What Is Mic Monitoring? - Audio Wave Geek

Most special headsets and sound cards come with the inscription, “mic monitoring” on them. So, what is microphone monitoring? Well, that is our topic of discussion for today. Continue reading if you would like to be enlightened on everything about mic monitoring.

So, What is mic monitoring? This is a unique feature that allows you to hear your voice on the headset. Most of the modern headphone come with this feature. So, how useful is mic monitoring?

Most gamers, when they are on a phone call, they are not aware of how loud they are speaking. In most cases, video game players like shouting in excitement or just speaking loudly while they are wearing headphones. This might be uncomfortable with the other person.

The mic monitoring feature was introduced as a means of allowing gamers to hear their own voice on the headphone while speaking. This makes those around the gamer more comfortable because the voice is not raised too high.

Besides that, when you can hear yourself, it becomes easy to troubleshoot any problem that your headset might have. Apart from that, when you can listen to yourself, it will be easier to detect if your headphones have any issues.

Merits of Mic Monitoring

More and more people are turning to headphones with mic monitoring abilities. But why? Because of the following benefits:

– Ability to test the quality of a recorded audio

We all do record audios for various reasons. But, have you ever tried to record an audio and when you want to listen to it only to find out that the microphone was muffled? Or there are too loud background noises until you cannot hear your recording?

Well, most likely we have – I have. To overcome this problem, it is paramount to know that the audio you are recording is working. Also, if you want a high-quality audio, you must understand what you are recording.

This problem is a past with mic monitoring. With the mic monitoring, before you even start recording, you can be able to hear yourself. That way, you will know the quality of the audio you are recording.

– Allows you to know if you are making noise

Most people, when they wear a headphone, they speak too loudly. This is due to the fact that they cannot hear themselves, so they start shouting, thinking they are talking in their normal tone.

This is why most gaming communities are full of loud shouts and excitements. With the continued shouting, it can cause some severe hearing problems to the gamer or even those near them.

With mic monitoring, gamers, online meetings and consoles are able to stay calmer. This has resulted in better-controlled tones which are enjoyable both by the one speaking and those around him.

– Helps in troubleshooting headphone problems

People use headphones for various activities such as gaming, phone calls, working, among others. The microphone might stop working without your knowledge. This might be caused by different reasons either with the headset or sound card.

Once you realize there is a problem with your headphone, mic monitoring can help you identify the fault more quickly. Once the headphone starts working well again, you will be able to know what went wrong.

While troubleshooting the mic by plugging and unplugging, mic monitoring plays a critical role.

Demerits of Mic Monitoring

There are two sides to a coin. So, as much as mic monitoring is good, it has some drawbacks. They include:

– Echo production

While recording audio, if the volume of the headphone is too loud, the microphone can again pick the sound. However, if you are using the headset casually, echoing might not be a problem.

While recording at high volume, there might be constant background echoes that might tamper with the quality of your audio.

To overcome this problem, there are some headsets that are designed with the ability to cancel any mic echoes. Alternatively, you can adjust the volume of your headphone to a level that will not produce echoes.

– Some people don’t like hearing their voices repeated o them.

While most people have no problem with mic monitoring, so others it is a deal-breaker. Some people might require a period of time to get used to hearing their own voices repeated to them as they speak.

Also read:

a. How do you turn on mic monitoring?

The procedure for turning on mic monitoring varies from one device to another. But the steps for enabling mic monitoring are simple and straightforward. For instance, if you are using a computer, the setting is not by default, but you can turn it on and sync it to start using it.

b. How to Enable Mic Monitoring On a PC

For you to enable mic monitoring on your pc, the first step is to plug in a pair of headphones to the computer. If you are using Windows 10 on your computer, then follow the following simple steps:

Step 1:

Search for “Control Panel” in the search box on the left bottom sidebar and click on the sound icon

Step 2:

Once you click the “Sound icon” a small window will pop up. Hover the cursor to “recording” Next, double-click on the default mic function.

Step 3:

On the new popup window, click on the “listen” from the soundbar.

Step 4:

Check/click on the “Listen to this device” box.

Step 5:

After that, click on “Playback through this device” option, and then choose the headset you want to listen to via the mic.

Step 6:

To finish, select OK and exit the opened windows.

c. How to Disable mic monitoring on PC

Just like enabling the function, you will follow the same steps to disable mic monitoring, but it’s not a total pain. Here’s how:

Step 1: Go to your Control Panel on the search box.

Step 2: click the Sound icon again.

Step 3: on the small window that comes up with a second tab, select “Recording.”

Step 4: Double-click on your default mic device

Step 5: On the new window that pops up again with a second tab for “Listen.”

Step 6: uncheck, where it says “Listen to this device.”

Step 7: Confirm your mic monitoring is disabling by clicking on the “OK” button.

Conclusion

The microphone monitoring feature is one of the most significant features in the gaming industry. With it, you can control the volume at which you speak so that you do not disturb those around you. Similarly, other gamers can turn down their volume so that they do not distract you from your game.

Due to the fact that gaming is gaining popularity by the day, we can expect more and more headphones with mic monitoring to be released to the market. We have brought you all that you need to know about mic monitoring – what it is, why you should use it and whether it is useful to you as a gamer.

As you have learned, microphone monitoring has its merits and demerits. But since the merits override the drawbacks, so, we will recommend that you try to get yourself a headphone with mic monitoring ability. Happy calm gaming!!