Question Mic doesn't go above a certain sound level ?

[Gordon Lamb]

Hi,

I bought an Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Studio XLR Microphone around 4 years ago. For the most part i have no complaints. But over time people I'll be in discord with, or a video game will complain they can barely hear me. They'll turn me up on their end. I'll adjust microphone position, speak louder, adjust settings in discord/video game/microsoft, only to no avail. I have an XLR to USB connection for my Mic to PC, but I think that might be the problem. I'm not sure if it is and if it is what should I do about it? Is there a better physical set up for my Mic or am I stuck with low transmission sound?

Thanks in advance

 

[Darkbreeze]

Do you have a soundcard, whether internal or external, or are you simply using the onboard audio adapter? What kind of device/machine is this including it's model or specifications?

 

[Gordon Lamb]

No dedicated Audio Card internal or external.
CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K Desktop Processor 8 Cores up to 5.0 GHz Turbo Unlocked LGA1151 300 Series 95W
MoBo: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS MASTER (Intel LGA1151/Z390/ATX/3xM.2 Thermal Guard/Onboard AC Wi-Fi/ESS Sabre DAC/Gaming Motherboard)
GPU: Asus Dual GeForce RTX™ 3060 White OC Edition 8GB GDDR6 (PCIe 4.0, 8GB GDDR6, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a)
RAM: Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 32GB (2x16GB) 3600MHz CL18 Intel XMP 2.0 iCUE Compatible Computer Memory - Black (CMW32GX4M2D3600C18)
Memory/Storage: SAMSUNG 870 QVO SATA III SSD 2TB 2.5" Internal Solid State Drive, Upgrade Desktop PC or Laptop Memory and Storage for IT Pros, Creators, Everyday Users, MZ-77Q2T0B

Don't know if you need everything else as well like headset power supply etc. I realized I'm also running my mic through an amplifier
Neewer 1-Channel 48V Phantom Power Supply with Adapter, BONUS+XLR 3 Pin Microphone Cable for Any Condenser Microphone Music Recording Equipment (8 feet)
Not sure how much that changes.

 

[Darkbreeze]

You are running your mic through "an amplifier", but nobody can hear you?

Seems pretty clear what the problem is. Eliminate the amp and ask those same people if they can "can you hear me now"? Just like in the commercial. LOL.

 

[Gordon Lamb]

I unplugged the amp and plugged the mic straight into my comp, but the computer wouldn't even register any voice activity. Ended up putting the amp back on. Tried restarting the computer after unplugging the amp, swapping mic options back and forth and messing with sound options. None of them gave me any sound recognition from the mic with no amp.

 

[Ralston18]

Could be a mismatch in connectivity (TS, TRS, TRRS) and/or standards.

Noted:

"Neewer 1-Channel 48V Phantom Power Supply with Adapter, BONUS+XLR 3 Pin Microphone Cable for Any Condenser Microphone Music Recording Equipment (8 feet)"

My underline - "any" being a bit too generic. Plugs/ports physically fit. However, actual pinouts do not match.

FYI:

https://www.cablechick.com.au/blog/understanding-trrs-and-audio-jacks/

Check the pinouts along the full audio connection path.

 

[Gordon Lamb]

The XLR I have only has 3 pins. They all line up. When I use the amp I do XLR female to male cord from mic to amp and female XLR end to USB from amp to computer. I just used the female XLR to usb when trying to connect the mic straight to the computer. I'm guessing it has to be a driver problem, but no clue honestly.

 

[Ralston18]

Reading back: "around 4 years ago."

Mic may be starting to falter and fail.

Do you have another known working mic to swap in for testing?

Or able to try the mic on another known working computer or audio system?

Objective being to determine if the problem follows the mic or stays with the current host setup.