Re: Steve - can you help please.

"donut" <me@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"David C" <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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On Sat, 8 Apr 2006 11:08:20 +0100, "noreen@home"
<usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"donut" <me@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:49pdmhFpngc9U1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Steve, I seem to be having a mic/speaker problem - last night
TH and friend tried to help because apparently my voice is very
feint.

Yep, it was very quiet the other day, when we were in the Bikesheds
as well...
:-(

But you managed to increase the Microphone Level (in the SoundBlaster
Audigy Volume Control thingy), which made it a bit better.

It might be an idea to see if using the (built-in) windoze Sound
Mixer/Volume thingy to adjust the Microphone Level Helps?

You can get to that in several different ways, (& then switch it to
the Recording Controls), such as from Control Panel>Sounds & Audio
Devices, but there's a very quick way of Opening up the Sound Mixer,
directly at the Recording Controls...

Start>Run sndvol32 /r [OK]

Try that? - Just Copy & Paste the "sndvol32 /r" into the Start>Run Box
(without the Quotes, but with the Space & the "/r" bit - that Opens up
the windoze SOund Mixer directly at the Recording Controls. If you just
Open the Sound Mixer from the control Panel, you would then have to
Select the Recording Controls by using...

Menu>Options>Properties
(/) Recording
[OK]

Make sure that the Microphone Slider is up at the top
& if there's an [Advanced] Button (which some Sound Cards have) then
have a look & see if there's a [/] 20 dB Boost that you can Enable.
If the [Advanced] Button isn't showing, try using...
Menu>Options>Advanced Controls, to Enable it.

Also, make sure that you have your Skype Options Set to Automatically
Adjust the Sound Settings (it's s'posed to be able to Automatically
Adjust the Levels, but not all SoundCards work properly with those
Settings)...

Menu>Tools>Options...>Sound Devices
[/] Let Skype adjust my Sound Device Settings

& make sure you have the "Audio In" DropDown Box Set to "windoze
Default Device" or the Name of your SoundCard (SoundBlaster Audigy?)

... TH has a set which plugs into USB

Yep, but that's not anything to do with your prob, any normal
Microphone/Headset should work OK, using the ordinary 3.5 mm Jack Plugs.
It *may* just be that the particular Microphone you have on your Headset
isn't giving a high enough Output Level, for the Input Sensitivity of
your SoundCard, so a different Headset *might* help.
Smokey had a similar problem, with her Microphone/Headset.
Changing it for a different one sorted that out OK.

... - the one I have does not - it s a Skype headset (Plantronics)
with two small round connectors.

Yep, one (the Green one, usually) is for the Headphones (Output)
& the other one (usually Red, or Pink) is for the Microphone (Input)

... I have plugged them in to the two connectors on the front
of the tower.

That's right, some PCs have the Sockets on the Back & some have them
on the Front (& some have both!).

I would have tried to contact you on Skype but last evening TH
& I lost all contact for a while and it seems pointless to set
up a call which is difficult for someone to hear. TIA

Well, you could use the TextChat window, while your getting the Sound
(Microphone) sorted out.

You would have been ok on mine Donut except for the whooshing
sound!! which was on my skype.
If you would like to try mine again ?;-)))

I suggest you try making a Skype test call, then you will hear
for yourself, just how you sound.

I think I have worn out all my options to do this on Skype -
it does not seem to be there any more.

Look at...

Menu>Tools>Options...>Sound Devices

There is a Link on there to:
[Make a test Call to Skype Answering Machine]

Try that?

Alternatively, you can make a Skype Call, by using a "skype:" URL...
A "skype:" URL works like any other URL - you can Copy & Paste it into
the AddressBar (of your Browser), or into the Start>Run Box...

Start>Run skype:echo123 [OK]

Or use a "callto://" URL (Skype Associates itself with the "callto://"
URL Protocol, so that works with Skype), normally, "callto://" URLs
Open up M$ NetMeeting.
Try that as well?...

Start>Run callto://echo123 [OK]

& there's (yet another!) way to Start a Skype Call...
You can Sart Skype up with a "Command Line Parameter", which will
make it Initiate a Call...

Start>Run "%ProgramFiles%\skype\phone\skype" /callto:echo123 [OK]

Any of those should Open up Skype & Initiate a Call to the "echo123"
Automated Answering/test thingy.

HTH

--
pmj


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