lights up the green bar if I eat the microphone. Sound recorder does the same. Fraps does the same. Bandicam does the same. Etc.

Extra note:

Tried 2 analogue mics. 1 USB.

Tried both Analogue mics on on board back, onboard front and the installed Xonar DG as well. Applying all the correct settings and setting appropriate defaults. Bare in mind that I have done this combination over 2 different OSes with a multitude of drivers (or with generic Windows ones), fiddled with all the appropriate boost setting, program settings, exclusivity, blah blah blah blah.... same goes with USB, only via a USB port obviously. So many combos, if this was a bank pin, you could dish it out and serve the population, chip n' pin.

Madness!

Even though I've updated various things. This includes USB chipsets. Various other chipsets. Bios, etc. Nothing still works.

Perhaps the GA-Z77-D3H rev 1.0 is the problem? It's not broken, but maybe it's just awfully **** at handling EVERYTHING... even though it shouldn't because, well... Xonar DG isn't on board.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom